Study Shows Google Algorithm Success

Many of you will remember the ongoing debates last year about the changes to Google's search algorithm, which were intended to improve the quality of organic search results; at one point, Google even posted a list of advice on how those doing search engine optimisation could ensure their website was not penalised. The changes were met with mixed opinions.
 
Now a new study suggests that the new algorithm is indeed having the desired effect; poor quality websites are disappearing from the top organic search results because of the implementations. The test looked at 50 search terms known to be of key interest to content farms in March 2011 and then again in August after some key changes had been made. For the purpose of the study, poor quality sites were defined as "uninformative sites whose primary function appears to be displaying adverts".

For example, for the search query "how to train for a marathon", a number of sites offering generic lists of tips appeared in the March results, but not in August's, having been replaced by reputable sites such as Runner's World. The study reported similar results across the queries.

Of course, the algorithm has been continually tweaked since August, but the studies we have seen so far all suggest that the major updates last year seem to have been a success. What do you think?