Google search failed to even find a hollywood movie, even after 1 hour of attempts. I don’t really care about the movie, but I am terrified by the prospect that google now ceased to function on this basic level. Why is this happening?

I understand the explanations of seo and other stuff like spam content. But why are there NO relevant results at all.

I wouldn’t mind having to start wading through results at page 2 or even 10 but now it utterly fails to find even the most basic things.

Things you found on the first attempt even just a year ago. Now they are effectively hidden.

To me functionally the entire internet has now vanished. I cannot access anything that I am searching for. Might as well not exist at all.

Has anybody found a way around this?

Is this on purpose? Is this an attack on the free internet, herding people to just the top 5 sites like facebook, youtube, tiktok, and so forth?

Are there search engines that still work?

    • WaxedWookie@lemmy.world
      224·
      11 months ago

      You understand that while this would give better results, this is an example of the problem under discussion - you’re deferring to businesses listed on Google, washed with Google reviews and promotion. Businesses that don’t actively try/pay to work with Google functionally don’t exist - they are the gatekeeper, toll collector, marketplace, and the arbiter of good and bad. They don’t do this altruistically or honestly - they do it for profit, and the crashing quality of their search results is evidence of this.

    • Vqhm@lemmy.world
      195·
      11 months ago

      Bro,

      I have been using Google before 2000

      Had an early invite to Gmail. Got mobile search results over text message before smart phones.

      Google maps didn’t even launch until 2005.

      Some of us went places and did things before Google+

      I don’t disagree that if I want to go somewhere I might search g maps.

      But the search results are really shit lately.

      I miss competition with several web spiders

    • vonbaronhans
      7·
      11 months ago

      Would that work in the case of photographers? I would only think to use Maps for business that are likely to have or must have by necessity some building or office.

      • what_is_a_name@lemmy.world
        61·
        11 months ago

        Photographers are it an obvious term to search for on maps. “Photo studios” sure. But event/wedding photographers are a google search not a maps search.