While legitimate businesses may spend thousands of dollars to increase their Google rank, French President Nicolas Sarkozy does not have to spend a dime. Once again the president has fallen victim to a Google Bomb wherein users conducting a search for the French word for “a——” were mistakenly directed to the president’s Facebook page. While this particular Google Bomb was available for a few days, Google is equipped with algorithms to eventually detect and remove the activity.
Designed to influence the ranking of particular websites via target search terms, Google Bombs first gained notoriety in the late 1990s wherein a Google search for “more evil than Satan himself” would direct individuals to Microsoft’s homepage. In order to succeed, the cyber prank may require the concerted effort of hundreds of webmasters working together. Other notable victims of the practice include George W. Bush and Tony Blair. Mr. Sarkozy was previously the subject of a Google Bomb in 2009 when there was a heated debate with respect to anti-piracy legislation and this may have been the motivation behind the most recent cyber prank.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/858235–french-president-sarkozy-google-bombed
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