NEWS

Can Chrome-Based Spammers Impact Core Web Vitals? via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Published

3 years ago

September 29, 2021

core web vitals negative seo 6153a934b5e18 sej

Google’s John Mueller answered whether Chrome-based spam traffic could negatively impact core web vitals scores. John Mueller isn’t on the Chrome or web platform team, so he had to pause a moment to think about that a second before answering.

One of the implications, an underlying question, is if it’s possible to launch a negative SEO attack focused on poisoning Core Web Vitals and thereby affect a known ranking factor.

Chrome User Experience Report

The Core Web Vitals scores that become ranking factors are derived from real users on Chrome browsers.

The browsing information contains the actual web page download data from real devices visiting actual web pages.

This data is what Google calls “field data” and it’s what is used to calculate the Core Web Vitals score that is subsequently used as ranking factors.

Google uses the browsing data from Chrome browser users to create the Chrome User Experience report.

Google’s developer pages describe the process like this:

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“The Chrome User Experience Report is powered by real user measurement of key user experience metrics across the public web, aggregated from users who have opted-in to syncing their browsing history, have not set up a Sync passphrase, and have usage statistic reporting enabled.”

Real users on Chrome can have an impact on Core Web Vitals scores.

So the person asking the question had a legitimate concern.

The person asking the question framed it as “spam traffic” that is “using Chrome as a browser.”

The person is unclear as to whether these were actual people using Chrome browsers on slow connections or if these were bots.

John Mueller didn’t ask for clarification, unfortunately.

Bots Spoofing Chrome

There are many kinds of bots that aren’t Chrome, they simply imitate Chrome (this is called spoofing the user agent of Chrome).

For example, a Python-based web scraper can spoof Chrome to trick a website that it’s just a normal site visitor.

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Those kinds of bots won’t affect a website’s Web Vitals Scores because they are not Chrome, they’re just scripts.

Headless Chrome Bots

There are other kinds of bots that are based on the real Chrome browser that are called Headless Chrome.

Headless Chrome is the Chrome browser but without user interface of Chrome, which is why it’s called headless.

It’s unlikely the Headless Chrome browser can send back Core Web Vitals information either, since Headless Chrome is designed for testing purposes.

Spam Traffic with Real People Using Chrome

The nightmare scenario is spammers sending actual people on a slow Internet connection to visit a site while using Chrome browsers that are opted in to the Page Experience Report.

How would Google filter out real people using Chrome with bad intentions from negatively impacting Core Web Vitals?

Can Chrome-based Spam Traffic Influence Core Web Vitals?

The person asking the question called it “spam traffic” and didn’t clarify if that meant human spammers or bots.

This is the question asked:

“In the recent week we’ve seen a huge increase in direct spam traffic on some of our websites, coming from all over the world using Chrome as a browser.

This spam traffic is very slow. We’re a bit concerned about Chrome metrics that are used to evaluate page speed and rankings.

Is Google aware of this? Is there something that we can do?”

Google Answers if Chrome Spam Traffic Affects Core Web Vitals

John Mueller answered:

“Uhm… So… I don’t know …we see lots of weird spam traffic on the web over time and we have a fairly good understanding of that.

And the way that, as I understand it, with regards to the core web vitals, what we use… in the Chrome User Experience Report data, there are certain requirements that we watch out for and we almost certainly filter out for the usual spam traffic that’s also out there as well.

From that point of view I wouldn’t expect this to cause any problems.

If you’re really worried about it and you have some data that you can send me then I’m happy to pass that on to the Chrome team so that they can take a look.

But I would not assume that this would cause any problems.

We see all kinds of weird spam traffic all the time and our systems are pretty tuned to avoid that kind of thing.”

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Can Google Catch Chrome-based Spammers?

It seems fairly clear that a Headless Chrome bot would not affect core web vitals scores. I couldn’t find documentation that says that explicitly but it just feels like the way it should be. Would be nice for some clarification from Google though.

John Mueller is confident that the Chrome User Experience Report filters out the “usual spam traffic.”

But he also offered to take information back to the Chrome team to review.

How do you feel about it?

Citation

Does Chrome-based Spam Traffic Impact Core Web Vitals?

Watch John Mueller answer the question at the 30 minute mark:

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Searchenginejournal.com

NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

Published

2 weeks ago

August 21, 2024

Max

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

2 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

Published

5 months ago

March 20, 2024

Max

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.