Is the quest for rankings killing the internet?

With the dawn of “Web 2.0” came the idea that people, the users were in control of content on the internet. Wiki’s, reviews, forums, communities, ‘user-gen’ content and blogs were shaping what products were popular, who gave good service and what was acceptable practice online. It is still basically the case.

However, in the race for affiliates, marketers and some retailers to gain traction in the hugely competitive world of Search things could change very quickly. What happens when user generated content is fake. Bought and paid for by affiliates to fill up forums with positive content, to drive traffic and convert on their pay per click deals. Who will you trust then? Bruce Ockerbarry isn’t really a pig farmer from Queensland explaining how he saved hundreds by changing banks; he is a she,  19 years old, a student living in the Philippines writing fake content to pay her way through uni.

It may be a little way off yet, but things move fast when there is money to be made and people to dupe.