le autocomplete: the silent threat to online reputation

Google autocomplete is a useful tool for users, but it has also become a major reputational risk for companies and individuals.

The negative keywords that Google autocomplete displays for your company or name can be the first impression of who you are.

It can be very damaging if you are shown incorrect keywords, such as scams, complaints or pyramid schemes.

Google autocomplete keywords are likely to become more visible and damaging as AI search results increase.

This article examines:

• How Google autocomplete keywords are derived.
• Search Generative Experience and Google Autocomplete: The Reputational Risks
• How to remove Google autocomplete words that are defamatory, harmful or inappropriate.

Google autocomplete: how does it predict searches

Google autocomplete can influence a user’s perceptions even before they click “enter.”

Google autocomplete will suggest words and phrases that can be used to complete a search.

It can save the searcher time, but also lead them in a completely different direction from what they were originally looking for.

Google uses several factors to determine the autocomplete results that appear.

• Location : Google autocomplete can geolocate the results to where you search.
• Virality/trending topics If there has been a surge of keyword searches for a particular event, person/company, product/service or company, Google will be more likely to include that keyword as part of Google autocomplete.
• Language : Predictions can be affected by the language of a keyword search.
• Search Volume : A consistent search volume for a particular keyword may trigger the addition of that keyword to Google Autocomplete (even when this volume is low).
• Search History If you are signed in to your Google Account, previous searches will often appear in Google Autocomplete. You can bypass this by using an anonymous browser, which does not consider your search history.
• Keyword associations : When a keyword associated with a product, brand, service, or person appears on a website that Google considers reliable, it can be used as an autocomplete keyword. Our team has observed that keyword associations are a pre-cursor to a negative autocomplete. Although Google has not confirmed this factor, it is a known fact.

Google autocomplete: Reputation building before entering.

Google searches for brands, products, services, or individuals often display a number of autocomplete results which are inaccurate, negative, and defamatory.

Google autocomplete, and other AI-powered search engines, can lead to negative associations with a company’s or person’s name.

The algorithm’s unpredictability can lead to an individual or company being linked to rumors or scandals. It could also result in a lawsuit or controversy that they had nothing to do with.

These associations can have a negative impact on your company’s reputation. They can also erode the trust of customers and make it difficult to gain new clients.

Take Chipotle as an example. When searching for Chipotle, a colleague noticed that the autocomplete keyword was “human feces”.

Semrush reports that the keyword “Chipotle”, receives 4 million searches per month on average.

How many of the 4 million people who saw “human feces”, as a Google autocomplete keyword, decided to go to Qdoba?

How many Chipotle investors have decided to invest elsewhere after seeing this keyword?

It’s difficult to find answers to these questions. But one thing is certain: this negative keyword could cost Chipotle millions while also reducing its brand value.

The inappropriate autocomplete search for the brand (Chipotle) is no longer visible as of this writing. It is displayed for a variety of long-tail brand keywords, but will continue to fluctuate until the issue has been addressed.

Misinformation and discrimination amplified

Google autocomplete may display incorrect information or suggest related queries, thereby amplifying false or misleading data.

Google can perpetuate inaccurate information by suggesting it to users, for example, if an individual or company has been unfairly victimized by false rumors.

This can result in widespread acceptance of false information, which could cause lasting damage to your reputation.

We’ve worked with numerous individuals who were affected by discriminatory search terms in Google autocomplete results (gays, transgenders, etc.). This can lead to privacy, safety and reputation concerns.

The algorithmic nature can display such keywords.

How AI might impact Google autocomplete

Google’s SGE (beta) displays AI-generated results directly above organic search results.

These listings are clearly marked as “generated by AI,” but they stand out from the rest of the answers because they appear first.

It could make users more likely to trust the results, even if they are not as reliable as other results in the list.

The autocomplete terms for a generative AI Google Search will now appear in “bubbles”, rather than the list of search results you are used to.

We’ve noticed that the autocomplete “bubbles”, which are displayed, and the “traditional autocomplete terms” have a direct correlation:

What does Google have to say about negative and harmful autocomplete keywords?

Google acknowledges that autocomplete predictions can be inaccurate. As stated on the support page:

“There is the possibility of unexpected or shocking predictions appearing.” In some cases they may be perceived as factual or opinionated statements, even though predictions are not. Some predictions may not lead to reliable content.

Google has policies in place to address these issues.

• Autocomplete is equipped with systems that prevent predictions that are unhelpful or in violation of policy from being displayed. These systems attempt to identify predictions which are violent, sexually-explicit, hateful or disparaging or lead to such content. These include predictions that will not return much reliable information, like unconfirmed news rumors.
• Our enforcement teams will remove any predictions that are not in compliance with our policies if the automated systems fail to make accurate predictions. In such cases, our enforcement teams remove the specific prediction and closely related variants.

How to remove Google autocomplete keyword

Follow the steps below “to report the inappropriate prediction” if you or your business encounters a negative or false autocomplete keyword.

You can display a popup if you long-press the incorrect prediction on your mobile device:

You can remove the content that you believe is illegal by clicking on this link. Choose the option that best fits your situation.

Google autocomplete: managing the risks to your reputation

Google’s autocomplete feature and AI-based search engine results are powerful tools that cannot be undervalued.

Google’s autocomplete feature, which appears to be innocuous, can influence perceptions and decisions. It may even harm reputations.

Negative autocomplete keywords can have a negative impact on your reputation, whether they are inaccurate, defamatory, or discriminatory.

Autocomplete keywords must be managed carefully in the evolving landscape with the inclusion of AI-generated search engine results.

The article Google Autocomplete: Silent threat to online reputation first appeared on Search Engine Land.