Search engine manipulation effect

Search engine manipulation effect (or SEME) is when an online search engine, like Google or Bing, changes the order of its results to make certain websites appear first. It means that you’ll find the websites that the search engine wants you to see listed at the top of the results list when you search for something. The order of the sites the search engine shows is based on the algorithms the search engine uses, so it can be hard to predict which websites will be at the top of the list and which ones will be lower down.

Search engine manipulation can have a big influence on how you think about certain topics and which websites you choose to visit. For example, if certain websites with information about political candidates appear at the top of the search results list, then people might be more likely to believe the information those websites show. This means the search engine is manipulating how you view the results, which can affect your opinions.