Sometimes web site owners intentionally include only a word or a phrase in all their anchor text
with the specific intent of making the page linked from rank high in Google search results. It’s
usually an obscure word or phrase and enables them to say they rank number one for whatever
topic that site covers. It also has malicious undertones. This is called Google bombing or sometimes
link bombing. (Link bombing became a viable term because it works with other search engines too.)
Google bombs are typically used in political attacks. For example, the first Google bomb created
caused the phrase ‘‘more evil than Satan himself’’ to return Microsoft as the number one search
result. Another incident, in which a specific slur directed at George Bush returned the store for
George Bush merchandise, was seen during the 2004 presidential election.
Originally, Google ignored the problem, stating that Google bombs weren’t a high priority and that
it didn’t want to compromise the integrity of the search engine, but eventually Google relented and
changed the algorithm. Google bombs can still be used today — both for political purposes
and for advancement of personal web sites — but it requires the enlistment of a community of
bloggers and web site owners who are willing to use whatever obscure phrase is chosen and link it
to the specified web site.