This is one of the best kept secrets of Google. It's a mystery on Webmasterworld. Also in Europe (France) they don't know what to expect from that odd URL http://eval.google.com. Click it and you get ...nothing. The site reveals itself only if you have the proper login and if you use a network known by Google. Residues of Eval.google are found on the web, but the full content of the mystery site has never been published before. Here it is: the real story about Eval.Google. They use... humans! Welcome to the first entry in Search Bistro.
It's a lab of humans from all over the world (from China to The Netherlands, from Korea to Brasil) They are paid to check search results of Google every day. Most of the employees, called international agents by Google, were recruited through universities all over the world. The aim is to avoid spam, to get the right sites at the top of the listing and to test new features, not shown to the public yet.
I call it Google's Secret Evaluation Lab, but the real title is less adventurous; 'Rater Hub Google'. The coming days I will reveal all I know about this lab - must find the time first to do so. To keep you busy, here's a Flash-movie from a part of the site. Stay tuned, next posting will be tomorrow.
Here's one way how Google recruits testers:
QUALITY RATER - (SPANISH, DUTCH, ITALIAN, FRENCH) This is a temporary role offered through Kelly Services. Google Inc. is recruiting part-time, temporary, home-based workers to help with work on a search quality evaluation on a project basis. You would work at your own pace, and the time and length of any particular work session would be up to you. Candidates will evaluate search results and rate their relevance. Thus, all candidates must be web-savvy and analytical, have excellent web research skills and a broad range of interests. Specific areas of expertise are highly desirable. We are looking for smart people who read voraciously and have a wide variety of interests. Raters should have all the following qualifications: Native-level fluency in Dutch, Italian, Spanish, or French In-depth, up-to-date familiarity with the web culture of at least one predominantly Dutch, Italian, Spanish, or French-speaking country. Excellent web research skills and analytical abilities. A high-speed internet connection. Legal eligibility to work in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain or France. Moderate ability to read and write in English. Perfect English is not necessary; however, you must be able to read and write English well enough to use software with an English interface, understand fairly complicated instructions written in English, and make yourself understood in informal written communication. The job involves frequent written communication with fellow Quality Raters. For immediate consideration, please send an ENGLISH text (ASCII) or HTML version of your resume to monsterjobs@google.com Important: The subject field of your email must include Quality Rater - TEMPORARY.
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