Ask HN: Why do misclicks on Google take me to e-commerce stores?

4 points by boldpandabear 5y ago ↗ HN

I notice when I try to click an organic search link if I miss ever so slightly, Google is now sending me to e-commerce sites as if I clicked an ad.

For example, I was researching if the big 10 would play football this year and tried to click a news link and must have missed or something and Google sent me to a site for big 10 merchandise. There was no ad showing on Google for this at all. I just tried to click the newslink and it took me to an ecommerce store.

Is this a Google intended feature or do I have a virus on my computer or something?

3 comments

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simantel 5y ago ↗

That definitely sounds like malware of some sort. Might be worth turning off all your browser extensions as a starting point?

Johnny87 5y ago ↗

Yeah I'd wipe your browser histroy/cache

giantg2 5y ago ↗

You can also use a Pi-hole to block the ads or malicious sites while investigating the cause or to prevent going to the sites of a similar issue re-occurs.