Google+ SERPs manipulation

Looking in the SERPs today, I was quite baffled when searching for ‘Wayne Rooney’ information, to find that two of the UK’s leading newspapers appears to have had their Google+ strategy (or lack of strategy!) influenced by a hacker of some sorts OR is this an automated result from Google? I’m still unclear as to how this was achieved but I am going to try and investigate, whilst notifying Google of the issue. Could Google even be forcing both websites into implementing a Google+ strategy to stop these “automated” results returning?

Updated: Monday 2nd July 14:17pm

Check out the two SERPs results from The Telegraph and The Daily Mail:

Telegraph.co.uk

Dailymail.co.uk

Now, at first glance it might appear there isn’t much wrong – however, this is Paul Hayward and this is Charles Sale. I doubt that either account included within the SERPs are owned or managed by the journalists in questions. Quite an embarrassment to both newspapers and Google itself, especially considering the introduction of the fourteen year old, Florida resident Charles Sale:

um…. hi? idk… i like playing guitar…. thats about it… enjoy your life…. bye bye now.

Just a quick update on these automated Google+ results appearing within the SERPs. Both examples above have since been removed, but I’ve just found the following with regards to the BBC’s sports chief football writer – Phil McNulty:

I’ve taken a look at Phil’s bio page and again there isn’t a reference to this Google+ account. Although it looks like this is the correct account, are Google now attempting to automate this type of result for influential authors? People like Phil may look at this result and then look and spending more time on Google+ to keep the information up to date (currently the information is a year out of date). An error or a new Google tactic?