As the Republican National Convention commenced on Monday, concerns have emerged regarding Google's search results for the 2024 presidential race. A study conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC) suggests the search engine may be favoring certain candidates over others in its search rankings.

Researchers from MRC performed searches using a "clean environment" — free from prior search history and tracking cookies — for the top three candidates' names along with "presidential race 2024." The results showed a stark contrast in how different candidates' campaign websites were displayed, Newsbusters reports.

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Former President Donald Trump's campaign website was notably absent from the top 100 search results. In contrast, President Joe Biden's website appeared as the first result in an equivalent search. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s website was listed fourth in a similar query.

Dan Schneider, Vice President of MRC Free Speech America, expressed concern over what he views as Google's bias, particularly in light of recent events. "Other left-wing media outlets and platforms are taking a pause from their anti-Trump tactics, but not Google," Schneider stated. "The search giant has doubled down on its anti-American, election interference strategies."

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The significance of search result rankings cannot be understated, given Google's dominant market share of nearly 92% worldwide. Studies by SEO experts like Brian Dean have shown that higher-ranked results receive significantly more clicks, with the top result garnering 27.6% of all clicks.

This is not the first time MRC has reported on potential bias in Google's search results for presidential candidates. Previous studies by the organization have highlighted similar patterns, including the absence of pro-life candidates' websites from top results.

As the 2024 presidential race heats up, these findings raise questions about the role of search engines in shaping public access to information about political candidates. The impact of such search result rankings on voter behavior and the democratic process remains a topic of ongoing debate.