It looks as if Google has accidentally fuelled the fire over claims of its rivals burying their sites in mobile SERPs this last weekend. The "code push" seems to have demoted Google's competitors, or promoted Google's own in the mobile SERPs.

Over the weekend, executives from public Internet companies Yelp and TripAdvisor noted a disturbing trend: Google searches on smartphones for their businesses had suddenly buried their results beneath Google’s own. It looked like a flagrant reversal of Google’s stated position on search, and a move to edge out rivals.

Nope, it’s a bug, claims Google. “The issues cited were caused by a recent code push, which we’re working quickly to fix,” a Google spokeswoman said.

In the meantime, the “issues” may be diverting tons of traffic from Google’s competitors. Some, particularly Google’s longtime rival Yelp, are not pleased. “Far from a glitch, this is a pattern of behavior by Google,” said its CEO Jeremy Stoppelman. Google Says It's a "Code Push" That Buried Its Rivals In Mobile Search [recode.net]