What You Need To Know About Google RankBrain – The New Algorithm

Have you heard of RankBrain? Do you know what RankBrain is? Probably not. News has only recently surfaced about the new Algorithm that Google is using. You're probably thinking now, what exactly is it? It is a new machine learning technology that helps Google deliver its search results? Continue reading below to find out more about the Algorithm and how it might affect you.

Machine Learning Technology

Bloomberg first broke the news about RankBrain on the 26th October 2015. There have since been a number of Search Engine News sites writing up about the algorithm. From what we know, the algorithm uses machine learning technology. In a way, machine learning is extremely similar to Artificial Intelligence in which the computer actually teaches itself how to do something, rather than input from humans.

Where Does RankBrain Fit In With All The Current Google Algorithms?

Since RankBrain is assisting Google in ranking websites, it doesn't mean that it is the new way that Google delivers its results. It simply means that it is just a part of their overall ranking algorithm. The Hummingbird Algorithm is also a name that is fairly new to people in the SEO industry, as it was only released in the middle of 2013. However, Hummingbird is made up of all other ranking algorithms that you may have heard of, including Penguin, Panda and Pigeon. RankBrain itself doesn't deal with every search query but it certainly plays a part in some.

How RankBrain Affects You?

RankBrain has came out of nowhere as one of the most popular ranking signals which Google looks at. You may or may not know this but Google looks at over 200 different ranking signals when deciding where to place a web page in the search results. Some of the things we know it looks at include: The number of links pointing back to a web page, quality of links, authority of the domain, on site meta data and content, plus lots of others.

Here is a list of Ranking Signals from Search Engine Land - http://searchengineland.com/schmidt-listing-googles-200-ranking-factors-would-reveal-business-secrets-51065

So, apparently the new RankBrain algorithm is the third-most important factor for ranking web pages (according to Google).

This piece of information in straight from the Bloomberg article:

“RankBrain is one of the “hundreds” of signals that go into an algorithm that determines what results appear on a Google search page and where they are ranked, Corrado said. In the few months it has been deployed, RankBrain has become the third-most important signal contributing to the result of a search query, he said.”

Read the full article here - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/google-turning-its-lucrative-web-search-over-to-ai-machines

Google Searches - More Refined Than Ever Before

With new algorithms being released, like RankBrain and other existing algorithms being updated all the time, the Google search results are more refined now than they ever have been. The RankBrain algorithm is said to interpret more what searches actually mean and bring up even more relevant results. The search may not necessarily include the word or phrase the user is looking for but RankBrain is said to understand it more, and further help the refinement of the Search Engine Results Pages. Google did already have technology to do this and interpret related terms, like distinguishing Apple the brand from the fruit. This algorithm just improves this element.

Furthermore, Google stated that RankBrain first started rolling out earlier this year and has been in effect globally for a number of months now. Due to the nature of the algorithm and its sudden standing of being the 3rd most important ranking signal, it is said to have affected a large proportion of search queries. Google also confirmed that although RankBrain plays a big part in refining search queries, it also contributes to whether a page ranks or not. They haven't yet revealed in what terms though. However, from what we can gather it is probably going to be based around content, as it deals a lot with search query refinement.

What The Future Holds

The way we search ourselves, and the way search engines like Google serve up the most relevant web pages, will continue to evolve. Search engines are only going to become more advanced and have more human understanding, as technology advances. It is now more important than ever to write relevant content which talks to people and not robots. Learn more on what the future may hold by reading this blog article: Digital Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2016

What To Do About It?

If you are worried about your existing website or marketing strategy and feel like you are getting left behind as times change, then you need to act now. Make sure your content is informative, relevant, conversational and user friendly. More can be found about producing quality content here: How To Bring Your Creativity To Life – 4 Easy Ways To Help Create Content. Ensure you are also avoiding Google penalties like Panda, Mobile Friendly and Penguin by building the right types of links, having a mobile friendly website and not having too little content.

Information sources:

http://searchengineland.com/faq-all-about-the-new-google-rankbrain-algorithm-234440 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/google-turning-its-lucrative-web-search-over-to-ai-machines