Google RankBrain Algorithm

The information covered below comes from three sources. First, the Bloomberg story that broke the news about RankBrain yesterday (see also our write-up of it). Second, additional information that Google has now provided directly to Search Engine Land. Third, our own knowledge and best assumptions in places where Google isn’t providing answers. We’ll make clear where any of these sources are used, when deemed necessary, apart from general background information.

What Is RankBrain?

RankBrain is Google’s name for a machine-learning artificial intelligence system that’s used to help process its search results, as was reported by Bloomberg and also confirmed to us by Google.

What Is Machine Learning?

Machine learning is where a computer teaches itself how to do something, rather than being taught by humans or following detailed programming.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

True artificial intelligence, or AI for short, is where a computer can be as smart as a human being, at least in the sense of acquiring knowledge both from being taught and from building on what it knows and making new connections.

True AI exists only in science fiction novels, of course. In practice, AI is used to refer to computer systems that are designed to learn and make connections.

How’s AI different from machine learning? In terms of RankBrain, it seems to us they’re fairly synonymous. You may hear them both used interchangeably, or you may hear machine learning used to describe the type of artificial intelligence approach being employed.

So RankBrain Is The New Way Google Ranks Search Results?

No. RankBrain is part of Google’s overall search “algorithm,” a computer program that’s used to sort through the billions of pages it knows about and find the ones deemed most relevant for particular queries.

This is an interesting move by Google but not completely off the rocker for them. Last year they clogged results for the co.cc domain because they considered they impure results.

Google plans to target far too improved websites because they want to level the stage for other websites who do not focus on such initiatives. Generally there are websites out there that really focus their initiatives on SEO and not content and those results would achieve greater rankings than websites that don’t focus on SEO.

Google Engineer Matt Cutts explains the following: “We are trying to make GoogleBot smarter, make our relevance better, and we are also looking for those who abuse it, like too many keywords on a page, or exchange way too many links or go well beyond what you normally expect.”

According to a latest appointment with Amit Singhal, a top professional at Google search, Google is planning on making algorithmic changes in the long run in order to offer end customers better google search. Google is optimistic that the new changes, which will be mainly targeted on semantic search technological innovation, will strengthen their popularity in the internet google search market and help the company offer better mobile technological innovation advancing.

The algorithmic shift is partially motivated by Google’s plans to launch Google Assistant later this year on Android devices. Google Assistant, which will compete directly with Apple’s Siri, will provide users with answers to questions and specific information rather than traditional search results. Singhal, who is a senior Google VP and Google Fellow, recently indicated that semantic search is a necessary for a company to be competitive long-term in the mobile space.

“When we can deliver small nuggets of information, that system is far more suited to mobile phones and searching with voice.”