Google Rank Brain Algorithm
In recent years, Google has evolved into an intelligent entity striving to provide the most relevant results to its users. How did this transformation occur? You guessed it—algorithms are the key. These algorithms help Google analyze the vast ocean of content on the internet, connecting users with the information they seek.
One of the most famous Google algorithms that encourages website managers to produce valuable and user-friendly content instead of endlessly repeating keywords is the Rank Brain algorithm. Introduced in October 2015, Rank Brain aims to understand the concepts within web pages rather than focusing solely on keywords. With Rank Brain, users receive search results that best match their intended concepts.
It is no exaggeration to say that Rank Brain revolutionized the way Google determines search results. But what exactly is this algorithm, and how does it work?
What is the Google Rank Brain Algorithm?
Rank Brain is a system that enables Google to better understand user intent during searches. This algorithm helps process data more effectively and presents users with the closest matches to their desired topics. Rank Brain is a remarkable AI-based technology designed using machine learning algorithms. The distinguishing feature of this algorithm is the integration of machine learning into Google’s search processes for the first time. Although machine learning had been used in Google News before, it differs from what we see in Rank Brain.
In essence, Rank Brain is a machine learning system that assists the Hummingbird algorithm, allowing Google to transition from “strings of information” to “targeted data.”
When a keyword or content is entered for search, the search algorithm strives to match the search results with the user’s intent by finding the best content in the most suitable formats.
Why Did Google Introduce Rank Brain?
Rank Brain was initially launched to address a simple yet significant issue. A few years ago, Google faced the challenge that approximately 15% of the keywords typed into the website had never been seen before. You might think 15% isn’t much, but when Google processes billions of searches daily, this 15% amounts to 450 million keywords per day for which Google had no answers.
Before Rank Brain, Google scanned pages to see if they contained the exact keyword the user had searched for. However, because these keywords were entirely new, Google couldn’t find any clues about what the user wanted.
Rank Brain focuses on concepts rather than keywords. Additionally, the user’s geographic location plays a crucial role in delivering desired results.
Google has over 200 search signals used to determine the ranking of websites and their content. Rank Brain is the third most important signal, making it clear that AI has truly revolutionized how search engines understand complex and lengthy queries. Now, users can be confident that they will easily find relevant topics during their searches, even if their search terms are ambiguous.
Let’s explore how this algorithm works in practice. We searched for “conversion optimization” in Google AdWords. According to AdWords, this term is searched approximately 780 times per month.
How Does the Rank Brain Algorithm Work?
Google has never explicitly detailed how RankBrain functions. We can only make educated guesses about what happens behind the scenes.
New Search Functionality
Since this algorithm is designed based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, and given its understanding of entity behavior, it can go beyond keywords to search for meanings and concepts.
Common Entities
One of the primary mechanisms used by RankBrain is the recognition of entities. If the algorithm identifies that a search query includes concepts similar to those previously searched by another user with slight variations, it is likely to present the same or very similar results.
Top 10 Examples
According to a patent filed in 2013, Google proposed a method to answer questions using resources from unstructured data. In this method:
- Google sends resources with their indexes.
- It reviews entities against their top 10 examples.
- It extracts the result from various sources that are expected to collectively provide the best answer and relate to the queries.
Monitoring
Remember, RankBrain is a machine learning system designed to address the problem of questions that Google had never encountered before. In this algorithm, the system doesn’t just consider the keywords present in the search but also takes into account the entities related to its construction, including previous searches, geographic location, the type of device used for the search, and more.
Tasks of the Rank Brain Algorithm
The Rank Brain algorithm has two primary tasks:
- Understanding search queries (keywords).
- Assessing how users interact with the provided results (user satisfaction).
Rank Brain tries to understand the user’s intent like a human. How? By matching unseen keywords with those previously encountered by Google.
But how can it measure user satisfaction? When Rank Brain shows a set of results to the user, how does it know these results are good and relevant? Through observation! In other words, Rank Brain will show you results that it thinks you will like. If many users like a page in a specific search topic, Google gives it a higher rank. What if users dislike a page? They will leave that page and choose another one instead. Rank Brain observes this behavior and assigns a lower rank to that page. So, what does it consider during this observation?
- Organic Click Rate.
- Dwell Time.
- Bounce Rate.
- Pogo-sticking.
These factors are known as User Experience (UX) signals.
One important factor for Rank Brain is the amount of time a user spends on a page, known as Dwell Time. If a user arrives at a page via search and stays for at least three minutes, Google uses this as a basis for better ranking.
Let’s take an example: You are playing tennis and experience a muscle strain. So, you search for “muscle strain” on Google. Like everyone, you click on the first result. Unfortunately, the introduction of this article is filled with useless information. What do you do? You hit the back button and check the second result. This one is also filled with general advice and not much better than the previous one. So, you hit the back button again and go to the third link: Hooray! This result is exactly what you were looking for. Instead of leaving the website and going back to the search results, you spend five minutes reading the useful content of this article and do not return to Google’s search results page.
Long-Tail Keywords in Rank Brain Algorithm
Rank Brain tends to overlook long-tail keywords. In past years, Google provided different results for the phrases “best keyword research tool” and “best tool for keyword research.”
How to Create Content Suitable for Rank Brain Algorithm
As mentioned earlier, the primary goal of Rank Brain is to help Google analyze and produce relevant results for long, complex, and ambiguous search queries. In the following, we provide tips for content marketers to create content suitable for this algorithm:
Create a Good User Experience on Your Website
Increase the loading speed of content, images, and any graphic elements used on the page. Remember that users don’t have much time to wait! If your website is slow, the user will undoubtedly leave your page and move to another website. Your pages should be displayed correctly on mobile phones, tablets, computers, and laptops. The speed of search and page loading is also one of the important factors in website ranking.
Produce Content Tailored to Specific Audiences
Since Rank Brain makes every effort to help Google achieve more suitable results, your content must be tailored to specific audiences to increase the likelihood of its presence in related searches. For example, if you are a digital marketing services provider, your audience could be entrepreneurs, brands, and small businesses in any industry. Limit your audience to a specific target and create content for them that includes:
- Addressing problems that your target audience might search for.
- Aligning your products or services with their unique needs.
- Capturing their attention using specific topics, keywords, and recommendations.
Optimize Titles and Description Tags
Organic click rate is a ranking tool in Rank Brain. But how can you encourage people to click on your website’s link on the Google results page? Studies show that users usually click on links with attractive and emotionally engaging titles and descriptions.
For example, adding brackets and parentheses at the end of article titles is a technique that tempts users to click. Research conducted on HubSpot and Outbrain revealed that titles with brackets and parentheses performed 33% better.
Using numbers in content titles can also significantly increase the click-through rate (CTR). For example, using a title like “10 Key SEO Tips in 2021” will draw more users to your website’s content.
Take meta descriptions seriously as well. Make sure to use the keyword in this section because Google highlights it more than other parts, which can attract users to your website’s link. Don’t forget to include a summary of important article topics in this section to give the user a general idea of what to expect in the content.
Create Complete and Long Content
Long content helps you achieve better Dwell Time. Naturally, reading a 2,000-word article requires more time than a 400-word blog post, which means users will spend more time on your website. Another reason to use long content is that it can comprehensively answer users’ questions.
Divide Your Content into Sections
Reading a 2,000-word article can be challenging. When these 2,000 words are written as a wall of text (!), reading becomes even more difficult and can strain the user’s eyes. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: use subheadings or titles like H2, H3, and so on.
- Subheadings break your content into smaller sections, making it easier for users to read. This improves readability and increases Dwell Time.
- It’s recommended to place subheadings every 200 words.
Use Internal Linking
The conceptual and topical connection between the pages of a website is essential for anchor text. Ensure that the content you produce is structured so that you can use related internal links. This action connects pages and keeps users on your website longer. The structure of internal linking is another factor considered by Rank Brain’s AI for content ranking.
But how do you do internal linking? Should you place a link wherever you can? Absolutely not! Place links where you think users will click. Avoid using pointless links in your content, as it may backfire.
Use Credible Sources in Your Content
When creating content, always use sources that are reputable in your industry. Your content should demonstrate why searchers can not only trust it but find it useful for their needs. Ultimately, ensure that your content reflects:
- Thorough research on your topic.
- Clear presentation of the sources used for content creation.
- Increased credibility as a reliable source for a specific topic.
Final Words
In this article, we learned about the Rank Brain algorithm and how it works. We also read about methods to create suitable content for this algorithm. By using these techniques, our website can become one of Google’s top links.
