Hummingbird update explained

Google is the most effective online search tool with over 60% of the world online users using it to find the relevant online results. When it created its first algorithm, Google promised the online users, the results that lead them to the answers they are searching online. While providing the results to the online users, it stood in the face of its worst problem, which is ranking the results based on the relevancy.

So far, the website has been providing us the links where we can find the answers to the questions. This is another area that Google wanted to address; to understand the user’s questions. By understanding the user’s intent, the new algorithm intends to offer the best relevant results.

The Caffeine update in 2010

Caffeine is an infrastructural update but not an algorithmic update. The caffeine update optimizes the indexing of billions of the online documents for the search algorithm to crawl and display the results for the users.

Hummingbird is also an infrastructure update that influences over 200 factors that govern the algorithm. The latest update focuses on the intent of the user and the quality of the content available. This enables the algorithms to offer the most relevant results to the user.

What has changed with the Hummingbird update?

The results generated focus more on the intent of the user’s search but not merely on the keywords. The fresh and engaging content on your website and in your off site properties will still be the influential factors for your page rankings.

Nothing has changed with regards to the back links. They are still the legitimate source for the referral traffic. The major change is the results generated are backed by understanding the user’s intent. The keywords are still very much relevant. However, in order to comply with the user's intent, the long tail keywords are preferred over the shorter and precise keywords.

Before the hummingbird update, the search algorithm used to select the words from the user's question and offer the results that have the same keywords. In this process, several irrelevant links which have the same keywords show up in the results.

This left the user with no choice but to filter the results and select the right option. This affects the performance of a search engine because they are expected to offer the best and relevant results at the earliest. Contrary to the other websites, the search websites do not want the online users to spend a lot of time on their site.

How does Hummingbird work?

Hummingbird is a new algorithm that finds the results to the online user’s queries intelligently with the help of latest technological advancements combining with the existing features of the search algorithm.

Google has left its competitors way behind. The Panda and Penguin updates have ensured that it stays on the top. However, it did not stop them from improvising and ensuring their market dominance. This brought in the concept of the algorithms that understand the intent of the online users.

It observed that most of the users would like to perform the conversational searches than merely typing the keywords. For Example, you want to know where you can find Mexican food for lunch. You type in –

"What is the closest place to get Mexican food near my home?"

Now, the hummingbird tries to understand your intent. It understands that when you are typing in place in your search, you mean a restaurant or a brick or mortar supply store. It also understands that Mexican food is a specific type of food which is served in only a few restaurants. When you are typing in near my home, it considers the location which you have shared on the Google and generates the results accordingly.

In short, the algorithm does its best to understand the meaning of your questions and show the relevant results accordingly.

The Hummingbird was not actually a surprise

Google earlier attempted to create the conversational search through its browser Chrome. It displayed a tiny mike on the right-hand side of the search bar which enables the users to talk to the search engine. You can use your audio device to ask the questions orally to generate the results.

This information is used to understand the user’s search pattern which influenced them to build the algorithm that generates most relevant results.

The Long-tailed Keywords

The long tail Keywords have become more relevant. You do not have to worry about compiling your content to match the keywords. You can target the long tailed keywords and build the context accordingly to compile intelligible and original content that appeals to your qualified consumers.

How to make your content Hummingbird friendly?

While building your website, ensure that you are doing it for your potential customers. Apart from that, you must not forget some of the best SEO practices as listed below.

1. Employ simple and clear information structure;
2. Developing a semantic model for the content;
3. Implement semantic markups, Schema.org and Open Graph;
4. Use long tail Keywords in your content;
5. Avoid canonicalization issues;
6. Avoid thin-content issues;
7. Try to gain the referral traffic.

In conclusion, the hummingbird is not asking us to change the way the SEO is done. It is only asking us to improve the quality of our SEO strategies.

BenErg is an out of box thinking team who strive to promote the business ideas on the digital platforms. Digital platforms like SEO, PPC, Social media channels, etc.