What Is RankBrain & What Is It Used For?

RankBrain is not another name for someone skilled at SEO, though perhaps it should be. It is the name of the machine-learning artificial intelligence technology Google uses to help deliver the right search result, even when the right search result does not contain any or much of the original search query. That covers the “what is it…” but what is it for and what does it do? RankBrain is intended to “learn” how people search on Google. Google then uses that information and applies it to the Hummingbird search algorithm to determine the relevancy of pages to a given keyword or keyword phrase. To actually learn, then, means to adapt to search concepts, language, and patterns or connections without requiring additional human programming or input.

Optimizing Content for RankBrain

How do you optimize your on-page content to appeal to RankBrain? As with all optimization efforts for Google, it best responds within the Hummingbird algorithm with content written to supply the end user with the best user experience and information on a topic. Along with the other critical factors of Hummingbird (content and links pointing to your site), RankBrain rounds out the top three of the most important aspects of consideration for the Google Search algorithm. The artificial intelligence of RankBrain and its ability to find connections between billions of searches does not mean a company should find a multitude of ways to state their main content. It simply means Google has found a way to substantiate within Hummingbird that the search is not the thing. The user experience is.