When Google rolled out RankBrain, it shook the entire web. Google RankBrain rewrote all the search rules.
Does Google still use RankBrain for ranking web pages?
Today, I’m going to cover:
- What is Google RankBrain
- How does RankBrain work?
- Does Google still use RankBrain?
What Is Google RankBrain?
Google RankBrain is a machine learning-based search algorithm. It was first introduced in 2015. RankBrain helps Google understand how words are related to concepts.
With the RankBrain algorithm update, Google can show relevant content even if it doesn’t contain all the exact words.
RankBrain is helping Google determine what ranking signals to use in the algorithm. Google will determine which ranking signals to use depending on the keyword.
Google said, “RankBrain helps us find information we weren’t able to before by more broadly understanding how words in a search relate to real-world concepts.”
How Google RankBrain Works
Google RankBrain is Google’s first deep AI learning algorithm. RankBrain is trained offline on batches of past searches. Once Google verifies the results, the updated model goes live again. This cycle is what makes it smarter over time.
When RankBrain comes across a search query that it has never seen before, it guesses similar words or phrases and filters the results to satisfy the search.
I’ll explain:
Before introducing the Google RankBrain update, Google used to look for the exact query that users were searching for.
Google confirmed 15% of search queries are brand new. This means Google sees 15% of keywords it has never seen before.
As 15% searches are brand new, it was way harder for Google (in the pre-RankBrain) to figure out what users are looking for.
Now, Google RankBrain AI algorithm can understand and show you accurate results. Google matches known keywords (Google has seen before) with new keywords and shows the results.
Before the RankBrain update, Google used to ignore words like “the”, “and”, or “without”. RankBrain analyzes these words to understand the search intent behind a search.
Does Google Still Use RankBrain?
In 2015, Google confirmed that RankBrain was the third most important ranking factor. It’s been 11 years now.
Now the question is, does Google still use RankBrain to understand and rank content?
Yes, they still use RankBrain to rank content on the SERP.
You can see the screenshot from Google’s official blog.
What Does Google’s RankBrain Algorithm Focus On?
RankBrain focuses on understanding the search intent and satisfying it by ranking relevant results.
Search intent is the intent behind a user’s query.
Let me show you an example to help you understand Google RankBrain algorithm and search intent.
Recently, I was looking for a noise-cancelling headphone.
So I Googled “best noise-cancelling headphones” to compare some headphones.
Here are the top-ranking pages:
You can see most of the results are list posts. When I type “best noise-cancelling headphones,” Google understands I was looking to compare some headphones.
When you create content, put yourself in the shoes of users. Ask yourself what they’re looking for.
I published a guide on how to optimize your content for search intent.
How To Optimize For Google RankBrain?
You don’t need to specifically optimize for RankBrain. As long as you’re following the SEO best practices, you don’t do anything extra.
Some SEO best practices:
- Write helpful content and comprehensive
- Satisfy search intent
- Add relevant keywords
- Optimize your title and meta description
- Optimize for user experience
- Build high-quality backlinks
- Add relevant internal links
- Optimize your site’s loading speed
- Make sure Google can crawl and index your website
How Was RankBrain Trained?
Google RankBrain was trained offline using batches of past searches. Once Google’s team verifies that its interpretation of the data is accurate, the system is updated and goes live again to adjust search rankings.
Conclusion
Google introduced RankBrain in 2015. Search has changed a lot since RankBrain. But it was really a major update at that time.
Still, Google is using RankBrain to provide the best results to its users.
After the RankBrain, Google has rolled out so many updates so far to help users satisfy their search intent.
If you’ve any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
