March 29, 2024

Questions About RankBrain Answered

Google’s RankBrain & Content Marketing

What You Need To Do

First off – what is the objective of Google? OK . . . OK to make a profit but their prominence is based on search performance.

Google’s primary objective is to always produce the best search results possible. When Google makes changes to deliver the best then we also have to be better to be presented high in search with our content.

That brings me to Google’s new “machine learning” analysis software called RankBrain?

 

RankBrain - Google and Machine Learning and SEO
What is RankBrain?

Google is moving into the area of machine learning. This means that part of Google’s algorithm will evolve to get better at understanding the content on our website pages and blog posts. Google claims that its new “artificial intelligence” analysis will evolve to better understand the “meaning” of our content.

It also means that the Google search engine will be able to better understand ambiguous search queries and specific questions such as “What is a cricket?” and not mix it up entirely and present results on the insect, the game and on the wireless communications company. Also, many people use Google to get the answer to specific questions such as “How many organs are in the human body?”. Google presents multiple answers to the same question which are all relevant but also create a nice variety of sites to research the topic in more detail. These results are satisfying to the searcher. This can only be done with a solid understanding of the nature of the query and on a dependable understanding the meaning of the content – hence machine learning – RankBrain.

Google will also make every attempt to provide a complete set of results. It may show the answer to a query by displaying website pages, blog posts, articles, images and video all as part of the search results mix.

What does this mean for organic search engine optimization? What does it mean to content creators seeking a high position in search?

RankBrain - What does it mean to content creators?

It means the stakes have been raised.

The better Google performs the more satisfied people will be with the results. Even now few people go to the second page to see what’s there. As Google improves by factoring in RankBrain then few will have to look beyond the top 3 results to find what they were seeking.

With search results becoming better and better. The top 3 results – whether a local listing, a knowledge graph listing or a video will eat up the clicks from searchers more than ever.

What can you do?

1. Content Optimization

It was always wise and sensible to make sure you create content of high quality. You need to have depth and variety of content too. Match your wonderful content with superior on page and on-site search engine optimization. It makes no sense to create delightful content and then to not have it optimized for search. The difference between the top 3 positions and those below is already very significant and the difference will become even greater.

2. Content Variety

Create delightful:

  • Content pages
  • Blog posts
  • Articles in PDF format (that people may download)
  • Images
  • Landing Pages
  • Videos
  • Podcasts . . .

Google looks for variety of content and you don’t really care if Google displays your website page, a blog post (or 2), a video or a PDF Article (or all of the above). Wouldn’t it be nice to have multiple top positions? This can happen with a variety of content.

3. Consider Creating a Hub Resource

If you can create a “hub” page that leads the way to multiple items on the topic related to the searcher’s query then Google may display your hub page as a way to provide access to multiple online materials. There is some risk in this as you are providing ways for people to leave your site once they get there to view these other materials. However, Google has been known to reward hub pages.

4. Claim and Develop Google My Business

This enables your business to have fundamental information about your brand and about your business displayed in the search results. It also is a way for people to provide reviews on the performance of a business. It is rumored that Google now factors in reviews as a signal to help it define search position. This makes sense.

RankBrain - Google Knowledge Graph

To claim and develop your Google My Business account enables Google to present a knowledge graph and to present key information to searchers about your business. The knowledge graph is the panel to the right of the search results.

5. Acquire In-Coming Links

Google still places a heavy emphasis on the “voting” of other online entities. If a website links to your website or blog post then Google views this as a vote in favor of your content. The reasoning is that only high quality content receives links (votes).

To gain links create and promote content that is spectacular, different and interesting. Create the best slide show on an educational topic in your niche. Write an interesting and provocative article on the news in your niche. Have amazing images or craft a delightful video.

Create high quality content, promote this work and gain in-coming links.

6. Promote using Social Media

After you create high-level content then by all means – promote it – you have to!

Tweet about it! Write about it on LinkedIn. Send it out by e-mail. Set up a pin on Pinterest.

Your ideal audience and the niche focus you want to achieve will define what social media platforms to use and how to use them. Google also uses these social signals as a way to determine the position of your content in the search results. Remember, the game is getting tougher with RankBrain helping to display satisfying results at the very top and people will scroll down less and less.

To have a top position is more important than ever.

Summary

RankBrain and Content MarketingAs Google improves, the search results will improve. We have to improve as well in order to be presented.

RankBrain raises the bar.

We need to define our ideal audience and provide delightful content designed for this niche focus. The content presented at the top of search will have a very significant advantage over content presented even slightly below.

People will not have to dig as hard through the search results as RankBrain will help to display satisfying results as the top of the search results page.

If you want to learn more about Content Marketing then I invite you to take our Content Marketing Tutorial. Content is King and content optimization is vital for your content to have impact.