Rankbrain??

[nchachula]

I just saw a great video talking about Rankbrain. Listing it as the third largest ranking factor? After reading more about it, it appears to me that it is more of an algorithm than a ranking factor? Ranking factors are usually taking into account content, links, speed, social interaction, etc. Rank brain seems to be doing a calculation to making sense out of weird or unusual long tail words or realizing the similar queries of the same meaning. Please help me to understand how a website owner can use this to his/her advantage. Should we be putting strange long tail queries into our site next to common ones? Again I don't see this as being a ranking factor as opposed to an updated algorithm to help the end user get results for an unusual long tail search query...

[LoganRay]

THANK YOU!

This has been driving me nuts! I really don't understand why people keep calling it a 'factor'. It's a tool for determining SERPs, NOT a factor!

Factors are things that we, as webmasters/SEOs/whatevers can control. We obviously have no control over RankBrain.

[BradsDeals]

The way I understand RankBrain, it's kind of like Google is learning a second language. It speaks pretty good English now, but doesn't always understand the nuance of a query. The more it practices, the better it gets at understanding what you're looking for.

That said, I think the best approach is to keep writing well-researched, authoritative content that clearly answers the question your users intended to ask. Despite all of the hyperventilation about it, I don't think it actually changes much of anything strategy-wise. If anything, it reemphasizes the call for rich, high quality content.

[RobCairns]

I think a great place to start is LMI keywords. The whole point of Rankbrain is to allow users the opportunity to use very strange long tail searches and be provided with exactly what they were looking for based on context. LMI keywords effectively give Google this context and allow it to make ranking decisions accordingly.

Rankbrain is designed to help users find results based on contextual keywords. For example, if I search for the keyword "ball", there is no way to identify what kind of ball I am looking for. If my search uses words like "basket", "hoops" or "shots", then chances are I am searching for a basketball or info related to it.

Therefore, websites that feature these contextual keywords will help Google make its decision when creating SERPs.

To answer Nicholas' question directly, then - a website owner can take advantage of Rankbrain by using LMI keywords to establish context for Rankbrain and help bring visitors who may not be sure what their intent is to their website.

In short, Rankbrain is terrific as an information-gathering source for users who are not experienced or knowledgeable in a specific context. Keyword-specific, intent-specific queries will be less affected by this development.

Looking forward to what other folks have to say!

[paints-n-design]

When Rankbrain is a factor for rankings in up to 15% of all search querries than it is like a "factor". If Panda is throwing you out of a ranking than it could be a factor and we call it "filter" because he filters you out. Both seems to be an algorithm written some smart people. I think it is not so important to have a name for it - Rankbrain is enaugh. (just thought)
It think we call it factor, because Rankbrain doesn't change a rankingalgorithm, but it may affect how the algo is ranking for your querry. So Rankbrain isn't telling google how it thinks about links or athor factors, thatswhy we don't call it algorithm I guess.

What is an unusual longtail querry? When it starts to be unusual? Whe start to talk to google, we ask questions. Never heard anybody saying: "OK Google! Best Coffee Berlin". Rankbrain is learning and trying to give you the perfect answer. To do it Rankbrain trys to figure out what you really want. When you say "best Coffee Berlin" - what could rankbrain interpret or understand better than good old hummingbird alone would do?

I read that google now can answer negative questions. So if you ask "how can I do ABC without XYZ" and you get the correct answer. before you always got a "how to abc with xyz"-answer.

@rebecca Google is also speaking a solid german - so much better than bing does. An I think there are some more languages - mandarin maybe. But I bet Rankbrain improves the understanding of languages.

Just what I think - believe or read...

[BradsDeals]

Indeed. I certainly didn't mean to exclude all of the languages of the world there.

[paints-n-design]

I know  
I just took your language topic to say it rankbrain iproves understanding. Don't thought you excluded other languages rly. Special with such a typical german lastname