Google has unveiled an upgrade to the way it interprets users' search requests.
The new algorithm, code named Hummingbird, is the first
major upgrade for three years.
It has already been in use for about a month, and affects
about 90% of Google searches.
At a presentation on Thursday, the search giant was short
on specifics but said Hummingbird is especially useful for longer and more
complex queries.
Google stressed that a new algorithm is important as
users expect more natural and conversational interactions with a search engine
- for example, using their voice to speak requests into mobile phones, smart
watches and other wearable technology.
Hummingbird is focused more on ranking information based
on a more intelligent understanding of search requests, unlike its predecessor,
Caffeine, which was targeted at better indexing of websites.
“We just changed Google's engines mid-flight - again” -Amit SinghalSenior VP, Google Search
It is more capable of understanding concepts and the
relationships between them rather than simply words, which leads to more fluid
interactions. In that sense, it is an extension of Google's "Knowledge
Graph" concept introduced last year aimed at making interactions more
human.
In one example, shown at the presentation, a Google
executive showed off a voice search through her mobile phone, asking for
pictures of the Eiffel Tower. After the pictures appeared, she then asked how
tall it was. After Google correctly spoke back the correct answer, she then
asked "show me pictures of the construction" - at which point a list
of images appeared.
Big
payoffs?
However, one search expert cautioned that it was too
early to determine Hummingbird's impact. "For me this is more of a coming
out party, rather than making me think 'wow', said Danny Sullivan, founder of
Search Engine Land.
"If you've been watching this space, you'd have
already seen how they've integrated it into the [predictive search app] Google
Now and conversational search.
"To know that they've put this technology further
into their index may have some big payoffs but we'll just have to see how it
plays out," Mr Sullivan said.
The news was announced at an intimate press event at the
Silicon Valley garage where founders Sergei Brin and Larry Page worked on the
launch of the search engine, which is fifteen years old on Friday.
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