AI and machine learning means Google now wants brands to pinpoint niches

With Google's use of AI and machine-learning helping it pinpoint, more clearly than ever, the specific factors that satisfy search queries in different niches and contexts, brands and retailers are being encouraged to tightly tailor their search strategies. A new study, "Searchmetrics Google Ranking Factors 2018", reveals, for example, that high-ranking Google results for searches related to the'weight loss' niche are 4x more likely to have a video on the page than results for'financial planning' or'credit' niches. And that eCommerce sites in the'furniture' niche can get away with displaying nearly 28 images on a page (more than most other niches) and still rank highly despite the fact that more images can sometimes make pages load slower. According to Jordan Koene, Chief Evangelist, VP Professional Services, Google's use of sophisticated AI and machine-learning techniques, such as its RankBrain system, help it to better understand the real intention behind the words that searchers enter in the search box – and learn what types of web pages will satisfy individual searches. "Google now recognizes much more clearly if someone's searching online to buy a table, for instance, or needs personal finance advice or wants to learn weight loss exercises. And by tracking user signals such as how often certain results are clicked and how long people spend there, the search engine learns what factors – such as more or less images or text, or whether a site uses encryption to protect personal information entered by visitors are appropriate for satisfying searchers in individual niches."