Study finds Google search results are more relevant than ever

Google's use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to better understand search intention and deliver the most relevant results is resulting in just that, according to new research from SEO and content performance platform Searchmetrics in its annual study of Google ranking factors. According to Searchmetrics, not only are search results more relevant than ever, many simplistic techniques to artificially inflate page rank ‒ like collecting backlinks and increasing the number of times keywords are mentioned in text – are becoming less effective. Backlinks are also becoming less important because of the rise of mobile search queries because pages viewed on mobile devices are often liked or shared but seldom linked to, Searchmetrics added. Searchmetrics analyzed the top 20 search results for 10,000 keywords on Google.com. The goal was to identify the key factors that high-ranking pages have in common.