Hummingbird is one of many algorithm changes and updates to the major search engine’s way of presenting its most accurate results. These updates are always for the better quality of results and to reward those that work hard and organically to get their business to the top. Still, the updates can also hinder work and content which has already been completed.
Released back in 2013, Hummingbird — and any other update — means that yet another change has been made to how the search engine analyses content, resulting in a crucial need for businesses and SEO services to look back over the content they have already put out there.
So, if you’re wondering what the Hummingbird algorithm is all about, read on.
What Was The Purpose Of The Google Hummingbird Algorithm Update?
If you’re stuck thinking about what is the Google Hummingbird update, we’ve got you covered! As touched on above, the Hummingbird Google update was first introduced by the search engine giant in September 2013. At the time, it was labelled the biggest change to the search engine’s core search algorithm since 2001, which suggests it was important for Google history.
So, what exactly is Google Hummingbird? The Hummingbird algorithm update was intended to make the core algorithm more accurate about what a query meant and to ensure that subsequent results matched the user’s search intent.
With Hummingbird intelligence, Google moved away from solely matching a query’s keywords to the keywords appearing on a webpage. Instead, how Google Hummingbird works is by being more exact about showing pages in the results pages that match the topic in the search query.
So with the update, Google’s core search algorithm could do its job better, especially when it came to longer conversational search queries. This meant that the search engine could determine which words were important and which weren’t when presenting results to users.
Google Algorithm Hummingbird: What Did It Target?
With this update, Google targeted two main areas:
- Low-quality content: The main aim was to separate poor-quality content from high-quality. It’s now easier for users to find what they need and have a better experience.
- Keyword stuffing: Hummingbird is to understand better the intent of search engine users instead of looking at keywords alone. It has never been more important for webpages to be SEO-proof so Google’s crawlers could understand pages and rank them accordingly. Mindless keyword stuffing is cracked down on.
How Does Hummingbird Differ From Its Predecessors?
The previous Panda and Penguin updates focused on the quality and authority of inbound links and content. In comparison, Hummingbird focuses on how these links and pieces of content are delivered. Rather than concentrating solely on the quality of the content and what each link means, Google Hummingbird is more concerned with ensuring that the right content is delivered to the right people — resulting in more accurate and tailored results every time.
Semantic Search And Search Intent
With the Hummingbird update, Google is trying to become more adept at understanding the intent behind a search query. It wants to fully understand a searcher’s need to best present the most relevant result. To better understand a search query, the Hummingbird software update strives to broaden its semantic understanding. This works not only to understand language and sentence construction better but also to understand the context better.
The reason this is so applicable is the way many searchers use Google. So often, correct and proper English is ignored in favour of brief search terms using keywords only. Therefore, Google Hummingbird search and its updates need to work better to understand improper usage of English and other vague terms.
Hummingbird’s increased focus on the way searchers are using words when it comes to Google produced a dedication to semantic search. While language evolves, so does Google’s understanding of new phrases, words, and search terms. Not to mention the evolution of technology in which people can now ask the search engine questions using their voice instead of typing.
Google, naturally, is trying to keep up with the changes in language through its Hummingbird and semantic search update. While Google evolves to achieve this, so do businesses, and SEO services need to evolve to keep up with language changes and how Google recognises language changes.
Hummingbird used natural language processing (NLP) based on latent semantic indexing (LSI) and synonyms which has cemented the importance of the Hummingbird update 2020 and beyond.
A key example of Google’s progression with this is its list of suggestions or corrections for any search term. If a search is incorrect, it’s highly regular for Google to suggest the correct version of what you’re intending — or to seemingly be so knowledgeable that it can correctly interpret what you are trying to find before you have even finished typing.
With Hummingbird, search engine can also remove words that aren’t relevant to the context of what a user wants to know when it comes to performing a voice search on a mobile device. For example, on a voice search, you might ask Google. ‘What’s the capital city of Spain, please.’ With the Google Hummingbird algorithm update, the search engine would disregard the word ‘please’ as it is not relevant to delivering results that match the user’s search intent.
The Basics: What Is Google Hummingbird Update?
In simple terms, the Hummingbird update meant:
- No longer matching keywords on a webpage to those in a search query
- Google understanding search engine queries more precisely
- Local search became more precise
- Identifying which words are important to providing relevant search results and which do not give value to a search query
The Hummingbird update aimed to deliver relevant results to Google’s users.
The Hummingbird Knowledge Graph
Another vital area paired with semantic search is Google’s knowledge graph. In light of the Hummingbird update, many Search Engine Optimisation professionals would note that this update actually improved the accuracy of the knowledge graph itself.
What Is The Knowledge Graph, Exactly?
Well, this is Google’s primary source of data! It aims to provide the most relevant results and date for a searcher when they input a query. The knowledge graph brings together a variety of knowledge from different sources to provide the most accurate results possible. As a result, it creates more semantically relevant results for a search query, as well as a results page which is the most contextually relevant.
Ultimately, the goal is always to provide the most relevant results.
Google’s Key Information Panel
A crucial component of how Google chooses to present contextual information is the key information panel within a search engine results page. This will be familiar to anyone who uses Google. It is a pane on the side of the screen that presents additional relevant information based on your search query. Often, this may be the direct answer to your query without you having to click on any of the links presented.
It is usually a key image with an overview of important information, which will always be aimed at your search query. This panel will usually provide contact information or a map if you’re searching Google for directions or an address.
This is incredibly helpful for local searches, especially if you’re looking for an address or service nearby. The pane will then present the top result for an address or service you are looking for, complete with an image.
As you can see, Google really is striving to provide the most accurate information by any means possible!
What Is Hummingbird Update In SEO Terms?
Regarding SEO, businesses and services now have to pay more attention to the keywords in use and the way people are searching for what they want. For example, semantically relevant phrases such as ‘near me’ are now more applicable than ever, so businesses must implement updated keyword lists.
Businesses and SEO services need to strive to show Google and its Hummingbird SEO update that their content is the most relevant and as spam-free as possible for a search query. What’s more, they need to show how that is the case within the content itself.
Essentially, Hummingbird update in SEO terms means semantically relevant and applicable content.
The Hummingbird update SEO affected how pages were ranked and the keywords they ranked well for. Aimed to help simplify complex search queries, it had an impact on over 90% of searches worldwide, according to Google’s software engineer, Amit Singhal.
The Hummingbird updates paved the way for further Google updates that focused on providing users with relevant search results that matched their search intent.
How To Recover From a Hummingbird Algorithm Update
Unlike Google’s other updates, namely Panda and Penguin, the Hummingbird update didn’t have as much of a negative effect on websites. It was seen as a positive addition to Google’s core algorithm.
However, for websites that provided low-quality content with keywords stuffed in for good measure instead of added meaning, it had a negative effect. In these instances, websites with a high bounce rate or low page views indicated short visits to their site and told Google that their content was not as relevant as others, negatively impacting their ranking.
For sites that found their rankings were negatively affected, they would be looking at how to recover from Hummingbird update. The good news was that this was doable in the following ways:
- Consider Search Intent: Understanding search intent was critical to recovering from the Hummingbird update. Web pages could shape their content around this by thinking about what search engine users would type into Google to find a business. Check out the top-ranking results for the keywords you think people would be using in their queries, and make sure your content aligns with this.
- Carry Out Keyword Research: It is not easy to know which keywords to target in your content. You need to think about what keywords will give you the valuable traffic your website needs. Working with an experienced SEO agency like Click Intelligence, you can sit back while we do the legwork in this area, ensuring you get content that delivers results.
- Use Synonyms: As the Hummingbird update focused on semantically linked words, considering synonyms in your content could also help improve rankings.
- Prepare For Voice Search: When search engine users opt for voice search, they will approach queries in a more conversational way. They will be less concise in their queries and use long-tail keywords and phrases when searching. Once you have determined what words people might use, make changes to your content. For example, a user looking for a local tapas restaurant near them might search ‘tapas restaurant near me’ to find somewhere close by; consider using these types of phrases in your content.
Our Team Is Ready To Help Tailor Your Content For Hummingbird
The Hummingbird update is still relevant today! As Google focuses more and more on user experience and what search engine users want from their queries, your website must be optimised for this change by enlisting the help of SEO experts.
Click Intelligence is dedicated to helping businesses achieve high-quality content, which is always relevant to Google. We work alongside any Google updates to ensure that any tailored content always has the latest algorithms in mind, including Hummingbird, Panda and Penguin.
