What the Heck Is Google’s Hummingbird

It’s up and running. Yes, we’re talking about Google’s new algorithm (not algorithm update, mind) called Hummingbird.

Amid rumors about another Google algorithm update, Google, on its 15th birthday, surprised us all by announcing Hummingbird algorithm that replaces Google’s old algorithm. Hummingbird potentially affects 90% of all queries (don’t worry, these are the ones that ain’t tracked by SEOs) and Google’s been rolling it for a few weeks now.

Hummingbird, put simply, is Google’s yet another move toward semantic search. It’s aimed at improving the way Google understands search queries – in a world where voice search is increasing day by day and where Google Glass is around the corner – and at making search results ever more human friendly. It targets not just keywords but also users’ intent to deliver the most relevant, meaningful answers.

For all those thinking whether Penguin and Panda are still there, the answer is yes. See, Hummingbird may have replaced Google’s old engine but it does carry its pivotal parts.

Also Read: Google Hummingbird: What It Means For Your SEO Campaign

According to Google’s Amit Singhal, Hummingbird is Google’s biggest algorithm move in 12 years.

Does SEO after Hummingbird change, you ask?

Sure, Google Hummingbird has bettered search results, but it leaves an SEO’s job unaffected.

You still need to:

• Create beautiful content that people want and share
• Optimize your site’s user experience
• Improve the crawlability of your site
• Make sure you’re not linking out to spammy sites
• Think about semantic search and knowledge graph
• And above all, avoid shortcuts (aka black-hatting) to gain fast results

Did we miss anything? What are your thoughts on Hummingbird? We’ll see you in the comments.