Hummingbirds are incredibly small, fast, intelligent and sharp birds. These birds have big brains. They can remember the routes they flew as well as the flowers they landed on. Their small but sharp eyes react to any kind of environmental stimulus.
Since 2013, hummingbird is no longer just the name of a bird. Google took the name of one of its most revolutionary algorithm updates from this bird. Because this algorithm also made Google smarter, faster and sharper. The Hummingbird update has transformed Google search for the user. With this algorithm, Google understands better what we mean by searching terms. Let me give an example.
If you googled 10 years ago: hairstyles for round faces. In response, Google brings you hairstyles and round faces. Of course, it was said that if you want to search a phrase, it is better to put a plus sign between it or put it inside quotation marks. But the result was not much different.
But if you search the term hairstyles for round faces in any language right now, you will be shown the hairstyles that are suitable for round faces. Google now understands that you probably have a round face and want to cut your hair and look for a hairstyle that suits your face shape. So it shows you the results related to this intent.
This content wants to introduce you to the Hummingbird algorithm and answer these questions about it: What is this algorithm? what does it do What effect does it have on the website‘s SEO? And should you change your SEO strategies to accommodate it?
Every search that takes place in Google is controlled by the hummingbird algorithm.
Table of Contents
What is the Hummingbird algorithm?
On September 26, 2013, it was announced that Hummingbird was added to Google Zoo (its important algorithms). The hummingbird algorithm had started its work about a month before this date. The hummingbird algorithm has nothing to do with penalizing websites (unlike Panda, which is at the forefront of Google’s fight against low-quality content and is very, very effective at moving a website’s position). So the hummingbird has nothing to do with the position and ranking of websites in Google and does not affect it.
Hummingbird was a fundamental change in Google’s core algorithm to show its effort and commitment to understand more and better the user’s search intent. Naturally, when Google better understands the main purpose of the user’s search, it can provide the most relevant, complete and best answers.
Therefore, the hummingbird, with its sharp eyes and intelligence, searches through thousands of pages and content and brings the best answer to the user, in the shortest possible time.
What is the purpose (work) of the Hummingbird algorithm?
We all know that Google is a search engine. But is Google the same as it was in 1998? Definitely not! Every update has made Google better. Apparently, 2 times in the history of Google, the algorithm of this search engine has undergone fundamental changes: 2001 and 2013 (Hummingbird update). Why? Each time, Google intends to fix the shortcomings, meet the needs of users and, of course, prepare itself for what will happen in the future.
What’s coming next is Conversational Search. It means that we no longer need to bother and type what we are looking for into Google. We tell him. This possibility is now activated in Google Chrome. See that colored microphone over there? You can talk to it. When Google still doesn’t understand what we type, how is it supposed to understand what we say?
That’s why hummingbird came to better use Google Knowledge Graph and to strengthen Google Semantic Search. As a result, this algorithm can understand the searcher’s intent from the searcher’s phrase (language) and find what he is really looking for.
Google Knowledge Graph
What is a knowledge graph? A huge database of information about people, places and things. For example, when someone searches “How many meters is the Eiffel Tower?” or “Who is the President of the United States?” or “How far is the earth from the moon?”, Google gives the answer from the knowledge graph. Just pay attention to the fact that facts are recorded in the knowledge graph. (Google has explained how it collects this information and makes sure of its accuracy.)
Because Hummingbird has access to this huge database, when you search for painkillers now, you won’t be shown the names of the types of painkillers or even the websites that sell these pills. On the contrary, Hummingbird uses a knowledge graph to populate SERPs with websites and content that give you reliable and authoritative information about painkillers and their side effects and uses (related medical facts).
Google Semantic Search
Google wants to understand the hidden meanings behind words and phrases. He seeks to pass the text (language and words). and wants to reach the context. Why does a user search for “painkiller” or “best painkiller”? It probably hurts. A medical problem related to his health. So, in SERP, the pages in which these keywords are used a lot are not displayed to the user. Rather, it brings him pages that have relevant medical information in addition to relevant and important searches, such as side effects of painkillers.
It’s all about semantic connections for the hummingbird algorithm.
Or, for example, when you search for chocolate cake, a set of these results will be displayed on the SERP: chocolate cake recipe, types of chocolate cake, calories and nutritional value of chocolate cake, other chocolate sweets and of course confectionaries that have chocolate cake (and They are probably near you). Why in the real world would one ask about chocolate cake? For more likely reasons, Google has found an answer.
Hummingbird algorithm and its impact on site SEO
As mentioned before, this algorithm does not directly affect your site’s SEO. If you’ve ever lost rank or your position has changed dramatically, it’s very, very likely not a hummingbird. Check other algorithms first. The point here is that the hummingbird algorithm is more of an opportunity for your site’s SEO than it is a threat!
Why is it an opportunity? For two reasons: First, because Google tells you more than ever what features the website and content should have to attract the attention of hummingbirds. The most important feature of Google is to approach the natural, flexible and dynamic language of people and to stay away from predetermined and dry keywords. It means getting closer to the fact that when an English person searches for “Toronto cafes”, Google understands that he means the best cafes in Toronto and its surroundings. Second, you know you need to start optimizing the website for another type of search (Conversational Search).
Pages that match the meaning of the search result better than pages with a few words.
Optimizing the site for Google Hummingbird
You should not do anything special. Keep doing white hat SEO and stay away from black hat SEO. Try not to use gray SEO and Google avoidance tricks (like PBN) as much as you can. Again and again and again, content is everything, good, high-quality, authentic, comprehensive, and complete content. All the content of your website should be of high quality and comprehensive.
I will say a few helpful tips that are useful for optimizing the website for the hummingbird algorithm (and of course, none of them are new) and I will finish this content:
- Declare the topic of the website, the field of activity and the purpose of its launch very clearly.
- Do not produce content for search engines. Consider the user. Create content for him.
- Produce specialized content that is completely related to the topic of your website and activities.
- The era of filling the page with a few keywords is over. Use long-tailed keywords. Use words and phrases that people actually use (research and selection of key words and phrases and related concepts is very important and sensitive and accurate).
- Your SEO priority is to understand users’ search intent.
- Have an interactive website.
- Don’t neglect the details that you must follow to avoid Google algorithms in SEO.