What is Hummingbird? All about Google Hummingbird Algorithm

The Google search engine regularly offers new updates that SEOs must always grasp to optimize the web accordingly. Hummingbird is one of the important algorithms updated by Google, which has an extremely strong impact on the SEO strategy of each business. Let’s learn more about what Hummingbird is, how it works and how to optimize this algorithm-friendly website!!

What is Hummingbird?

Hummingbird is a new search algorithm that Google launched in September 2013 with the meaning of the name “accurate and fast”. This algorithm update was made to better focus on the meaning behind each user query. Instead of just matching keywords in the query with keywords in the search results, the Hummingbird algorithm is worked on to deepen the meaning of each query in context and produce relevant results.

How does Hummingbird work?

Unlike previous Google algorithms like Penguin or Panda, Hummingbird It’s not an algorithm to impose a penalty (to remove low-quality content from search engine results pages) but a change in how Google responds to different types of queries.

The focus of the Hummingbird algorithm is on context of each query. Users will always make searches with similar keywords, Hummingbird can judge the specific context, thereby understanding the intent of the search and pinpointing exactly what the user is trying to find. . Instead of listing results with exact phrases or keywords, Google now shows more results related to the topic.

Context is at the heart of Google’s Hummingbird algorithm

Example: If a user does a search for the keyword "weather", they are most likely looking for the weather forecast for their area, not an explanation of meteorological science. Of course, Google’s algorithm cannot be absolutely certain of what users want. So it provides users with a range of results including: local weather forecast, page wikipedia for the term “Weather” or the national weather forecast information channel, etc.

Google brings up a variety of results related to the topic

Hummingbird is also rated as a "meaningful" technology or vehicle for making interactions more meaningful. It is applied to enhance Google’s Knowledge Graph to return the most relevant and highest quality results to satisfy searcher needs.

How does Google’s Hummingbird algorithm affect SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) has changed somewhat based on the advent of Hummingbird algorithm:

With Google Hummingbird, digital marketers have understood the importance of giving Google a certain context for topics. In addition to contextualized article content, Hummingbird also focuses on evaluating a site’s link metrics: links coming from contextually unrelated sites are considered bad links. And this will affect page rank (pagerank) on search engines.

Hummingbird focuses not only on keywords but also the context of the query

This algorithm update ensures that Google directs users to the most relevant page of a website instead of the homepage or top-level page. Directing search traffic to specific and relevant pages of the user’s search problem will help improve your website’s conversion rate.
With an increasing number of conversational queries, specifically those made with voice search, it’s important that your site content includes a variety of queries: information, navigation, and transaction. Hummingbird adds more power to phrase-specific queries like: Who, What, Where, How,... effectively serve for content optimization.

Optimize your website to be friendly with Hummingbird algorithm

With the Hummingbird algorithm, Google makes it even more clear that their primary concern is the end-user experience, in order to provide more accurate results for their questions. So SEO strategists must make content as informative and user-friendly as possible, through several ways:

1. Researching a query in the form of a question

Instead of just focusing your efforts on keyword research, you now need to expand your research to think about the types of questions your target audience is asking Google about your industry. Knowing these queries, you can integrate them right into your web content.

Research the query in the form of a question

Unlike optimizing through keywords, which must be mindful of how many keywords to put in your content to optimize, you don’t need to specify how many queries for a particular topic. That means you can answer multiple questions in one post to deliver more valuable information to users.

2. Publish regularly and continuously

Another way to make your content more accessible to Google Hummingbird is to create content more often. Publishing regular posts with more content gives you more opportunities to answer relevant user questions on the same topic. From there can drive higher traffic and achieve high rankings based on what is Hummingbird algorithm.

Consider publishing new pages that specifically answer the most common questions users ask on the Google search bar. You can also create content like interviews with industry experts or how-to articles that provide more insight. Adding new content regularly with quality information can help Hummingbird notice you and also create many opportunities to increase organic backlinks.

3. Create visual and vivid content

Hummingbird love new and informative content but creativity is also important. In addition to adding more Q&A-style posts, consider adding a few more article formats that can effectively convey information and answer user queries:

Infographic: This form combines textual content with illustrations, visual graphs, and helps information to be presented in an interesting and "easy to digest" way.

Combine textual content with infographics or visual videos

Video: shoot a series of short videos that answer common questions your target audience is searching for.
Tutorials: Hummingbird also loves websites that have a how-to, text or video format.

4. Use language appropriate to the topic

Some websites have not taken advantage of the proper use of language in their content. Industry terms are sometimes not included in content for fear that users unfamiliar with the field will have trouble understanding. However, including the right terms can prove to Google that your site is authoritative and highly valuable.

Conclude

After all, Hummingbird is designed with the user in mind and aims to give more accurate results to their questions. To optimize your website for Google Hummingbird algorithm, you must understand what Hummingbird is and how to optimize for semantic search while creating content that adds value to users.