Google updates its search engine with 'Hummingbird'

Google has modified its Internet search engine to give better answers to the increasingly complex queries posed by Web surfers. The change has come as part of an update called “Hummingbird” that Google Inc. has gradually rolled out in the past month without revealing the modifications.

Why Google updated its search engine with Hummingbird?

As per Google, Hummingbird is aimed at giving Google’s search engine a better grasp at understanding concepts instead of mere words. Increased reliance on the search engine have made people to enter even lengthy questions into the search box instead of just a few words related to specific topics.

How could ‘Hummingbird’ affect the websites?

The alteration in the search engines could make a major impact on traffic to websites. As per experts, Hummingbird brings the most dramatic alterations to Google’s search engine since it revised the way it indexes websites 3 years ago as part of a redesign called “Caffeine”. The redesign is likely to affect the analysis of about 90% of the search requests that Google receives.

Any rearrangement of Google’s search rankings can have dramatic ramifications because they steer majority of the Internet’s traffic. Google directs about 66% of search requests in the U.S. and its share is even bigger in some parts of Europe. The changes could also escalate the price of Google ads tied to search requests if websites whose rankings are lowered under the new system feel they have to buy the marketing messages to attract traffic. Google generates most of its revenue from the search ads and other commercial pitches related to Web content. Its revenue is expected to approach $60 billion this year.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2013