Google's new AI SEO algorithm 'RankBrain' will help nudge Steemit into the mainstream. Here's why...
Let me explain to you why this next Google move is such an important SEO move, especially for 'Steemit-like' content.
In recent years, Google's SEO algorithms have primarily revolved around the ability to recognize content which includes keywords from a search query embedded inside it. A user, searching for particular content, would type a couple of keywords into the search bar, and the algorithm would return results based purely on those keywords. If the content that the Google algorithm 'Hummingbird' comes across includes those keywords, it is returned as a suggested result by the algorithm. Great!
However, the content surrounding those keywords, in other words, the real human meaning behind the content was always lost to the SEO algorithm. It only knew that there were a couple of well placed keywords here and there within the article. It didn't really understand the entire 'conversation' that was going on - so to speak. It doesn't understand how a human would actually interpret the content. Silly sausage.
Keyword based search is about to become (almost) history, with Googles new RankBrain SEO algorithm.
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Here's why...
RankBrain is a machine learning artificial intelligence system, for search queries, the use of which by Google was confirmed on 26 October 2015. This is AI, for search queries.
RankBrain churns away, indexing all types of content on the web, social media, twitter, etc and so-forth. It ties together all of the words and works very hard at trying to think how a human thinks.
This new, artificial intelligence system can actually learn how a human would search, and, understand the full content of an article, and the real meaning of the content to a human, as opposed to only knowing there are few keywords here and there. Rankbrain looks for patterns between searches that may seem unconnected at first, but in fact are similar and fit together.
If you only read one thing on this page, you need to read this quote...
It’s a funny and probably overblown passage, but it raises a serious point for content marketers; in the past, they’ve had to write around keywords, often at the expense of creating content and telling stories people want to read. The introduction of Google’s Rankbrain could put an end to all this, once and for all.
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Google's RankBrain SEO algorithm is a perfect match for Steemit.
Why?
Because at Steemit, the type of articles we are writing (or I believe we should be writing), are articles that people want to actually read. The articles here are not peppered with keywords, for the sake of click-bait results to be returned on Google search results. People here on Steemit like to tell a story, a human story.
Most of the articles here are in-depth, with real human emotion and meaning behind them, and the only way to really understand the content of each article, is to understand the entire 'conversation'. In other words, you need a search engine that can understand the relationship and meaning of the words in the content that surround the original search queries.
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Googles RankBrain, will be rewarding content that is written for humans.
This signals the end the era of blogging specifically for the sake of keywords (yes please!), in other words, and end to all those blogs that have great content, but are also devoid of any real value due to the fact that they are so full of keywords in an attempt to fool Googles SEO algorithm, wherein all meaning is lost.
Articles, here on Steemit generally will not meet standard keyword requirements, and guess what? It may be hard to find that content with the current Hummingbird algorithm which Google has been working on since 2013 (definitely an improvement with its contextualized search beahviours) but still relies so heavily on understanding keywords. That situation, is not a good situation for Steemit, I believe.
Don't get me wrong, with RankBrain , keywords will still be really important, but with RankBrain , we also get the added feature of the algorithm understanding more clearly the true intent of our search queries, for example, it may even return results with content that does not include the original search queries keywords, but from a human perspective, the result returned would in fact be a lot more relevant, because the algorithm will understand the relationships and meanings between the other words on the page.
In doing so, this means the new RankBrain SEO algorithm by Google will return content that is much more meaningful to the human being on the other end that is doing the searching.
The timing of Google's new AI SEO algorithm could not be better for Steemit
Currently, a very large fraction of the millions of queries Google deals with every second are being ranked using this new system. Out of the hundreds of signals Google uses to rank results, the RankBrain algorithm is the 3rd most important.
The ability for a search engine to be able to understand, in human terms, the real meaning of content on a page, will absolutely bring benefit to Steemit and the way our content here is indexed and returned by Google as a suggested search result. It also means, we can stop being focused on keywords, and write articles people actually want to read, all the while being confident that our content will be picked up by Google queries appropriately.
All in all, RankBrain signifies more eyes on Steemit content, (content written for humans, that only humans can really understand), with an added bonus... an end to all those dead end blogs which feature keyword rich content with little substance, and that my friend, I am all for.
Kind regards,
Optimistic
Hello @darknet,
Your post has been chosen by the @robinhoodwhale initiative as one of our top picks today.
Learn more about the Robinhood Whale here!
The Steemit community looks forward to more great stuff from you. So, please keep on Steeming!
Goodluck!
~RHW~
:O
I am truly humbled, massive shout out to all of you in Sherwood Forest! ;-)
This is fantastic. I used to be a copywriter writing blog posts for companies - I was always annoyed when keyword-heavy filler-pages would rise above what my natural journalistic articles. I think everyone will benefit from this - except the profit margins of the dodgy SEOs of course.
You are exactly the type of person who will benefit from this new algorithm, directly. Imagine - letting your writing skills flow naturally, writing, for a human even!? :O Spread the word among your peers, tell your boss, shout it from the rooftops! ;-)
The only issue I have with Google indexing all the Steemit posts is that apart from the change to get a follower, the traffic will not be monetised die to the payout period ending.
IIRC payouts are still paidout to authors after the initial payout (4 weeks later?), only the curators no longer receive rewards after the initial payout. Somebody correct me please if I am wrong, it has happened before. :P
Correct but still isn't really monetizing traffic from Google for the blog author, because really only the whales can impart any significant rewards. And 4 weeks is nothing. The content may be relevant and generating Google traffic for years.
Your blog post is interesting to contemplate. And it could help drive traffic to Steem(it), which one might presume would drive more usership. But readers aren't users. They have to actually signup to become useful in terms of onboarding crypto-currency to the masses. And they have to actually find it rewarding to do something with their registered account other than just read.
I still think the reward dynamics of Steem aren't viral.
In terms of Google's new RankBrain, it will also send more readers to Medium, which already has 25 million reader and 20,000 weekly active bloggers. What does Steem offer that is an advantage? A smaller audience?
@anonymint thanks for your insight.
I will agree with you that not all traffic is 'good' traffic - in regards to monetizing an article for an author. However, I do believe that getting eyes on the platform in the first place is definitely a step forward in the right direction for Steemit.
At the moment, in my opinion, we need more people to become aware of the platform and its potential. If we can successfully attract more eyeballs onto Steemit articles, I believe conversion rates would be quite high - from passive reader, to active author/curator. I believe, that is half the battle.
I also believe any conversion from passive reader to active curator/author, has an indirect effect on the author of the original post that got the new user to the platform in the first place. Sure, they may not be paid immediately (then again, who says that new user won't sign up and throw an upvote their way), however Steemit gaining popularity will surely only increase revenue for the author, in the long term.
Author/curation rewards
I think the idea of being paid to create and/or curate content is a compelling argument for a passive reader to join the community over Medium. I believe, once Steemit has actual eyeballs on its platform, it 'sells itself'.
Censorship free
The added advantage of a near censorship free platform, thanks, in part due to the nature of the blockchain. Something 'Medium' (a Twitter owned company) simply cannot provide. I believe this will become even more important in the coming years.
Well, sure - for the moment. Keep in mind, we have only just launched in July 2016 and we are still gaining traction here. The silver bullet is, an author is paid for their content directly, by that (currently) smaller audience.
It will be interesting to watch how this all plays out actually. I know which platform I would prefer to be blogging on. ;-)
Medium's stats support my belief that vast majority of readers do not want to write blogs. And the vast majority of social networking users don't even want to read blogs!
I don't think the censorship issue is even in the consciousness of most readers and even bloggers.
Thus I conclude Steem has not found any low-hanging viral fruit.
I would not prefer to be blogging on Steem (as compared to a replacement for Steem that wasn't reliant on whales and note I am coding such now), because I am totally dependent on the whales, both for my reward, visibility and also for the security of the blockchain.
I've heard people saying that Google is already ranking content on Steemit "absurdly high", like here https://steemit.com/steemit-ideas/@ash/idea-protect-content-owners
Is it really a case, or maybe, Google "knowing" that you are on Steemit just makes some preferences for Steemit articles specially for you?
There you have it. Given that RankBrain is the 3rd most important signal for Google's SEO algorithm (out of hundreds), I believe the natural language style here at #steemit might have considerable impact.
Great informative article. Thank you!
Finally! Now those of us who work in the field can finally get back to the purity of writing without having to worry about keyword concentration and all those other silly things we have to now! Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting.
Dope article :)
This is really the steemit's advantage. Your article will soon be searched by google.
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I have noticed searching on google for my articles always results in seeing them at the top. It is quite a surprise and should bode well for the steemit community.
Yes, it is true. Perhaps I should start an SEO company, based on this alone. ;)