Google has launched a new search algorithm called, Hummingbird, that’s poised to make web searches faster and more efficient. Hummingbird is the biggest update to Google’s core search formula since 2010’s Caffeine update and could have a big impact on web publishers and even the best casino affiliates going forward.
At its core, Hummingbird is designed to answer complicated queries that come in the form of questions like, “Which online casino offers the biggest deposit bonuses?”
While Hummingbird has lots of improvements and changes, familiar elements like the Panda and Penguins updates will still be part of the core algorithm. Over at Searchengineland.com, reporter Danny Sullivan likens the change to switching out engines in a car. Hummingbird is a sleek, state-of-the-art, fuel-injected engine that’s replacing an old, but sturdy, v-8. (Sullivan’s Hummingbird FAQ is definitely worth a read.)
Not everyone in the SEO world is happy about the end-user focused improvements that Hummingbird brings to the table. PC World reporter Mark Hachman points out that a smarter Google interface, “poaches pageviews,” from web publishers by answering questions without additional clicks.
Hachman also suggests that with Hummingbird, Google is moving into the role of an interactive agent, as opposed to a gateway. If he’s right (and there’s no reason to think that he isn’t) Hummingbird could be one of the biggest game-changers in search history.