Google is sprucing up its search technologies again. The changes mark one of the biggest tune-ups Google has made to its search algorithm and promises more up-to-date, relevant results.
The update builds on the Caffeine Web-indexing system Google launched in 2010. Caffeine allows Google to crawl and index the Web for fresh content quickly on a large scale. The fine-tuned algorithm will affect about 35 percent of searches.
"Given the incredibly fast pace at which information moves in today's world, the most recent information can be from the last week, day or even minute, and depending on the search terms, the algorithm needs to be able to figure out if a result from a week ago about a TV show is recent, or if a result from a week ago about breaking news is too old," Google Fellow Amit Singhal wrote in a blog post.
Fixing a Flaw
Google Search uses a freshness algorithm, which is designed to give you the most up-to-date results. Here's an example of how the new algorithm works: If you search for "Olympics," the new Google search figures you probably want information about next summer's Olympics, not the 1900 Summer Olympics. So even when you just type "Olympics" without specifying 2012, you still find what you're looking for.
Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, said the freshness algorithm is a welcome development. The new tweaks don't affect results for standard searches, like how to bake a cake or how to unclog a sink.
"For years, this has been a kind of Achilles heel or flaw in Google results: time or recency was not given the weight it should have had in Google's algorithm," Sterling said. "Consequently a result for any query might have brought up 'stale' or old links at the top of the page. To see the most recent result, users had to use time filtering in the left column, which was cumbersome."
Layers of Freshness
As part of the changes, Google promised high-quality pages that may be only minutes old when you search for current events like the Occupy protests or the NBA lockout. For recurring events, such as the presidential election or annual conferences, Google will assume you want the most recent event unless you specify otherwise.
For searches where information changes often, but it's not a hot topic or recurring event, the new algorithm will again provide the most up-to-date information. If you are searching for the best DSLR cameras or a new car, for example, Google will offer recent results.
"Different searches have different freshness needs," Singhal said. "This algorithmic improvement is designed to better understand how to differentiate between these kinds of searches and the level of freshness you need, and makes sure you get the most up-to-the-minute answers."
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