Artificial Intelligence: The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human Intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. – Google’s Knowledge Graph answering my question
The age of Artificial Intelligence is upon us. Run. Run for the hills! Toss away your mobile devices, unplug your spinal columns from the grid, and get yourself underground as soon as possible. The predictions of Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Aldous Huxley are our new reality, oh the humanity, and we’re all equally to blame for it.
Search Engine Intelligence
I am of course joking about fleeing from Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Hopefully, it will be another 100 years or so before a Skynet comes about to change the face of our modern workforce … HAVE THE ANDROID DO IT! (My attempt at a futuristic PSA).
True Artificial Intelligence has been a part of search engine technology since about 2013, but as of May 2016, Google has given it an official name: Machine Intelligence.
Throughout Google’s lifespan, they have managed to work out a system that more effectively helps searchers and big businesses to get what they need, as quickly as possible. This combined with their legendary business practices (who wouldn’t want to work for Google?) has built up a powerful company that has migrated into numerous technologies that affect our everyday life.
If you aren’t an iPhone user then chances are you are on an Android. The Chrome browser is probably what you use to surf websites, ask questions, and hook into your social media. For producers that use the Cloud, a Google Drive account is probably leveraged over Dropbox or OneDrive, since Google Docs and Google Sheets are immediately accessible through their Android powered phones.
Not to mention, that Chrome browser is almost like a personal assistant, isn’t it? It keeps begging you to trust it (come on, let me save that password, so that you don’t have to worry about it), it remembers where you’ve browsed, and even keeps track of your favorite stomping grounds. You can complete a search instantly via the address bar … PLUS, it hooks in to your android technology, so you can pull up your GPS and … wait, how does it know that this address is my home?!
Google is everywhere, and their search engine knows a lot more than you think. But let’s not call the “Big G”,”Big Brother” just yet. I am willing to bet that you, dear reader, are on Facebook, and log into it daily. No worries, it’s true of just about everyone — or seems to be. After all, your friends use it to message you, while trending topics keep you up to speed on politics, and you always have a few event invites that require you to confirm the RSVP. For business advertisers, it’s a virtual goldmine. If Google is a functioning A.I., then it has a symbiotic relationship with Facebook.
Getting the Machine to Work for You
So you see, this is why we SEO’s say that User Experience and Search Experience are the keys to performing well in search. In the past we utilized tips and tricks to out-game the machine (Google search) in order to nudge our websites to the front of the line, but now with A.I. in play, those tricks will no longer work.
Google and Facebook have announced updates to their algorithms that take into consideration the length of time you spend on a particular web page or even a Facebook article, gauge your feelings about certain posts (e.g. like, love, sad…), and measure which websites retain your attention more effectively. As producers, you and I can both have websites that sell services, but if mine gets the customer to buy while yours chases them away, the search engines will know. It’s as simple as that, today.
So when you consider SEO services, or getting a web master to revamp your site, keep this thought in mind: The user is what matters. Facebook wants to show us content that we want to see. Relevant content makes us happy. It also makes advertisers happy because it costs a lot less to hit an audience that wants your product than it does to annoy someone with a less relevant ad.
Whether the prospect of a machine reading your every move is frightening to you or not, chances are, you are already taking full advantage of it. A.I. can improve our lives, making us healthier (fitness trackers), unhealthier (pizza at the touch of a button), better at multitasking (I have an app for that), and lazier (I have an app for that). No matter the side that you fall on in the A.I. debate, you have to admit that it has enhanced our user experience, tremendously.
Key Takeaway:
- Make decisions about your web presence based on what benefits your user. This is what will help you to do better in retaining customers and winning new ones.
- Colors, placement of links, and photo choices make a difference.
- Hire an SEO who is up-to-date on these changes in A.I. and a User Experience specialist to revamp your website, expertly.
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