Hummingbird is a definite expansion of Google’s semantic capability evident at the search interface level that reveals, significantly, two things, said David Amerland, search engine expert and author of Google Semantic Search.
- First, Google has increased its ability to deal with complex search queries which means that it also has got better at indexing entities in Web documents.
- Second, it has got a lot better at relationally linking search queries and Web documents which means that its Knowledge Graph must be considerably enriched.
Amerland goes on to explain how Google’s move toward semantic search will benefit SEO practices:
He emphasizes the importance of content not being left in isolation, but instead shared across social networks via identified influencers.
“This is not something that can or will happen at the drop of a hat,” said Amerland, “It requires time and commitment to building a relationship with influencers and sharing with them content that is of real value to their network.” Quick SEO, according to Amerland, “Is now firmly in the past.”
Unlike Google’s Penguin and Panda updates to its existing algorithm, Hummingbird is a complete replacement.
Google’s search chief Amit Singhal told Danny Sullivan that Hummingbird represents the first time since 2001 a Google algorithm has been so dramatically rewritten.