RankBrain is an algorithm by Google based on artificial intelligence. It is one of the most important ranking factors in Google. Hence, if you want your website or post to rank high in Google, you must optimize for RankBrain.
So, how can you optimize for RankBrain?
Well, this is what we will be telling in this post.
- About RankBrain,
- How does it work
- How can you optimize for it?
What is RankBrain?
A ranking factor by Google, it is based on machine learning and artificial intelligence, which forms the part of the Hummingbird algorithm.
This algorithm was announced by Google in 2015 and is known to handle almost 15% of searches on Google.
However, in 2016, Danny Sullivan announces that RankBrain is used in every search on Google.
RankBrain is quite different from other ranking factors. It is because it utilizes artificial intelligence or machine learning.
Before the introduction of RankBrain, the engineers of Google would generate a mathematical algorithm that weighs certain signals and generate ranking results on the basis of such signals.
However, the RankBrain algorithm constantly learns and adjusts. It is not dependent on engineers.
How Does Google RankBrain Work?
The two main roles of RankBrain are:
- Understanding the keywords or search queries
- Measuring user satisfaction or how people interact with search results
How RankBrain Understand Keyword that People Search For
Earlier, Google experienced a problem. It was around 15% of keywords, which people entered into Google were never witnessed before. The other 15% of them may not appear like a lot.
But when the process conducts billions of searches per day, it accounts to 450 million keywords entering into Google every day.
Most of the keywords were new and Google had no idea about what searcher exactly want.
Hence, they guessed it.
Presently, RankBrain understands what you are looking and hence it offers 100% correct results. With the help of RankBrain, Google tries to figure out the exact meaning of your search. So, it shows relevant results.
Now, let’s consider the most important elements of RankBrain.
How RankBrain Figures Out User Satisfaction?
RankBrain is highly useful to Google in understanding novel keywords.
RankBrain showcases a set of search results, which it thinks searchers will like. If a large number of people like a specific page in the results, they will offer that page a ranking boost.
Alternatively, if a page receives maximum dislikes, the page ranks drop and is replaced with a different page.
RankBrain pays close attention to how searchers interact with the search results. It considers factors like:
- Dwell time
- CTR or Click-Through Rate
- Pogo-Sticking
- Bounce Rate
They are called UX or user experience signals.
By considering all such aspects, RankBrain displays results that are exactly as per searcher’s preferences.
How to Conduct Keyword Research on RankBrain?
With RankBrain, Google now clearly understand the search intent behind a keyword.
This does not mean that the traditional keyword process has stopped. It means you have to tweak the keyword research process so it is RankBrain friendly.
1. Just Ignore those Long-Tail Keywords:
In the previous time it made sense to create innumerable pages, each one of it optimized around a distinct keyword. For instance, you would create a page optimized for the best tool for keyword research. And the other one optimized for another keyword.
So, Google would rank each of the pages for their respective long-tail keywords.
Presently, RankBrain very well understands that such terms are the same thing. So, they display almost similar search results.
In brief, it is not necessary to optimize for long-tail keywords. So, what is the best way to go?
2. Optimize for Medium Tail Keywords:
Rather than long tails, it is best to optimize content for Medium tail keywords.
These keywords are middle of the pack words or phrases that receive more search volume than the average long-tail keyword. The best part is that they are not highly competitive either.
When a page is optimized for the medium tail keyword, it makes the page great. RankBrain automatically ranks for that term and innumerable of similar keywords.
Hence, we suggest optimizing the page around one keyword. Then allow RankBrain to rank your page for lots of distinct keywords.
Ways to Optimize Description Tags and Titles for CTR
As we have already mentioned earlier, CTR is an important ranking signal in RankBrain.
But the point of consideration is how to get people to click on your results?
Let’s see, how to do this.
1. Pack the Title Tags Using Emotional Content:
Undoubtedly, emotional titles gain more clicks.
This is one thing, which is known for years. In the recent years, this idea is supported with data. Even, CoSchedule identified a clear understanding between highly social shares and emotional headlines.
Hence, to gain more clicks, your post must have something that pushes users to click.
One way to achieve this is by turning the title tag into an emotional tool while maintaining its SEO-friendliness.
2. Incorporate Parentheses and Brackets to Your Titles:
This is one of the best CTR hacks. According to a study from Outbrain and HubSpot, it was confirmed around 3.3 million headlines outperformed bracketless titles by 32%.
Even, this techniques works great and therefore users includes parentheses in most of the titles.
3. Use Numbers:
Another data or report from BuzzSumo clearly indicates that numbers boost CTR.
Therefore, the best thing is that you can use numbers in the title, even if the content is not a list post.
In fact, you can include more than two numbers in the title.
Optimize Your CTR or Description Tag
Though description tags don’t directly boost SEO, they can but drastically boost the CTR.
Here are some of the ways to design a description tag, which fetches results.
- Create an Emotional Description Tag
Just like the title tag, your description tag must offer some emotion to the users.
- Entice Searchers to Click on the Result
Your content must be comprehensive. It must sell something in the description.
- Copy Phrases and Words Which AdWords or Paid Ads Use
For instance, when you search for something, the phrases or words must appear in two ads.
Hence, it is best to include the phrase or grass-fed in the Meta description.
4. Include the Target Keyword:
Google bolds the target keyword and this way your result can stand out from other options.
Optimizing the Content for Dwell Time and Bounce Rate
Once people start clicking on the result than before, so what’s the next thing?
Well, you now have to show Google that the results actually make your users happy. The best way to achieve this is to improve dwell time and reduce the bounce rate.
Dwell Time is the duration of time that a searcher on Google spends on your website after clicking on the result. The longer time a person spends on your page, the better results it delivers. This tells Google that people searching for that result are happy with it.
Further, if anyone bounces from your website after two seconds, it signals Google that the results stink. This reduces the rankings of your webpage or website to a great extent.
Hence, it is practical that RankBrain would estimate Dwell Time and shuffle those results around based on its signal. Even, an employee from Google confirmed that Google depends 100% on off-page signals, particularly backlinks. This was stated even when Google uses backlinks.
Moreover, there is a correlation between low bounce rate and high rankings.
Ways to Improve Dwell Time and Reduce the Bounce Rate
Now, here check some of the simple tips and strategies that can help you increase the dwell time of your website.
- Move the Content Above the Fold
When a person clicks on your website from Google, they are looking for an answer to their question immediately.
It means they don’t wish to scroll down to read the entire content.
For this reason, we highly suggest removing everything that pushes the content below the fold.
Rather, make sure the question is answered right in the first sentence of your content and then in the center.
This keeps the readers hooked right off the bat.
- Use Shorter Sentences and Short Introductions
Rather than on the content body, it is vital to spend more time on headlines and introductions.
It is because the introduction is where 95% of the readers decide whether to read the entire content or not.
And after in-depth testing, we have found that shorter introductions work best.
It is because searchers looking out for something in Google are already aware about that topic. So, there is no requirement for a massive introduction.
Rather, you can use the introduction to sell your content.
If your introduction is informative and enticing, it let searchers feel that they are in the correct place.
- Publish In-Depth, Long Content
A lot of experts have already tested and they are confident that longer content means better dwell time.
Definitely, it takes much longer time to read the 2000 words post or guide in comparison to a 400-500 post. But this also means that the shorter content contains information in a concise and limited manner. Alternatively, the longer form of content is proven to have rich and detailed information.
The other reason which is why a long form of content is considered beneficial is it helps to improve the Dwell Time. It is because longer-form content can completely answer the searcher’s query.
The shorter form of content always makes readers to want more and look out for additional sources. Hence, searchers avoid reading this content as much as possible.
Searchers always prefer reading a comprehensive guide, which covers everything which they want to know about a particular keyword or topic.
Hence, long-form content works well and it is best to publish at least 2000 words of content.
- Break the Content into Small Size Sections
One challenge about long form of content is that it is difficult to read it. Even, it is difficult to glance at this huge wall of the text.
So, is there any way to get out of this problem? Luckily yes.
Using sub-headers to break up the content into bite-size and digestible chunks makes sense. It is because using such elements improves readability and hence improves the Dwell Time.
For this reason, most of the top-ranking posts you will see use a lot of sub-headers or sub-topics.
Even, it is best to include a sub-header after every 200 words of the content.
Additional RankBrain Optimization Strategies!
Already you know power words and emotions can boost the organic CTR. But there is one more thing that can help improve the CTR and that is brand awareness!
It is because if a person is aware of your brand, they are likely to click on the website in the search results. Even a report from WordStream confirmed that brand awareness can boost CTR by up to 340%.
Some of the ways to boost brand awareness are:
1. Try Using Facebook Ads:
Though not many people convert and click, Facebook Ads can position the brand in front of a large audience. When such people scan the search queries, they are more likely to click your result.
2. Create a Valuable Email Newsletter:
There is nothing that increases brand awareness than sending valuable content to people in boxes.
Even your subscribers have learned that your material is the best in the industry. So, when your page appears on the top in search results, they are likely to click on the result.
3. Perform Content Blitz:
This is where you release a large volume of content in a short time duration. This is more powerful than dripping content over time.
Using this, it is possible to create an incredible website in record time.
Summing Up:
Hope you enjoyed this post. Follow these ways to optimize your content for Google’s RankBrain, as definitely it can help you rank on the first page. Make sure you focus on all the aspects in order to avail of the best results.