When online marketing companies and Singapore SEO service providers discuss the mechanics of Google search, the focus is usually more on ranking signals. How Google modifies queries them behind the scenes is usually undeservedly omitted from the discussion.
The reality is that search queries/keywords go through some transformations that influence the results that are displayed. Here is the secret on how Google refines search queries.
Relevance, Search Volume, and Association
Recent press releases from Google provide clear proof that the search engine is in the process of launching new search query refinements. The primary objective of these improvements is to display the search results that are in line with the users’ intent.
When the search engine receives a new query, it automatically identifies web pages that are associated with the query. It then goes ahead and evaluates the pages extracted to understand the semantic clusters that they are associated with. The query will be categorized as ambiguous, and one that needs refinement if the results show few concepts that are unrelated.
Google has an association database where past queries, website pages and associations between the two are stored. Each association is assigned a weight that is calculated by multiplying the relevance of a page with the search volume or query frequency. Associations with the highest weight score are selected and displayed on the SERP.
Context
Context is another essential factor that is used to refine search queries. Context refers to a collection of phrases and words that are associated with a domain. These contexts are instrumental in helping website pages to index sites and provide the best browsing experience to searchers. For example, if a web page contains terms such as “Film Academy Awards” it will automatically know that the page is in the context of the Oscars Awards Event.
Finally, Google also uses the contextual information it has about a user based on their recorded past user searches to determine the context of their current queries. That is, if your search history implies that are you are interested in learning about online marketing, it will display a list of websites that are related to digital marketing and SEO services.
