What is RankBrain?
As part of Google’s search algorithm, RankBrain is a machine learning component that analyzes user queries and ranks pages based on intent rather than an exact word match. It was introduced in October 2015 and uses AI to interpret behavioral signals such as click-through rates and dwell time, as well as understanding synonyms and context. Being one of the top three ranking factors, RankBrain changes the results based on learning from user interactions, in aggregate, in real time. It is now critical to SEO practices to improve content for engagement, relevance, and natural language understanding to align with RankBrain’s sophisticated levels of comprehension.
Some examples of RankBrain: Pages may be ranked for “how to tie a tie without a mirror” because of semantic matching; changes in search results based on improved dwell time; conversational style FAQs tailored to voice search.
Related terms: Semantic search, user intent, machine-learning algorithm, AI ranking