Before ranking pages, a search engine works out what the query is really asking. It handles spelling, synonyms, entities, location, language and intent, and sometimes rewrites the query to retrieve better results.
Need help with SEO?
Comppound runs SEO and AI search for SaaS companies. We plan what to publish, produce it with AI, and every page passes automated checks, and a person reviews samples and anything high-risk.
- Published to your site and tracked in Search Console
- One person answers for your account
- Plans from $400 a month, terms from 3 months
Why SEOs should care
Your page competes for the interpretation, not just the words. If the engine reads a query as a comparison and your page is a tutorial, it will not be retrieved however well it is optimised.
Working with it
Check how the results page treats a query, then match the format and intent. Cover related questions on the page so it fits several interpretations.
Common mistakes
Optimising for exact strings
Engines match meaning. Wording matters less than fit with the underlying need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google has described systems such as RankBrain, neural matching and BERT as helping interpret queries.
Keep reading
- RankBrain: RankBrain is a machine learning system Google introduced in 2015 to relate words to concepts, helping it return relevant results for unfamiliar queries.
- BERT: BERT is a language model Google applied to Search in 2019 to understand how word order and small words change the meaning of a query.
- Neural Matching: Neural matching is a Google AI system, used since 2018, that links the concepts in a query to the concepts in pages even when the words differ.
- Search Intent: Search intent is the goal behind a search: what the person actually wants to find, learn or do. Pages that match it are the ones that rank.
- Algorithmic Penalty: An algorithmic penalty is a ranking loss caused by Google's automated systems, with no notice in Search Console and no reconsideration request.
- Baidu: Baidu is the leading search engine in mainland China. Ranking there requires Simplified Chinese content and usually local hosting and licensing.
- Dwell Time: Dwell time is how long a searcher stays on a page after clicking a result before returning to the results. Pogo-sticking is bouncing straight back and clicking another result.
- Freshness System: Google's freshness systems show more recent content for queries where recency matters, such as news, launches or recurring events.
