What is RankBrain, and how does it affect your search results?

What is RankBrain?

Google's RankBrain is a machine learning AI system that Google officially launched in April 2015, when it was mentioned by Greg Corrado, a Senior Research Scientist at Google, in an interview with Bloomberg.

In short, RankBrain is used to sort through Google's many billions of search results. It is therefore part of Google's overall search algorithm, which every day helps sort and deliver the best and most relevant search results to users on Google.

What does RankBrain do?

RankBrain works by analysing and understanding search queries through an "interpretation model." This model takes several factors into account, such as:

User location: Where the user is located can affect search results.‍
Personalisation: Previous search history and interactions play a role in how search results are presented.‍
Word choice in the query: RankBrain evaluates the specific words in the user's search to better understand the intent behind the query.

By analysing user interactions with search results and patterns related to specific queries, RankBrain can optimise search results over time. This enables Google to handle complex and unique searches, particularly in relation to "long-tail" keywords.

How does RankBrain work?

Since RankBrain is a machine learning system, it continuously learns and improves its capabilities as it handles more queries. This means it becomes smarter and more effective at understanding and delivering relevant search results, which is especially important for Google's natural language processing (NLP).

The importance of RankBrain

RankBrain is a key factor in Google's search algorithm, as it helps improve the user experience by ensuring that users receive precise and relevant results. It is an indicator of how Google uses advanced technology to improve searches and make information more accessible.