Google's Florida Update: One Month Later

Google's Florida Update: One Month Later:

Concludes that Google may be rolling out "an artificially intelligent, self adapting algorithm"
"It's been almost one month since Google started rolling out the Florida update and millions of listings were dropped from the results. In that time, hundreds of search engine marketers and thousands of website owners have dealt with the loss with all the classic signs of bereavement: at first, denial, then anger, gradually changing to acceptance and finally, healing. We're moving on, understanding that we're just part of the never ending circle of Google. "

"I said this was a filter aimed at aggressively optimized and affiliate sites. After several hours of team research and speaking to others in the industry, I'm beginning to think this is part 1 of a major change in how Google will rank sites. Danny Sullivan put forward his theory that Google is now using two algorithms, a new more sophisticated one on the more competitive searches and the old one on the less competitive searches...

There has been some discussion about the possible role Google's recent purchase of Applied Semantics may be playing here...

Applied Semantics Concept Server used language patterns, including semantics and ontology to try to both determine the real meaning of the words on a website page and also to anticipate what people are looking for. It tries to interpret concepts based on the use of words, their proximity and the patterns they occur in. What if Florida was Google's first attempt to start introducing this concept to their search engine?

What if Google is combining the artificial intelligence of Applied Semantics Concept Server and this monitoring of click throughs. .. As Google monitors more searches, the Concept Server will start to notice patterns between similar concepts and the type of results chosen by the searcher. With every search, Google will be better able to anticipate what the searcher is looking for, even if their query isn't right on target...

Google Dance is a thing of the past. Changes in results will happen fluidly and consistently, based on ongoing relevancy monitoring based on click throughs. It's almost as if Google has taken a page from Direct Hit's book and gave it a Google twist. Direct Hit was the one time search engine wunderkind that used searcher click throughs to determine relevance. Apparently its back end technology still plays a part in determining results on Ask Jeeves and Teoma.

Secondly, it would mean that individual rankings will move much more frequently and reliance on specific keyphrases will become less important.

Thirdly, a change like this will take a while to fully roll out, so Google will continue to take us on a roller coaster ride for the foreseeable future.

Lastly, this would be the first major step forward in search engine technology in quite some time, and that's probably the biggest reason why we think we might be on to something...

"Why did Google not just come out and tell us what they were doing, rather than force us to guess?" This point is a little more valid. Officially, Google's line was that is was just another algorithm change. If our theory is correct, this statement is true in substance, but grossly understated in scope. The Google Guy gave a few more hints on Webmaster World, but remained pretty tight lipped and virtually disappeared from the forums during the worst of the turmoil...



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