If you didn't know, Google's mission is to 'organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.' But what does that mean for consumers and business owners?
Over the past few years, how we use digital products and search for services worldwide has changed. We want content and results at our fingertips instantly; machine learning has risen alongside voice search (which is now the norm). Google has evolved and is constantly testing how to deliver customer results better.
Their approach and fundamentals have remained the same, sticking to their promise to deliver the most relevant and reliable information. According to Google 15% of searches conducted are ones they have never come across before. To provide the best results for search intent, they use automated systems to help present the best results a user is searching for. The process considers many factors, including the words used within the query, the webpage content, the language, location, and sources' expertise. Admittedly, these are just some of the factors Google shares with us, but you can guarantee there are many other factors besides the ranking signals they share that are kept hidden.
Google understands us well enough to know what to present to us as a search result type. If we're looking for a venue, it will give us directions. If we're looking for the weather, it will give us the forecast and show us up-to-date localised forecast. Google uses what they call approachable language and design to enable us to have a better experience with Search. They are constantly testing new ways of presenting the information to us.
To understand the direction of travel for Search, how it works, and the complexities Google battles. 'The Trillions of Questions, No Easy Answer Google' video is a much watch.