Google Implements Smarter Search
Google announced it is using new technology to better understand relationships between words, in hopes of getting a better handle on what Web users are looking for during their searches.
The internet search engine giant also beefed up results pages with longer snippets in summary paragraphs focused on what people appear to be seeking.
"We’re deploying a new technology that can better understand associations and concepts related to your search," Google search quality team technical lead Ori Allon and snippets team engineer Ken Wilder wrote in a blog post.
"We are now able to target more queries, more languages, and make our suggestions more relevant to what you actually need to know."
Typically, Internet search engines have been built on matching key words typed into query boxes with words at websites or in other online data.
Lately, interest has grown for "semantic searches" that are smart enough understand what sentences or combinations of words mean.
Microsoft has also recently confirmed that it’s testing Kumo.com.
The company hopes the new semantic search engine will be more popular than its Live Search service that has stayed a distant third place behind Yahoo! and market leader Google.
On Tuesday, Google rolled out semantic search capabilities in 37 languages.
Wilder and Allon gave examples of how the new search works. For example, a search in Russian for "fortune-telling with cards" will yield search results that included "tarot" and "divination."
A Google search in English for "principles of physics" triggers suggestions to inquire about "big bang" and "quantum mechanics."
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