Google’s Search Now Predicts Content
As discussed in the article linked here, Google’s search bar has taken a step in linking the history of the user to the results shown. Up until this change, the only determining factors in what was shown at the top of your Google search were the ranks of each page in relation to the search terms. This is created by pages linking to each other, and the pages that are more linked are shown higher in the search results. However, Google is now cross-referencing these backlinks with a user’s history to provide more relevant responses for its users. For example, if I search INFO 2040, Google will display results from Cornell, and within the top results will show current and old versions of this very course’s website.
Google is using two separate concepts here – they are using PageRank to determine most useful results, as any search engine does, and they are also using the idea behind Strong Triadic Closure to attempt to create ties between users and sites related to those they have visited before. By doing so, Google attempts to create more relevant results based on what it believes people are looking for. PageRank functions as always in any search engine, but it also allows for those sites that link to frequently visited sites by their users to be displayed at a higher frequency than normal, as those sites are likely to be relevant to each user. The reasoning behind the likelihood of those linked sites to be relevant is connected to the principle of Strong Triadic Closure. If a weak link is created when a user visits a site three times, and a strong link is created when a user visits a site at least ten times or when sites link to each other, a site that has a strong tie to a site frequented by a user is likely to be highly relevant. This helps Google create a better experience for its users and further solidify itself as the premier search engine.