Updating the System Behind Google Search
“Smartphones and AI Are Driving Google to Overhaul its Most Profitable Business”
https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/google-overhauling-search-14725017
This article centers around the technology behind the current Google search methods and the way in which they are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to continue to develop new means that they can order pages based on search results and prioritize different ads. To begin with, the article first describes the current predominant methods that Google uses to customize page and ad results for users. It discusses the firm’s use of PageRank, which is an algorithm discussed in lecture that orders the way in which pages appear based on search results. The theory behind this system is that, by analyzing the quantity and quality of links to a web page, the search engine can provide the most relevant and reputable pages in response to a searched keyword. Google’s ability to provide substantive and trustworthy pages to its users is one of the primary reasons why it is considered such a user-friendly and helpful research tool. Beyond this system, the article discusses how Ad Rank is another efficient method it uses to give companies the option to have their ads broadly streamed to people who are likely to click on their ads. This algorithm ranks ads based on its relevance to a keyword searched and how much the advertiser was bidding. As explained in lecture, Google relies on second-price auctions in order to determine which ads will appear on the slots available in a google search. Thus, the system takes into consideration the true value of the advertisers when selecting which to display. Also, it analyzes the probability that the ad will be selected based on the correlation it has to the word being searched. The article discusses how Google now uses machine learning to assist advertisers in being able to receive the most advertisements displayed with regards to their budgets and goals. These systems have provided a foundation for Google to be a central feature in the way that firms receive profits from advertisements and assure that users are guided to their websites.
The article continues to discuss the new methods that Google is now integrating in order to improve experiences for users and even feature their own tools available to assist users. For example, in order to provide relevant ads, Google now displays paid listings from its own services, such as Google shopping, to show up next to their Ad Rank text ads. Also, Google wants to use artificial intelligence to highlight a new feature called “stories,” where relevant photo and video content can be streamlined to appear based on what you search. This is intended to give users an increasingly visually appealing way to receive their content. Lastly, another overhaul discussed is using AI to analyze the content spoken about within videos on youtube so that helpful and related videos can appear for users, just as links do, when conducting a search. These new search methods are relevant to the course because it showcases the new methods that Google is using to help users receive content that they need. These new tools will compliment the traditional forms of Pagerank and Ad Rank that were already intended to give easy access to relevant websites for users, but also allow Google to use its platform to start including new forms of content in web searches.