SEO Company News and Tips

SEO Company News: Google and the Orion Algorithm

Some recent news organizations around the world have reported that Google has acquired the rights to use the Orion algorithm.

The Orion algorithm is the work of Ori Allon, an Israeli student working at the University of South Wales in Australia. The concept behind the technology is not new: it revolves around the ability of a search engine to respond to queries by sifting through results and provide snippets. Furthermore, it provides results based on a wide understanding of the search.

The Orion model was originally designed to work with search engines. As every searcher knows, all SEs sometimes return results that are not relevant to the keywords. Often the user has to click on the web site only to find out it is unrelated to the topic, creating a negative experience.

Orion gives the searchers an expert review of a term results by returning related topics and other useful information to expand knowledge. Let’s go with an example: If you were to conduct a query for the key phrase American Constitution, the search would come up with direct results related to the topic as well as the names of the Founding Fathers, the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 etc. In essence, Orion would function as a researcher who can understand a key word not with “tunnel vision” but as a comprehensive, broad request to elaborate on a topic and provide a more complete view. Without a working prototype available to the public, we can only assume Google’s interest in Orion is warranted.

What are the implications for a SEO company trying to optimize a web site? Orion is likely using a much more sophisticated approach to search engine results compared to present attempts to provide snippets before someone clicks on a result. The snippet feature is only part of what Orion is about. The algorithm behind this technology focuses on taking search engine queries to the next level, which is something many prominent figures in the SE industry have promised in the last recent years.

If the algorithm is implemented in Google search, content is going to play an even more important part in the optimization efforts. A heated debate is currently happening in many well known SEO forums on the importance of content vs acquiring incoming links to climb ranks. The mere fact that Mr Allon is now working at Googleplex, points at the seriousness on the part of Google management to study the technology. Whether Orion is going to translate into a feasible component of web search or be shelved as many other projects in the past, all remains to be seen.

posted by seotampa @ 7:14 AM