Google lauds smarter search

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 25 Mar 2009 at 11:51

Google has rolled out two improvements to its search service, as it seeks to keep ahead of its rivals.

The most significant of the changes brings an element of semantic search to Google's listings, with the algorithm better capable of understanding word associations and the concepts behind your search.

"For example, if you search for 'principles of physics' our algorithms understand that 'angular momentum,' 'special relativity,' 'big bang' and 'quantum mechanic' are related terms that could help you find what you need," explains engineer Ori Allon on the company blog.

The company has also elongated the search result descriptions on search terms that are longer than three words.

"When you enter a longer query, with more than three words, regular-length snippets may not give you enough information and context," Allon explains. "In these situations, we now increase the number of lines in the snippet to provide more information and show more of the words you typed in the context of the page."