In recent months, artificial intelligence has been all the rage. Many deem it a disruptive technology that could very well alter the way we interact with our devices and the Internet. And, well, the masses are right in that regard. But here’s something that not many people are aware of — artificial intelligence has been around for quite some time now in the form of RankBrain, an algorithm embedded into Google’s main algorithm, Hummingbird.

To put things simply, think of Hummingbird, the algorithm that governs most search inquiries on Google, as a car engine. An engine has multiple parts that synergize in order to ensure the engine’s functionality. Some gears are built for a specific role in the system.

You can, in essence, link RankBrain to a cog in the machine, whose function is to handle out-of-the-ordinary search inquiries. It tries to understand the user’s intentions for the search inquiry and it responds accordingly by yielding search results that it deems relevant to the user.

Now, to be quite honest, this is an oversimplification of something extremely complex. Not many people know exactly how RankBrain functions — nor will they ever — but this is its core function. And we all want to be able to generate high-ROI content that not only generates traffic but also gives us a chance to get featured in large publications.

Testing

First off, you need to stop guessing and start testing. There’s no other way to properly ascertain whether certain pieces attract traffic. A/B testing helps you determine whether your content is yielding the results that you want and it also helps you determine which tweaks are necessary and which aren’t. Overall, testing allows you to allocate your focus and resources toward the fruitful endeavors.

Define Your Identity

By this, I mean that your content has to have a general theme that’s in line with your website. Ideas and bits of information have to be cohesive because RankBrain takes these factors into consideration when assessing whether a website is relevant or not. Nobody wants a word salad — find your niche and stick to it.

Provide In-Depth Information

After you’ve found your niche, you need to be able to ensure that the people who visit your site come out with valuable information related to your chosen field. It’s for this reason that a lot of digital marketing companies clamp down hard on plagiarism. This is because duplicate content is heavily penalized by Google. There’s no value to be found in reading the same thing over and over again.

External links to reliable resources are also important in increasing the value of your content. This encourages further reading and as a consequence, also gives the reader more information. All these factors will contribute greatly to how RankBrain assesses your content.

Artificial Intelligence is turning out to be the future of technology. It’s a train that’s coming and as metaphorical as this sounds, it still rings true — if you don’t get on that train early, you’re going to get left behind sooner or later.