{"id":6903,"date":"2022-11-15T18:09:27","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T18:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/"},"modified":"2022-11-15T18:09:27","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T18:09:27","slug":"7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/","title":{"rendered":"7 takeaways from the SMX Next keynote with Hyung-Jin Kim, VP Search at Google"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s rare to hear about the inner workings of Google\u2019s rankings, new products and algorithm updates straight from the source. <\/p>\n<p>We were lucky to get that this morning at SMX Next, as Hyung-Jin Kim, the VP of Search at Google, candidly shared some perspectives about the direction of Google\u2019s algorithms and the critical focus on satisfying user intent. <\/p>\n<p>From the importance of E-A-T to the history of Google updates, Kim shared many important insights about how Google search works. <\/p>\n<p>Here are seven of the most important takeaways from the SMX Next keynote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#1_The_relationship_between_webmasters_SEOs_and_Google_is_one_of_a_partnership\" >1. The relationship between webmasters, SEOs, and Google is one of a partnership<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#2_E-A-T_is_pervasive_throughout_everything_Google_does\" >2. E-A-T is pervasive throughout everything Google does<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#3_Googles_algorithm_updates_generally_share_the_same_mission_but_the_technology_behind_them_has_improved\" >3. Google\u2019s algorithm updates generally share the same mission, but the technology behind them has improved<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#4_First-hand_experience_plays_a_key_role_in_good_content\" >4. First-hand experience plays a key role in good content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#5_The_Search_Quality_team_is_focused_on_math_and_metrics_but_theyre_also_highly_empathetic\" >5. The Search Quality team is focused on math and metrics, but they\u2019re also highly empathetic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#6_Google_algorithm_updates_aim_to_improve_the_overall_quality_of_the_web\" >6. Google algorithm updates aim to improve the overall quality of the web<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/15\/7-takeaways-from-the-smx-next-keynote-with-hyung-jin-kim-vp-search-at-google\/#7_More_visual_search_results_are_on_the_horizon\" >7. More visual search results are on the horizon<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_relationship_between_webmasters_SEOs_and_Google_is_one_of_a_partnership\"><\/span>1. The relationship between webmasters, SEOs, and Google is one of a partnership<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>SEOs don\u2019t always have the best reputation. It\u2019s also common to hear SEOs claiming that Google is against them, particularly when it rolls out <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/library\/platforms\/google\/google-algorithm-updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major algorithm updates<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>But according to Kim, the relationship between webmasters, SEOs, and Google is more of a \u201cpartnership.\u201d All parties are interested in improving the experience for the user (as long as you\u2019re doing the type of SEO Google recommends in its guidelines; not the kind that directly violates those guidelines!).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_E-A-T_is_pervasive_throughout_everything_Google_does\"><\/span>2. E-A-T is pervasive throughout everything Google does<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When asked about whether E-A-T only matters for specific queries \u2013 particularly the queries Google refers to as YMYL (your money, your life) \u2013 Kim stated:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cE-A-T is a template for how we rate an individual site. We do it to every single query and every single result. It\u2019s pervasive throughout every single thing we do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hyung-Jin Kim, VP of Search, Google, speaking at SMX Next 2022<\/p>\n<p>While Google\u2019s quality guidelines themselves indicate that E-A-T matters more depending on the nature of the query (particularly those queries that can cause harm to the user), Kim was clear that the role of E-A-T greatly matters across all queries.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is why Google has increasingly used the acronym \u201cE-A-T\u201d as synonymous with \u201cgood content quality\u201d in so many of its communications in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, Kim also noted that Google has been using E-A-T for approximately <strong>10-13 years<\/strong>, which dates it back to 2009-2013. In the SEO community, we weren\u2019t publicly made aware of this concept until the 2014 version of the Search Quality Rater Guidelines, and the role of E-A-T didn\u2019t start to take the forefront of the SEO discussion until about 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Googles_algorithm_updates_generally_share_the_same_mission_but_the_technology_behind_them_has_improved\"><\/span>3. Google\u2019s algorithm updates generally share the same mission, but the technology behind them has improved<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In terms of the goals of major Google updates dating back to the Panda days, Kim indicated that the focus has largely been the same: improving the quality of results for users and elevating content that best satisfies the searcher\u2019s experience. <\/p>\n<p>However, according to Kim, the most significant change with algorithm updates is the technology behind them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the past 5-10 years, AI has significantly changed Google\u2019s ability to understand what searchers are actually looking for, particularly with the use of <strong>deep neural networks<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>Kim offered an example of how BERT enabled Google to better understand the query \u201cjewelry for work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before BERT, Google showed results related to working in the jewelry industry. After BERT, the emphasis on the word \u201cfor\u201d became more important for Google to understand the query, and it instead surfaced results related to jewelry that\u2019s appropriate for work or jewelry that can withstand hard work.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_First-hand_experience_plays_a_key_role_in_good_content\"><\/span>4. First-hand experience plays a key role in good content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Kim described the importance of first-hand expertise in review content, in line with some of Google\u2019s communications around the recent <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-releases-september-2022-product-reviews-update-387293\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">product reviews updates<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>As an example, when Kim looks for a new tennis racket, he likes to see content that proves that the user has actually spent time with the products and done real tests, as opposed to regurgitating the specifications found across many sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This thinking is very much in line with what Google has recently told us about reviewing <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-quality-content-251071\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">content quality<\/a> with core, product reviews and helpful content updates.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_The_Search_Quality_team_is_focused_on_math_and_metrics_but_theyre_also_highly_empathetic\"><\/span>5. The Search Quality team is focused on math and metrics, but they\u2019re also highly empathetic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Kim mentioned that the Search Quality team (which is responsible for how content ranks on Google) relies heavily on data, math, and the latest technology to improve rankings, but they are also highly empathetic. <\/p>\n<p>Kim indicated that they can be skeptical of the data, and are highly focused on the actual user experience. Queries can be short but meaningful, and it\u2019s important that rankings can reflect the actual intent behind the searcher\u2019s query.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Kim gave the example of the query \u201cdepression.\u201d While it\u2019s helpful to show various informational results about depression, this search query could also signal that the user is asking for help \u2013 so Google believes it\u2019s important to display resources to help the user in the results.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Google_algorithm_updates_aim_to_improve_the_overall_quality_of_the_web\"><\/span>6. Google algorithm updates aim to improve the overall quality of the web<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While SEOs like to think about algorithm updates in a vacuum and focus on how they impact individual sites, Kim provided some context about the role that the updates have in improving the overall quality of the internet. <\/p>\n<p>Updates dating back to <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-panda-update-guide-381104\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Panda<\/a> \u2013 which is now incorporated into the core algorithm \u2013 gave Google a way to mitigate the rise of content farms and other spam tactics that create a worse experience across the overall web. <\/p>\n<p>Google is focused on larger trends of how to make the internet a better place for users.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_More_visual_search_results_are_on_the_horizon\"><\/span>7. More visual search results are on the horizon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When asked about the future of SEO, Kim quickly mentioned visual search \u2013 particularly Multisearch. <\/p>\n<p>Google has made significant advancements in its ability to understand images and enable searchers to use images as the search query. <\/p>\n<p>Kim believes this will be a significant shift to search in the coming years, particularly with Multisearch, which combines image and text queries.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/whats-now-next-with-google-search-smx-next-keynote-389628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7 takeaways from the SMX Next keynote with Hyung-Jin Kim, VP Search at Google<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s rare to hear about the inner workings of Google\u2019s rankings, new products and algorithm updates straight from the source. We were lucky to get that this morning at SMX Next, as Hyung-Jin Kim, the VP of Search at Google, candidly shared some perspectives about the direction of Google\u2019s algorithms and the critical focus on satisfying user intent. From the importance of E-A-T to the history of Google updates, Kim shared many important insights about how Google search works. Here are seven of the most important [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6903\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}