In the John Mueller 09/17/2021 Hangout Q&A, one webmaster was concerned about the impact of the Google MUM algorithm and search results based on multiple sources.
John explained that Google tries to provide a diverse set of options in the search results.
If they can tell that there are very strong or different opinions about a particular topic, it makes sense to provide a diverse set of results that cover different angles for that topic.
This should not apply to most queries.
But it is something they do try to take into account sometimes.
This conversation occurs at the 42:47 mark in the video.
John Mueller 09/17/2021 Hangout Transcript
Let’s see, with the advent of the MUM algorithm, which is kind of a machine learning algorithm that we use in search now. Will search results be a response to multiple sources? I mean, that is when the user searches for a topic and the answers are selected from multiple sources and provided to the user as a package.
We think that competition in the future will be kind of an interaction between competitors. Together, they can meet the needs of the searcher. Sites focus on services that they can provide better. Several competitors can meet the needs of the searchers.
The user then needs a portfolio that is completed by several sites that kind of compete for that area.
John (Answer) 43:33
I don’t know, maybe maybe that will happen. At some point, we do have a notion of trying to provide a diverse set of options in the search results. Where if, if we can tell that there are maybe things like very strong or different opinions on a specific topic and it’s a question of like, what, what, what opinions are there out there, then it can make sense to provide something like a diverse set of results that cover different angles for for that topic.
I don’t think that applies to most queries. But sometimes that’s something that we do try to take into account. With all of these machine learning algorithms, I think it’s always a little bit tricky because we tend to, I don’t know, show them more for the user user side in our presentations and then turning that around and saying, “Well, how can I optimize for this machine-learning algorithm?”
That’s always a little bit trickier.
At the end of September, we have another Search On event lined up. And they also mentioned something in the announcement around machine-learning artificial intelligence.
I could imagine that there might be something similar to MUM being mentioned there as well. I don’t have any insight, but it always feels like that’s a time where we kind of show off the new research and new technologies that are being done.
But it’s very often or very easy to take those announcements that are made for the user side and try to turn them around and say, “Oh, as an SEO, that means I have to do things like this.” And often, that kind of inverse relationship is not so straightforward.
