Latest news with #searchEngines
Entrepreneur
03-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
4 Keyword Mistakes That Are Killing Your SEO — and What to Do Instead
Adapt your SEO strategy now to stay ahead of AI and algorithm changes reshaping search. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. If your content isn't showing up on Google, your keyword strategy might be to blame. It's not that you're not using keywords — it's that you're probably using them wrong. Keyword optimization is one of the most misunderstood areas of SEO. When done right, it gets your content found by the right people at the right time. When done wrong, it can bury your site under a pile of irrelevant search results. Here are the four most common keyword mistakes — and how to avoid them. 1. Stop keyword stuffing — it hurts both rankings and readability One of the biggest mistakes in SEO is cramming your target keyword into your content over and over again. It's an outdated tactic that Google's algorithm now penalizes. Repeating keywords too often can make your writing feel robotic, repetitive and unpleasant to read — which turns off both readers and search engines. Instead, aim for natural language and smart keyword placement. Use your primary keyword in the title, first 100 words, one subhead and the meta description. Then support it with synonyms and related phrases that help Google understand your content contextually. Tip: Focus on writing high-quality, engaging content that actually answers your audience's questions. Google rewards helpfulness, not repetition. Related: How AI Is Transforming Keyword Research (and Why You Can't Afford to Ignore It) 2. Use headings strategically to boost skimmability and SEO Headings do more than break up your content — they signal to Google what your page is about. But if every H2 is a thinly disguised version of your keyword, it can hurt your rankings and confuse readers. Here's a better approach: Put your main keyword in the H1 (page title). Use H2s to introduce subtopics with related or supporting terms. Make sure your headings are useful to human readers, not just search bots. Think of headings like road signs — they should guide the reader through your content while reinforcing the overall topic to search engines. 3. Optimize for how people actually search Search behavior has changed. People no longer search using robotic phrases like "pest control service NYC." Instead, they ask full questions like, "What's the best way to get rid of roaches in a Brooklyn apartment?" This shift means Google now ranks based on user intent, not just keywords. To win search results: Use tools like AnswerThePublic to find real questions your audience is typing. Match your content to search intent: Are they looking for a quick answer, an in-depth guide, or a product to buy? Bonus: Intent-based search helps you compete at the local level, where trust and proximity matter more than having the biggest site. Related: From Zero to Hero — How to Build an SEO Strategy From Scratch 4. Use AI to find long-tail opportunities others miss Thanks to natural language processing (NLP), AI-powered search engines like Google now understand meaning, not just exact phrases. This opens a powerful opportunity for businesses: target longer, more specific queries that sound like real conversations. For example, instead of optimizing for "best running shoes," aim for: "What running shoes are best for flat feet and knee pain?" Use tools like Semrush or ChatGPT to: Discover trending long-tail phrases Analyze top-performing competitor content Identify question-based keywords and semantic variations AI-driven keyword research helps you stay ahead by focusing on what users really want — not just what they type. Final takeaway Keywords are still foundational to SEO — but how you use them has evolved. Avoid outdated tactics like stuffing and copy-pasting the same phrase in every heading. Focus instead on understanding search intent, writing for humans, and using AI to find high-value opportunities. Get those pieces right, and your content won't just rank — it will resonate.
SBS Australia
03-07-2025
- SBS Australia
Old enough to Google? Why you'll soon need to verify your age to log in to search tools
By the end of this year, the experience of using search engines in Australia won't be as simple as it has always been. That's thanks to a new online safety code announced by Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. Among other measures, it will require all Australian users to provide assurance of their age when they sign in to a search engine account. So what's the new code about? How will it work in practice? And how exactly will it affect kids — and adults — in Australia who use search engines such as Google? What's in the new code? The code orders providers of internet search-engine services such as Google and Microsoft (which owns Bing) to "implement appropriate age assurance measures for account holders" within six months. The code requires providers to review and mitigate "the risk that Australian children will access or be exposed to online pornography, high-impact violence material, and self-harm material" in search engine results. While the code does not define the age of a "child" as being under 18, or another age, a search engine must apply tools and settings that "at a minimum" filter out online pornography and extremely violent material from search results. Providers must also ensure advertising in these content areas is not served up in search results to child account holders. Currently, Google account holders must be at least 13 years old. The code creates several other rules for search engine providers that will impact everyone. For example, providers must "prevent autocomplete predictions that are sexually explicit or violent" and prominently display crisis-prevention information, such as helplines, in the results for queries relating to topics such as self-harm, suicide and eating disorders. Search engine providers will also have to blur some images in search results by default to reduce the risk of kids inadvertently accessing or being exposed to pornographic or violent material. And they will have to provide parental controls to limit or alter children's access to adult material. On top of these measures, the code requires search-engine providers to report to eSafety, invest in safety and moderation teams, and engage with community organisations. The new code has been in development since July 2024. It was co-drafted by the Digital Industry Group Inc, an industry association representing tech companies including Google, Meta and Microsoft. A single breach could result in a search engine provider copping a fine of up to $49.5 million. How will the code work in practice? The code does not spell out the measures to be used to assure someone's age. They could include asking for government-issued ID or be similar to strategies currently being assessed for the Australian government's under-16s social media ban , such as facial recognition technology. Yet, the government's recent age assurance trials highlighted concerns about the accuracy of age estimation tools, despite claims of their overall effectiveness. Changing how people search Once implemented, age assurance requirements will likely change how people engage with search engines and other applications. Google is used by more than 90 per cent of Australians and for more than just searching. The Google ecosystem includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Maps, providing seamless integration between search and other tools and tasks. Google has a large suite of popular apps and services, such as Gmail, Google Drive and Google Maps. Source: Getty / Chesnot Repeated age assurance requests could disrupt the seamlessness of content-sharing across devices that users now experience. Many people also opt to remain logged in to their accounts on multiple devices, to quickly enable cross-device activities. This means within a family, users of multiple ages may access content on a single account, even when they don't intend to do so. Will search engines need to change this functionality, to more regularly log users off their accounts, and reconfirm the account holder's age? And how will the code affect features such as Google's 'incognito mode', which is used for private searching? The code will apply to "any features integrated within the search functionality and the user interface" of the service, including results generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This means results generated by Google's Gemini AI service fall under the code, alongside traditional search results. LISTEN TO SBS News 30/11/2024 03:37 English However, the code doesn't apply to "standalone applications or tools that are not integrated within the internet search engine service". This means that while a browser extension such as ChatGPT for Google may fall under the code, as an integrated search engine service, the standalone ChatGPT app could be excluded. This may make searching even more confusing for users, as many people may not understand the limitations of treating generative AI tools like search engines – but they are not. Will the code work? As with all age assurance checks, there may be ways people can get around these new search engine controls. For example, they may use VPNs to trick the system into believing they are outside of Australia (and therefore not subject to age assurance checks). Or, children may access content on older people's accounts and devices. However, the code does preempt concerns that children might get around controls by simply not logging in to their accounts. And the code's insistence on reporting mechanisms means people of all ages will be able to report material and raise complaints about potential code violations. In this way, the code seems to reflect the government's previously proposed (but now, paused) "digital duty of care" legislation, which aimed to hold technology companies to account for the content they provide. One crucial question remains: will the steps companies take to comply with the code meet Australians' expectations for seamless, integrated search practices and personal privacy as they access information online? Lisa M. Given is a professor of information sciences and the director of the Social Change Enabling Impact Platform at RMIT University.
Associated Press
02-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Software Engineer Wendi Cui Drives Industry Innovation with Technologies and Global Peer Recognitions
NEW YORK - In today's era of information explosion, efficient and accurate information retrieval is of vital importance to the development of various fields. As a key technological underpinning for achieving this goal, the research and development level of intelligent information retrieval(IR) systems directly affects the efficiency and quality of information acquisition. Wendi Cui, an expert in the field of intelligent information retrieval system R&D, has long been committed to technological research and innovation in this area. With his outstanding professional competence and rich practical experience, he has made remarkable achievements in the industry and made significant contributions to advancing the development of intelligent IR systems. Technological Breakthroughs: Unlocking New Dimensions in Intelligent Information Retrieval Since graduating from Carnegie Mellon University's Artificial Intelligence and Innovation major in 2020, Wendi Cui has dedicated himself to the research and development of IR systems. With solid expertise and unremitting efforts, he has made remarkable technological innovations. During his tenure at Intuit Inc., Wendi Cui focuses his in-depth research on the core direction of search engines, particularly performance evaluation and machine learning algorithms for topic modeling, to ensure the efficient and stable operation of search engines as well as the accuracy and relevance of search results. Through continuous exploration and innovation, he achieves a remarkable 53% improvement in search engine performance. This achievement not only significantly enhances the efficiency with which users obtain information but also lays a solid foundation for the widespread application of IR systems in practical scenarios. In his breakthrough work, Wendi Cui, utilizing his exceptional scientific research skills and innovative mindset, successfully developed two highly valuable patents. One is 'Boosted Latent Dirichlet Allocation With Predefined Topic Clusters and Repelling Force,' which innovatively improves topic modeling algorithms. By adding pre-defined topic clusters and a repelling force mechanism, it boosts the accuracy and efficiency of topic modeling, helping search engines better grasp user query intentions and deliver more relevant results. The other, 'Managing Search Engines Based On Search Perform Metrics,' focuses on search engine performance evaluation and management. It presents a scientific, comprehensive performance evaluation system and management strategy. This enables real-time monitoring and analysis of search engine operations, quick identification and resolution of potential problems, ensuring efficient and stable search engine performance. These two patents not only showcase Wendi Cui's personal scientific research accomplishments but also invigorate technological development in the intelligent information retrieval system field, advancing it in performance optimization and algorithm innovation. In addition to patented technologies, Wendi Cui holds several software copyrights. The Natural Language Interaction Chatbot System features multi-level user management for differentiated services based on permissions, interactive data analysis to uncover users' potential needs and support decision-making, and content review and categorization to ensure information compliance. Through optimizations like caching and load balancing, it integrates device management, data exchange directories, and service cataloging, making it adaptable to scenarios such as e-commerce customer service and intelligent Q&A. The Multimodal Search Engine Core Technology System is designed to fulfill the demand for multimodal search, combining NLP, speech/image recognition, message queue, and SOA service bus technologies. It supports mixed searches of text, voice, and images, efficiently processes data via distributed architecture, and visualizes analysis results. With role-based permission management for data security and performance-enhancing features like caching and load balancing, it outperforms similar products in search accuracy and data processing efficiency. Industry Accolades: Authoritative Recognition Establishes a Professional Benchmark Wendi Cui's innovative endeavors haven't gone unseen. His burgeoning reputation within the IR community has propelled him into peer-reviewer positions at some of the most highly-competitive conferences in the field. Wendi Cui has taken on the role of a reviewer for numerous papers across various prestigious platforms, including the ACL, EMNLP, NeurIPS and ICML. These events are renowned for steering the global discourse in areas such as natural language processing, machine learning safety, and generative AI evaluation. Wendi Cui provides insightful and professional comments on the papers he reviews. His feedback not only helps authors refine their research but also plays a significant role in driving forward the development of the AI field, particularly in the area of intelligent information retrieval system research and development. By offering constructive suggestions and highlighting key challenges and opportunities, he contributes to the continuous improvement and innovation within this vital sector. Due to his extensive professional experience and innovative capabilities, Wendi Cui has been admitted as a member of both the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). With his technological prowess and global peer recognition, Wendi Cui stands as a beacon of innovation in the intelligent information retrieval field, poised to keep shaping the future of AI-driven information access. (Written by Terry Cruz) Media Contact Company Name: Intuit Inc. Contact Person: Wendi Cui Email: Send Email Country: United States Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Software Engineer Wendi Cui Drives Industry Innovation with Technologies and Global Peer Recognitions
