Google have been working secretly to update the core infrastructure of their search engine. The project code-named “Caffeine” is designed to let Google increase the indexing speed, accuracy and the comprehensiveness of search results.
The key elements of a search engine are 1) Crawl the web and suck in all the web pages, 2) create a database (called index) of those web pages and all the words and phrases, 3) serve results to the public.
Google’s changes are mainly in step 2 of this process, how they create their big database. Google are trying to minimize the impact of these “under the bonnet” changes and it means that most users won’t notice a difference in search results. But web developers and power searchers might notice a few differences. If you want to try Caffeine Google have provided a demo.
People are asking if these new changes to Google are to do with the recent launch of Bing and the search deal between Yahoo and Microsoft. Google categorically say no. Matt Cutts wrote on his blog: Nope. I love competition in search and want lots of it, but this change has been in the works for months. I think the best way for Google to do well in search is to continue what we've done for the last decade or so: focus relentlessly on pushing our search quality forward. Nobody cares more about search than Google, and I don't think we'll ever stop trying to improve.
Do I believe him? Actually yes!
You can get more gory details at Google’s Webmaster Central Blog and from Matt Cutts.
PS. If you are wondering about the Google logo, it is to mark the annual Perseid meteor shower. The shower, which reaches its peak on Wednesday, occurs when the Earth passes through a stream of dusty debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. So now you know.
One thought on “Google Boosts Search With Caffeine”
Sorry but its slower?
i tested it with numerous sites and compared the result speed in all tests the current google is fastest?