What Are Algorithms—and How Do They Work?
Andrew Marr, PGA
CEO I Founder I Entrepreneur I Average Golfer I Retired Ironman I Mentor.
If you have social media of any kind, chances are you’ve heard people talk about “algorithms” pretty regularly. When someone posts content and it performs poorly, whether they be a business, an influencer, or your Average Joe, you might hear them blame it on the algorithm.
“Oh, the algorithm hates me… I can’t figure out the algorithm… The algorithm is always changing, I can’t keep up!” And so on and so forth.
At Digital Storyteller, we recognize that there is some truth in these statements. Algorithms?are?always changing. But first, what are algorithms—and how do they work?
What is an Algorithm?
While the word “algorithm” is thrown around a lot today, it can be hard to fully grasp what this term even means.
Kristien Matelski at Vizion puts it perfectly. An algorithm “is a pattern or set of rules that problem-solving operations (especially computers) use to make calculations.”
Let’s dive into what this definition means for Google and social media specifically.
The Google Algorithm
The Google algorithm?is “a complex system that allows Google to find, rank and return the most relevant pages for a certain search query.”
Like we mentioned, algorithms are constantly changing. In fact,?Marketing Whiz Neil Patel?shares on his blog that Google makes minor changes to its algorithm?daily!
Google “might even release multiple updates in 24 hours,” says Patel. “These changes are usually small, and you probably won’t notice a drop in search page rankings due to these updates alone.”
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However, knowing that the algorithm can literally change overnight (and multiple times at that!), it can feel impossible to keep up. (We know our social team at Digital Storyteller works hard every day to stay fresh with new updates and trends you can’t ignore.)
Google holds over 70% of the search market share and therefore, is the most popular search engine, according to?Hubspot. This considered, how can you use the algorithm to your advantage? What does the algorithm take into account when ranking content?
Well, you’re in luck! According to an explainer video posted by Google titled “How Google Search Works,” there are hundreds of factors that go into determining what pops up on a search engine. Here are a few.
For our friends who are interested in watching Google’s quick explainer video for more information on how Google search works,?here it is.
Social Media Algorithms
So, what’s a social media algorithm? “A social media algorithm is the mathematical calculation that sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and [Snapchat] use to understand user habits and to customize the social experience,” says Matelski.
“Social media algorithms work seamlessly behind the scenes, optimizing the user experience without them knowing the system is at work.”
No two algorithms are identical but they all use similar structures to determine what content you see, to organize the way you see it, and when you see it. Here are a few elements to consider.
For those of you whose business is ready to take advantage of the benefits of video content, check out our article on Instagram Reels to learn?how video content supports your social strategy.