Welcome to our Decoding Digital series, where we take complex digital marketing topics and make them easy to understand! Today we’re diving into MUM, Google’s new technology.
First off, why should you care about MUM?
MUM technology will change the way Google uses the content on your website to answer relevant search queries.
What is MUM?
MUM (Multitask Unified Model) is a new AI search engine technology that allows Google to answer complex, multi-step questions so users don’t have to type in multiple queries/searches to get the answers they need. It is currently in beta mode.
The example Google gives is a search like “I just climbed Mt. Adams and now I want to climb Mt. Fiji next Fall. What should I do differently to prepare?” Instead of the user having to come up with and Google a bunch of different queries to get the answer (such as the elevation of each mountain, the rainy seasons, gear needed for each mountain, etc.), Google will scour the internet and may combine multiple sources to come up with a well thought out, holistic answer to this question in one fell swoop. It would be just like speaking with a hiking expert, they say!
This is a step towards making Google more conversational. MUM can transfer knowledge across 75 languages. For example, if there is helpful information written in Japanese, MUM can translate and use that information for English queries. MUM can also understand information from webpages, images, and more, and combine them all to give a relevant answer. So, in the future, you may be able to take a photo of hiking boots and ask “would these be okay to use on Mt. Fiji?”
What can we do to prepare for MUM?
The way we write and optimize content may need to change to accommodate a MUM-driven SERP. Right now, we can:
- Continue to optimize for the user, not just search engines
- Look at ways to create multimedia content
- Focus on creating content that answers a question
- Keep an eye on changes in SERPs – there’s no set date on when this will officially roll out
