We are used to revolutionary algorithm development by Google but now, apparently Yahoo has taken its place (Well, just temporary…)- Yahoo Developed an algorithm that can serve, your own personal taste articles and news. For the last 2 years (since its live) it proved to be a great success- An increase of 270% in Yahoo News clicks!

It took four years to develop it but looks like the internet giant has finally made a breakthrough in personal compatibility of content for users. The next step that Yahoo plans is implementation of this algorithm, called CORE (content optimization and relevance engine), into its others platforms and establish Yahoo as a significant news contributor.

The Algorithm – How, What and Where?

The CORE algorithm operates for the last two years on the news section at Yahoo homepage. The news section includes 4 adjusting articles according to the user identity- The algorithm creates every 5 minutes 45 thousands unique news versions!

Yahoo is currently the most popular portal in the US and one of the most popular worldwide. It has 35 million visitors every day and the job of CORE is to match one of its 45 thousands version for each visitor profile based on his/hers gender, age, browsing history and location.

User Optimization

One of Yahoo senior search scientist stated that what they are doing is “matchmaking” between the user and the content. What’s Yahoo actually doing is user optimization, which is the next evolutionary stage of the internet and already in use by many online companies including Google and Bing. The question is if Yahoo would also combine social signals, which are one of the best indicators for users preferences.

I think that this algorithm puts Yahoo at the edge of the news media right next to competitors like Google News, that offers personal customized news feed from many online sources.

What Can We Learn From It?

One thing we can learn from it, for our own work from home business is to match our content as much as we can for our audience (user optimization). I know that none of us have the resources like Yahoo has, but we can use what we have to analyze the users experience:

Social signals- Which pages have the most Like, Tweets and +1’s.

Analytics- Which pages are mostly viewed and spend time on. You can use also advanced custom reports.

Converting Products- Examine which products have the highest conversion rate.