You’ve likely used these when looking for a new restaurant, finding out the latest news, or doing research on a project—in fact, whenever you use the internet to find out something. 

A popular example would be Google, but there are plenty of other search engines out there too. Knowing the ropes of how these search engines operate and how they decide what’s worth showing can give your business a serious leg up in reaching new customers. So, how do they work?

What exactly is a search engine?

At its core, a search engine is like a super-smart detective scouring through a massive database to find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a smart program that scours through heaps of information stored in its database to find what you’re looking for when you type in a word or phrase. You hit ‘search’, and it goes to work, pulling up results that match your query.

When talking about search engines it’s hard not to mention the biggest of all Google, over 8.5 billion searches happen on this engine every single day- why wouldn’t you want your business to thrive in that market pool. As mentioned before, search engines act as super-smart detectives making sure to serve you what you are looking for, and it serves you top picks so to speak.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for businesses like yours. Landing your content at the top of those search results? That’s the golden ticket. It’s not just about getting more eyeballs on your stuff, it’s about boosting your website’s authority. The higher your authority, the more likely you are to dominate the rankings for other keywords and phrases. It’s like climbing the ladder of search engine success, one top-ranking at a time.

How do they work?

What happens when you hit that search button? Search engines rely on little bots – think of them as digital spiders – to crawl through the vast expanse of the internet. Their mission? To sniff out new web pages. And how do they do it? Well, they start by scouting out URLs. You can think of a URL as your website’s home address in cyberspace. 

Now, once these bots stumble upon a new page, they don’t just breeze by; they’re like meticulous detectives gathering clues. The URL gets indexed – essentially, it’s logged and reported back to the search engine headquarters. But it’s not just the URL itself that’s noted down; oh no, there’s a whole bunch of data points that tag along. These data points serve as breadcrumbs for the search engine algorithms, helping them figure out how to categorize and rank that URL

When you hit that search button, you’re not waiting around for ages. The results pop up almost instantly, thanks to the impressive speed at which these engines process and retrieve information. It’s like having a supercharged digital assistant at your beck and call, ready to fetch whatever tidbit of knowledge you’re after in the blink of an eye. These search engines analyze the content of each URL they come across. It’s not just about the words on the page; it’s also about the context, the relevance, the quality. Think of it as the search engine’s way of deciphering the language of the web.

But it doesn’t stop there. They also take into account things like the authority of the website hosting the page and the trustworthiness of the information it provides. It’s like they’re sniffing out the digital scent of credibility, making sure you get the most reliable results possible. And then there’s the popularity factor.  Pages with lots of backlinks – those digital endorsements from other websites – tend to get a boost in the rankings. It’s like the web’s version of word-of-mouth marketing.

Paid and Organic Search

Organic search refers to the natural, unpaid listings that appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs), this is where your website earns its stripes through good old-fashioned content and optimization. You create valuable, relevant content, sprinkle in some strategic keywords, and you’re on your way to climbing the ranks of those search result pages.

But here’s the catch: Google’s index is constantly changing, looking for fresh information. So even if you snag that coveted top spot today, there’s no guarantee you’ll be there tomorrow. That’s why it’s crucial to keep your content fresh and updated

Then there’s Paid search – the fast lane to visibility. With paid search, you essentially buy your way to the top of those search result pages by bidding on keywords relevant to your business. When users enter these keywords into the search engine, paid advertisements – also known as pay-per-click (PPC) ads – appear prominently on the SERPs. Advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked, hence the term “pay-per-click. 

But just like with organic search, staying relevant is key. You can’t just set it and forget it; you need to constantly tweak and optimize your paid search campaigns to ensure you’re getting the biggest bang for your money.

How do search engines rank URLs

Search engines employ algorithms that sift through the internet in a fraction of a second, all in the pursuit of serving up the most relevant and valuable content to you, the user.

These algorithms take into account a multitude of factors to determine which pages deserve the top spots on the results page. From keywords and content relevance to website authority and user experience, it’s a complex dance of data and calculations that happens in the blink of an eye.

But these algorithms aren’t set in stone. They’re constantly evolving and adapting to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the web. Search engines are always on the lookout for ways to improve their algorithms, to ensure they’re serving up the absolute best results for every search query.

So, what does this mean for you as a website owner or content creator? It means you need to stay on your toes. Keep creating valuable, relevant content that speaks to your audience. Stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices in SEO, even if you resort to paying to rank. And above all, be ready to adapt and evolve as the search engine algorithms do.