How Search Engines Work: A Guide for Beginners - Part 1

Part 1: Search engine basics

What are search engines?

Search engines are sophisticated systems that help users find the information they are looking for on the web. They do this by scanning and indexing the content of millions of web pages and returning the most relevant results based on the user's search query. Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo! have become an integral part of our daily time on the web, and they act as gatekeepers to the vast amount of information available online.

What is the purpose of search engines?

The main purpose of search engines is to organise and make information on the web accessible and useful. They endeavour to deliver the most relevant and useful results for each search query, which in turn creates a more efficient and enjoyable experience for the user. Real examples of this are how search results vary depending on the nature of the query and the needs of the user. For example, a search for "best Italian restaurants" might generate a list of restaurants in the user's neighbourhood, while a search for "history of Italy" would return informative articles and academic resources.

How do search engines make money?

Search engines generate revenue in several different ways, but the most common way is through advertising. When users search for specific terms, paid adverts often appear at the top and bottom of the search results page. Companies pay for their adverts to appear when certain keywords are used, which increases the chance that users will click on their adverts and thus possibly make a purchase or other desired action. In addition, many search engines offer paid services and tools to help businesses and marketers optimise their online presence and reach a wider audience.

Part 2: How search engines build their indexes

URL:s

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address of a specific resource on the internet. It consists of three main parts:

ProtocolThis specifies the protocol to be used to access the resource. The most common protocol is HTTP, but there are also others such as FTP, SMTP and POP3.
Domain names: It is the unique name that identifies the location of the resource on the internet.
Resource name: This is the name of the specific resource you want to access.

URLs are important for search engines to find and index web pages. Search engines use URLs to understand the content of a web page and to organise it in their search results.

Crawling

Crawling is the process by which search engines discover new or updated pages on the web. Search engines use automated programmes called 'bots' or 'spiders' to systematically visit and scan web pages to discover new or updated content.

Processing and rendering

Once search engines have crawled a webpage, they proceed to process and render the page to understand its content. Processing involves analysing the page's code and identifying different elements such as text, links, images and videos. Rendering involves interpreting and executing JavaScript on the page, allowing search engines to view the page in the same way a human user would. This step-by-step process is essential to understand and index the content correctly, and to enable more precise matching with users' search queries in the future.

Table: The process of how search engines index web pages

Indexing

Indexing is the step in search engine optimisation where search engines store information about a web page in their databases. This is done by the search engines visiting and reading the content of the web page. Indexing is based on several factors, including the content, relevance and quality of the page.

Part 3: How search engines rank pages

What are search algorithms?

Search algorithms are the complex mathematical formulas and rules that search engines use to rank web pages in search results. These algorithms take into account a variety of factors to determine which pages are most relevant and useful for a particular search query.

Key ranking factors for Google

Google, the dominant search engine, uses over 200 different ranking factors to determine the order of pages in search results. These factors can include everything from the quality and relevance of the page's content to the number and quality of links pointing to the page from other websites.

Backlinks

Backlinks, or inbound links, are one of the most influential ranking factors for search engines. They act as 'voices' on the web, where a link from one website to another is seen as a recommendation or a sign of the page's quality and relevance. By analysing the link profile - the number and quality of backlinks a site has - search engines can make an assessment of the site's authority and credibility.

Relevance

Relevance is another critical ranking factor. Search engines aim to deliver the most relevant results for each search query, and assess relevance by analysing the content of a page and how well it matches the search query. This includes looking at keywords, semantic matching and contextual relevance.

Current content

Current content is highly valued by search engines, especially for time-sensitive or trending topics. Search engines appreciate new, updated and relevant information and tend to reward new content with higher ranking positions.

Page speed

Page speed is another important factor that affects both user experience and search engine rankings. Faster web pages offer a better user experience and are incentivised by search engines through better positions in search results.

Mobile-friendliness

With an increasing amount of searches done on mobile devices, mobile-friendliness has become a critical factor in search engine ranking and user experience. Search engines reward mobile-friendly websites with higher rankings in search results on mobile devices.

Table: Key Ranking Factors for Google

Part 4: How search engines personalise results

Location

Search engines often take into account the user's geographical location when presenting search results. This is particularly relevant for local searches, where users search for services or establishments in their neighbourhood.

Table: Example of how search results can vary according to user needs

Languages

The results displayed by search engines are also customised according to the user's language settings and region. This helps to ensure that users receive search results that are relevant and understandable to them.

Search history

Search engines also use previous searches and browsing history to personalise the results displayed to the user. This may include prioritising websites or topics that the user has shown interest in previously. Discussion of how previous searches can affect the results displayed to the user, with illustrative examples, can provide insights into how search engines aim to deliver a personalised search experience.

Table: How search engines personalise results

This concludes our guide to how search engines work. By understanding the underlying mechanisms and factors that influence how search engines index and rank web pages, website owners and marketers can be better equipped to optimise their websites and improve their online visibility.