How Do Search Engines Work?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
They could tell us, but then they'd have to kill us.

The details on how search engines work are closely guarded secrets, so unfortunately we can't give you the WHOLE story.

But here are the basics.

It's All About the Algorithms...

Complicated algorithms determine which sites make the search results, no matter which search engine you're talking about. They take into account a number of factors, including how often your keywords appear in the text of your page, how your website's meta info is set up, and how many links to your site are out there on the web.

Of course, Bing's algorithms are different from Google's. So the same page could be ranked differently on each search engine. And these algorithms are constantly changing, so the same page can move around on the search results list of the same search engine over time.

...Except When It's Not

But having a website that aligns wonderfully with a search engine's algorithm is not the only way to get your business to pop up during a search. Algorithms govern “organic” search results – the “regular” search results that are generally found in the center of your results screen. But you'll notice that when you use a search engine to look for something, those “regular” results aren't all you see.

For instance, if you're using Google, you'll often see special links on the top and/or right side of your screen. Those are pay-per-click advertisements, often from companies whose website wouldn't make it to the top of the list naturally. You'll also see “Local Listings” – businesses who have registered with Google Maps and optimized those listings. So while getting your website to cater to the complex algorithms is important to ranking higher, there are other ways you can improve your odds of getting your business noticed on the web.

At the end of the day, there's a lot that goes into determining whether your website gets a place in the spotlight on the search results page.  Those crazy magic formulas...the recent changes to how the Google Maps listings show up...the challenge of nailing down the right keywords for PPC ads...it can be enough to make you pull your hair out. And that's why it's so important to hook your business up with someone who lives and breathes SEO. No one knows everything about how search engines work...but we know enough to make them work for you.