The Internet has truly been a gamechanger for the world since it first went live in the world in August 1991. It has been a place for people to share their thoughts and connect with others, but most importantly it has been a place for people to search for things. 

Search engines are one of the most important aspects of the internet. They help answer questions, keep people updated on what’s going on in the world, introduce people to new businesses, and so much more. They are incredibly powerful tools– but how do they work?

How Do Search Engines Work?

The most popular and frequently used search engine on the Web is Google, followed not so closely by Bing, China’s Baidu, and Yahoo. Google, Yahoo, and other search engines work by building an index that is based on crawling or the process of finding new pages to index. 

The search engines use mechanisms known as spiders or bots to search through the Internet for new pages. The process usually begins with a list of URLs found during previous crawls. Once a new link is detected, the bots add it to a list of sites to index. 

When you search for something online, the search engine uses an algorithm to provide you with options from their index. It’s presented to you as a ranked list that is based on the search terms that you used. Google often uses other elements to present a more personalized or universal results list. 

  • Personalized Results – These results are based on additional information the search engine knows about you based on your search and browser history. 
  • Universal Results – These results create a bigger picture, combining images, video, and Google News results. This can create greater competition from websites using the same keywords. 

How Google’s Algorithms Work

Google uses a specific algorithm known as PageRank to rank their results. The algorithm works by analyzing hundreds of factors to try and find the best information based on what you’re looking for. It also takes into account how new the content is as well as the number of times your search terms appear on a page. Another important part of the algorithm is user experience. 

Google’s algorithms work to assess how trustworthy a site is and if it is an authority on the subject matter you’re searching for. The algorithm is able to recognize if there are other prominent sites that link to the page as well. 

There are many spam sites out there that Google recognizes as harmful or misleading. These sites have tried to work their way to the top of the search results by repeating keywords or purchasing links that pass the PageRank algorithm. To combat this, PageRank is written in a way that can recognize these spam sites. Any spam sites are identified and removed from the Google results. 

The Importance of SEO

If you own your own business, you’ve probably heard the term SEO thrown around a lot when it comes to building up your web presence. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is a key digital marketing tool, but you may still not understand how it works and why it’s so crucial.

SEO is what makes your website visible and promotes traffic. The more traffic you get to your website the more opportunities you will have to convert those prospects into customers. You are able to create a customer base and help to grow your brand. SEO also gives you the opportunity to build trust and relationships with your current and future customer base and so much more. 

Some of the most important elements of SEO include:

  • Content – When discussing SEO, content is used to help reach and engage audiences. It comes in a wide variety of forms such as blogs, web page content, videos, infographics, social media posts, and more. Content must be interesting, relevant, and easy for prospects to share with others. 
  • Keywords – Keywords are phrases and phrases that are used to find online content. When choosing SEO keywords it’s important to ensure that they are well-researched and carefully chosen to drive traffic to your site. Keywords should be worked into content organically.
  • Local SEO – According to data, nearly 60 percent of all searches are performed from smartphones and tablets. Half of those searches have local intent, which means that the person searching is looking for something location-specific. This has helped local businesses to grow their visibility. 

Grow Your Business with Gravitate Online

At Gravitate Online we understand how important digital marketing is for your business. Our Utah-based company offers website design, SEO services, advertising services and so much more. To learn more about our services and how we can help your business grow, contact us today by calling 801.307.8167.