A search engine is a service that allows users to find content on the internet. The user enters a word (called a search term/keyword) or a phrase (called a key phrase) into a search engine and then receives a list of numerous results in the form of websites, images, videos, or other online data available that are relevant to the user's search query. The search engine results page (SERP) is where the user sees the content.
Over the years, search engines have become increasingly complex, but they all do the same thing in essence. Search engines crawl and index all the data on the internet so that when a person searches for something, the search engine can search the indexed data and display the results in order of relevance (ranking).
Crawlers (also known as web crawlers or spiders) are programs that constantly search the internet. They are looking for new websites and new links. Crawlers ensure that search engines are up-to-date with relevant websites.
After the crawlers have collected the data, it is analysed, organised, and stored in an index. This allows a search engine to find information as quickly as possible.
When a search engine receives a query, the words must first be translated to match the input with the indexed information. The search engine does this using various techniques. The translation process leads to a rewritten search query that identifies the important parts of the search query, corrects spelling mistakes, and adds synonyms. The search engine then consults its index to find web pages that match the rewritten search query.
Search engines use algorithms to display a list of prioritised results based on what they believe is the best answer to your search query.
Of course, Google is the first thing that comes to mind. Below are the types of search engines.
Think of Google, Bing, and Yahoo. All three are free to use and are supported by online advertising.
These have become more popular lately due to concerns about privacy caused by the data collection practices of regular search engines. DuckDuckGo for example.
Vertical search, or specialised search, is a way to limit your search query to one topic category instead of the entire web. Think of search bars within webshops and search functions within a social media app.
A search engine is a software program that enables users to search for information on the internet by entering keywords or phrases. Search engines then return a list of relevant websites or pages containing the search terms.
Search engines use algorithms to crawl and index web pages, analysing various factors such as content relevance, site structure, and quality to rank them in search results. Users input search queries that the search engine uses to retrieve results that match the query.
Google is the most widely used search engine, followed by Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo.
Search engine optimisation is the practice of improving the visibility and ranking of a website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves optimising website content, structure, and other elements to make it more attractive to search engines.
