How does the search engine work?

Imagine that the Internet is a huge library with billions of books. You go there in search of information, but how can you find the right book among such chaos? This is where search engines come to the rescue, playing the role of an omniscient librarian. Let's see how they fulfil this complex task.

How search algorithms work 

Search algorithms are a set of instructions and rules that help search engines find and rank information. Remember how your mum taught you to pack your bag for school: "First your textbooks, then your notebooks, then your pen on top..." That's how algorithms work.

The search begins by scanning the Internet. Powerful "spiders" (that's what scanner programmes are called) continuously move from page to page, collecting data. These spiders are so fast and smart that they can visit millions of pages at once.

The information collected is then sent to a huge index. It is like a notebook, where information about each site is entered. The index does not store the whole site, but a "screenshot" of it: keywords, titles, links.

When you enter a query, the algorithms begin their work:

• Understanding the enquiry. Algorithms are trying to figure out what you're looking for: recipes, news, memes?
• Analysing the index. Algorithms look for pages that most closely match your query.
• Ranking. Pages are sorted by usefulness.

If a search engine were human, it would read thousands of books simultaneously, find the right paragraphs and neatly put them in front of you in a fraction of a second. What's a superhero?

Interesting fact:

Google evaluates each page on over 200 factors! These include:

• key words;
• text structure;
• User behaviour (e.g. how long they stay on the site);
• quality and quantity of links to the site.

But algorithms are not magic. They rely on maths, statistics and machine learning. For example, while search engines used to pay more attention to keyword density, today they analyse all content to make sure it is written for humans, not robots. The more accurately the content answers the user's query, the higher the ranking position.

How does search find out about websites? 

This is where the magic begins. In order for search engines to know about your site, it is necessary for it to appear in the field of view of those very "spiders".

Stages as a searcher finds the site:

• Scanning. If the site already has links from other resources, the "spiders" will easily find it and add it to the database.
• Indexing. Once discovered, the site is analysed. The search engine "reads" its content, checks how unique and useful it is. Pages with duplicated or weak content are indexed worse.
• Ranking. The site gets ranked, but its place depends on relevancy, loading speed, adaptability for mobile and even grammatical errors!

Interesting fact:

More than 250,000 new web pages appear every day. "Spiders work around the clock to keep everything under control.

But what to do if your website is not mentioned anywhere? Promotion strategies work in such cases:

• Placing links on other resources.
• Social media activity.
• Creating unique and valuable content.

Case in point:

Let's say you have opened an online shop of author's jewellery. At first, no one knows about you. But as soon as bloggers start sharing links, customers leave reviews, and a post with a mention of your site appears on Instagram, the "spiders" instantly include it in their lists.

What are the challenges facing search engines 

The modern internet is a battlefield for search engines. They face a number of challenges every second:

• Fighting misinformation. Every year, millions of fake pages appear that try to manipulate the output. Algorithms strive to weed out such content, but methods of deception are also improving.
• Multimedia processing. Every year there are more images, videos and podcasts on the Internet. Search engines have to develop technologies to recognise content.
• User privacy. Following the introduction of strict data protection laws (e.g. GDPR in Europe), search engines have changed their operating principles to respect user privacy.

Algorithms and human behaviour

Why are some pages at the top, while others gather dust on page 10? Algorithms are guided by user behaviour:

• If people leave a site quickly - it seems uninteresting.
• If a page is slow to load - users lose patience.
• If an article is interesting and people share it - algorithms increase its ranking.

Looking to the future

Technology is constantly evolving. In the coming years, search engines may begin to integrate:

• Artificial intelligence for analysing complex queries.
• Real behavioural analytics that takes into account even the micromovements of the mouse.
• Personalisation - search results will be even more tailored to your preferences.

So, search engines are not just machines. They are complex mechanisms that seek to anticipate the desires of the user. The main thing is to provide quality content, and then your site will definitely find its readers!