A search engine is a coordinated set of programs that searches for and identifies items in a database that match specified criteria. Search engines are used to access information on the World Wide Web.
Google is the most commonly used internet search engine. Google search takes place in the following three stages:
Specialized content search engines are more selective about the parts of the web they crawl and index. For example, Creative Commons Search is a search engine for content shared explicitly for reuse under Creative Commons license. This search engine only looks for that specific type of content.
Country-specific search engines may prioritize websites presented in the native language of the country over English websites. Individual websites, such as large corporate sites, may use a search engine to index and retrieve only content from that company's site. Some of the major search engine companies license or sell their search engines for use on individual sites.
Not every search engine ranks content the same way, but some have similar ranking algorithms. Google search and other search engines like it rank relevant results based on the following criteria:
Search engines might use other website performance metrics, such as bounce rate and time spent on page, to determine where websites rank on a results page. Search engines might return different results for the same term searched as text-based content versus an image or video search.
Content creators use search engine optimization (SEO) to take advantage of the above processes. Optimizing the content on a page for search engines increases its visibility to searchers and its ranking on the SERP. For example, a content creator could insert keywords relevant to a given search query to improve results for that query. If the content creator wants people searching for dogs to land on their page, they might add the keywords bone, leash and hound. They might also include links to pages that Google deems authoritative.
The primary goal of a search engine is to help people search for and find information. Search engines are designed to provide people with the right information based on a set of criteria, such as quality and relevance.
Webpage and website providers use search engines to make money and to collect data, such as clickstream data, about searchers. These are secondary goals that require users to trust that the content they are getting on a SERP is enough to engage with it. Users must see the information they're getting is the right information.
User trust can be earned in different ways, including the following:
Search engines make money in several ways, including the following:
Search engines personalize results based on digital searcher profiles created from user data. User data is collected from the application or device a user accesses the search engine with. User data collected includes the following:
Cookies are used to track browsing history and other data. They are small text files sent from the websites a user visits to their web browser. Search engines use cookies to track user preferences and personalize results and ads. They are able to remember settings, such as passwords, language preferences, content filters, how many results per page and session information.
Using private browsing settings or incognito browsing protects users from tracking but only at the device level. Search history and other information accumulated during search is not saved and is deleted after the search session. However, internet service providers, employers and the domain owners of the websites visited are able to track digital information left behind during a search.
Google is the most popular search engine, capturing over 92% of the search engine market share worldwide, according to web traffic analysis service StatCounter. Yahoo and Microsoft Bing come in second and third with nearly 4% and just over 1% of the market, respectively.
DuckDuckGo has gained some popularity because of its focus on protecting users' private search data. Some users may prefer to use Bing or Yahoo for their other integrated offerings.
Other popular search engines in the world are the following:
Some of these engines, such as Ecosia and Startpage, use their own crawlers but rely on larger, more mainstream search engines, like Google and Bing, for indexing. Others, such as Mojeek, use their own crawlers and maintain their own index.
Alternative search engines, like HaystakOnion Search and Recon, let users browse the dark web using the Tor browser, which encrypts user traffic for added privacy and security. The dark web is a hidden part of the internet not accessible by traditional browsers.
Other search engines focus on specific information types. For instance, Wolfram Alpha is an internet search engine for science and math topics. Shodan is a search tool for internet-connected devices.
Browsers generally have a default search engine. For example, Google Chrome and Safari for iOS use Google.
Search engines and the companies that develop them are likely to use new technologies to improve the accuracy, relevance and quality of the answers search engines provide. They'll also use advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to improve user experience in the future. For example, a user might someday be able to upload a picture of a computer to Google, ask "Is this a good computer for gaming?" and get a thoughtful, nuanced answer.
Google is likely to continue to retain the majority of the search market. Given that, SEO companies can expect Google to keep updating its core search engine algorithm periodically. Google does this to keep those companies from optimizing content for a specific algorithm.
However, more niche engines might emerge in the future to provide the specificity and privacy that many users perceive Google lacks. Users may gravitate to search tools that provide enhanced privacy or better quality by only indexing a portion of the internet.
Some experts also believe that search engine use is declining because more information seeking will happen on other applications and social media sites, such as Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn, in the future.
Although Google keeps its algorithm a secret, content creators can have some control over content performance. Learn ways to improve your search engine ranking.
10 Nov 2022