A search engine is a software system designed to carry out web searches, which means to search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a line of results, often referred to as search engine results pages (SERPs). The information may be a mix of links to web pages, images, videos, infographics, articles, research papers, and other types of files. Some search engines also mine data available in databases or open directories. Unlike web directories, which are maintained by human editors, search engines operate algorithmically or are a mixture of algorithmic and human input.
List of all Search engines with their relative usage share worldwide:
| Search Engine | Company Name | Founded On | Country | Usage Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google LLC | September 1998 | USA | 92.18% | |
| Bing | Microsoft | June 2009 | USA | 2.61% |
| Yahoo! Search | Yahoo | March 1995 | USA | 1.79% |
| Baidu | Baidu, Inc. | January 2000 | China | 1.16% |
| Yandex | Yandex N.V. | September 1997 | Russia | 0.54% |
| DuckDuckGo | Duck Duck Go, Inc. | February 2008 | USA | 0.66% |
| Ask.com | IAC | June 1996 | USA | 0.42% |
| AOL Search | AOL | June 1995 | USA | Less than 0.05% |
| Seznam | Seznam.cz, a.s. | September 1996 | Czech Republic | Less than 0.05% |
| Naver | Naver Corporation | June 1999 | South Korea | Less than 0.05% |
How Do Search Engines Work?
Search engines perform several activities in order to deliver search results – crawling, indexing, processing, calculating relevancy, and retrieving.
1. Crawling:
Crawling is the process by which search engines scour the internet for content, looking over the code/content for each URL they find.
2. Indexing:
Post-crawling, they index the pages, which means they store and organize the content found during the crawling process. Once a page is in the index, it’s in the running to be displayed as a result to relevant queries.
3. Processing:
When a search request comes in, the search engine processes it, i.e., it compares the search string in the search request with the indexed pages in the database.
4. Calculating Relevancy:
Since it is likely that more than one page contains the search string, the search engine starts calculating the relevancy of each of the pages in its index to the search string.
5. Retrieving Results:
The last step in search engines' activities is retrieving the best matched results. Basically, it is more than simply displaying them in the browser – it ranks them, deciding which page will be shown first, second, etc.
Example of How Search Engines Work:
- Imagine you go online to search for "healthy dog food recipes".
- The search engine checks its index and finds all the pages that match your query.
- It then ranks these based on various factors like keyword density, links, or metatags.
Key Components of a Search Engine
| Component | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Web Crawler | Scours the Internet to collect data from all accessible webpages | Googlebot used by Google |
| Index | Stores and organizes the content found during the crawling process | Google’s Index |
| Algorithms | Processes queries by calculating relevancy and retrieving results | PageRank algorithm by Google |
| Search Interface | User-facing aspect where queries are entered | Google Search bar |
| SERPs | Displays the ranked list of results | List of top recipes on Google Search |
Why are Search Engines Important?
Search engines serve as a bridge between the user and the information they seek, playing a vital role in the digital information age. They help reduce the time required to find information and the amount of information which must be consulted, akin to other technological innovations that reduce the time needed for tasks.
FAQs on Search Engines
Q: How does a search engine ensure the results are relevant?
A: Search engines use complex algorithms that consider hundreds of factors, including word matches, site quality and structure, user location, and page relevance.
Q: Can anyone manipulate the search engine results?
A: While companies can optimize their SEO practices, most modern search engines have safeguards against manipulation and provide penalties for such behavior.
Q: Are all search engines the same?
A: No, different search engines have different algorithms, databases, and designs. This means that the same search can return different results on different search engines.
Q: How do I make my website appear in search engine results?
A: To appear in search engine results, ensure your site is indexed by search engines. This involves submitting your site to search engines and providing sitemaps of your site. Additionally, using SEO strategies to optimize your site will help improve your rankings.
Q: What is the most popular search engine?
A: Google is currently the most popular search engine globally. It processes billions of searches each day, which is a significant percentage of the total searches made on the internet.
