Understanding Search Engines
Search engines are websites that allow users to find information on the Internet based on topics of interest. They work like a library where users can enter keywords, phrases and terms related to their topic of interest, and the search engine will generate a list of relevant Web pages with appropriate links. So the challenge for website owners is:
- Getting included in the search engine database so customers can find you.
- Ranking as highly as possible on the search results pages so you get more traffic.
“…the top 30 results get over 90% of search traffic and the top 10 results receive nearly 80% more traffic than those in positions 11-30 achieve.”
(Pennsylvania State University 2003)
There are hundreds of search engines around, some of the major ones being Google, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Ask Jeeves and Alta Vista. There are also a large number of smaller search engines and business directories focused on particular regional areas or specific topics of interest.
So how do these search engines work?
- Each search engine relies on a database containing the full text of Web pages selected from the billions of Web pages out there.
- Search engine databases generate their organic listings using computer robot programs called spiders. Robots are programs that trawl the Internet to find pages for potential inclusion by following the links in the Web pages they already have in their database.
If you want your website to be included in the search engines, you have three main options:
- You can wait and hope that the search engine spiders find your site on their own by following links pointing to your website.
- You can submit your website – request inclusion in the search engine database (search engine index) – which is more effective than relying on spiders alone.
- You can pay a fee for guaranteed inclusion– this leaves nothing to chance and your Web page is indexed in a timely manner.
Inclusion is at the discretion of the search engines and can be a long drawn out process. Visit the Search Engine Optimization section of our website to get your website submitted quickly and easily.
Once your Web page has been included in a search engine’s database (indexed), the search engine then uses an algorithm to determine the ranking of results for each keyword search. At this point, the on-page optimization of your website and off-page optimization is pivotal to your success in the search engine ranking process. Professional optimization is geared towards understanding and adapting your website to best present your Web pages for these algorithms. As the algorithms search engines use frequently change, on- and off-page optimization needs to be an ongoing process.
It is evident that the processes of submission and optimization work hand in hand. One without the other seriously inhibits your search engine ranking potential. Remember, the top 30 results receive over 90% of the search traffic.
So how can eSolutions Interactive help you?
By providing first-class Search Engine Optimization to your web project. Whether an eCommerce Shopping Cart with products that need indexing, or your company Website, eSolutions Interactive can provide SEO services to get you noticed and bring visitors to your website.
Let us know if we can help you!
