How do the Search Engines work? Indexing and algorithms.

Search engines work by following a three-step process:

1. Crawling: Search engines use automated software called “crawlers” or “spiders” to browse the internet and discover publicly available webpages. Crawlers start with a list of known webpages and follow hyperlinks on these pages to find new content.

2. Indexing: Once a webpage has been discovered, the search engine processes the information on the page and stores it in a large database (an index). Search engine indexing is the process by which a search engine collects, parses and stores data for use by the search engine. This process allows the search engine to provide swift and accurate search results. During this process, the search engine scans and collects data from websites during web crawling, understanding the content, and storing it in a database called the index. Indexing essentially serves the purpose of optimizing the speed and performance of finding relevant documents for a search query. Without indexing, the search engine would scan every document during each search, which would be a slow and inefficient process.

3. Ranking: When a user performs a search, the search engine uses complex algorithms to determine the relevance of indexed pages to the search query. These algorithms take into account numerous factors, such as the keywords used in the search query, the location of the user, and the age of the content. 

Search engine algorithms are complex computer programs used by search engines to rank websites by relevance and offer the best possible results to the user. These algorithms consider multiple factors, like keywords, website quality, user location, website speed, and many more, to determine the ranking of webpages in the search results. Google’s algorithm, for instance, is comprised of more than 200 factors. The exact mechanics of these algorithms are often kept highly secret by the companies to prevent misuse of information and ensure fair competition.

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