How Search Works

By Chris Frerecks • July 28th, 2010

Matt Cutts on ‘How Search Works’:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHR6IQJGZs]

Important Takeaways:

When one searches they do not search the whole web, only what pages Google has in it’s index
Google indexes what pages it can find, but not the whole web
As a site owner, assuming you have used the search terms on a page, you compete for a search results position against every other page Google has indexed with those same terms [ = key words or phrases]
When comparing your page and the others, Google’s algorithm uses 200 questions or signals
One obvious question relates to your use of the search terms on a page, like are they in your title, your URL and/or how are they used in the content of the page
Another question looks for search term synonyms on your page – be careful NOT to over stuff the actual search terms as the algorithm is known to see this as bad practice or spammy
Page Rank has emphasis and it is focused on the back links your page has accumulated, but note that it’s not necessarily just volume… it’s also very much a determination of the quality of those links
Organic results or how Google ranks pages is NEVER paid for!

Thoughts on Search Engine Optimization:

It can take time, but consistent activity and topic focus is proven
How long you have been there for search terms can help
Broaden search term target focus – leverage the long tail
Your competition has a great deal to do with where you get and how fast you get there
Pursue back links where you can, but from good sites preferably with good page rank and in anchor text
Your site design & technology must not only be search engine friendly, but it must be updated & advanced in order to remain search engine friendly – static sites will not sustain a competitive edge!

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