Day 2: How Search Engines Decide Who Wins (Search Engine Algorithms)

What’s an Algorithm Anyway?

Alright, before we get into the details, let’s clarify what an algorithm really is. In the simplest terms, an algorithm is just a set of rules that a computer (in this case, a search engine) follows to solve a problem.

When you think of a search engine like Google, the "problem" it's trying to solve is this: What are the most relevant and useful web pages I can show to this user?

Now, these rules are not random; they are carefully designed to make sure users get the best, most accurate answers to their search queries. And because the internet is full of endless amounts of content, the search engine needs a smart and efficient way to sort through everything and decide which pages deserve to be on top. That’s where the algorithm comes in.

How Does Google Decide What to Show You?

When someone types in a search query, let’s say, "best hiking boots for winter," Google doesn’t just pull up random websites. It uses its algorithm to evaluate all the websites it has crawled and indexed (remember, we talked about crawling and indexing on Day 1).

The algorithm considers hundreds of different factors to figure out which pages will give you the best answers. These factors are called ranking signals.

Let’s break it down:

• Relevance: Is the content of this page related to the user’s search? If you have a blog about cats, it won’t rank high for "hiking boots."
• Authority: Does this website seem trustworthy? If a lot of reputable websites link to this page, it signals to Google that this page might be worth showing.
• User Experience: Is the website easy to use? Does it load quickly? Is it mobile-friendly? If a user clicks on a site and it’s slow or looks awful on their phone, they’re likely to leave, and Google doesn’t like showing people pages they’ll quickly abandon.

So, think of Google as a librarian. When you ask for a book recommendation on a certain topic, the librarian (Google) won’t just give you any book—they’ll give you the best, most relevant one based on your needs and preferences.

So, while it may seem a little complex, the key takeaway is this: Google’s main goal is to provide the best results to its users. If your website delivers relevant, high-quality content and provides a great user experience, you’ll be in a good position to rank well.