How Does Content Get Ranked By Search Engines?

Search Engine Spiders

Search engines compile word indexes from the information they collect when they "spider" or "crawl" Web pages. When an Internet user enters a search query, search engine software ranks Web pages based on a variety of algorithms, using the word indexes created by these spiders or crawlers. The algorithms assign certain weights to keywords, phrases and links to a Web page, pushing some Web pages above others in a result set.

It is important to note that search engines use different algorithms to produce their rankings. For instance, some search engines may weigh keywords found near the top of a Web page more heavily than those found lower on the page. Other search engines, like Google, also rank Web pages based on which other websites link to them, giving more weight to links from more well-established sites and/or sites with similar content. For example, if Yahoo! links to your website, it will likely be ranked higher by search engines than if a less well-known site linked to it.

The major search engines are Google, Yahoo! Search, Microsoft Live Search (MSN), and Ask (previously Ask Jeeves). These search engines supply results to most of the major Web portals, including AOL, Lycos, MSN, Netscape and Yahoo!

Components of Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization includes creating and designing websites that can easily be accessible to search engines. Successful search engine optimization strategies also include providing strong, targeted content that will improve the likelihood that the pages on a website will be found by someone looking for specific information on the services the business offers.

A good website must contain strong content that includes the words and phrases people tend to use when looking for a lawyer, doctor, or professional practice. Relevant, substantive content is an absolute necessity for effective search engine optimization.

Also, it is critical that the automated spiders or crawlers of any search engine are able to access all the pages of a website. Anything that interferes with this process will impact ranking in search engine results, and could even prevent a site from being included in a search engine index. This is why the way the design and build of a website as a whole and on the individual page level is so important. In this regard, it is also important to make it easy for search engine crawlers and spiders to index all of a site's internal pages by providing links, which can be easily accessed from the site's home page. Also, include a site map that has links to all of a website's internal pages.