More than 5 billion people around the world use the Internet every day, according to Statistics.com. If we are to represent a percentage representation, this number represents 63.1% of the world’s population.
We use the internet for everything. And the pandemic we went through has changed our behavior even more, making us spend more and more time online.
On the Internet, we communicate with our loved ones, shop, find various information, compare products or services, ask personal or general questions, work, develop, meet new people or create and develop our own business.
The online world has become part of our lives due to the usefulness and quality of life we have using the online environment.
What’s more, online life is developing more and more, and the way and speed with which technology develops makes it easier and faster for us to search for information, shop, develop or create our own business with a view to the future.
In the online environment, there are many directions that people use when referring to search engines, but also to social networks.
According to Earthweb.com, in 2022, more than 8.5 billion searches are performed on search engines per day, which equates to 2.5 trillion searches per year.
There are several search engines around the world, but according to the same statistics, more than a billion people use Google for their queries per month, which means more than 80,000 Google queries per second.
In addition, an average was taken for each user, and the statistics showed that each person makes an average of about 3 to 4 searches per day, or more precisely, about 120 searches on Google every month.
Google is therefore an infinite potential of information, but also people you can reach when we talk about the development of your business.
But let’s see more about how the search engine works and what its role is.
What is a search engine?
Although we use search engines every day, you’ve probably never thought about what a search engine is and what it means.
Therefore, in this article we will talk about this, but also about how the search engine works and what is its role in our lives or in business.
Although it seems that the search engine is extremely difficult to understand, in reality it is not. A search engine is an Internet tool that enables the user to find various information all over the Internet.
But how can it do all these things with amazing accuracy?
Well, each search engine is used by different automated software, which are also called robots (bots) or spiders (spiders). These bots or spiders travel all over the web to find sites relevant to each user’s query, returning the most relevant result possible.
Search engines use keywords or phrases that people type in to find the information a user needs.
Thanks to the highly advanced software and robots that search engines use, the results that can be generated very quickly number in the millions, and all this scanning of the entire Internet is done in just a few milliseconds.
However, not all of these results are truly relevant to the queries asked by the user, and this is where the role of the search engine comes into play.
The role of a search engine on the Internet
If you’re wondering what the role of a search engine is, the answer is extremely simple. When you want to find specific information and you go to a query in the search bar, you want to get the most relevant information about the question you asked, right?
Well, the role of the search engine is simply to return a relevant result to each user based on the intention they have when typing certain phrases into the search bar.
To be able to do this, its main role is to scan and collect as much information as possible from the network, creating a database with all this information, which it can later return as an answer to the user’s query.
Google uses a very advanced automated system that provides accurate and reliable answers, taking into account many factors, including user behavior.
What’s more, Google gives the user easy and quick access to a lot of information, and even their categorization, e.g. simple and concise answers, video or picture answers or map display.
In addition, the role of the search engine is to offer the most relevant products when the user wants to make a purchase, so search engines such as Google play a key role in any business that wants to reach the user much faster and easier.
Examples of search engines from around the world
There are many examples of search engines in the world, although Google is one of the most used, due to the accuracy of the results, but also because it is extremely useful in marketing and promotional strategies.
Youtube
The YouTube platform, which was founded in 2005 by PayPal, was acquired by Google only a year after its launch and works according to the same algorithms, very well developed. So Google basically owns the most used search engines in the world.
Last year, YouTube had over 2 billion monthly active users, providing them with over 1 billion hours of video every day.
Microsoft Bing
Bing is a search engine owned by Microsoft and is very much used in the United States due to the fact that it offers a rewards program for those who use it in the Microsoft and Windows stores.
Yahoo
Yahoo is known as one of the most popular email service providers, but its search engine has quite a small market share and is declining.
However, it ranks third in popularity worldwide and is largely the default search engine for Firefox users.
Baidu
Baidu is a search engine mainly used in China, founded in 2000.
Although not widely used in Puerto Rico, it improves its algorithm to have an offer similar to that offered by Google.
Yandex
Yandex is a search engine created by 2 Russian developers and is mainly used in Russia.
The algorithms that Yandex uses are much simpler than Google, and the analysis is carried out mainly on Russian users, and not on external ones.
Amazon
The Amazon search engine, launched by the giant store of the same name, has more than half of all purchase-intent searches in America on this search engine, not Google.
The downside is that the results returned by this search engine are only from its own store.
Ask
This search engine was founded in 1995 as Ask Jeeves and mainly works in a very simple question and answer format.
Basically, users can access some answers that already exist in this search engine’s database, but are not updated like other search engines.
Share slides
Slideshare is a search engine that mainly focuses on searching for eBooks or PDFs, which makes it a great search engine if you need this kind of information.
How does Google search work?
As you have seen, Google is a search engine that works on the same principles as any other tool of its kind, but it is one of the most used search engines in the world and in Puerto Rico because it is very complex and offers the most good results.
Google uses a lot of automation to scan the entire internet and return the results that the user needs when performing a specific query.
Compared to other search tools, Google has many intelligent tools that it uses to perform analysis as thorough as possible and deliver highly accurate and relevant results to the user.
Moreover, compared to other search engines, Google also provides better privacy than many other search engines, which is very important for many Internet users.
Google understands users’ intentions
Each search engine has different algorithms when it comes to ranking results, and what will be on the first page of Google will also not be displayed on Yahoo, Bing, etc.
But the accuracy with which Google returns results for any type of query is due to the fact that it tries to understand the user the intention behind each key phrase entered into the search engine.
More specifically, Google conducts a comprehensive analysis of the user as soon as they type a certain phrase, thus understanding what exactly they want to find based on the words entered in the search bar.
Google wants to give users the best possible experience
In fact, the purpose of this search engine is to provide the user with the best possible experience by analyzing his behavior and thus constantly improving the algorithm based on his behavior, personalizing subsequent results.
Basically, it is the user who will make the site rank in the top positions. After analysis by Google, it “favorites” those sites that are really relevant to the user and will bring them to the first positions in the results.
As long as you take into account the user and the key elements that Google is looking for, you have every chance of being ranked in the first results.
How to index on Google?
The return of the results displayed by Google is done according to various complicated mathematical formulas that it uses that generate the best result in the SERP (Search Engine Result Page).
This is made possible by an algorithm that constantly searches for various key elements of any web page found on the internet, from the page title, to content, keywords, meta or HTML elements, links, etc., and categorizes them based on their relevance to the user’s query.
Google Search is used by crawlers or spiders to extract the necessary information from the scanned pages and then add it to their own list, called the index. It then uses this database, which it constantly updates, to return exactly the result the user expects, with amazing accuracy.
In order for your site to be indexed, that is, found by these automated spiders and added to the Google index, you need to optimize your site as recommended by Google. When creating a site that you want to optimize for Google, you must take into account their official information and recommendations to ensure that you take into account the algorithms that Google considers. This information can be found here.
How to set Google as your default search engine?
If you want to set Google as your default search engine, all you have to do is make some settings in the browser you use.
And since the vast majority of users use Chrome, here’s how you can make these settings:
Click on the three dots on the right side of the browser as soon as you open it, or type chrome://settings in the browser’s search bar;
After going to the “Settings” menu, look for the “Search engine” option;
Here, select “Google” from the options bar.
For other types of browsers, you will also find this option in the “Settings” menu.
Google Search and SEO
As we said above, you’ve seen that Google uses certain elements to index sites on the web. More specifically, Google takes into account certain parameters when it provides a certain result after a query made by a user.
But if the website is not optimized for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), i.e. it does not take into account all those elements that Google tracks and analyzes, practically such a website will not be indexed, i.e. seen by Google and will not be taken into account by default. display when asked.
Let’s say you’re selling a marketing course.
If your site is not SEO optimized with keywords related to your service, not all technical details have been implemented and it has not been signaled to Google that this site has a suitable answer for those looking for such services + submitted sitemap – your sitemap – for Google will understand what information is on your site, then your site will not appear in Google results because it will not be detected by robots.
And now you’re probably wondering: ok, but how do I get Google to index my site?
Well, this is where SEO, or search engine optimization, comes in.
An SEO specialist knows exactly how Google works, what parameters it uses, and how to conduct appropriate research for the niche in which you operate in order to use keywords relevant to your business.
SEO takes into account all the changes that are necessary to implement on your website in a correct way, in accordance with Google’s policy, so that it is indexed, but also climbs in the SERPs, in the first positions.
More specifically, SEO helps each site be the relevant answer that people are looking for on Google, climbing to the top positions, helping with brand visibility, but also increasing website traffic and thus sales.
SEO uses the same principles that Google believes in addition to the technical side, namely improving the user experience on every page of the site, which will indirectly lead to the success of the site.
What to consider if you want to get to the first page
You will always find 10 results on the first page of Google. However, not all results on the first page receive the same attention. Contrary.
For this reason, you must want to be in the first position on the first page with your website.
According to statistics, the first result receives about 45% of clicks, while the click-through rate for the second one drops to 14%, and for the third to 10%. And the odds of getting a click decrease as you move away from the first position.
Okay. And how do you get there, you ask, right?
Indexing your site is not the only goal of SEO. Since so many results can be displayed for a single query, often counting into the millions, making your site one of the most relevant answers requires SEO optimization.
SEO optimization is basically a strategy that helps a website become the relevant response that a user receives after entering a certain type of keyword phrase, positioning it in the first search engine results.
To achieve this, SEO optimization requires a full analysis of both the technical part of the page and the intent of the user’s query regarding the services or products of the site.
Imagine that there is a huge competition on the Internet. And many sites in the same niche may be relevant for certain queries, but not every site will rank first in Google, even if it may be a relevant answer for the user.
This is where the role of SEO optimization comes into play, which will apply the best strategy to make the optimized site the best response for the user in terms of information quality and relevance, and rank in the first positions on the first page.
Why is it worth considering to achieve the first positions in Google?
If you are a website or online business owner, it is clear that you will want to reach the first Google results for visibility, more traffic and more sales.
But as you have seen, Google considers a great many factors when ranking its results and if you are not very knowledgeable about SEO optimization, here is why you should take it into account to achieve first results in the SERPs.
Make sure your site is indexed
Before making any other changes to your website, check if it is indexed by Google, i.e. if it appears in the search engine.
If your site appears in the first result, Google has indexed your site.
If your site is not indexed, you need to request indexing using Google Search Console.
Implement all technical recommendations provided by Google
Make sure you follow all of Google’s recommendations in the official SEO documentation found here.
Focus on giving users a good user experience on your site
If you want to be on the same wavelength as Google and reach the first results of this search engine, you will have to focus on the same goal, which is to provide the best possible user experience on your website. Google site optimization tips and strategies
Website optimization strategy for Google, or SEO strategy, is a strategy that takes into account several aspects, both in terms of your website and how it is perceived by Google and recommended by other websites that already have authority in the “eyes” of users and Google.
More specifically, an SEO strategy focuses on both optimizing all pages of your website (SEO on Page) and external recommendations of other sites (SEO off Page).
Here are the aspects to keep in mind if you want to apply the best SEO strategy for your website.
Secure your site
Since user experience is paramount in Google’s algorithms, an unsecured website is sure to give the user an unpleasant experience.
So, if you don’t already have a secure site, it’s a good idea to take care of that first by having an SSL certificate for your site.
Find relevant keywords
When you want to search for something on Google, you use certain words or phrases that Google in turn considers to be keywords for that query.
To ensure that your site is quickly found by a user on Google, it is important to do research on the phrases or keywords that a user uses when they intend to search for your product or service.
Once you find these words, use them in your page content as naturally as possible (no exaggeration) so that Google understands that your site has the right answer for the user.
Create the most valuable content
In SEO optimization, not only keywords are important, but also the type of content you provide to the user.
The more quality content you create, here we mean all types of content from text to videos and even images, the more likely Google will consider you as relevant result and value to the user.
Optimize URLs and images
Your site needs to be extremely user-friendly, even when it comes to the more technical parts like URLs.
Those URLs that contain numbers or symbols may indicate user uncertainty and furthermore do not indicate what exactly is on that page.
When you optimize URLs, they can also help from an SEO point of view by introducing keywords, but also to the user experience to know exactly what page of the site they are on.
SEO-optimized images will increase the visibility of your website by being displayed by Google in the image section of the search engine.
Optimize your meta title and meta description
These elements are actually snippets of HTML that tell the search engine what your site is about.
The meta title is a ranking factor, i.e. the ranking of results in Google, and therefore should contain the most relevant keyword for a given page.
The meta description is no longer a ranking factor, but it does help with a better user experience, so make sure it’s written in a clear and convincing way, but also includes a strong call to action (CTA).
Improves page loading speed
No user will have the patience to navigate a site that takes a long time to load, and this can affect both your Google ranking and the user experience.
To check if your site has a good loading speed on both desktop and mobile, use the Google Page SpeedInsight website which provides this information and can be found here.
Here you will see exactly what is hindering your site from loading and what are the recommendations to implement on your site.
Optimize your site for mobile devices
According to recent statistics, more than 70% of users surf the Internet from mobile devices. So if your site is not optimized, that is, it does not display properly on mobile devices, you should take this into account.
Otherwise, you will be deleted by Google as well as by the user because you did not provide him with a pleasant experience when he entered your website.
Check here if your site is optimized for mobile devices.
Make your site as intuitive as possible
Simplicity is often an asset worth using, even when it comes to your website.
Having a good website doesn’t mean it has to be complicated.
So, a site that is simple and extremely easy to use, with the simplest possible architecture (menu) will create a pleasant user experience and help reduce the bounce rate.
Create links between pages on your site
Cross-page links on your site will help Google better understand what your site is about, but will also provide a complex user experience.
So, redirect the user to those product pages or blog articles that are related to each other via internal links on your site.
Use tools from Google
Google provides website owners with certain tools that they can use in their SEO strategy to improve their website but also analyze certain data that you need for your marketing strategy.
These free tools are:
- keyword planner;
- Google Search Console;
- Google Analytics;
- Google Ads;
- Google Trends;
- Page speed insight;
- Test my site.
Combine your SEO strategy with other marketing strategies
An SEO strategy is just one of all the marketing strategies you can implement to be more successful online.
So SEO refers not only to these technical strategies, but also to the combination of the most effective marketing strategies on a website.
Here we can refer to some of the benefits you can offer your user such as speed dial buttons, appointment forms, newsletter subscription, downloading free guides, videos, etc.
Moreover, the SEO strategy goes hand in hand with the Google Ads strategy and it can be extremely beneficial even when creating a social media strategy because as part of this strategy you have access to some data about the site’s users and you can reach out to know them that way much better .
So Google plays a key role in your business and now that you understand how it works and how it can help you increase your sales, all you have to do is apply all these tips and enjoy the results.
