How does Google accurately answer every question you ask? How does it know what you're looking for? In today's Tech Explainer, we'll explore the answers to these questions.

How do search engines work?

You're sleeping, and suddenly you wonder, "Where's the coldest place in Europe?" If you don't know the answer, you immediately pick up your phone and Google it. Google will return thousands upon thousands of search results to your query. You can find out not only the coldest place in Europe, but also the temperature throughout the year and when it snows the most. If you don't want to read text, Google will even show you photos and videos of the place. With just a few minutes of research, you'll learn everything about that place. But how does Google know what information to show you? The internet stores countless web pages, so how does Google bring you the ones you need? How does it know which sources and videos to show you? In today's explainer, we'll learn how Google, along with other search engines, works.

How do search engines work?

As soon as you type your query into the search box and click OK, it's transported into the world of bots and algorithms, which can do everything from show you your favorite video to providing information about a nearby restaurant you didn't know you had. All search engines strive to provide the quickest and most accurate answer to your question. To do this, they follow a multi-step process that includes crawling, indexing, ranking, and displaying results. This entire process begins after you ask a question, and in the blink of an eye, it's complete, and thousands upon thousands of answers appear on your screen.

Crawling happens first

The entire process of search results begins with crawling. Search engine crawlers, also known as bots or spiders, understand your query and gather data. These bots, or crawlers, visit each page to gather data. These crawlers visit all related web pages, discover new ones, and even monitor changes to old pages. They then gather all the relevant information. Google's search engine works in a similar way. It constantly scans for updates. The crawler's job is to collect data and information. After this, the process moves on to indexing.

What happens in indexing?

Once crawlers collect data from pages, this information needs to be organized. Without organizing data or information, it's difficult to display relevant results to users, which is why indexing is necessary. A search index is like a large digital library catalog. A search engine's index can contain billions of web pages. The indexing algorithm analyzes the content of any page, looking at the text, images, metadata, and inbound links on the web page. It also detects duplicate pages to prevent the index from becoming overcrowded with similar pages. Once all the information is indexed, ranking begins.

How is the ranking done?

When results appear on your screen in response to your query, these aren't random pages. The search engine's algorithm ranks them based on relevance and authority. Pages at the top of the rankings are shown first, and you'll find most of the information in the results on the first page. Search engines consider keyword usage, inbound links, freshness of content, mobile usability, page speed, and many other factors for ranking. Rankings can also fluctuate based on local searches, your search history, and your device. This ranking determines which web pages are suggested first. Google uses tools like BERT and RankBrain, which can interpret natural language, for ranking. This allows search engines to understand keywords as well as user intent.

Earning from search results

Many search engines, including Google, monetize search results. If you pay attention, you'll notice that whenever you search for something in the search bar, along with organic results, the first two links display ads. This is a pay-per-click model, where advertisers bid to display their results. Search engines auction these ads. Advertisers' ads are displayed first based on their bid and quality score. Google alone earns billions annually through this method.