Becoming a Better SEO: the Inner Workings of Search Engines

To excel in the world of SEO, one must embark on a journey of unraveling the intricacies of search engines (SEs) and comprehending their underlying systems. This quest leads us to explore two fundamental flows within SEs: how they discover, crawl, render, and index documents and, process search queries, retrieve results, and rank them. By delving into these aspects, we gain valuable insights that empower us to diagnose issues more effectively and make informed prioritization decisions.

Understanding the SEs' Document Flow:

💡 Discovery and Crawling:

• What sets the pace for discovery and crawling within SEs? The speed of discovery and crawling hinges on various factors, including the website's size.
• What levers can be pulled to expedite or slow down this process? The mechanisms differ for websites of varying sizes.

💡 Rendering and Indexing:

• When does rendering come into play, and why is it essential? Uncovering the need for rendering and the potential pitfalls associated with it.
• What levers are at our disposal when it comes to rendering, and is there such a thing as a "rendering budget"? How is this budget determined, and what are the consequences of its allocation?
• The elusive process of deciding which documents become a part of the index and which do not. Identifying the levers at play in this critical selection.

Exploring the SEs' Search Query Process:

💡 Understanding and Reformulating Queries:

• How do SEs grasp and potentially reformulate the input search query? Examining the mechanisms and data points used to refine search queries.

💡 Retrieval in Action:

• The evolution of retrieval systems over the years. Unearthing the inner workings of these systems and understanding what's currently in use.

💡 Deciphering Rankings:

• The intricate art of ranking retrieved results. An in-depth look at the factors that influence rankings and the additional personalization data points that come into play.

By embarking on this journey of comprehension, SEO professionals can effectively diagnose issues that may hinder a website's performance in search engine results. Furthermore, this knowledge equips them to make strategic decisions, prioritize actions, and optimize websites with a more profound understanding of the inner workings of search engines. Whether you are in charge of a small website or managing SEO for a vast online platform, these insights into the world of SEs are invaluable in your quest to become a master of SEO.