Search engines use something called an algorithm to determine which pages will be displayed higher for the keywords entered into the search engine. An algorithm is a step-by-step mathematical formula that produces results based on the data the search engine has compiled. Imagine an algorithm as a number-crunching machine. The algorithm is like a complicated formula that sorts information into a more useable format.
After the user has entered all this data into the algorithm “machine,” sorted information begins coming out the other side. In this case, the data is a ranking of websites indexed by the search engine based on the keyword the user has already entered into the algorithm “machine.” By using a complicated formula, the search engines can determine the best quality websites online without having to rely on human editors to physically visit each site and determine that site’s quality. The job of the search engine is to provide the best searching experience for their users. To ensure that users keep coming back, they want to make sure they produce results that are relevant. This is an important part of SEO that we’ll be discussing at great length: relevancy.
The algorithm helps determine which pages are most relevant. For example, if a user goes to a search engine and types in “snow tires,” the search engine uses their technology to determine which pages most closely relate to snow tires. The job of the algorithm becomes finding the best information related to a particular keyword. The search engine then displays the results in order of relevancy.
