Search Engines Information

The search engine is an invaluable tool for retrieving information from world-wide sources.

A search engine performs three functions. Web crawling uses a web crawler or spider that retrieves pages. Indexing results from analyzing page contents. A search allows a visitor to enter a query in the form of keywords or key phrases. The search engine then uses the index to retrieve a list of sites based on that query. These sites receive a ranking that influences the amount of traffic at each site. The operation includes regularly updated indexes.

A search engine operates algorithmically or by a mixture of algorithms and human effort. Usually the search gathers information from the public Web. Yet intranets, personal SE and mobile SE are part of the bigger picture. They can gather more specific pockets of information: news groups, open directories, databases, etc. While web-sites offer a niche of information, so can certain search engines. Major search engines offer a filtering ability. For example, a child-friendly free search engine retrieves pages that are kid-safe and full of educational value.

Retrieving information available on the Web offers a sense of equalizing. A person with access to the Internet can retrieve a public web page accessible to thousands of other viewers, no matter what background or creed.

From its beginnings in the 1990s, today's search engines face problems in light of the Web's tremendous growth. Today's models cannot index every site or page. Although the search engine incorporates indexing, certain dynamically generated web-sites are part of the invisible web that stands apart from conventional indexing.

Ad revenues support these commercial ventures. While relevancy of quality sites should increase its rank and increase traffic, some search engines rank by the amount of money that websites pay. In 2006, a large number of web-sites duped a search engine to boost their rankings.

If knowledge is power, then search engine is one of the mighty weapons to influence viewers. Whether a site-owner aims for higher revenues or a child enthusiastically finds an image for his school report, that user can visit a 24-hour library where doors to information are usually open.