Whenever we want to enter a query in the Google search bar to find or trace something we seek, we get thousands of results in a blink of an eye. Although most of them are not relevant to us on personal level, they are related to the query we have entered in one way or the other. It is amazing to see these many links in such a short span, but there should not be any doubts on the complex nature of the search process.
From entering a query to getting its results, we only see what we need, but there is much more happening backstage. Google has, however, revealed the curtains now to tell us “How Search Works”. The website allows us to “follow the entire life of a search query, from the web, to crawling and indexing, to algorithmic ranking and serving, to fighting webspam.” On this website, Google explains its search process in a graphical manner, and documents the ways through which it evaluates search results.
The first part of any search is Crawling and Indexing. When a query is entered for search, Google searches it in a network of over 30 trillion individual web pages. It follows link from page to page and sort these pages by their content and other factors. Indexing means it keeps a track of all the data so that the information can be used for future searches.
The next part is writing programs and formulas to deliver better results. When an item is entered for search, the system tries to use its algorithms and determine what exactly the user intends to search. Based on the understanding, Google selects the relevant documents from the Index. When the nature of the search is determined and the pages are selected, Google ranks these pages using more than 200 factors including freshness of content, site and page quality and others.
The final part is fighting spam. Google stays alert round the clock so as to give as accurate search results as possible to the users. If not controlled, spam can hurt the searches and alter the search results. The majority of spam removal is automatic, but manual action is also taken whenever required. When the relevant action is taken to counter the spam, the website owners are notified. The owners can fix the problem and let Google know about it.
Image: Google blog
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