What is a Search Engine?

Search engine refers to a software or a system that enables internet users to access content on the website. Users search for web contents through World Wide Web (www). Internet users search contents by entering keywords or phrases into the search engine, the results of the search appear on the web page. Search engine filter indexed content using algorithms, the results are then displayed on the web page.The result of the search return to the internet user as SERP (Search Engine Results Page). 

How is a Search Engine Used?

Search Directories help web surfers find related websites for the topics they search before the search engine was introduced. Search directories are curated lists compiled by people who also visit the net for contents. The directories contain web addresses or URLs and content descriptions. Due to the voluminous nature of search directories, an internet user would have to look through the diverse segments of the directory until they get the desired content or websites. Although, directories offer a list of websites and content results to web users, the list was limited, it does not include all contents and sites since it was compiled manually. Search engines search the internet for contents and webpages using web crawling bots or web crawlers. Web crawlers search the internet for contents and webpages. Webcrawler was launched in 1993, after AltaVista and yahoo were created, with the first webcrawler called spider. Crawling bots copy web pages, URLs and contents and add them to search engine index. Search engines then organize these contents, the organization determines the contents or web pages that pop up when web users type keywords. The results that are displayed on Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for users are not only organic results but also paid-search advertisements.