Explaining Google’s Back-end Operations

June 24, 2024

Billions of people who find themselves on the Internet depend on the use of Google Search to find what they are looking for. What actually happens when you click on the “search,” though? Today, we want to discuss how the search engine works so you can get a better idea of what goes on behind the scenes.

Crawling

First, Google Search will “crawl” the Internet using automated programs called bots to find new and updated pages. These bots will then use a list of known URLs and follow links on those pages to discover content. This ongoing process is what allows Google to constantly keep its pages up to date with results.

Indexing

After discovering a new page, Google will index it, or “store” it. This involves analyzing the content, images, and video files. The search engine will then store this information in a database, where Google will extract the important parts that will help it determine how it should be ranked and classified.

Ranking

Following a query, Google’s algorithms will rank their indexed pages. It’s impossible to explain all of the factors that are considered in these algorithms, but some of the factors that are considered include:

Content - How well does the content on the page match the query?
Page and domain quality - How authoritative and trustworthy is the page?
User experience - How user-friendly is the page, considering factors like load speed and mobile compatibility?
Context and settings - Personalized factors such as location, search history, and preferences.

If you’re curious about the algorithm, you can read more about it yourself, as Google’s algorithm was recently leaked a few weeks ago. This gives professionals a lot of insights into how they can best cater to the search engine.

Serving Results

After Google has ranked the pages, the search engine will show the results on the results page, or SERP. This is the page that showcases the most important information in an easy-to-read format. You’ll see a series of organic links, ads, snippets, and direct answers or knowledge panels, depending on what you plugged in to the search engine.

Learning and Evolving

Google Search is far from perfect, and it’s always taking user feedback into account to grow ever more accurate and helpful. Technological advancements and changes to the web have also significantly improved its functionality through machine learning and artificial intelligence. Regular updates to the algorithm further fuel Google and make it an exceptional tool for any user.

Google is great for online search queries, but what about technology queries? First Column IT can help your business better manage its technology. Learn more by calling us today at (571) 470-5594.

‍

Who is Handling These Critical IT Tasks In Your Organization?

Your business might have a full-time IT person, but it also might not have one, and in cases like this, you might find yourself waiting to call your go-to person until you are experiencing a full-blown problem. The reality is that your internal, non-IT staff should not be responsible for the job of your IT department, and if you are relying on someone externally to handle your technology help, then you’ll want to make sure they tick all of the following boxes.

January 21, 2023

The IoT is Intriguing, but is it Right for You?

The Internet of Things has been one of the most talked about technologies over the last decade. So much so, that many businesses want to do what they can to utilize this new technology for the betterment of their business. The Internet of Things, however, can have positive and negative effects on your business. In this month's newsletter, we'll take a look at the good and bad the IoT can provide for your business.

January 20, 2023

It’s Not Worth Having a Backup Solution if it Doesn’t Follow These Fundamental Rules

We focus pretty heavily on data backup as an important solution that all businesses should use, and for good reason. It can be all the difference between losing your business’ future or preserving it. We know you don’t like to hear it, but investing in a proper data backup solution is well worth the cost, even if you never have to use it.

Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog