Search Engines
A web search engine is a tool designed for the purpose of finding and refining information on the internet. Thus in order for successful SEO to take place, a thorough knowledge of the functions performed by search engines and the ways in which they operate is essential. As the amount of available information on the internet has spiraled, early search engines found themselves unable to keep track with such high data levels, forcing the emergence of new methods. Search engines have continued to develop, with many entering the markets in an impressive manner, recording phenomenal gains and boosting the need for Search Engine Optimisation.
Three of the most prominent search engines in today’s markets include Google, Yahoo and MSN Live Search, although with regard to the international markets there is some variance, with Baidu as the most popular search engine in China, for example. Google: Google is widely recognised as the world’s largest search engine, it endeavors to organise the immense amounts of information that are available on the internet, and is often used as a general measure of SEO success.
Yahoo: A search engine founded in 1994, Yahoo! Inc. is the world's largest international online network of integrated services and has a significant presence in upwards of twenty markets around the world. MSN Live Search: Live search queries have undergone a dramatic increase in recent months, seeing their market share grow to around 10%, the rebranded search engine is becoming a more significant competitor, leading to a need to be aware of its practices in SEO.
