What is Search Algorithm?

Search Algorithm

In very general terms, a search algorithm is a problem-solving procedure that takes a problem, evaluates a number of possible answers, and then returns the solution to that problem. A search algorithm for a search engine takes the problem (the word or phrase being searched for), sifts through a database that contains cataloged keywords and the URLs those words are related to, and then returns pages that contain the word or phrase that was searched for, either in the body of the page or in a URL that points to the page.

There are several classifications of search algorithms, and each search engine uses algorithms that are slightly different. That’s why a search for one word or phrase will yield different results from different search engines. Some of the most common types of search algorithms include the following:

• List Search: 

A list search algorithm searches through specified data looking for a single key. The data is searched in a very linear, list-style method. The result of a list search is usually a single element, which means that searching through billions of web sites could be very time-consuming, but would yield a smaller search result. 

• Tree Search: 

Envision a tree in your mind. Now, examine that tree either from the roots out or from the leaves in. This is how a tree search algorithm works. The algorithm searches a data set from the broadest to the most narrow, or from the most narrow to the broadest. Data sets are like trees; a single piece of data can branch to many other pieces of data, and this is very much how the Web is set up. Tree searches, then, are more useful when conducting searches on the Web, although they are not the only searches that can be successful.

• SQL Search:

One of the difficulties with a tree search is that it’s conducted in a hierarchical manner, meaning it’s conducted from one point to another, according to the ranking of the data being searched. A SQL (pronounced See-Quel) search allows data to be searched in a non-hierarchical manner, which means that data can be searched from any subset of data.

• Informed Search: 

An informed search algorithm looks for a specific answer to a specific problem in a tree-like data set. The informed search, despite its name, is not always the best choice for web searches because of the general nature of the answers being sought. Instead, informed search is better used for specific queries in specific data sets.

• Adversarial Search: 

An adversarial search algorithm looks for all possible solutions to a problem, much like finding all the possible solutions in a game. This algorithm is difficult to use with web searches, because the number of possible solutions to a word or phrase search is nearly infinite on the Web.

• Constraint Satisfaction Search:  

When you think of searching the Web for a word or phrase, the constraint satisfaction search algorithm is most likely to satisfy your desire to find something. In this type of search algorithm, the solution is discovered by meeting a set of constraints, and the data set can be searched in a variety of different ways that do not have to be linear. Constraint satisfaction searches can be very useful for searching the Web.

Classification of Search Engines

Types of Search Engines

There might be lots of search engines in the internet world but there are some where users give preference to. Because all search engines are not created equal and algorithm of each search engines differ from other. Based on the website traffic generation and relevant search, these are classified into three, they are

• Primary Search Engine
• Secondary Search Engine
• Targeted Search Engine

Primary Search Engine:

A primary search engine is the type you think of most often when search engines come to mind. Some index most or all sites on the Web. For example, Yahoo! Google, and MSN are primary (also called major) search engines.

Primary search engines will generate the majority of the traffic to your web site, and as such will be the primary focus of your SEO efforts. Each primary search engine differs slightly from the others. Most primary search engines are also more than just search. Additional features such as e-mail, mapping, news, and different types of entertainment applications are also available from most of the primary search engine companies. These elements were added long after the search was established, as a way to draw more and more people to the search engine.

Secondary Search Engine: 

Secondary search engines are targeted at smaller, more specific audiences, although the search engine’s content itself is still general. They don’t generate as much traffic as the primary search engines, but they’re useful for regional and more narrowly focused searches. Secondary search engines, just like the primary ones, will vary in the way they rank search results. Some will rely more heavily upon keywords, whereas others will rely on reciprocal links. Still others might rely on criteria such as meta tags or some proprietary criteria.

Secondary search engines should be included in any SEO plan. Though these search engines might not generate as much traffic as the primary search engines, they will still generate valuable traffic that should not be overlooked. Many users of secondary search engines are users because they have some loyalty to that specific search engine.

Targeted Search Engine:

Targeted search engines - sometimes called topical search engines - are the most specific of them all. These search engines are very narrowly focused, usually to a general topic, like medicine or branches of science, travel, sports, or some other topic.

When considering targeted search engines for SEO purposes, keep in mind that many of these
search engines are much more narrowly focused than primary or secondary search engines

Source : Search Engine Optimization Bible - Wiley

Basics of Search Engine

Search Engine and its Basics

Web Search Engine or Simply Search Engine are designed to search the information in the world wide web. In the modern world more than half the population in the world use Internet daily to find information and things online. Internet is actually a collection of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) sites that users could access to download or upload files.

As like the web directories which is maintained by the manually by the human,, search engines also maintain real time information by running an algorithm web crawler. There are certain agents which saves the web page in a related database and these agents are called as crawlers, spiders or robots. The work of these agents is to crawl the web page store the information of the webpage in database by means of indexing. So when the user types something in the search, it results in showing the relevant result which is fetched form the website database.

The first real search engine, in the form that we know search engines today, didn’t come into being until 1993. It was developed by Matthew Gray, and it was called Wandex. Wandex was the first program to both index and search the index of pages on the Web. This technology was the first program to crawl the Web, and later became the basis for all search crawlers. And from there, search engines took on a life of their own. From 1993 to 1998, the major search engines that you’re probably familiar with today were created:

Excite - 1993
Yahoo! - 1994
Web Crawler - 1994
Lycos - 1994
Infoseek - 1995
AltaVista - 1995
Inktomi - 1996
Ask Jeeves - 1997
Google - 1997
MSN Search - 1998

Source : Search Engine Optimization by Wiley

On Page and Off Page Optimization Technique

On-page and Off -Page Optimization

There are certain activities to be done for a website in the search engines. SEO techniques are broadly divided into two such as Onpage Optimization and Off Page Optimization.

On-page Optimization concentrates on the page work, which immediately reflects on the website but offpage optimization is completely promotion based where the website is promoted in various other sites in the search engine to get listed.

Below is furnished list of Onpage and Offpage optimization techniques,

On-Page Optimization Techniques:

1. URL Optimization
2. Content Optimization
3. Footer links optimization
4. Determining the Structure of website
5. Adding Meta tags (Meta Title, Meta Tag, and Meta Description)
6. Keywords research and analysis
7. Competitor analysis
8. Anchor text optimization
9. Internal and External Link Structuring 
10. Sitemap Generation
11. Robot Text

Off-Page Optimization Techniques:

1. Directory Submission
2. Link building
3. Article Creation and Submission
4. Forum posting
5. Social Bookmarking
6. Profile link creation
7. RSS Feed Generation
8. Classified Submission
9. Guest Posting
10. Press Release
11. Blog creation, posting and commenting 
12. Review submission
13. Document Sharing
14. CSS Submission

Above is the list of On page and Off page SEO techniques, which helps to gain traffic for the website.

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing is also a part of Internet marketing which helps to increase branding, gaining attention and traffic for the website. Social media encourages the readers to share their thoughts through social networks.

Most of the corporate companies, private companies and other public companies use social media networks to share things about their company and also the general awareness. Through Social media networks, message can easily delivered to the users as much as can. It also allows individuals to interact with one another and build interaction. When companies or the products joins social media sites, users or the people can easily interact with each other about the product or the company.

There are lots of Social Media Marketing sites which helps to promote the business online, gain customers online and also increases branding of the website. Some of the most important social media marketing sites are,

1. Facebook
2. Linkedin
3. Youtube
4. Flickr
5. Twitter
6. Google+
7. Delicious
8. Digg
9. Stumbleupon
10. Squidoo and many

Check out more for other SEO and SMM related topics

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a process of increasing the visibility of the website in the search engine through organic search results. More the visibility of website, more the amount of visitors to the website which leads to increase in online customers. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search, academic search, news search and etc.

Search Engine Optimization is a part of internet marketing which helps to market the website online and get exposure in the search engines. SEO effectiveness of a website is determined by the position of website in SERP (Search Engine Result Page) when searching for certain keyword and also by web analytics.

Various Techniques of SEO?

There are certain legal and illegal techniques that are followed by the internet marketers to make the website or web page to get listed in the search engine, they are

• Black Hat Technique -  Illegal approach in handling a website without following any rule of search  engines, which leads the website to get banned
• White Hate Technique - Honest approach in optimizing a website by following the search engine rules
• Grey Hat Technique - Its a combination of White Hat and Black Hat Technique where the results doesn't lasts long