FAQ's

What is web page ranking? Search engines display their results as an ordered list.  The list is 'ranked' with the most relevant websites (as determined by the search engine's ranking algorithm) highest on the first page of returns.  There are many factors involved in determining the rank order of search results. It is important for the serious searcher to understand the underlying dynamics of the process.

How do search engines determine the relevancy of a web page?

Each search engine determines the relevance of a page as it relates to a query by using a ranking algorithm.  The ranking algorithm is a computerized formula designed to match highly relevant pages with a user's query.  The exact nature of each search engine's ranking formula is a closely guarded secret.  In general, search engines use a combination of factors that always include keyword frequency and page popularity.  If a query is well formed, the results, while imperfect, often satisfy the searcher.  (See the IMSA modules on Keywords, Operators, and Queries for more information on how to form effective queries.)

Do all search engines use the same formula when determining ranking?

Each search engine has a unique ranking algorithm that parses its database of web pages to determine relevant responses to your queries.  Relevance is determined by weighing both keyword and website popularity factors.  The same query done on different search engines will yield different rankings.  Each search engine will weight the relevancy of a page according to its own special algorithm.  Additionally, each search engine indexes information in a different way.  This means that the relevancy rankings of each site will be unique. 

How are keywords used to determine ranking? The keywords of your query start the process.  All ranking algorithms consider how often keywords appear in a document (frequency).   They also measure keywords in relation to each other within a document (proximity).  Another measure considers the location of keywords in a document.  Keywords occurring at the beginning of a page are considered most important.  Additionally, keywords that appear in the titles of pages, and in the URLs of the pages, are given more 'weight' as relevancy is determined.

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Authored by Dennis O'Connor 2003-2004