What Does Google Do Behind the Scenes In a Search?

/ SEO / By

Unmasking the Wizard: What Does Google Do Behind the Scenes In a Search?

We’ve all been there. You type a question into the Google search bar, hit “Enter,” and voila! – a plethora of answers appear on your screen in milliseconds. But have you ever stopped to wonder, “How does Google do that?”

While the full scope of Google’s search engine algorithm remains a well-guarded secret, we can shed some light on the main processes and stages that occur when you hit that search button.

1. Crawling

Before Google can serve up any answers, it first needs to know what’s out there. This is where the Googlebot, a web crawler, comes into play.

  • Googlebot: This bot “crawls” the vast expanse of the internet to discover new and updated pages. It jumps from link to link, gathering information about each webpage and adding it to Google’s list of sites to be indexed.

2. Indexing

Once Google knows about a page, it’s time to understand and categorize its content. This is the indexing phase.

  • The Index: Think of this as Google’s massive digital library. Once the Googlebot gathers page data, this data is processed and stored in the index. It includes key signals about the page’s content, its relevance to certain search terms, and more.

3. The Search Query

Now, when you type a question or phrase into Google, you’re essentially accessing this vast index. But there’s more happening than just a simple lookup.

  • Understanding Intent: Google uses sophisticated natural language processing to decipher your search’s intent. Whether you’re looking for a how-to guide, a product, or a local restaurant, Google tries to understand what you want.
  • RankBrain: This is Google’s AI component, which helps process search queries. It interprets your searches and serves results that might not have the exact words you entered but are still relevant to your query.

4. Serving & Ranking

Once Google understands your intent, it’s time to serve up the most relevant results from its index.

  • Relevance: Google scans its index for pages that contain the keywords from your search or are semantically related to it.
  • Ranking Factors: Google uses over 200 ranking factors to determine which results should appear on the first page. Some known factors include the quality of content, mobile-friendliness, page speed, backlinks, domain authority, and more.

5. Personalization

Ever notice how Google’s search results can be eerily accurate? That’s because it also personalizes results based on various factors.

  • Your Search History: If you frequently search for “vegan recipes,” Google might prioritize vegan-related content in future unrelated searches.
  • Location: Local results get a boost. So if you’re in New York and search for “best pizza,” you’ll likely see NY-based pizza joints.

6. The Results Page

Lastly, the processed and prioritized results are presented to you in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). But it’s more than just a list!

  • Featured Snippets: These are the boxes you sometimes see at the top, providing quick answers to your queries.
  • Knowledge Panels: Often on the right side, these provide a concise overview of a topic, person, or place.
  • Ads, Local Packs, and More: Depending on your query, you might also see ads, local business listings, image packs, news stories, and other specialized result types.

In Summary

From the moment you type your search into Google to the moment results appear on your screen, a multitude of processes and algorithms work in harmony. They sift through billions of web pages, interpret your intent, rank pages based on hundreds of factors, and personalize results just for you.

PCM AGENCY
Scroll to Top