What is a Search Engine?
A search engine is a type of Web site that specializes in searching the Internet for information. Google, Bing, and Yahoo! are three of the most popular search engines, and they are used every day by millions of people searching the Internet for information.
Using a search engine is pretty easy, and most people using the Internet have done at least one search for something. You've probably done one yourself. In case you haven't, to use a search engine, you go to the main Web site of the search engine, such as www.google.com, then type in a word or phrase. Within seconds, the search engine returns the results of the search on a Web page, and these results are usually a pretty good selection of relevant web sites.
How do Search Engines Search the Internet?
Search engines don't actually go out and scan the Internet for you when you do your search since that would take a lot of time. Instead, search engines are always gathering information about all the Web sites on the Internet. Don't worry, this is all done with software, which never gets tired doing this job. The search engine takes all the information it collects and creates a catalog of its own. When you request a search, it's searching it's own catalog. This is why the search results display in a matter of a few seconds or less.
Where did Search Engines Come From?
Many popular search engines of today such as Yahoo and Google started out as simple listings without the ability to search. Instead of catering to each individual, they'd provide a standard list of popular websites on various topics. As computers got more powerful, web developers started cataloging information about as many web sites as possible and creating modern search engines. At the current time, search engines collect information about text and numbers, and media such as photos, videos, and music are cataloged using any text that describes them on a Web site.
Some Tips for Using Search Engines
Search engines have become very sophisticated at understanding what people are searching for, and will try to deduce what you are looking for based on how you typed in your search. For example, if you type in a search for the word flowers, the search engine is going to think you want to buy flowers, and will display Web sites where you can buy flowers in the search results. It's actually possible to type in a complete question when you request a search, and the search engine will know that you are looking for an answer to that question. You'll then see results that it thinks are likely to answer your question. Go ahead and give this a try and see if it might help the next time you do one.
Top search engines process billions of searches a day from millions of users around the world on almost every topic imaginable. Many users have their favorite search engine set up, so it is the first thing they see when they go online.
If you ever browse the internet, you've no doubt used a search engine to help you find information, locate specific websites, or just stave off boredom. You can also use search engines to see how popular a website is, and help others find your website.
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