SEO Cumbria - A Web of Numbers
Although many of us think of the web as being made up of images and words, numbers play a big part. Guest Web Watch author Sabina Hine takes a look at the numbers game going on within websites.
What are algorithms? There are various types of algorithms, however the common definition of an algorithm as described by users of www.wikipedia.org is as follows: "In mathematics, computing, linguistics, and related disciplines, an algorithm is a finite list of well-defined instructions for accomplishing some task that, given an initial state, will proceed through a well-defined series of successive states, possibly eventually terminating in an end-state." But what does this mean in layman terms? Basically it is a mathematical equation that has a set criteria that must be met in order to get the requested result.
How do they work in relation to websites ?
When implementing this system to a search engine, the search engine has a set criteria in place that applies to all websites, whichever website has the most sets met gains the top position for each given search term for example if we type "website design agency Kendal" into Google we will see the website that has met all the criteria set by Google and thus has the number 1 position, all other sites below this no.1 website will have met certain elements but not as many as website no.1. More information on how search engines work can be found at www.howstuffworks.com What purpose do they serve in relation to website owners and surfers?
Website search engine algorithms have a great purpose for many a user such as students searching for information on their coursework, consumers wishing to buy online, surfers wanting to view the latest news around the world, the web is mainly a huge directory of information on any topic, it is the searching for that particular piece of required information which then requires the algorithm to come into play. This is when businesses can make the most of the search engines by ensuring their websites meet the criteria in order to ascertain the no.1 slot, which will inevitably ensure the surfer clicks to their site to view their products or services.
Alternative forms of promotion without using the algorithm if the website does not meet the criteria, are also available, a website owner may wish to pay for the position using Adwords (https://adwords.google.com) or Pay Per Click Campaigns and banner ads etc, all this ensures maximum top page visibility, the probability of a user going onto click onto the website displayed has then been increased drastically without the need of implementing any search engine requirements, however using this method may also prove to be a costly route to take.
Conclusion - Because the web is an ever growing place of information the information is now being presented in various different ways:
Video clip sites (e.g. www.youtube.com ).
Blog sites (e.g. www.blogsearch.google.com ).
Forums (e.g. http://search-engine-forums.webwobot.com).
These areas of information provide new avenues for advertising and marketing, thus algorithms have and are being created to accommodate these varying forms of search, which also means new forms and techniques of search engine optimisation is required for each type. What does this mean for us? Well, basically we can create a website that will reach our consumers and all the instructions are available on the web via search engines, you just need to search.
