What is Google Algorithm? Useful Guide

A common definition of an algorithm is: “a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps.” Following the same logic, Google algorithm is a complicated system that gives Google the ability to retrieve, position and provide the most relevant pages regarding a specific search. In other words, ranking a page is made up of numerous algorithms that take into account other factors as well, such as relevance, quality and usability of the page.

How does Google algorithm work?

Think of when you search for something on Google. For example, when typing “Best forex brokers”, millions of results show up from the search engine for you to choose from. The question is: How did Google decide which of these results to return and which ones to put first? The answer is quite simple: There is an algorithm behind it.

In order for relevant results to be returned though, Google must know what users are searching for exactly and what their intention is. In other words, what do they expect to find after they submit their search request?

What does Google want to know?

While reading a page, the google algorithm pre-determines a numerical value for each characteristic it looks for in a page. This value is then added to the final result. The page with the most desirable characteristics will rank first because of the importance the algorithm assigns it.

Below are some of the things that Google needs to understand:

1. What the words actually mean – the literal meaning of the specific words used in the search.
2. Intention behind the search – what does the user want to find by the specific search request? Is it a review, a website, a purchase or anything else?
3. If the search is time-sensitive – if the query is urgent, how fresh/new content it demands

If the search includes something like “how to start trading” then all of the above points are pretty straightforward. However, if someone uses a general query such as “trading”, then it will be harder for the google algorithm to know what the user meant precisely. As a result, it shows the best possible scenario and the most relevant but also provides alternatives.

Factors affecting the google search results

There are some factors that affect a page’s ability to appear first in google search results:

• SEO

Whether targeted keywords are used in the page’s meta title, meta description and H tags.

• Organic links

How many naturally-occurring links direct to the page

• Mobile responsiveness

How the page appears and performs on mobile devices

There are a few of the characteristics that the Google algorithm looks for when trying to determine how to return results and rank pages.

Google algorithm and search

There is one basic Google algorithm used for all google searches. However, this varies according to the search, that is, it becomes personalised based on the searcher. For instance, if someone is searching for “best forex programs”, this is different from someone searching for “how to trade”. Both expect different results.

Therefore, depending on the search, the algorithm is adjusted and can change even when altering the spelling or word order of the search. Then, the results are provided to the searcher who is responsible to choose which page to visit.

This is a fast procedure. The Google algorithm is specially designed to provide a broad spectrum of individualised results. In fact, nowadays Google algorithm is capable of providing sufficient suggestions even with a one-word search. This indicates how the algorithm takes into account the browser history and other factors to offer personalised results.

If you have any general queries or comments relating to this article please send an email directly to our Research team at research_team@ironfx.com
Disclaimer:
This information is not considered as investment advice or an investment recommendation, but instead a marketing communication. IronFX is not responsible for any data or information provided by third parties referenced, or hyperlinked, in this communication.

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