Search Engines

Understanding how search engines work, Google in particular, is important when working in SEO. The basics of crawling and indexing are amazingly useful to understand if you want to rank your own content.

Additionally, Google updates its algorithm several times a year. Understanding the more significant updates, and how they work, can help you to craft content and SEO strategies that are up-to-date.

We've written extensively about how search engines work, and included some of the top resources here. You can also browse the latest posts on search engines from the Moz blog below.

How Search Engines Work : New to SEO? Start with the basics of how search engines operate with our free beginner's guide.

Search Engine Ranking and Visibility : Learn the fundamentals of how search engines rank content on search engine result pages.

Google Algorithm Update History : A complete history of Google algorithm updates since 2000. This includes important links and references for understanding how Google works.

How Search Engines Value Links : Search engines work off a number of signals, but two of the most important are content and links. In this video, Rand Fishkin explains the basics of link evaluation.

MozCast : Is Google updating it's algorithm as we speak? MozCast is the Google algorithm weather report, so you can see how much Google results are changing each day.

Search Engines

Google's Walled Garden: Are We Being Pushed Out of Our Own Digital Backyards?

Google is driving more and more clicks back to Google and creating fully in-search experiences, including custom portals. Are they walling off a garden built on our content? What does (and doesn't) Google owe us — as marketers, search users, and content creators?

Content Marketing Search Engines

The Google Ranking Factor You Can Influence in an Afternoon [Case Study]

One content marketing agency was able to improve their rankings within 60 seconds of being reindexed—and after careful, thoughtful retooling of the page content. Learn how they successfully catered to Hummingbird and what process they followed in this case study.

Local SEO Search Engines

How Is Google's New "Questions and Answers" Feature Being Used? [Case Study]

One of Google's newest features in the local SERPs doesn't seem to have great adoption by business owners. How are people Google's new Questions & Answers, and who gets the most benefit from participation? Check out the takeaways from this case study by Miriam Ellis.