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.
![How to Optimize for Google's Featured Snippets [Updated for 2024]](https://a-moz.groupbuyseo.org/images/blog/banners/599c98d541a541.28015161_2021-03-30-231401.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1617146041&s=a7cb5799cc1eca351d58a3e0a5f47aae)
Google’s featured snippets started as an experiment almost a decade ago. They have since become an integral part of Google’s SERPs, showing up for lots of queries. Making them part of your SEO strategy is essential to build more traffic.
What does the recent Google antitrust ruling mean for us as search marketers? What happened, and where do we go from here? Dr. Pete Meyers walks through the TL;DR of the ruling and what that may mean for the marketing industry. For more commentary on the remedies outlined by the court, read Dr. Pete's latest article.
Are you considering blocking AI bots? Perhaps you think it's crazy but want to see who it is. Tom Capper digs into the robots.txt of major sites to reveal who is blocking AI bots.
It’s time to rethink formulas. We need to be more fluid in our strategies and more whimsical in the risks we’re willing to take. Discover what Miriam learned about search from listening to 2 musicians.
How do we know what is and what isn’t a Google ranking factor? In this episode, Will reveals four testing ideas relating to the Google API leaks to help answer that question.
In this blog post, Miriam discusses 11 Google Business Profile fields that can have a positive impact on how you rank.
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How should I get listed in my Google Business Profile if I’ve got multiple businesses at the same address? How many listings am I eligible for if I’m running more than one business at my location? Get answers to your top questions in this comprehensive FAQ.
Are you still sleeping on brand as a ranking factor? Explore Tom’s detailed takeaways from the Google leak, with an emphasis on understanding Navboost queries, a click-based ranking system, and branded search.
Ongoing efforts with elements like updates, photos, and review responses show that your institution is an active, welcoming one that cares to be found and chosen by neighbors. Learn how to optimize your place of worship’s Google Business Profile with Miriam’s eight tips.
In this Whiteboard Friday, Tom touches on four particular insights gleaned from the recent Google documentation leak.
Google's AI search results are meant to quickly deliver information to searchers, but it is delivering misinformation that ranges from plain bizarre to perilous to public health. Miriam rounds up some of the oddest AI overviews we've seen, explains why we’re being exposed to this feature, and focuses on a famous reality-check anecdote.
In this Whiteboard Friday, Tom takes us through the top SERP features of 2024 by both presence and Share of Voice.