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.
Penguin 2.0/4 - Were You Jarred and/or Jolted?
Penguin 2.0 (4) rolled out Wednesday, and initial reports suggest that the impact was less than many had feared. I explore MozCast data, including industry categories, and the Big 20 sites (by SERP share). I also discuss the unconfirmed May 9 Google update.
SEO: The Future Is Bright, The Future Is Linkless
Less than a year ago links were everything to the SEO industry. Whether it was guest blogging or content marketing, the sole aim of many agencies revolved purely around sourcing and acquiring links. Even now you can still find conferences and 'how to' guides yammering on about how great they are. So what if I was to say that links aren’t that important, won’t add as much value eventually and shouldn’t be the main focus of your SEO campaigns?
Is Your Website Being Replaced with Google Plus Local Listings?
It has been almost a year since Google replaced their business listing service, Google Places, in favor of Google+ Local as part of the search engine’s continuing efforts to increase the relevancy of their social media network, Google+. I don’t know about you, but lately there has been a bit of a stirrup among some of our clients.
The Google AdWords Landscape (Infographic)
The evolving AdWords landscape impacts more than just PPC - on-page ads effect ranking position, CTR, and ultimately SEO success. We looked at 10,000 queries to find out where ads appear, how many of them there are, and how often they show up.
How Low Can #1 Go? (A Ranking Study)
We measured 10,000 Google SERPs to find out where #1 really ends up. It turns out that the top position actually covers a lot of land, and can be impacted not only by ads but many new search features. Post includes a full visualization of the data plus screenshots of the worst-case scenarios.Level Up Your SEO Skills With Our Free Training
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Secrets of the 7-Result SERP
Everything you ever wanted to know about Google's 7-result SERPs, plus 10-12 things you probably didn't want to know. I try to answer the big questions, like are 7-result SERPs connected to expanded site-links (hint: yes).
Going Beyond Moz Metrics to Answer: "Why is this Site Outranking Me?"
Aiming to answer one of the most frequently asked questions in the Moz Q&A forum, this post dives deep into the question of, "Why is this site outranking me for X and Y keyword, even though....?" Sit back, relax, and take in the knowledge!
The Evolution of the Use of the Internet: the Italian Case
Every country differs in the way its citizens use the Internet to gather information, interact with online communities, and experience entertainment. In today's post, Gianluca Fiorelli uses data to paint a picture of what search and Internet usage in Italy has looked like over the last few years, and what the future has in store.
25 Killer Combos for Google's Site: Operator
I'm a big fan of using simple tools well, and one of those tools is the site: operator. Here are 25 site-operator combos for your SEO detective work, along with a real-world case study, and an original experiment on the accuracy of site:.
Semantic Web and Link Building without Links > The Future for SEO?
Rand’s recent WBF about co-occurrence was a real wake up call for those still transfixed with link building practices of old. While anchor text based links may still have some effect, there is little arguing the fact that the factor’s importance is dwindling. In its place are things like social signals, link age, and, most importantly, a growing reliance on relevancy and how that is deciphered.