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.
In this video, we analyze 46,000 keywords to reveal where AI Overviews are actually appearing in search results, which industries are most affected, and what this means for your SEO strategy. Using data from STAT, we break down the differences across markets, search intent, and SERP features to help you understand if and how AI Overviews impact your vertical.
In this week’s episode of Whiteboard Friday, Tom follows up on his previous blog post about the Helpful Content Update and provides actionable insights into what you can do if you’ve been impacted by this rollout.
Are Google’s Helpful Content Updates affecting your rankings in unexpected ways? It might not be just about your content. As the August update rollout wraps, we can expect some winners and some losers, but why? Tom Capper digs into the data and reveals the surprising reality of what sites impacted by the Helpful Content Update have in common.
![How to Optimize for Google's Featured Snippets [Updated for 2024]](https://moz.com/images/blog/banners/599c98d541a541.28015161_2021-03-30-231401.jpg?w=1180&h=400&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1617146041&s=cdf74edaae5e0eaf2c67ffd81513cc7b)
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.
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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.
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.
In this Whiteboard Friday, Garrett discusses AI Overviews and how to optimize your SEO strategy for this new super-charged AI-powered search ranking snippet.
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.