Search engines work by crawling and indexing the web, then retrieving and ranking relevant results based on user queries. The process begins with web crawlers, which are automated programs that browse the internet and collect information from websites. These crawlers gather data like page content, metadata, and links, which are then stored in a search engine's index.
When a user enters a query, the search engine compares it to its indexed data and ranks the most relevant results based on various ranking factors, such as keyword matches, user intent, and content quality. Modern search engines also use machine learning algorithms to understand the meaning behind the query and deliver contextually relevant results.
The final step is presenting the results to the user in a user-friendly interface. Search engines may display results in different formats, such as traditional blue links, featured snippets, images, and knowledge panels, depending on the type of query.