How does a search engine know about the millions of documents on the Internet?
Search engines do not search the Internet itself, but instead search a database of information about the Internet. Thus, when a document is placed on the Internet, it will only be found by a search engine if information about that document has been recorded in the search engine’s database.There are at least two ways a search engine finds out about a document. One way is for the publisher of the document to register it with the engine. If a document publisher wants to ensure that a document is “found” by search engines, then the publisher will usually register with as many engines as possible.The second way that documents get registered is if the search engine company finds it as part of its research routines. Some search engines use “spiders” or search robots to search the Internet and gather information which is subsequently recorded in the engine’s database.
Search engines do not search the Internet itself, but instead search a database of information about the Internet. Thus, when a document is placed on the Internet, it will only be found by a search engine if information about that document has been recorded in the search engine’s database. There are at least two ways a search engine finds out about a document. One way is for the publisher of the document to register it with the engine. If a document publisher wants to ensure that a document is “found” by search engines, then the publisher will usually register with as many engines as possible. The second way that documents get registered is if the search engine company finds it as part of its research routines. Some search engines use “spiders” or search robots to search the Internet and gather information which is subsequently recorded in the engine’s database.
