What is a search engine?
A search engine is software that gives you the ability to search for information online, including text, audio, and images.
When we talk about search engines, we usually refer to services that search across the entire internet. But search engines also include search functions on websites, as well as search services within specific topics (such as, for example, Prisjakt, which allows you to check and compare prices).
How do search engines work?
After you have entered the information you want the search engine to search for, it retrieves data from within the system where search is available. It then ranks the results it finds based on criteria such as relevance and importance.
The criteria are evaluated differently from one search engine to another. For SEO (søkemotoroptimalisering), the primary focus is on Google, since it is the most widely used search engine in the world. Google assesses content based on a framework called E-E-A-T, which you can read more about here.
Different search engines
There are an incredible number of different search engines; below we have listed some of the most well-known within their respective specialties.
- Google - the world’s most used search engine
- Bing - the second most used search engine
- Youtube - the world’s most used video platform
- Baidu - the most used search engine in China
- Kvasir - the most widely used Norwegian search engine
- DuckDuckGo - a privacy-focused search engine that neither stores nor shares information about searches
Summary
A search engine is software used to find information online. The term also includes on-site search functionality and search services within specific topics. The most well-known search engine is Google.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the search engine only available online?
Search engines are software applications that search through a database to find information. This means that a search engine does not have to be connected to the internet, but in everyday language we usually talk about online search engines.
Are there any Norwegian search engines?
Kvasir.no and startsiden.no are both Norway-based search engines. In addition, several of the major international search engines offer Norwegian versions.
