SERPs

Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are the ordered lists of results generated by a keyword search on an Internet search engine.

By far the most widely used engines are Google, Yahoo and Live Search (formerly MSN), but there are many more available to use with various specialisations and features.

These search engines gather information about each of the webpages on each of the sites they list by having an automated program (a 'spider') visit each page and index the ('onscreen') content. Other ('offscreen') data is then factored in to give a quantative metric with which to compare one webpage with another. The actual algorithm used by each of the search engines is different, and of course secret, but much can be gained from observation and experience.

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