In this second module in Similarweb's series SEO Basics for Beginners, Gerald covers everything you need to know about search engine optimization (SEO) and how search works.

The three leading players in the global search landscape are Google, Amazon, and YouTube.

How does Google search work?

• The first stage of Google search indexing is the algorithm bots, also referred to as crawlers or spiders. Google's bots find and read websites and turn their information into search results
• The second stage is indexation. The crawlers store results by the type of bot, keywords found, and where they are located on the page.
• Next up is ranking. The most relevant results are presented at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). The results at the top are the highest-ranked, and the ones further down are less relevant. 

There are many factors impacting ranking results, such as language, linguistics, location, the searcher's device, the user intent of a search query, content backlinking criteria, and algorithm logic.

How does Amazon search work?

Amazon offers an online marketplace of buyers and sellers. The retail giant uses a range of metrics to determine on-site product ranking. 

Here are the top 4 ranking factors to look out for:

1. Ensure you have a complete product listing page (e.g., page title, product description, images, etc.) that is complete, accurate, original, and relevant to what potential buyers are looking for.
2. Check that your product keywords are relevant and aligned with what the researcher needs. 
3. Authentic reviews and customer satisfaction indicators are crucial for ranking high on Amazon. The search engine also considers order defect rate and how often and quickly you respond to customers' questions. 
4. Other factors that might be taken into account are your stock levels, price (in comparison to other suppliers), and your product listing's conversion rate. 

How does YouTube search work?

The big 3 ranking factors for YouTube are:

1. Titles and descriptions that are accurate to what is actually in the video. 
2. Adding a transcript of the video.
3. Search intent - That basically means your video content aligns with the questions searchers are asking. If you meet the intent you’ll bring in more views, likes, subscribers, comments, and shares on social.

A strong video SEO strategy requires looking at how people view all of your content and not just a particular video. YouTube factors in retention metrics such as how long people are viewing. If people are dropping off quickly, it could mean your content needs to be adjusted or the keywords aren't relevant - in which case you'll need to update the title and description to make it informative enough for viewers.