Making Sense of Internet Results

 

By Lilian H. Hill

Any internet search will return thousands, or even millions, of results in less than a minute. How do you make sense of them? 

To best understand web search results, it is helpful to understand the terms Search Engine Results Page (SERP), Uniform Resource Locator (URL), sponsored content, and search engine optimization. These terms may be unfamiliar, so they are explained below.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

The format of this page may vary depending on what your search is about. For example, if you wish to purchase a down winter coat, the first page will likely contain ads from companies selling this type of coat. If you are searching for information about a topic, a knowledge graph may appear on the upper right side that contains brief statements about the topic, including photos and graphs (van de Rakt, 2018). 

Other features of the SERP are “Related Searches” or “People Also Ask For,” followed by variations and alternatives to the search terms you used. Depending on the words you used in your search terms, you may also see a definition of the word. 

    Search Result Organization. Search results are usually displayed with 10 results on each page. Each result will display a website name, address, and brief information about the website. See the example below.

Typically, search results are organized or ranked by their relevance to the query. Therefore, what you are searching for may be located on the first page of the results. 

Uniform Results Locator (URL) or Website Address 

Internet searches return information that is available on various websites. In addition to the website's name, the results display the URL. It functions in much the same way as a street address. Each URL is unique and should take you to a single website (Chi, 2023).

 

Figure 1: Anatomy of a Uniform Resource Locator

1. Scheme is the first part of a URL. Most website addresses begin with http:// which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. As personal privacy and security have become essential, look for the secure version: https:// meaning HyperText Transfer Protocol. The difference between http and https may feel like a minor detail, but “https” instructs your web browser to encrypt, meaning convert into code important information you enter, such as passwords or credit card numbers. That protects you from cyber criminals who want to steal your identity (Chi, 2023). 
2. Second-level domain is the name of the website you are visiting. Sometimes, it is an abbreviation of the website name when it is long (Chi, 2023). 
3. Top-level domain refers to the type of organization that owns the website. Domain extensions convey important information about the website's purpose and how trustworthy it might be. For example:
• .gov is reserved for government organizations
• .org is used by other types of organizations like non-profit organizations 
• .edu is used by educational institutions 
• .com is used by commercial entities (Chi, 2023; Domain, 2021).
4. Sub-directory directs your search to a particular location or page on a website (Chi, 2023). In Figure 1, the subdirectory directs the searcher to the Adult Learning Exchange Virtual Community page of the SCOC Consulting website. 

Sponsored Content

The first several results may be labeled as sponsored, meaning they are advertisements for a product or service. Depending on your interests, sponsored content may only be somewhat relevant. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO refers to the process of making changes to a website to increase its visibility in search engines so that the website is more likely to appear on the first page of a search result. If you are a vendor or service provider or share information on topics people seek, it is easy to understand how important it is to be more visible. Many companies now employ people whose responsibility is SEO. They constantly tinker with website wording to match the keywords people most use. This means there may be better choices than the websites on the first page. Instead, the website staff may be very skilled in SEO and the product or service, but it is possible that the product or information could be mediocre. That is why it is important to dig past the first page of results (MindTools Content Team, 2023).

This information provides the first steps to being able to assess the credibility of the results of any internet search. Future blog posts will explore how to assess the information provided on a website. 

References

Chi, C. (2023, May 10). Parts of a URL: A short guide. Retrieved https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/parts-url#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20parts%20of,at%20least%20three%20of%20them.

Domain (2021, March 22). Types of a domain: A helpful guide. Retrieved https://www.domain.com/blog/domain-name-types/

MindTools Content Team (2023). Seven ways to find what you want on the internet. Retrieved https://www.mindtools.com/abtmh5z/seven-ways-to-find-what-you-want-on-the-internet

 van de Rakt, M. (2018, February 26). SEO basics: Elements of the Google Search Engine Results Page. Retrieved https://yoast.com/elements-of-the-google-search-result-page/#:~:text=Google's%20SERPs%20can%20show%20various,these%20elements%20will%20show%20up