The Three Pillars of Search
Every search engine operates on three fundamental processes. Understanding these is the foundation of all SEO work.
- Crawling: Googlebot follows links across the web, discovering new and updated pages. It uses your sitemap as a roadmap, but also discovers pages through internal and external links.
- Indexing: Once crawled, pages are rendered and stored in Google's massive index. This is where your content enters the searchable database.
- Ranking: When a user searches, Google's algorithm evaluates 200+ signals to determine which pages best answer the query.
Key insight: If your page isn't crawled, it can't be indexed. If it's not indexed, it can't rank. Monitor crawl status in Google Search Console.
User Intent & Keywords
Every search query has intent behind it. Understanding intent is more important than keyword volume:
- Informational: "how to tie a tie" — user wants to learn
- Navigational: "facebook login" — user wants a specific site
- Transactional: "buy nike shoes" — user wants to purchase
- Commercial: "best running shoes 2026" — user is comparing options
Building a Keyword Strategy
Start with seed keywords and expand to long-tail phrases. Key metrics to evaluate:
- Search Volume: Monthly searches for the keyword
- Keyword Difficulty (KD): Competition score from 0-100
- CPC: Higher cost-per-click = higher commercial value
Pro tip: Go long-tail. Phrases with 3+ words have lower competition and higher intent. "Best SEO tools for small business 2026" converts better than "SEO tools."