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What is a search engine?

There are billions of web pages on the internet. How do you find the one you’re looking for? You use a search engine!

A Giant Index

A search engine is like a giant index for the entire internet. It’s a special website that helps you find other websites. You type in a word or a phrase (called a “search term” or “keyword”), and the search engine gives you a list of websites that match.

You’ve probably heard of some of the most popular search engines:

  • Google: The biggest and most well-known search engine in the world.
  • Bing: Another big search engine, made by Microsoft.
  • DuckDuckGo: A search engine that focuses on privacy and doesn’t track what you search for.

Each search engine is a little bit different. Some are faster, some give better results for certain topics, and some, like DuckDuckGo, make sure your searches stay private.

Why do we need them?

Without search engines, you would have to know the exact web address (like www.google.com) of every single website you wanted to visit! It would be like trying to find a book in a library that has no signs, no librarians, and no computer system to help you.

Imagine trying to find a specific recipe for chocolate cake among billions of pages without a search engine. You’d be clicking links forever! Search engines do the hard work of organizing the internet so you can find what you need in less than a second.

Search engines aren’t just for typing words anymore. You can also search in other ways:

  • Image Search: You can upload a photo or use a link to find out where an image came from or to find similar pictures.
  • Voice Search: You can talk to your phone or computer, and it will use a search engine to find the answer for you.
  • Map Search: Search engines can help you find where a business is located and even give you directions on how to get there.

Did you know?

  • Googol: The name “Google” comes from the word “googol,” which is a very large number—the digit 1 followed by one hundred zeros!
  • Searching the Web: Google processes over 8.5 billion searches every single day!
  • BackRub: Did you know that Google’s original name was actually “BackRub”? The founders changed it to Google a year later.

Check Your Knowledge

  1. In your own words, what is a search engine?
  2. Why would it be almost impossible to use the internet today without search engines?
  3. What is a “search term” or “keyword”?
  4. Name three different ways you can search for information besides typing in a word.
  5. Why might someone choose to use DuckDuckGo instead of Google?