Course Description
A Free Online Video Course by Pam Ann Aungst, M.B.A.
Ever wonder what happens in the split second between typing a search query and seeing results? Google processes over 130 trillion web pages to find the best answers for you, and it does it in a fraction of a second. But how?
In this free introductory course, you will learn the three fundamental processes that power every search engine: crawling, indexing, and ranking. We will break down how search engines discover new web pages, collect and store their content, and then sort through all of it to deliver the most relevant results for every search.
Whether you are a business owner trying to understand why your website does or does not show up in search results, a marketing professional looking to build a foundation in SEO, or simply a curious learner, this course will give you a clear, jargon-free understanding of the technology behind the search box you use every day.
What you will learn:
By the end of this course, you will understand how search engines discover, collect, and sort (rank) web pages, including what crawlers are and how they find content, why search engines need to store copies of web pages on their own servers, and what factors algorithms use to decide which pages deserve the top spots in search results.
No technical background is required. Just bring your curiosity and get ready to look at that Google search bar in a whole new way.
About Your Instructor
Pam Aungst Cronin is the owner of Pam Ann Marketing, LLC and Stealth™ Search and Analytics. She is a widely recognized expert in SEO, PPC, analytics, and AI. Since founding her agency 15 years ago, Pam has established herself as a leading voice in the industry, with recognition as one of the “Top 10 Women in SEO” and features in 6 books, numerous podcasts, and several major media outlets. Armed with a marketing M.B.A. and over two decades of industry experience, her focus is on helping brands maximize their visibility across both search engines and AI chatbots.
Download the Slides
Lesson 1: Introduction & Overview
Lesson 2: Overview: Crawl, Index, Rank
Lesson 3: Crawl: How Search Engines Discover Web Pages
Lesson 4: Index: Why Search Engines Collect Web Page Content
Lesson 5: Rank: How Search Engines Sort Search Results
Lesson 6: Search Engine Algorithm Updates and Penalties
Lesson 7: Summary
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