Term:
Search Engine Result Pages
Acronym:
SERPs
Definition:
Pages returned by a search engine when a search is performed. These pages contain lists of websites that the search engine thinks best match the search requested.
Each search engine will return a different set of results based on its own algorithm. The same set of keywords can return different results when they are entered into the search box in a different order. For instance "used cars california" will likely return a different set of results that "california used cars". In the first instance "used" is the most important word followed by "cars" and then "california" while in the second instance "california" is the most important word.
You also will see different results depending on whether you use quotes or not. "used cars california" will return a different set of results then used cars california with out the quotes. When you add the quotes the search engines search for the exact phrase, all of the words in the order you put them. When you search with out the quotes the search engines will look for pages that contain any of the words anywhere on the page, and may even return pages that do not have one or more of the words on them at all.
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