An algorithm is a mathematical equation that uses certain information from your website in order to define its rankings. If you're looking for a printout of specific equation Google uses to rank sites and how much each factor is weighed, this is not place to get it. The actual algorithm used by Google is a secret, and will stay that way for as long as they can keep it. Although specifics of algorithm are not released at all, Google patented basics of their algorithm, which makes it easily accessible to public. If you would like to view patent in all its splendor, simply search in whatever search engine you would like for phrase "Google Patent."

This is a general overview of general things this algorithm searches for, written in plain English for average webmaster. This guide will go over some of things Google's spiders are looking for, and how to utilize this knowledge in order to boost your rankings on Google search engine. Keep in mind that while this guide is written specifically for staying on Google's good side in regards to placement in their search engine, same tactics are definitely portable to other major search engines such as Yahoo and MSN. Although Google's algorithm is extremely complex compared to those of Yahoo and MSN many of same strategies still apply.

So, how does it work?

Basically, when a Google spider, or robot, finds your site a number of things are taken into consideration. Not only does this spider search through content and links on your page, cataloguing keywords, page titles and descriptions, backward links, and meta tags as it goes along, it even looks through your whois information. Whois information is information provided through your hosting company on who exactly owns website, including name, telephone number, email address, physical address, how long your site is registered for, and more. To check whois information on your site, as well as others, visit Complete Whois and type in URL of site you are checking information on.

All of these are major factors (yes, including your physical address and name and duration of your registration on a particular domain name) in algorithm. Therefore, it is extremely important to optimize every single part of your site, visible or invisible to common browser.

Great, but what do we need to know algorithm for?

Knowing Google algorithm, or at least basics of it, will give you an edge on your competitors by making you more likely to get higher rankings under desired keywords. In addition, you will receive more traffic from those listings, thereby increasing chances for getting links to your website, adding further traffic. Through a few high listings on Google, or other search engines for that matter, sky is limit when talking about traffic and potential sales or users.

For example, if you wanted to broadcast a new song over radio, but only did so using old equipment, regardless of quality of song, your entire station could be drowned out by larger broadcasting companies armed with new equipment and a larger range capability. Using latest tools and tactics will keep you on top of search engine listings, as well as put you on cutting edge in regards to your website's capabilities.

Some people say that framed sites, if done properly, have no problems in getting good rankings in search engines.

Others claim that if search engine optimization is important to you, never use frames.

In my opinion, truth lies somewhere in between. Yes, use of frames does throw up a few issues when it comes to getting good rankings in search engines which don't understand frames.

Hence, when you are designing a new site, I would recommend that you avoid using frames, unless you have a specific reason for doing so.

However, if you already have a site which uses frames, all is not lost. You can still get good rankings in search engines even though you have used frames.

Furthermore, using frames also has its own advantages when it comes to search engine placement, as we shall later on.

This article assumes that you have a working knowledge of frames. For more information on frames, go to http://www.webreference.com/dev/frames/

In case your site uses frames, key to getting good rankings lies in using NOFRAMES tag. The NOFRAMES tag is intended to help framed web sites display some content for those people who are using browsers which don't understand frames.

The search engines which don't understand frames also look at NOFRAMES tag. Hence, if you are using frames, you need to add content to NOFRAMES tag.

What you should do is to add a complete web page within NOFRAMES tag. Ensure that this page repeats important keywords for your site a number of times.

Also, in order to ensure that content within NOFRAMES tag is as prominent as possible to search engines, you should put NOFRAMES tag right after FRAMESET tag. However, don't put NOFRAMES before FRAMESET tag.