Query

What is a query?

Simply put, a query, in the fields of IT and SEO, is a request for a particular piece of data, information, or content using a keyword or set of keywords.

If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:

Question #1: What is a database query?

A database query, as the name suggests, is a query that is directed specifically towards a database, such as:

• A product catalogue – If you have ever done online shopping, you are probably already familiar with this type of database—or at least how it works. It is the exact database the online store you are shopping at retrieves the products you are looking for whenever you perform a search.
• Member records – This is the type of database used by virtually any platform (or institution) that involves some kind of membership. It is normally used to store the name, personal details, and contact information of each member.
• A real estate listing – This type of database is practically the same as a product catalogue but for property listings.
• A music catalogue – This is the type of database a platform such as Spotify would use to store all the songs they have available for streaming.
• A video catalogue – This functions practically the same as a music catalogue database but for video files. It is perfect for platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Regardless of the type of database, however, the process is virtually the same:

1. The user submits a search query.
2. The system searches the database for any record or set of records that match the search query.
3. The system returns the matching records (or returns an error message if there are no matches).

To better understand how the whole thing works, imagine searching for an action camera on an online marketplace such as eBay. All you have to do is submit a query for ‘action camera’ and the platform would search its database for any listings related to ‘action camera’. If it finds anything, it will show you all matching results. If it does not, it would tell you that there are no listings available.

Question #2: What is a search engine query?

A search engine query is virtually the same as a database query. The only difference is that instead of database records, it returns links to web pages. Despite the similarity, however, the method of retrieving results is very different.

As we have seen earlier, with a database query, the system just checks for records that match keywords used.

An example of this would be a doctor looking for records of a particular patient. They would simply submit a query using the patient’s first and last name and the system will automatically try to search for and return any matching records.

In contrast, with a search engine query, the keywords are just one of the hundreds of different factors a search engine such as Google takes into account to figure out which results in it should return.

Other factors include:

• The search intent of the user – What exactly is the user looking for? What do the keywords they use actually mean? For example, if they submit a query with the keyword ‘orange’, are they looking to learn more about the fruit or the colour?
• Credibility and authority of the website – How many quality backlinks does the website, web page or piece of content have? Does it have a lot of returning visitors? How long do people stay per visit?
• Length and quality of the content – Does the piece of content actually have enough valuable information on the topic the user wants to know more about?
• Relevance of the content to the search query – Is the website, web page, or piece of content actually related to the query submitted?

Question #3: What are the best practices in handling a database query?

The best practices in handling a database query include:

1. Setting the system up to handle misspelt search queries. Either return the closest possible results or check with the user the way Google asks you ‘Did you mean…’ when you accidentally misspell something in search.
2. Ensuring your records use language your target users actually use. Do not insist on using industry-standard or technically correct terms that your target users never use—or at least configure your system to also handle ‘incorrect’ keywords.
3. For example, if you sell electric guitar parts, even if the technically correct term is ‘vibrato bar’, you would be better off using ‘tremolo bar’ or ‘trem bar’ instead because that is the term guitarists actually use.
4. Avoiding dead ends. If the system cannot find any matching records, either offer alternatives or provide a way to contact support instead of just saying there are no matching records.

Question #4: How do I ensure my content shows up in search when a user submits a query related to my products and services?

While there is no guaranteed way to ensure your content shows up in search when a user submits a query related to your products and services, you can increase your chances in two ways:

First, you can optimise your content for search, which involves tasks such as:

1. Creating actual valuable content – It will not only attract a steady stream of traffic but also give each visitor a reason to come back for more and share your content with other people, which, in turn, tells Google that you are credible and valuable resource.
2. Using the right keywords – The easiest way to establish the relevance of your content to a particular query in the eyes of search engines is to incorporate the exact search keywords in your content.
3. Making your website and content structure search engine friendly – Group your content into topic clusters using pillar pages and related subpages to make it easier for search engines to make sense of what it is about.

Even if you get everything we talked about above right, it still does not guarantee that you will make it to the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) given the sheer volume of content being published each day—which brings us to the second option: running paid ads.

Paid ads allow you to show up on page one for particular keywords despite your actual search ranking. And while they still do not guarantee that you will show up in front of everyone who searches for products, services, and content related to yours, they will ensure that you will get in front of a significant number of them, especially if you have a big ad budget.