Search Relevance

Relevance can mean different things, depending on where you stand

To a Search Engine, relevance is ranking. Sometimes you will see query results ordered according to relevance, the top return being the most relevant. The criteria you have in mind when you search is not likely the criteria a search engine uses to determine which return is placed at the top. It is wise to be skeptical of "relevant" search engine returns. Depending on the search engine, relevance may be influenced by ads, popularity, the number of times keywords appear in an article and even your own search history.

To the searcher, relevance is the relationship between a question and its answers. Arriving at the best answer depends on information that is related in significant ways to the question. When others disagree with your answer, they usually have a good reason: information they think is even more closely related to the question. In other words, relevance is subjective business, especially when there is more than one "right" answer. Generally speaking, the more information you have that is closely related to the question, the better your answer is likely to be.

Become informed: Take time to ask a few simple questions. In searching, relevance is--to begin with--the task of matching keywords. First, take time to look at the information by asking:

Where are my keywords?

What related keywords are used?

Do these words make sense in terms of answers I am seeking?

What makes this information convincing or not?

That last question is particularly valuable in evaluating information for credibility. If you can answer the question, you are becoming informed.