Google is NOT a Search Engine

And I don't mean, "Ceci N'est pas une pipe"

[martinibuster]

(Note: These comments apply equally to Fast, Inktomi, Altavista, Teoma- which is why I feel they belong in "SEM Research Topics.")

Search Engine, the Search Engine?
I see many questions such as, "What does Google want?" "What does Google think about this?" "Does Google like this?"

We concentrate so hard on Search Engine, the search engine that we are forgetting about Search Engine, the web site.

Search Engine, the Web Site.
Google is a web site and there is a rich amount of information there. It is to your benefit and edification, if you wish to raise the level of your search engine sophistication, to visit every search engine, and discover the Web Site portion of their web sites, usually accessible through a "help" or "about" link.

There is a Webmaster Info [google.com] page that answers these burning questions:

• Getting Listed
  
• Not Listed
  
• Incorrect Listing
  
• Rank Questions
  
• Guidelines
  
• Facts & Fiction
  
• SEOs
  
• Frequent Questions
  

All the Search Engines are not a Search Engine
Additionally there is a FAST Spam Policy [alltheweb.com] Page and an Inktomi page on Inktomi's web site with similar information that tells you pretty much what they are looking for, what they think of you, and more.

If you have never visited their web sites, please do yourself a favor and visit them, you will be happy you did.

[albert]

Your analogy with Magritte's pipe is really interesting.

I don't remember who said: "If I was able to tell what the meaning of my piece of art is, I would have said it, and not painted it." Replace "able" with "willing" ...

You can analyse what's told - the SE's website. And you can look at what you see painted - the SERPs.

(This is not an update post!)

Magritte's first name was René, not Dominic ;)