If you are running a search engine and want to rank the pages in your index for best relevancy, you can use clustering algorithms. These work by defining sets of related items and then analyzing each set to find the most representative item which is then used as a representative for that set. The clusters themselves can be defined either manually or automatically.
Cluster search engines take this idea one step further by storing only the representative items for each cluster, which removes them from queries and queries from them, thereby saving resources and increasing query speed.
In this article
What is a cluster search engine?
A cluster search engine is a search engine that can break down large databases into smaller groups of data, allowing each group of data to be searched for specific clusters of information. Clusters can be geographical or categorized by interest, such as college majors.
Cluster search engines are helpful because they allow you to find out more about specific topics without having to go through hundreds or thousands of pages on Google.
Although not every search engine utilizes a cluster search engine, most of the major search engines have added a cluster feature. Specialized cluster search engines focus on specific topics such as politics, real estate, or job searches.
Some cluster search engines provide you with detailed information about each school displayed on the page, which is especially useful if it’s your first time visiting one of these sites. When you click on a single school from the list, you will be able to see information such as location and tuition cost and an overall rating based on reviews from students and parents.
Cluster search engines always allow you to narrow your searches further, so if a cluster search engine doesn’t have what you’re looking for, simply click the “More info” link and start looking for clusters related to your interests. You can also use cluster search engines as a way to evaluate the different colleges in your area.
How it is Different?
There are differences between cluster search engines and usual search engines.
The Cluster Search Engine has its database where it stores the data about the clusters. With usual search engines, this information is embedded in the basic search database. It also allows for more customization for searches based on location or specific fields that people want to filter out or work with differently than other fields.
- On-Page Search Engines vs. Clustering
Cluster engines are helpful when you’re looking for similar things on your website, but if you’re looking for specific pages, you’d be better off using an on-page search engine like Screaming Frog or SiteCatalyst which visits your website to find the content that you need.
- Clustering vs. SCORM-based
Cluster search engines are limited to certain areas of the Internet, but SCORM-based clustering is created for all website pages, so Webmasters can easily customize their content using the same technology.
How to use cluster search engine?
Cluster search engines are usually programmed so that you can either define or find clusters on your own or have them found automatically. If you define the clusters then the cluster engine will create a database of information about each cluster. This database is what you will see on the cluster search engine at the top of the page.
If you want to find clusters, then you need to go through all of these pages and identify each cluster that represents your specific interests. After finding all of the clusters that represent your interests, then choose one of these clusters as a representative for that set and run a search using this representative. The results page will display only those pages that are selected as representatives for their respective sets.
The steps should be easy but, you need to use your knowledge and experience to find the right program. There are many choices out there, and you need to do a lot of testing and development before finding the right one for you.
How to rank?
As a cluster search engine is a new form of a search engine, they don’t necessarily follow the same rules that all other search engines use. There are no set keyword rankings, and the only way to get a good ranking is through the best website content. Find a topic that you understand and run a website around it. The more information, reviews, and details about your topic, the better ranking you’ll have on cluster search engines.
Another thing to remember is that several sites will be ranked differently depending on their popularity and whether or not people find them useful for their searches. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of ranking high on a cluster search engine but remember that if people don’t find it helpful, then they won’t use it.
What are the disadvantages of using them?
Just like any form of marketing, you will need to develop your site and content before you can expect to see any results. There is no built-in ranking system with cluster search engines, so unlike other types of websites, your success will come almost entirely from your content, which can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Clustering is the act of categorizing items (information or data) into groups (clusters) that are based on some shared characteristic(s).
