What are Search Engines and How Do They Affect Me?

Search engines such as Google and Bing are used by people to find sites relating to particular subjects. Search engines maintain databases of websites that they have analysed with regard to the site content. When you do a search, the search engine shows you websites that it thinks relate the most to your search term. It's not bothered how your site looks or what images are there.It is only interested in text content.

And what is search engine optimisation (aka SEO)

Search engine optimisation (hereafter SEO) is the process of making your website relate to your target keywords in the best possible way such that your site will appear at or near the top of a search for those keywords.

Google

Google is perhaps the best known and widely used search engine. Google AdWords is a very flexible and economical way of advertising. You set how much you are willing to pay per clickthrough and a daily maximum budget. It can be amended, paused or cancelled at any time.