Indexing
Indexing definition
Indexing refers to the process of adding pages from a website to a search engine's database, so that they can be shown in the search results when relevant[1]. When a search engine crawls a website, it follows links on the site to discover new pages, and then analyzes the content of those pages to determine their relevance and quality. If the search engine determines that a page is relevant and of high quality, it will be added to the search engine's index.
The process of indexing is an important part of how search engines work, as it allows them to discover and understand the content of the web and make it available to users through search results.
Factors that affect indexing
There are a number of factors that can affect a website's indexability, including the website's structure and navigation, the use of technical elements such as robots.txt and sitemaps, and the overall quality and relevance of the content.
Organic index
The organic index is the portion of the search engine's index that contains pages that have been naturally discovered and indexed, rather than added through paid inclusion or other methods.
Organic indexing is the process by which search engines discover and index web pages through the use of automated "crawlers" or "spiders." These crawlers follow links from one page to another and analyze the content of the pages they discover in order to understand the relevance and quality of the content. If the crawler determines that a page is relevant and of high quality, it will be added to the search engine's index.
The organic index is important because it represents the pages on the web that have been deemed most relevant and useful by the search engine, and these pages are typically given priority in the search results.
To improve the chances of their pages being included in the organic index, website owners can focus on creating high-quality, relevant content and following best practices for search engine optimization (SEO). This can help to improve the visibility and ranking of their pages in the search results.
Paid index
The paid index, also known as the "commercial index," is a portion of the search engine's index that contains pages that have been added through paid inclusion programs or other methods.
Not all search engines offer paid inclusion programs, and the use of paid inclusion as a way to improve a website's visibility in search results is generally controversial. Some people argue that paid inclusion can be used to manipulate search results and give an unfair advantage to those who can afford to pay for it, while others believe that it can be a useful tool for small businesses and other organizations that may not have the resources to compete with larger, more established websites.
Overall, the use of paid inclusion as a way to improve a website's ranking in the search results is a controversial topic, and it is up to individual search engines to decide whether or not to offer paid inclusion programs.
Related links
Overview of crawling and indexing topics