Index

What is Index?

When search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo crawl the internet, they discover web pages and then store relevant information about these pages in their index. This process is crucial because it allows users to find content through search queries. The indexed pages are the ones that appear in search results when users look for specific keywords or phrases. The indexing process involves analyzing the content, structure, and relevance of a page to ensure it meets the search engine's quality standards. If a page is not indexed, it won't show up in search engine results, making it invisible to potential visitors. Therefore, ensuring that your web pages are properly indexed is a fundamental step in any SEO strategy.

In the SEO industry, 'Index' refers to the database where search engines store web pages that they have crawled and deemed valuable enough to be presented in search results.

Examples

A blog post on '10 Best Travel Destinations for 2023' that gets indexed by Google can appear in search results when someone searches for 'best travel destinations 2023'.

An online store selling 'handcrafted wooden furniture' will want its product pages indexed so that they can show up when users search for 'buy wooden furniture online'.

Additional Information

Pages that are not indexed can sometimes be found using the 'site:yourdomain.com' search operator.

Using tools like Google Search Console can help you understand which of your pages are indexed and how they are performing.

References

What Is Indexing in SEO? A Beginner's Guide [Plus Tips]

Indexing in SEO - A Complete Guide for 2024 | Onely

Indexing in SEO: Checking, Improving, and Best Practices