Indexing refers to the process of collecting, parsing, and storing data in an index, typically in a database, in order to make it easily searchable and retrievable. In the context of search engines, indexing refers to the process of adding web pages to a search engine’s database, so that they can be included in search results when users search for relevant keywords or phrases.
When a search engine indexes a web page, it analyzes the content of the page, such as the text, images, and links, in order to understand the topic and context of the page. The search engine then uses this information to determine how relevant the page is to different search queries and to decide where to rank the page in search results.
The process of indexing starts with web crawling, where the search engine’s web crawler visit websites and follow links to other pages to discover new pages and update their databases with new or changed content. Once the web pages have been discovered and analyzed, the search engine will add them to the index.
Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo have huge indexes that include billions of web pages. Website owners and webmasters can use tools such as Google Search Console to monitor how search engines are indexing their websites and to identify any issues that might affect the visibility of their websites in search results.
Also, See: Search Intent in SEO