Stage 2: Indexing Once a page has been crawled, it’s time for Google to understand its essence through indexing. Google processes and analyzes the page’s content, including text, images, videos, and more. It’s like delving into the heart of the page!
Indexing also involves determining if a page is a duplicate or canonical version of another page. Google groups similar pages, selects the most representative one as the canonical, and considers it for search results. Other pages in the group serve alternate purposes, such as mobile versions or specific contexts. It’s like assembling the perfect puzzle!
During indexing, Google gathers signals about the canonical page and its content, including language, local relevance, and usability. These signals come in handy for the next stage—serving search results. It’s all about providing the best results possible!
All the collected information about the canonical page and its cluster is stored in the mighty Google index—an extensive database hosted on thousands of computers. It’s a treasure trove of knowledge, but not every processed page makes it into the index. Google is selective, like an art curator, ensuring the index represents the best of the web.
Indexing can face challenges too. Low-quality content, robots meta rules preventing indexing, or complex website designs can pose obstacles. But Google is up to the challenge!
