Web indexing
Encyclopedia
Web indexing includes back-of-book-style indexes
to individual website
s or an intranet
, and the creation of keyword metadata to provide a more useful vocabulary for Internet or onsite search engines. With the increase in the number of periodicals that have articles online, web indexing is also becoming important for periodical websites.
Back-of-the-book-style web indexes may be called "web site A-Z indexes." The implication with "A-Z" is that there is an alphabetical browse view or interface. This interface differs from that of a browse through layers of hierarchical categories (also known as a taxonomy
) which are not necessarily alphabetical, but are also found on some web sites.
Web site A-Z indexes have several advantages over Search Engines - Language is full of homographs and synonyms and not all the references found will be relevant. For example, a computer-produced index of the 9/11 report showed many references to George Bush but did not distinguish between George H. W. Bush
and George W. Bush
. In an environmental text, the phrase "lead users" will refer, not only to users of the metallic element, but also to early adopters of technology. Some hits will be time-wasting references, such as looking up “teaching children” and finding only the statement saying "... the above is not relevant when teaching children". Possibly more concerning, Search Engines may miss information – looking up the Dardanelles and missing references to the Hellespont or Çanakkale Boğazı, or seeking information about population and missing discussions about the number of people living in the area. A human-produced index has someone check each and every part of the text to find everything relevant to the search term, while a Search Engine leaves the responsibility for finding the information with the enquirer.
Although an A-Z index could be used to index multiple sites, rather than the multiple pages of a single site, this is unusual.
Metadata web indexing involves assigning keywords or phrases to web pages or web sites within a meta-tag field, so that the web page or web site can be retrieved with a search engine that is customized to search the keywords field. This may or may not involve using keywords restricted to a controlled vocabulary list.
Index (publishing)
An index is a list of words or phrases and associated pointers to where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document...
to individual website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s or an intranet
Intranet
An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating system within that organization. The term is used in contrast to internet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network...
, and the creation of keyword metadata to provide a more useful vocabulary for Internet or onsite search engines. With the increase in the number of periodicals that have articles online, web indexing is also becoming important for periodical websites.
Back-of-the-book-style web indexes may be called "web site A-Z indexes." The implication with "A-Z" is that there is an alphabetical browse view or interface. This interface differs from that of a browse through layers of hierarchical categories (also known as a taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
) which are not necessarily alphabetical, but are also found on some web sites.
Web site A-Z indexes have several advantages over Search Engines - Language is full of homographs and synonyms and not all the references found will be relevant. For example, a computer-produced index of the 9/11 report showed many references to George Bush but did not distinguish between George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. In an environmental text, the phrase "lead users" will refer, not only to users of the metallic element, but also to early adopters of technology. Some hits will be time-wasting references, such as looking up “teaching children” and finding only the statement saying "... the above is not relevant when teaching children". Possibly more concerning, Search Engines may miss information – looking up the Dardanelles and missing references to the Hellespont or Çanakkale Boğazı, or seeking information about population and missing discussions about the number of people living in the area. A human-produced index has someone check each and every part of the text to find everything relevant to the search term, while a Search Engine leaves the responsibility for finding the information with the enquirer.
Although an A-Z index could be used to index multiple sites, rather than the multiple pages of a single site, this is unusual.
Metadata web indexing involves assigning keywords or phrases to web pages or web sites within a meta-tag field, so that the web page or web site can be retrieved with a search engine that is customized to search the keywords field. This may or may not involve using keywords restricted to a controlled vocabulary list.
See also
- Information architectureInformation ArchitectureInformation architecture is the art of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems. Among these activities are library systems, Content Management Systems, web development, user interactions, database development, programming,...
- Search engineWeb search engineA web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
- Search engine optimizationSearch engine optimizationSearch engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
- Index (search engine)Index (search engine)Search engine indexing collects, parses, and stores data to facilitate fast and accurate information retrieval. Index design incorporates interdisciplinary concepts from linguistics, cognitive psychology, mathematics, informatics, physics, and computer science...
Further reading
- Glenda Browne and Jonathan Jermey, Website indexing: enhancing access to information within websites, 2nd Edition, ISBN 1-875145-56-7
- James Lamb, Website Indexes: visitors to content in two clicks, or website indexing with XRefHT32 freeware, ISBN 978-1-4116-7937-5
- Beyond Book Indexing: How to Get Started in Web Indexing, Embedded Indexing, and Other Computer-Based Media, edited by Marilyn Rowland and Diane Brenner, American Society of Indexers, Info Today, Inc, NJ, 2000, ISBN 1-57387-081-1
- Why Create an Index?
- Open Social Web 3.0 Directory – Compare and review web indexing programs