Basics of How Web Searching Works

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to web crawling, indexing, and SEO fundamentals.

Search Engine

A system that crawls, indexes, and ranks web pages to deliver relevant results to user queries.

Robot (Crawler/Spider)

A program used by search engines to discover and analyze new web pages across the Internet.

Link

A pathway between web pages that robots follow to find and crawl new content.

Google Webmaster Tools

A free service that helps webmasters ensure their sites are discovered and properly indexed by Google’s robots.

Index (Search Index)

The massive database where crawled pages are cataloged so search engines can quickly retrieve them for search results.

Indexing

The process of adding analyzed web pages into a search engine’s database for future retrieval.

Data Center

A facility housing numerous servers that store copies of the search index, enabling fast global access to information.

Search Query

A word or phrase entered by a user into a search engine to find information.

Relevance (in SEO)

How closely a web page’s content matches a user’s search query.

Authority (in SEO)

A measure of a website’s trustworthiness and influence, impacting how high it ranks in search results.

Keyword

A term or phrase on a web page that signals its subject matter to search engines.

Algorithm (Search Algorithm)

A complex set of rules used by search engines to evaluate hundreds of factors and rank pages for a query.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The practice of enhancing a website to improve its relevance and authority so it ranks higher in search results.