How to Expand Keyword Index
Thursday, 27 September 2007

First of all, what does it mean to expand keyword index?

Indexing is the process by which search engines are able to get an idea of how many pages can be found on your particular website.

If you expand your keyword index, you are actually trying to improve the ability of search engines to produce your web page when an Internet user is looking for the keyword you may have used to describe your web page.

If you are using Google, this search engine relies on two indexes actually. The Main Index is the one employed most of the time, which posts 1000 results at a time (at the very least.) The Supplemental Index is the index used as a back-up source when the Main Index is not able to produce the required 1000 results.
 
It may happen that your pages may wind up in the Supplemental Index, rather than the Main Index. Do not get frightened that you erred in some way because there are two possible reasons for your pages to be listed in the Supplemental Index: a) your pages may not have achieved a high enough PageRank so that they could be listed on the Main Index; and b) you may have duplicate content that causes your pages to be listed in the Supplemental Index.
 
When you find that some of your pages are in the Supplemental Index, you may try to improve the PageRank of your site so that they wind up in the Main Index. You can link those pages in the Supplemental Index to your pages in the Main Index, wait for some time, then try to see if the pages which used to be listed in the Supplemental Index have been moved to the Main Index instead.
 
One way to expand keyword index is to employ metadata web indexing. This means using a meta-tag field where key words and key phrases can be attached to your specific web pages. This allows your web pages to be produced by search engines which have been programmed to look through the keywords field. For this to succeed, a controlled vocabulary list might be employed to come up with the right keywords.
 
Some search engines may employ running auctions so that website owners may bid on the use of certain keywords for their advertisements. It is generally recommended that three words maximum be used as keywords or keyword phrases. These auctions help to expand keyword index because website owners are able to employ more effective keywords.
 
Among the most popular keywords which are in use nowadays are:
 
  1. motorcycle batteries
  2. phone batteries
  3. torch batteries
  4. toy batteries
  5. automotive batteries
 
So if you want the PageRanking of your web pages to go up (or for web pages which used to be in the Supplemental Index to be listed in the Main Index), then try to make your keywords more like what is commonly used.
 
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