Comparing the Function of Web Search Engines in Indexing and Finding the Metadata Records based on the Microdata Method

Abstract

Research Objective: This research was conducted with the aim of explaining the function of Web search engines in indexing and finding of the metadata records based on the Microdata method comparatively, using an empirical method. Research Methodology: The research community included 100 metadata records(related to e-books) based on the hypertext markup language (HTML) in the form of a test group with 50 records in Persian and 50 records in English, based on the Microdata method, and one control group with one hundred Persian and English records of the same structure. These records were selected from the metadata records of Allameh Tabataba’i University digital library, using the random sampling method. The examined metadata records were published on an independent website http://www.szolghadr.ir, and were introduced to Google, Bing, and Yahoo! search engines with the best recommended methods. Then using the checklist strategy, the performance of the search engines in indexing and finding the metadata records of both groups was investigated. Findings: The findings show that Google indexed the records of both control and test groups, and displayed the metadata records of the test group significantly in the search results. However, Bing and Yahoo! search engines only indexed the records of both groups and were not able to make them significantly visible in their search results. Conclusion: Therefore, despite announcing reliable search engines as structured data designers (schema.org), based on indexing and displaying based on microdata methodology, only Google’s search engine supported the significant displaying (in the form of rich snippets)of metadata records of the two groups.

Keywords

• displaying
• metadata records
• microdata method
• indexing
• web search engines