Every database will, over time,
require some form of maintenance to
keep it at an optimal performance
level. Purging deleted rows,
resequencing, compressing, managing
index paths, defragmenting, etc. is
what is known as OPTIMIZATION in mysql
and other terms in other databases.
For example, IBM DB2/400 calls it
REORGANIZE PHYSICAL FILE MEMBER.
It’s kind of like changing the oil in your car or getting a tune-up. You may think you really don’t have to, but by doing so your car runs much better, you get better gas mileage, etc. A car that gets lots of mileage requires tune-ups more often. A database that gets heavy use requires the same. If you are doing a lot of UPDATE and/or DELETE operations, and especially if your tables have variable length columns (VARCHAR, TEXT, etc), you need to keep ‘er tuned up.