SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is improving the visibility and relevance of a website or a web page in a search engine’s organic (unpaid) results. SEO involves various aspects such as technical, content, user experience, and off-page factors that affect how a website ranks for certain keywords or queries.
If you are new to SEO or want to refresh your knowledge, some terms and concepts might be confusing or unfamiliar. That’s why I have created this SEO glossary, where I explain over 100 SEO terms and definitions in a simple and easy-to-understand way. I also provide some examples and illustrations to help you grasp the meaning and context of each term.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the SEO glossary and learn some SEO jargon!
301 Redirect
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirection of one URL to another URL. It tells the search engines and the users that the original URL has moved to a new location and that they should follow the new URL instead. A 301 redirect is used to avoid duplicate content issues, preserve link equity, and improve user experience.
For example, if you change your domain name from example.com to example.net, you can use a 301 redirect to redirect all the pages from example.com to example.net.
302 Redirect
A 302 redirect is a temporary redirection of one URL to another URL. It tells the search engines and the users that the original URL is still valid but that they should access a different URL for a short period. A 302 redirect tests new pages, performs maintenance, or handles seasonal changes.
For example, if you want to test a new design for your homepage, you can use a 302 redirect to redirect your visitors from example.com to example.com/new-design.
404 Error Page
A 404 error page is a web page displayed when a user tries to access a URL that does not exist or has been removed. It tells the user that the page they are looking for cannot be found and that they should try a different URL or return to the previous page. A 404 error page prevents user frustration, provides helpful information, and encourages further engagement.
For example, suppose you delete a blog post from your website. In that case, you can create a custom 404 error page that apologizes for the inconvenience, suggests some related posts, and invites users to subscribe to your newsletter.
Above The Fold
Above the fold is the part of a web page that is visible without scrolling down. It refers to the area of the screen that captures the user’s attention first and influences their decision to stay on the page or leave. Above the fold is used to optimize user experience, increase conversions, and reduce bounce rate.
For example, if you have an e-commerce website, you can place your value proposition, call-to-action button, and product images above the fold to entice the user to buy from you.
Algorithm Update
An algorithm update changes a search engine’s rules or criteria to rank websites or web pages for certain keywords or queries. It affects how relevant, useful, and authoritative the search engine and the users perceive a website or a web page. An algorithm update improves search quality, combat spam, and provides better results.
For example, Google regularly updates its algorithm with major updates such as Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, RankBrain, BERT, Core Web Vitals, etc.
Alt Attribute
An alt attribute (or alt text or alt tag) is a descriptive text added to an image tag in HTML code. It tells the search engines and the users what the image is about and its purpose on the web page. An alt attribute is used to improve accessibility, enhance SEO, and boost user experience.
For example, if you have an image of a dog on your web page, you can add an alt attribute like this
<img src="cutedog.jpg" alt="A cute dog sitting on a couch">.Anchor Text
An anchor text is a clickable text that links one web page to another web page. It tells the search engines and the users what the linked web page is about and how relevant it is to the current web page. An anchor text provides context, improves navigation, and enhances SEO.
For example, if you want to link to another blog post on your website about SEO tips, you can use an anchor text like this:
<a href="seo-tips.html">Learn more Blogging & SEO tips here</a>.Authority
Authority (also known as domain authority or page authority) is a metric that measures how trustworthy, credible, and influential a website or a web page is in its niche or industry. It is based on various factors such as backlinks, content quality, social signals, traffic, etc. Authority affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Authority is used to evaluate competitors, identify opportunities, and improve SEO.
For example, if you have a website about health and fitness, you can increase your authority by getting backlinks from reputable sources such as WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Healthline, etc.
Average Time On Page
Average time on page (also known as dwell time) is a metric that measures how long a user stays on a web page before leaving it. It indicates the web page’s engaging, useful, and relevant for the user’s intent or query. The average time on a page affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Average time on page is used to optimize user experience, increase conversions, and reduce bounce rate.
For example, if you have a blog post about an SEO glossary, you can increase your average time on the page by providing clear definitions, examples, illustrations, and internal links.
Black Hat SEO
Black hat SEO (also known as unethical SEO) is a set of techniques that violate the guidelines or rules of search engines to manipulate rankings or traffic. It involves keyword stuffing, cloaking, link farming, hidden text, etc. Black hat SEO can result in penalties, bans, or de-indexing from search engines. Black hat SEO is used to achieve quick results but at high risk and cost.
For example, if you want to rank for “SEO glossary,” you can use black hat SEO techniques such as repeating “SEO glossary” multiple times in your title tag, meta description, and content.
Bounce Rate:
Bounce rate (also known as exit rate) is a metric that measures how many users leave a web page without taking any action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, making a purchase, etc. It indicates how relevant, useful, and engaging the web page is for the user’s intent or query. Bounce rate affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Bounce rate optimizes user experience, increases conversions, and reduces abandonment.
If you have a landing page for a free ebook about SEO glossary, you can reduce your bounce rate by providing a clear value proposition, a clear call-to-action button, and a simple opt-in form.
Bots:
Bots (also known as crawlers, spiders, or robots) are software programs that scan, index, and analyze websites or web pages on the internet. They are used by search engines, social media platforms, analytics tools, etc., to gather information, provide results, or perform tasks. Bots affect how visible, accessible, and relevant a website or a web page is for search engines and users. Bots improve search quality, combat spam, and provide better results. For example, Googlebot is a bot that crawls, indexes, and ranks websites or web pages for Google Search.
Branded Keywords:
Branded keywords (also known as brand terms) contain the name of a brand, a product, or a service. They indicate the users’ awareness, recognition, and loyalty toward the brand, product, or service. Branded keywords affect how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Branded keywords are used to increase traffic, conversions, and reputation. For example, “Nike shoes,” “Apple iPhone,” and “Starbucks coffee” are branded keywords.
Broken Link:
A broken link (also known as a dead link) is a link that leads to a non-existent or inaccessible web page. It causes an error message such as “404 Not Found” or “Server Error.” It indicates poor quality, maintenance, or usability of a website or a web page. A broken link affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. A broken link is used to avoid user frustration, provide helpful information, and encourage further engagement.
For example
Canonical URL
A canonical URL (also known as canonical tag or rel=canonical) is an HTML attribute that tells the search engines which version of a web page is preferred or original. It avoids duplicate content issues, consolidates link equity, and improves SEO.
For example, suppose you have multiple web page versions with different parameters, such as example.com?utm_source=google or example.com?sort=price. In that case, you can use a canonical URL like this: to indicate that example.com is the canonical version.
Clickbait
Clickbait (sensationalism or hype) is a type of headline or title that uses exaggerated, misleading, or provocative language to attract the user’s attention and entice them to click on a link. It often does not deliver on its promise or match the web page’s content. Clickbait increases traffic, engagement, or revenue, but at the expense of user trust, satisfaction, and retention.
For example, “You Won’t Believe What This SEO Glossary Can Do For You!” or “This One Trick Will Boost Your Rankings Overnight!” are clickbait headlines.
Click-Through-Rate
Click-through rate (also known as CTR) is a metric that measures how many users click on a link or an ad out of the total number of users who see it. It indicates how relevant, appealing, and effective the link or the ad is for the user’s intent or query. Click-through rate affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Click-through rate optimizes user experience, increases conversions, and reduces costs.
For example, if your website appears 100 times in the search results for “SEO glossary” and 10 users click on it, your click-through rate is 10%.
Cloaking
Cloaking (deception or hiding) is a black hat SEO technique that shows different content to search engines and users. It is used to manipulate rankings or traffic by tricking the search engines into thinking that the web page is about something other than what it is. Cloaking can result in penalties, bans, or de-indexing from search engines. Cloaking is used to achieve quick results but at high risk and cost.
For example, suppose you want to rank for an “SEO glossary,” but your web page is about gambling. In that case, you can use cloaking techniques such as IP delivery or user-agent detection to show different content to Googlebot and human visitors.
Conversion Rate Optimisation
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is improving the percentage of users who take a desired action on a website or a web page, such as buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, filling out a form, etc. It involves testing, analyzing, and implementing various elements such as design, layout, copy, call-to-action, etc. Conversion rate optimization affects how well a website or a web page performs for its goals and objectives. Conversion rate optimization increases revenue, profit, and customer satisfaction.
For example, suppose you have an e-commerce website that sells SEO ebooks. In that case, you can use conversion rate optimization techniques such as A/B testing, heatmaps, surveys, etc., to improve your checkout process, reduce cart abandonment, and increase sales.
Crawling:
Crawling (spidering or indexing) is the process of scanning, analyzing, and storing websites or web pages by search engines or other bots. It involves following links, reading content, extracting information, etc. Crawling affects how visible, accessible, and relevant a website or a web page is for search engines and users. Crawling is used to discover new content, update existing content, and provide better results. For example, Google Search Console is a tool that allows you to monitor, control, and optimize how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks your website or web pages.
Crawl Budget:
Crawl budget (also known as crawl rate) is a term that refers to how often and how much a search engine crawls a website or a web page. It is determined by factors such as site size, speed, popularity, quality, etc. Crawl budget affects how quickly and frequently a website or a web page is updated and ranked by the search engine. The crawl budget optimizes site performance, improves SEO, and avoids wasting resources. For example, suppose you have a large website with thousands of pages. In that case, you can use crawl budget techniques such as sitemaps, robots.txt, canonical tags, etc., to prioritize, allow, or disallow certain pages from crawling by Google.
De-indexed:
De-indexed (also known as removed or banned) is a term that refers to when a website or a web page is no longer visible or accessible in the search results of a search engine. It can happen for various reasons, such as technical issues, penalties, manual actions, requests, etc. De-indexed affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. De-indexed is used to avoid user frustration, provide helpful information, and encourage further engagement. For example, if you have a web page that violates Google’s guidelines, such as spamming, cloaking, or plagiarizing, you can be de-indexed by Google automatically or manually.
Directory:
A directory (also known as a web directory or link directory) is a type of website that lists and categorizes other websites or web pages based on their topic, industry, location, etc. It provides information such as name, description, URL, etc. A directory affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. A directory is used to increase visibility, traffic, and authority. For example, DMOZ, Yahoo! Directory, and Best of the Web are examples of directories.
Disavow Links:
Disavow links (also known as reject links) are a feature that allows you to tell Google which links pointing to your website or web page you do not want to be associated with or counted by Google. It is used to avoid the negative effects of low-quality, spammy, or unnatural links that can harm your rankings or reputation. Disavow links affect how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Disavow links improve SEO, recover from penalties, and protect from attacks. For example, if you have links from websites that are irrelevant, malicious, or paid for, you can use the disavow links feature in Google Search Console to upload a file with the list of links you want to disavow.
Dofollow:
Dofollow (also known as follow) is an attribute that tells the search engines to follow and count a link pointing from one web page to another. It indicates the link is relevant, useful, and trustworthy for the user’s intent or query. Dofollow
Dofollow affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Dofollow is used to provide context, improve navigation, and enhance SEO. For example, if you want to link to another blog post on your website about SEO tips, you can use the do-follow attribute like this:
<a href="seo-tips.html" rel="dofollow">Learn more Blogging & SEO tips here</a>.Domain
A domain (also known as a domain name) is a unique and human-readable identifier that represents the address of a website or a web page. It comprises two or more parts separated by dots, such as example.com, example.net, example.org, etc. A domain affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. A domain is used to increase visibility, credibility, and authority.
For example, if you want to create a website about SEO glossary, you can choose a domain name such as seoglossary.com, seoglossary.net, seoglossary.org, etc.
Domain Authority
Domain authority (also known as DA) is a metric that measures how trustworthy, credible, and influential a website is in its niche or industry. It is based on various factors such as backlinks, content quality, social signals, traffic, etc. Domain authority affects how well a website ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Domain authority evaluates competitors, identifies opportunities, and improves SEO.
For example,
if you have a website about health and fitness, you can increase your domain authority by getting backlinks from reputable sources such as WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Healthline, etc.
Dwell Time:
Dwell time (also known as average time on page) is a metric that measures how long a user stays on a web page before leaving it. It indicates the web page’s engaging, useful, and relevant for the user’s intent or query. Dwell time affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Dwell time is used to optimize user experience, increase conversions, and reduce bounce rate.
For example, if you have a blog post about an SEO glossary, you can increase your dwell time by providing clear definitions, examples, illustrations, and internal links.
E-A-T:
E-A-T (also known as expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) is a concept that refers to how knowledgeable, credible, and reliable a website, a web page, or an author is in its niche or industry. It is based on various factors such as credentials, reviews, reputation, references, etc. E-A-T affects how well a website, a web page, or an author ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. E-A-T improves search quality, combats misinformation, and provides better results.
For example, suppose you have a website about medical advice. In that case, you can increase your E-A-T by having qualified doctors as authors, providing scientific evidence for your claims, and getting positive user feedback.
Exact Match Anchor Text
Exact match anchor text (also known as keyword-rich anchor text) is an anchor text that matches exactly or closely the keyword or query that the linked web page is targeting. It tells the search engines and the users what the linked web page is about and how relevant it is to the current web page. Exact match anchor text affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Exact match anchor text provides context improves navigation and enhances SEO.
For example,
if you want to link to another blog post about the SEO glossary on your website, you can use exact match anchor text like this:
<a href="seo-glossary.html">SEO glossary</a>.External Link
An external link (also known as an outbound link or backlink) is a link that points from one web page to another web page on a different website. It tells the search engines and the users that the linked web page is relevant, useful, and trustworthy for the user’s intent or query. External link affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. The external link provides context, improves navigation, and enhances SEO.
For example,
if you want to link to another website that has a comprehensive guide about SEO glossary, you can use an external link like this:
<a href="https://example.com/seo-glossary">Check out this guide about SEO glossary</a>Featured Snippets
Featured snippets (also known as answer boxes or position zero) are special results that appear at the top of the organic search results in Google. They provide a quick and direct answer to the user’s query or question in text, list, table, video, etc. They are extracted from one web page that ranks for the query or question. Featured snippets affect how visible, accessible, and relevant a web page is for the user’s intent or query. Featured snippets are used to increase traffic, conversions, and authority.
For example, if you search for “What is SEO glossary,” You might see a featured snippet like this:
Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows you to create and manage your business profile on Google. It helps you to display your business information, such as name, address, phone number, website, hours, reviews, photos, etc., on Google Search and Google Maps. Google My Business affects how visible, accessible, and relevant your business is for the local users or queries. Google My Business is used to increase visibility, traffic, and conversions.
For example,
if you have a local business, such as a restaurant, you can use Google My Business to create and update your profile like this:
Google Search Console
Google Search Console (also known as GSC) is a free tool that allows you to monitor, control, and optimize how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks your website or web pages. It provides various features such as performance reports, coverage reports, sitemaps, URL inspection, disavow links, etc. Google Search Console affects how visible, accessible, and relevant your website or web pages are for the search engines and the users. Google Search Console improves SEO, recovers from penalties, and identifies opportunities.
For example, if you want to see how your website performs for the “SEO glossary” keyword, you can use Google Search Console to access performance report like this:
Google search console
Grey Hat SEO
Grey hat SEO (also known as questionable SEO) is a set of neither white hat nor black hat techniques. They involve buying links, spinning content, cloaking content, etc. They are used to manipulate rankings or traffic by exploiting loopholes or ambiguities in the guidelines or rules of search engines. Grey hat SEO can result in benefits, risks, or penalties depending on how they are implemented and detected. Grey hat SEO is used to achieve quick results but at moderate risk and cost.
For example, if you want to rank for an “SEO glossary,” you can use grey hat SEO techniques such as buying links from low-quality directories, spinning content from other sources, cloaking content with JavaScript, etc.
Headers
Headers (also known as headings or header tags) are HTML elements that indicate the structure and hierarchy of a web page. They range from H1 to H6, with H1 being the most important and H6 being the least important. They tell the search engines and the users what the web page and its sections are about and how they are organized. Headers affect how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Headers are used to improve readability, usability, and SEO.
For example, if you have a blog post about an SEO glossary, you can use headers like this:
For example, if you have a website about SEO glossary
<h1>SEO Glossary: An Illustrated Guide of 100+ SEO Terms and Definitions</h1>
<h2>301 Redirect</h2>
<p>A 301 redirect is...</p>
<h2>302 Redirect</h2>
<p>A 302 redirect is...</p>
<h2>404 Error Page</h2>
<p>A 404 error page is...</p>
Homepage
Homepage (also known as home page or index page) is a website’s main or first web page. It serves as an introduction and overview of what the website is about and what it offers to the users. It often contains elements such as a logo, navigation menu, value proposition, call-to-action button, featured content, testimonials, etc. Homepage affects how well a website ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. The homepage is used to increase visibility, credibility, and conversions.
For example, if you have a website with an SEO glossary, you can create a homepage like this:
HTML
HTML (also known as HyperText Markup Language) is a coding language used to create and structure websites or web pages on the internet. It consists of tags, elements, attributes, etc., that define how the content and layout of a web page should look and function. HTML affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. HTML is used to improve readability, usability, and SEO.
For example, if you want to create a web page with the title “SEO Glossary” and a paragraph “This is a web page about SEO glossary,” you can use HTML code like this:
<html>
<head>
<title>SEO Glossary</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>SEO Glossary</h1>
<p>This is a web page about SEO glossary.</p>
</body>
</html>HTTP & HTTPS
HTTP (also known as HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a protocol that defines how data is transferred and communicated between a web browser and a web server on the internet. It involves methods such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc., that request or sends data from or to a web server.
HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP that encrypts and protects the data transferred and communicated between a web browser and a web server. It involves certificates and keys that verify and authenticate the identity and integrity of the web server.
HTTP & HTTPS affect how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. HTTP & HTTPS are used to improve security, privacy, and SEO.
For example, suppose you have a website that collects personal or sensitive information from your users such as name, email, password, credit card number, etc. In that case, you should use HTTPS instead of HTTP to ensure the data is encrypted and protected from hackers or eavesdroppers.
Image SEO
Image SEO (also known as image optimization) improves the visibility and relevance of images on a website or a web page in a search engine’s organic (unpaid) results. Image SEO involves various aspects such as file name, alt attribute, title attribute, caption, size, format, etc. Image SEO affects how well an image ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Image SEO is used to increase traffic, engagement, and conversions.
For example,
if you have an image of a dog on your web page, you can use image SEO techniques such as naming your file “dog.jpg,” adding an alt attribute, “A brown dog sitting on a couch,” adding a title attribute “Dog”, adding a caption, “This is my dog,” resizing your image to 800×600 pixels, and choosing JPEG format.
Inbound Link
An inbound link (also known as an incoming link or backlink) is a link that points from another website or web page to your website or web page. It tells the search engines and the users that your website or web page is relevant, useful, and trustworthy for the user’s intent or query. Inbound link affects how well your website or web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in the search engines. Inbound link is used to increase visibility, traffic, and authority.
For example, if you have a blog post about the SEO glossary on your website, you can get inbound links from other websites that mention or cite your blog post as a source or reference.
Indexability
Indexability (also known as crawlability) is a term that refers to how easy and possible it is for search engines to crawl, index, and rank a website or a web page. It is determined by site speed, structure, map, robots.txt, canonical tags, etc. Indexability affects how visible, accessible, and relevant a website or a web page is for search engines and users. Indexability optimizes site performance, improves SEO, and avoids wasting resources.
For example, suppose you want to make your website or web pages more indexable by Google. In that case, you can use indexability techniques such as improving your site speed, creating a clear and logical site structure, submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console, using robots.txt to allow or disallow certain pages from being crawled by Googlebot, using canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues, etc.
Internal Link
An internal link (also known as an outbound link) is a link that points from one web page to another web page on the same website. It tells the search engines and the users what the linked web page is about and how relevant it is to the current web page. Internal link affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. An internal link provides context, improves navigation, and enhances SEO.
For example,
if you want to link to another blog post on your website about SEO tips, you can use an internal link like this:
<a href="seo-tips.html">Learn more SEO tips here</a>JavaScript
JavaScript (JS) is a programming language used to create and control dynamic and interactive website or web page features, such as animations, pop-ups, forms, menus, etc. It runs on the user’s browser and interacts with the HTML and CSS code of the web page. JavaScript affects how well a website or a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. JavaScript is used to improve functionality, usability, and user experience.
For example, if you want to create a pop-up window that asks your users to subscribe to your newsletter, you can use JavaScript code like this:
<script>
function showPopup() {
var popup = document.getElementById("popup");
popup.style.display = "block";
}
function closePopup() {
var popup = document.getElementById("popup");
popup.style.display = "none";
}
</script>
<div id="popup" style="display:none">
<h2>Subscribe to our newsletter</h2>
<p>Enter your email address and get our latest SEO tips delivered to your inbox.</p>
<form>
<input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Enter your email">
<button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
</form>
<button onclick="closePopup()">Close</button>
</div>
<button onclick="showPopup()">Show Popup</button>Keyword Cannibalisation
Keyword cannibalisation (also known as keyword competition) is a term that refers to when two or more web pages on the same website target the same keyword or query. It causes confusion and dilution for the search engines and the users as they do not know which web page is more relevant, useful, and authoritative for the user’s intent or query. Keyword cannibalisation affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Keyword cannibalisation is used to avoid user frustration, provide helpful information, and encourage further engagement.
For example,
if you have two blog posts on your website that target “SEO glossary”, one that provides definitions of SEO terms and another that provides examples of SEO terms, you can avoid keyword cannibalisation by merging them into one comprehensive blog post or by differentiating them with different keywords such as “SEO glossary definitions” and “SEO glossary examples”.
Keyword Density
Keyword density (also known as keyword frequency) is a metric that measures how often a keyword or query appears on a web page concerning the total number of words on the web page. It indicates how relevant, useful, and focused the web page is for the user’s intent or query. Keyword density affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Keyword density is used to optimize content, improve readability, and enhance SEO.
For example,
if you have a blog post about an SEO glossary that has 1000 words and you use “SEO glossary” 10 times in your content, your keyword density for “SEO glossary” is 1%.
Key Performance Indicators
Key performance indicators (KPIs) measure how well a website, web page, or SEO campaign performs for its goals and objectives. They are based on traffic, rankings, conversions, revenue, etc. Key performance indicators affect how successful and effective a website, a web page, or an SEO campaign is for its purpose and audience. Key performance indicators are used to monitor progress, evaluate results, and identify opportunities.
For example,
if you have an SEO campaign that aims to increase traffic and conversions for your website, you can use key performance indicators such as organic sessions, bounce rate, average time on page, conversion rate, etc.
Knowledge Panel
A knowledge panel (also known as a knowledge graph or knowledge card) is a special type of result that appears on the right side of the organic search results in Google. It provides a quick and comprehensive overview of information about a person, place, thing, event, etc., that matches the user’s query or question. It is extracted from various sources such as Wikipedia, Google My Business, social media platforms, etc. The knowledge panel affects how visible, accessible, and relevant a person, place, thing, event, etc., is for the user’s intent or query. The knowledge panel is used to increase visibility, traffic, and authority.
For example, if you search for “Barack Obama”, you might see a knowledge panel like this:
Landing Page
A landing page (a lead capture page or squeeze page) is a type of web page designed to persuade the user to take a specific action, such as buying a product, signing up for a service, downloading an ebook, etc. It often contains elements such as headlines, subheadlines, value propositions, call-to-action buttons, testimonials, etc. The landing page affects how well a website or a web page converts to its goals and objectives. A landing page is used to increase conversions, revenue, and customer satisfaction.
For example,
if you have an e-commerce website that sells SEO ebooks, you can create a landing page like this:
Latent Semantic Indexing
Latent semantic indexing (also known as LSI) is a technique that analyzes the relationship and meaning between words and phrases on a web page or a document. It helps the search engines to understand the context and intent of the user’s query or question and to provide more relevant and accurate results. Latent semantic indexing affects how well a web page ranks for certain keywords or queries in search engines. Latent semantic indexing improves search quality, combat spam, and provides better results.
For example, suppose you have a web page about an SEO glossary. In that case, you can use latent semantic indexing techniques such as using synonyms, variations, and related terms of your main keyword such as “SEO terminology,” “SEO dictionary,” “SEO concepts,” etc.
Link Building
Link building is the process of acquiring links from other websites to your website. Links are like proofs of trust, signalling to search engines and users that your website is trustworthy, relevant, and valuable. Link building is one of the most important and challenging aspects of search engine optimization because it can increase your website’s authority, traffic and rankings.
Example: to build links to your website, you can create quality content that attracts natural links from other websites, contact relevant websites and ask for a link, or use various link-building strategies such as guest posts, building broken links, or linking to resource pages.
Link Equity
Link equity, also known as link juice or link value, is the level of authority and trust that a link conveys from one website to another. Link equity depends on several factors, such as the relevance, quality, and popularity of the linking website and the linked page. The more link value a page receives from other websites, the higher its position in search engines.
For example: to increase your website’s link value, you can optimize your internal links (links within your website), remove or disallow low-quality or spam links (links from untrustworthy or irrelevant websites), and acquire more high-quality and relevant links from authoritative websites.
Link Profile
A link profile, also called a backlink profile, is a set of all links pointing to your website from other websites. The link profile is an important factor that affects the SEO performance of your website as it reflects the quality, quantity and diversity of your links. A good link profile consists of links from relevant, authoritative and reliable websites that cover a variety of topics and domains.
Example: to analyze your link profile, you can use various tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs or Moz that provide data about your backlinks, such as the number, source, anchor text and type of links. You can also use these tools to monitor your competitors’ link profiles and identify potential link opportunities.
Local Pack
The Local Pack, also known as the Local 3-Pack or Snack Pack, is a feature of Google search results that displays a list of three local businesses that match the user’s search query. The Local Pack is usually displayed at the top of the search results page and includes information such as the business’s name, address, phone number, rating, and website. The local pack is designed to help users easily find the nearest businesses and services.
Example: to appear in the local pack for relevant searches, you need to optimize your website and Google My Business profile for local SEO. This includes adding the business name, address, phone number, category, description, photos, reviews and keywords to the Google My Business profile, as well as making sure the website is mobile-friendly, fast and secure.
Local SEO
Local SEO is a branch of SEO that focuses on optimizing a website for a specific geographic area. Local SEO aims to improve a website’s visibility and ranking in local search results (such as the Local Pack) and attract more local customers and leads. Local SEO is especially important for businesses that have a physical location or serve a specific area.
Example: to improve local SEO performance, you need to follow general SEO best practices (such as creating high-quality content and building links) and some specific tactics, such as creating and optimizing your Google My Business profile, adding local keywords and schema markup to your website, collecting and managing online reviews, and engaging with local communities and influencers.
Long-Tail Keyword
A long-tail keyword is a keyword that consists of three or more words and is more specific and less competitive than a short-tail keyword (a keyword that consists of one or two words and is more general and competitive). Long-tail keywords typically have a lower search volume but a higher conversion rate because they are targeted to a more niche and intent-oriented audience.
Example: to find and use long-tail keywords for your website, you can use various tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic, which will make suggestions based on your initial keyword. You can also consult related search queries and auto-complete suggestions on Google to get more ideas. Then, you need to create content that matches user intent and provides value to your target audience.
Manual measures
A manual action is a penalty that Google imposes on a website that violates its webmaster guidelines. Manual actions can affect the ranking and visibility of a website or a specific page in Google search results. Manual actions are different from algorithmic penalties, which are imposed automatically by Google’s algorithms based on various factors.
Example: to check if your website is affected by manual actions, you can use the Google Search Console’s Manual Actions report, which will show you the type and reason for the manual actions, as well as the affected pages or sections of your website. You can also request a review from Google after you fix the issues that caused the manual action.
Metadata
Metadata is data that describes and provides information about other data. In search engine optimization, metadata refers to HTML tags that provide search engines and users with information about a web page. Metadata can affect the way a web page is crawled, indexed, and displayed in search results. Some of the most common types of metadata are the title tag, meta description, and meta keywords.
Example: to optimize metadata for search engine optimization, best practices must be followed, such as using relevant keywords, writing unique and compelling content, matching user intent and expectations, and adhering to recommended length and format. Various tools such as Yoast SEO, Rank Math or Screaming Frog can be used to create and manage metadata.
Meta Description
The meta description is a type of metadata that provides a summary of the content of a web page. The meta description appears below the title tag in search results and helps users decide whether or not to click on a web page. The meta description can also influence the click-through rate (CTR) of a web page, which is a ranking factor for SEO.
Example: to write a good meta description for your web page, you should include your main keyword, a clear and concise description of what your page offers, a call to action or user benefit, and a punctuation mark at the end. The meta description should also be no longer than 160 characters to avoid truncation.
Natural link
A natural link, also known as an organic link or editorial link, is a link provided to your website by another website without solicitation, payment, or exchange. Natural links are usually the result of creating high-quality and valuable content that other websites want to cite and share with their audience. Natural links are considered the most beneficial and desirable type of links for SEO, as they indicate the reliability and popularity of your website.
Example: to get more natural links to your website, you should focus on creating original, relevant and engaging content that adds value to your audience and solves their problems. You should also distribute your content through various channels such as social media, email or forums to increase its reach.
Nofollow
Nofollow is an attribute that can be added to a link to tell search engines not to follow or pass any link equity to the linked page. Nofollow links are usually used for links that are paid, sponsored, user-generated, or untrusted. Nofollow links do not directly affect the ranking of a web page, but they can still provide some benefits such as traffic, exposure, and branding.
Example: To add a nofollow attribute to a link, you need to insert the rel=“nofollow” tag in the HTML code of the link. You can also use other types of nofollow attributes such as rel=“sponsored” or rel=“ugc” to indicate the nature of the link.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is the aspect of SEO that involves the actions and factors that happen outside of your website and affects its ranking and reputation. Off-page SEO mainly consists of link building, social media marketing, online reviews, brand mentions, and influencer marketing. Off-page SEO helps to increase your website’s authority, trustworthiness, and popularity among search engines and users.
Example: to improve off-page SEO performance, you need to focus on building high-quality and relevant links from other websites, engaging with your audience and influencers on social media platforms, promoting and managing online customer reviews, increasing brand awareness and recognition across multiple channels, and monitoring online reputation.
On-page SEO
On-page SEO is the aspect of search engine optimization that encompasses the actions and factors within your website that affect its ranking and performance. On-page SEO mainly includes content creation, keyword optimization, metadata optimization, internal linking, website speed optimization, mobile compatibility and technical SEO. On-page SEO helps improve the relevance, usability, and user experience of your website for search engines and users.
Example: to improve on-page SEO performance, you need to focus on creating high-quality and valuable content that matches user intent and expectations, optimizing content and metadata for relevant keywords, linking to other related pages within the site, improving site loading speed and security, ensuring the site is responsive and easy to navigate on various devices, and fixing any technical issues or errors on the site.
Organic search results
Organic search results, also known as natural search results or unpaid search results, are the web pages that appear in search engines based on their relevance and quality for a particular search query. Organic search results are different from paid search results, which are the web pages that appear in search engines based on their relevance and ad quality for a particular search query. Organic search results are the primary source of visitors and lead for most websites.
For example, to rank higher in organic search results for relevant queries, you need to follow best SEO practices, such as creating high-quality and valuable content, optimizing the site for keywords and user intent, building links from other sites, improving site speed and usability, and keeping up with the latest algorithm changes and trends.
Paid search results
Paid search results, also known as sponsored search results or pay-per-click (PPC) search results, are the web pages that appear in search engines based on the bid and ad quality for a given search query. Paid search results are different from organic search results, which are the web pages that appear in search engines based on their relevance and quality for a particular search query. Paid search results are a form of online advertising that can help websites increase their visibility and traffic.
For example, to create and run paid search campaigns for your website, you need to use different platforms such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, or Facebook Ads, which allow you to bid on keywords, create ads, and target your audience. You also need to optimize your campaigns according to performance and budget, using different tools and metrics such as keyword planner, ad rank, quality score, cost per click (CPC), click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate.
PageRank
PageRank is an algorithm developed by Google that measures the importance and authority of a web page based on the number and quality of links pointing to it. PageRank is one of the factors that influence the ranking of a web page in Google search results. PageRank is expressed by a numerical value between 0 and 10, where 10 is the maximum value.
Example: To increase the PageRank of your website, you need to acquire more high-quality and relevant links from other websites that have a high PageRank themselves. You also need to avoid or remove low-quality or spam links that can harm PageRank. You can check your website’s PageRank using various tools such as MozBar, Ahrefs or Majestic.
Page speed
Page speed is a measure of how fast a web page loads in a browser or on a device. Page speed is an important factor that affects user experience and satisfaction as well as the SEO performance of a website. Page speed can affect bounce rate, dwell time, conversion rate, and a web page’s ranking in search results.
For example: to improve web page speed, you need to optimize various elements and factors such as images, videos, fonts, scripts, stylesheets, caching, compression, server response time, and mobile device compatibility. You can also use various tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix or Pingdom to measure and analyze your page speed and get suggestions for improvement.
Pay-per-click
Pay-per-click (PPC) is a form of online advertising in which a fee is paid each time a user clicks on an ad. PPC ads can appear on various platforms such as search engines, social media, websites, or apps. PPC ads are designed to drive visitors and lead to a website or landing page. PPC ads differ from organic search results based on relevance and quality.
For example, to create and run PPC campaigns for your website, you need to use different platforms such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, or Facebook Ads that allow you to bid on keywords, create ads, and target your audience. You also need to optimize your campaigns according to performance and budget, using different tools and metrics such as keyword planner, ad rank, quality score, cost per click (CPC), click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate.
Persona
A persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer or audience based on demographic and psychographic characteristics, behaviours, needs, goals, and challenges. Personas help you better understand your audience and tailor content, marketing and SEO strategies to their preferences and expectations. Personae can also help you segment your audience and personalize your messages.
Example: to create a persona for your website, you need to research and analyze your existing and potential customers using various methods such as surveys, interviews, analytics, or social media. Then, you need to identify common characteristics and patterns of your customers and categorize them into different personas. Each persona should also be given a name, photo and story to make it more realistic and believable.
Query
A query is a word or phrase that a user types into a search engine to find information or answers. The query is also called a search question, search term, or keyword. The search query is the starting point of the search process and determines the results that the user sees. The search query can also indicate the user’s intent and expectations behind the search.
For example: to optimize your website based on the search query, you need to perform keyword research and analysis to find out what words or phrases your target audience uses to search for your products, services, or topics. Then you need to create content that matches the search query and provides value to the user. You also need to use search queries in the title tag, meta description, title and text to improve relevance and ranking.
Ranking Factor
The ranking factor is a criterion or signals that search engines use to rank and rank web pages in their search results. Ranking factors can be divided into two categories: On-page ranking factors (such as content, keywords, metadata, and site speed) and off-page ranking factors (such as links, social media, reviews, and brand mentions). Ranking factors can also vary depending on the type and intent of the search query.
For example, to improve your ranking for relevant search queries, you need to apply SEO best practices and optimize your website for the various ranking factors that affect your performance and visibility. You also need to keep an eye on the latest algorithm updates and trends that can change the importance and weighting of the various ranking factors.
Reciprocal linking
A reciprocal link is a link that is exchanged between two websites. Reciprocal links are usually placed to increase the number and variety of links and improve the ranking and traffic of both websites. Reciprocal links can be useful for search engine optimization if they are relevant, natural and moderate. However, reciprocal links can also be harmful to search engine optimization if they are excessive, irrelevant or spammy.
For example: to use reciprocal links for search engine optimization, best practices should be followed, such as selecting reliable and relevant websites for link exchanges, creating good and original content that deserves a link, using natural and varied anchor text for links, and avoiding excessive or unnatural link exchanges that can lead to search engine penalization.
Relevance
Relevance is a measure of how well a web page matches a user’s query and intent. Relevance is one of the most important factors affecting a web page’s ranking and performance in search results. Relevance can be influenced by several elements, including content, keywords, metadata, links, and user behaviour.
For example, to improve the relevance of your website to your search query and target audience, you should use best practices such as keyword research and analysis to find out what words or phrases your target audience uses when searching for your products, services, or topics. Then, you should create content that matches the search query and provides value to the user. You should also use search queries in the title tag, meta description, title and text to improve your relevance and ranking.
Reputation Management
Reputation management is the process of monitoring and influencing the online reputation and perception of a brand, company or individual. Reputation management includes various activities, such as collecting and managing online reviews, responding to customer feedback and complaints, engaging social media followers and influencers, creating positive and authoritative content, and removing negative or inaccurate information.
Example: to improve reputation management for search engine optimization, follow best practices such as creating and optimizing your Google My Business profile, soliciting and managing online reviews from your customers, engaging your audience and influencers on social media platforms, creating high-quality and valuable content that highlights your expertise and services, and monitoring your online reputation using various tools such as Google Alerts, Mention, or Brandwatch.
Rich Snippets
Rich snippets are enhanced versions of regular snippets (the short descriptions of web pages that appear in search results) that include additional information and features such as ratings, images, prices, or buttons. Rich snippets are designed to help users find the most relevant and useful web pages for their search queries and increase click-through rates and traffic to those web pages.
Example: to create Rich Snippets for your website, you need to use structured data (a standardized code format that provides search engines with information about your website) such as Schema Markup (a structured data vocabulary supported by major search engines) or JSON-LD (an easy-to-read and write structured data format). It is also possible to use various tools such as Google Structured Data Test Tool or Rich Results Test to validate and preview rich snippets.
Robots.txt
Robots.txt is a text file that contains instructions for search engine crawlers (the programs that crawl and index web pages) about which pages or sections of a website they can and cannot access. The robots.txt file is used to control the crawling and indexing of a website and to prevent search engines from accessing sensitive or irrelevant information. The robots.txt file is usually located in the root directory of a website.
For example, to create and edit robots.txt for your website, you must follow the syntax and rules of the robot exclusion protocol (the default format of robots.txt). To check and optimize the robots.txt file, you can use various tools such as Google’s robots.txt tester or Screaming Frog.
Schema markup
Schema markup is a structured data type (a standardized code format that provides search engines with information about a web page) that uses a vocabulary of terms and properties supported by major search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. Schema markup helps search engines understand the content and context of a web page and display it in search results in a variety of interactive ways.
For example, to add schema markup to your web page, you need to select the most relevant and specific types and properties from the schema.org vocabulary (the official website for schema markup) that describe the content of your web page. You can also use various tools like Structured Data Markup Helper or Google’s Schema App to generate and implement schema markup code.
Scraping
Scraping is the process of extracting data or information from a website or web page using various methods such as software, scripts or bots. Scraping can be used for various purposes, such as research, analysis, comparison, or content creation. Scraping may also be considered unethical or illegal if it violates a website or webpage’s terms of use or copyright.
For example, to extract data or information from a website or web page, you must use various tools such as Scrapy, BeautifulSoup, or Selenium that allow you to access and analyze the HTML code of the website or web page. You also need to follow best practices and scraping etiquette, such as adhering to the robots.txt file, limiting the frequency and size of queries, and citing the source.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of online marketing that involves promoting a website or web page on search engines using a variety of methods, including paid advertising (such as pay-per-click or PPC), search engine optimization (SEO), or content marketing. SEM aims to increase the visibility and traffic of a website or web page for relevant search queries and convert them into customers or leads.
For example, to develop and execute a successful SEM strategy for your website or web page, you need to use best practices such as keyword research and analysis to find out what words or phrases your target audience is using to search for your products, services or topics. Then you need to create and optimize your content and ads for those keywords and user intent. You also need to measure and analyze SEM performance with various tools and metrics such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, or Google Search Console.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to a website or web page from organic search results (the web pages that appear in search engines based on their relevance and quality to a particular query). SEO includes various aspects such as content creation, keyword optimization, link building, technical SEO, and usability. The goal of SEO is to increase the ranking and visibility of a website for relevant search queries and attract more qualified and interested visitors.
For example: to improve the SEO performance of your website or webpage, you need to follow best practices such as creating high-quality and valuable content that matches user intent and expectations, optimizing content and metadata for relevant keywords, building links from other websites that have high authority and reliability, improving the speed and usability of your website, and keeping up to date with the latest algorithm changes and trends.
Search index
The search index, also known as the web index or table of contents, is a database of web pages and their content used by search engines to provide fast and accurate answers to user queries. The search index is created and updated by search engine crawlers (the programs that scan and index web pages). The search index can contain various information such as keywords, metadata, links, images, videos or structured data.
For example, for your website or web page to be included in a search engine’s search index, you must follow best practices, such as creating and submitting a sitemap (a file that lists all the pages and content on your website) to the search engine, using robots.txt (a file with instructions for search engine crawlers) to control the crawling and indexing of your website, and using various tools such as Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor and manage your indexing status.
SERP
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page, which is the page that displays web pages and other features that match a user’s search query in a search engine. The SERP may depend on various factors, such as the type and intent of the search query, the user’s location and device, the algorithm, and search engine characteristics. The SERP may also contain different elements, such as organic search results, paid search results, rich snippets, or SERP features.
For example, to rank higher in the SERP for relevant search queries, you need to follow best SEO practices, such as creating high-quality and valuable content that matches search intent and user expectations, optimizing content and metadata for relevant keywords, building links from other sites with high authority and reliability, improving site speed and usability, and using structured data or schema markup to create rich snippets or SERP features.
Search Intent
Search intent, also known as user intent or query intent, is the goal or purpose behind a user query in a search engine. Search intent can indicate the type of information or answers the user is looking for, the type of web page or content the user wants to see, and the type of action or result the user expects. Search intent can be divided into four main categories: Information (the user wants to learn something), Navigation (the user wants to go to a specific website), Transaction (the user wants to buy something), and Advertising (the user wants to compare something).
For example: to optimize your website or web page for search intent, you need to apply best practices such as keyword research and analysis to find out what words or phrases your target audience uses to search for your products, services, or topics. Then, you need to create content that matches the search intent and provides value to the user. You also need to use different elements such as headlines, images, videos, lists, tables or calls to action to improve your content and the user experience.
SERP Features
SERP features are elements or characteristics that appear on the SERP (search engine results page) in addition to or instead of the normal organic search results. SERP features are designed to provide quick and relevant answers or information to user queries and improve user experience and satisfaction. SERPs can also influence the click-through rate and traffic of organic search results. Some of the most common SERP features are Featured Snippets, Knowledge Graphs, Local Packs, Image Packs, Video Packs or People Also Ask.
Example: to optimize your website or webpage for SERPs, you need to follow best practices such as creating high-quality and valuable content that matches user intent and expectations, optimizing content and metadata for relevant keywords and search queries, using structured data or schema markup to provide additional information to search engines, and improving your website’s authority and trustworthiness.
Social Signal
Social signal is a measure of social media activity and engagement for a website or web page, such as likes, shares, comments, or followers. Social signals can indicate the popularity and relevance of a website or webpage to a particular topic or niche. Social signals can also impact the SEO performance of a website or web page, as they can increase the visibility, traffic, and links of a website or web page.
For example, to improve your social signal for search engine optimization, you need to follow best practices, such as creating original, relevant and engaging content that attracts social media users and encourages them to share and interact with your content, promoting your content on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram that fit your target audience and goals, engaging your followers and influencers on social media by responding to their feedback and questions and adding social media buttons or widgets to your website or web page to make it easy for users to share your content.
Split Testing
Split testing, also called A/B testing or multivariate testing, involves comparing two or more versions of a web page or website element to determine which version performs better for a particular goal or metric. Split testing can help improve the SEO performance and user experience of a website or web page by identifying and implementing best practices and optimizations.
For example: to perform split testing for your website or web page, you need to follow best practices such as defining the goal and metrics (e.g., conversion rate, bounce rate, or dwell time), creating two or more variations of your website or web element (e.g., title tag, meta description, or call-to-action), use different tools such as Google Optimize, Optimizely, or VWO to perform and analyze the split test, and select and implement the winning variation based on the results.
SSL Certificate
SSL certificate, also known as a Secure Sockets Layer certificate or digital certificate, is a file that enables encryption and authentication of a website or web server. The SSL certificate helps protect data and information exchanged between a website or web server and a browser or device. The SSL certificate also helps improve SEO performance and user trust in a website or web page by indicating that the website or web page is secure and trustworthy.
Example: To obtain and install an SSL certificate for your website or web server, you need to follow best practices, such as selecting a reputable and reliable SSL certificate provider (like Let’s Encrypt, Comodo, or DigiCert), creating a certificate signing request (CSR) that includes your domain name and other details, validating the ownership and identity of your domain, obtaining and installing the SSL certificate on your website or web server, and redirecting your HTTP URLs to HTTPS URLs.
Subdomain
A subdomain is a prefix or segment of a domain name that creates a separate and distinct website or web page under the same domain name. The subdomain can be used for various purposes, such as creating different versions of a website for different languages, regions, or audiences, testing new features or designs, or hosting different types of content or services. The subdomain can also affect the SEO performance and usability of a website or web page, as it can influence the authority, relevance, and usability of a website or web page.
For example: to create and use a subdomain for your website or web page, you need to follow best practices such as choosing a relevant and descriptive name for your subdomain (e.g. blog.example.com, fr.example.com, or store.example.com), registering and configuring your subdomain with your domain name provider and your web hosting provider, creating and optimizing content and metadata for your subdomain, and linking to and from your main domain and your subdomain.
Subfolder
A subfolder, also known as a subdirectory or directory, is a segment or category of a domain name that forms a separate and distinct section or page within the same site or webpage. Subdirectories can be used for a variety of purposes, such as organizing and structuring the content and navigation of a site or webpage, creating different versions of a site or webpage for different languages, regions, or audiences, or hosting different types of content or services. The subfolder can also affect the SEO performance and usability of a website or web page, as it can influence the authority, relevance, and usability of a website or web page.
Example: to create and use a subdirectory for your website or web page, you need to follow best practices such as choosing a relevant and descriptive name for your subdirectory (e.g. example.com/blog, example.com/fr, or example.com/shop), creating and optimizing content and metadata for your subdirectory, and linking to and from your main domain and subdirectory.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the system or method of organizing and classifying the content and information of a website or web page according to various criteria such as topics, categories, tags or attributes. Taxonomy helps improve the SEO performance and usability of a website or web page by making it easier for search engines and users to find, understand, and navigate the content and information on a website or web page.
For example: to create and use a taxonomy for your website or web page, you must follow best practices such as conducting research and analysis on your content and audience to determine the most relevant and useful criteria for your taxonomy, creating and naming taxonomy elements (such as topics, categories, tags, or attributes) based on your criteria, assigning and mapping your content to taxonomy elements, and displaying and linking taxonomy elements on your website or web page.
Title tag
The title tag is a type of metadata that indicates the title or name of a web page. The title tag appears at the top of the browser tab and in search results as the clickable title of a web page. The title tag can affect the SEO performance and user experience of a web page, as it indicates the relevance and quality of a web page for a particular search query and affects the click-through rate and traffic of a web page.
Example: To write a good title tag for your web page, you should follow the best practices such as including your main keyword, writing a clear and concise title that describes what your page offers, matching the user intent and expectations, using modifiers or numbers to make your title more appealing, and keeping your title within 60 characters to avoid truncation.
User-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content or information created and shared by users or customers of a website or webpage, such as reviews, comments, ratings, testimonials, photos, videos, or social media posts. UGC can help improve SEO performance and user trust in a website or webpage by providing authentic and valuable feedback and information to search engines and users.
Example: To promote and leverage UGC for search engine optimization, best practices should be followed, such as creating and optimizing the website or webpage for UGC (e.g., adding sections for reviews or comments, enabling social media sharing buttons, or using schema markup or rich snippets), prompting and incentivizing users or customers to create and share UGC (e.g. e.g., offering rewards, discounts, or recognition), moderating and managing UGC (e.g., removing spam or inappropriate content, responding to feedback or questions, or highlighting positive content), and measuring and analyzing UGC (e.g., using various tools or metrics to monitor the quantity, quality, and impact of UGC).
URL
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, which is the address or location of a website or web page on the Internet. The URL consists of various components such as the protocol (e.g., HTTP or HTTPS), the domain name (e.g., example.com), the subdomain (e.g., blog.example.com), the subfolder (e.g., example.com/blog), and the slug (e.g., example.com/blog/seo-glossary). The URL can affect the SEO performance and usability of a website or web page, as it indicates the relevance and structure of a website or web page to search engines and users.
For example: to optimize the URL for search engine optimization, best practices should be followed, such as using relevant keywords, writing descriptive and concise slugs that match the content of the web page, using hyphens to separate words in slugs, using lowercase letters and avoiding special characters in the URL, using the HTTPS protocol to secure the website or web page, and using canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.
Usability
Usability is the measure of how easy and user-friendly a website or web page is for users. Usability includes various factors such as design, layout, navigation, functionality, accessibility, and compatibility. Usability can impact the SEO performance and user satisfaction of a website or web page, as it can affect the bounce rate, dwell time, conversion rate, and ranking of a website or web page in search results.
For example: to improve the user experience of your website or web page, you need to follow best practices such as using a clear and consistent design and layout, creating simple and intuitive navigation and menus, providing useful and relevant content and features, making sure your website or web page works well on different devices and browsers, and testing and evaluating your website or web page using different tools and methods such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Mobile-Friendly Test, or user feedback.
User Experience
User experience (UX) is the overall impression and feeling a user has when interacting with a website or web page. User experience includes various aspects such as usability, content, design, functionality, emotion, and value. User experience can affect the SEO performance and user engagement of a website or web page, as it can influence the click-through rate, bounce rate, dwell time, conversion rate, and ranking of a website or web page in search results.
For example: to improve user experience on your website or webpage, you need to adopt best practices such as understanding your audience and their needs, goals, and expectations; creating high-quality and valuable content that matches user intent and expectations; making your website or webpage responsive for speed security and usability for mobile devices; using various elements such as images, videos, animations, or interactive features to enhance your content and design; and measuring and analyzing user experience using various tools and metrics such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or user feedback.
Vertical search engine
A vertical search engine is a type of search engine that focuses on a specific topic, niche, or category of information or content. The vertical search engine can provide more relevant and specialized results for users searching for specific information or content. The vertical search engine can also influence the SEO performance of a website or web page that belongs to that topic, niche, or category.
Example: To optimize your website or web page for vertical search engines, you need to follow best practices such as selecting a relevant and specific topic, niche, or category for your website or web page that matches the focus and interests of the vertical search engine (e.g., travel, shopping, or health), creating high-quality and valuable content that provides useful information or content for that topic niche or category (e.g. e.g., reviews, prices, or advice), using relevant keywords, metadata, and structured data to improve relevance and ranking for that topic, niche, or category, and submitting one’s website or webpage to various vertical search engines that match the topic, niche, or category (e.g., TripAdvisor, Amazon, or WebMD).
Voice Search
Voice search uses voice or speech to search for information or answers in a search engine. Voice search can be performed using a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, or smart speakers. Voice search can also impact the SEO performance and user experience of a website or web page, as it can affect the nature and intent of the query, as well as the format and delivery of the response.
For example, to optimize your website or webpage for voice search, you need to follow best practices such as using natural, colloquial language, optimizing content and metadata for keywords and long-tail queries, creating and using schema markup or rich snippets to deliver fast and relevant responses, improving your website’s speed and usability for mobile devices, and creating and optimizing your Google My Business profile to perform better for local search queries.
Website
A web page is a document or file accessible on the Internet through a web browser. The web page contains various types of content or information such as text, images, video, audio, or interactive features. The web page can be part of a larger website (a collection of related web pages) or a stand-alone entity. The webpage can also impact the SEO performance and user experience of a website or webpage, as it can affect the relevance, quality, and popularity of a website or webpage for a particular search query.
Example: to create and optimize a website for SEO, best practices should be followed, such as choosing a relevant and descriptive name for the website (e.g… com/blog/SEO-glossary), creating high-quality and valuable content that matches the user’s intent and expectations, optimizing content and metadata for relevant keywords, building links from other websites with high authority and reliability, improving the speed and usability of the website, and using various tools such as Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor and manage the website’s performance and status.
Web Crawler
A web crawler, also called a spider, bot or robot, is a program that scans and indexes web pages and their content on the Internet. Web crawlers are used by search engines to discover and update new or existing web pages and to provide fast and accurate responses to user queries. Web crawlers can also be used by other entities such as researchers, marketers, or hackers for various purposes such as data mining, analysis, or manipulation.
For example: to control the crawling and indexing of your website by search engines, you need to follow best practices such as creating and submitting a sitemap (a file listing all the pages and content on your website) to the search engine, using robots. txt (a file with instructions for web crawlers) to allow or deny access to certain pages or sections of your website, and using various tools such as Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor and manage crawling and indexing status.
Webmaster Guidelines
Webmaster guidelines are the rules and recommendations that search engines provide to webmasters (owners or operators of websites or webpages) to help them create and maintain websites or webpages that meet search engine standards and guidelines. Webmaster guidelines can affect the SEO performance and reputation of a website or webpage, as they can affect the crawling, indexing, and ranking of a website or webpage in search results.
Example: to follow webmaster guidelines for SEO, best practices such as creating and submitting a sitemap (a file that lists all pages and content on the site) to the search engine, using robots. txt (a file with instructions for search engine crawlers) to control the crawling and indexing of your website, avoiding or removing low-quality or spam content or links that could affect the quality and reliability of your website, and using various tools such as Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools to check and fix problems or errors on your website.
White Hat SEO
White Hat SEO is the use of ethical and legitimate methods and techniques to improve the SEO performance and usability of a website or web page. White Hat SEO follows search engine guidelines and standards and focuses on creating content and features of high quality and value to users. White Hat SEO can help improve a website or web page’s ranking, visibility, and reputation in search results.
For example, to use white hat SEO for your website or web page, you need to follow best practices, such as researching and analyzing keywords to find out what words or phrases your target audience uses to search for your products, services, or topics, creating high-quality and valuable content that matches user intent and expectations, optimizing content and metadata for relevant keywords, creating links from other websites with high authority and reliability, improving the speed and usability of your website, and constantly adapting to the latest algorithm changes and trends.
XML Sitemap
The XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages and content of a website in XML format (a markup language that can be read by both humans and machines). The XML sitemap helps search engines discover and index new or existing web pages and understand the structure and hierarchy of a website. The XML sitemap can also contain additional information such as the date of the last modification, priority or frequency of a web page.
Example: to create and use an XML sitemap for your website, you need to follow best practices such as choosing a relevant and descriptive name for the XML sitemap (e.g. sitemap.xml), creating and updating the XML sitemap using various tools such as Yoast SEO, Screaming Frog or XML Sitemaps Generator, submitting the XML sitemap to various search engines such as Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools and linking the XML sitemap from the robots.txt file.
YMYL
YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life, a term used by Google to describe the types of websites or web pages that may affect users’ health, happiness, safety, or financial stability. YMYL sites or webpages include topics such as health, finance, law, news, or shopping. YMYL sites or web pages are subject to higher quality and reliability standards set by Google’s algorithms and raters.
For example: to optimize the YMYL site or webpage for SEO, best practices must be followed, such as. creating accurate and quality content that provides useful information or advice to users, using relevant keywords, metadata, and structured data to improve relevance and ranking for YMYL topics, creating links from other reliable and authoritative websites that have expertise on YMYL topics, improving site security and privacy through HTTPS and SSL certificates, and improving online reputation by collecting reviews, ratings, testimonials, or positive mentions from customers or users.
Zero Click Search
Zero-click search is a type of search result that provides an immediate answer or information to a user query without requiring the user to click on a web page. Zero-click search can be displayed in a variety of formats, including Featured Snippets, Knowledge graphs, Local Pack, Image Pack, Video Pack, People Also Ask, or Calculator. Zero-click search can impact the SEO performance and user experience of a website or web page, as it can reduce the click-through rate and traffic of organic search results.
Example: How to optimize your website or web page for zero-click search
Are you ready to use this SEO glossary?
SEO is a complex and dynamic field that requires constant learning and updating. However, with this SEO glossary, you get a handy reference guide with the most important and common SEO terms and concepts that can help you improve SEO performance and user experience.
Whether you are a beginner or an SEO expert, this SEO glossary can help you refresh your knowledge and keep up with the latest trends and changes in SEO. You can also use this SEO glossary to better communicate with your SEO clients, colleagues or partners.
We hope you enjoyed reading this SEO glossary and learned something new about SEO. If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you. 😊