SEO Glossary

Clear, concise definitions of essential SEO terms, so you can spend less time Googling and more time optimizing.

Algorithm Update

An algorithm update is a change made to the rules that search engines use to rank webpages in their search results.

Alt Text

Alt text (alternative text) describes images on the web, providing context for search engines and those using screen readers.

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that users see on a webpage.

Authority

Authority refers to the perceived credibility and trustworthiness of a website or page in a specific niche.

Automated Link Building

Automated link building is the process of using software to create or acquire backlinks to a website without manual effort.

Backlink

A backlink is a link from one website to another, which helps improve the linked website's authority and search engine ranking.

Black Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO refers to unethical practices used to increase a website's ranking in search engine results.

Brand Mentions

Brand mentions refer to instances where a brand's name is discussed or referenced online, even if there is no link to the brand's website.

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is a link-building strategy that involves finding and reaching out to websites with broken links to request replacing them with links to your own content.

Business Directory

A business directory is a listing of businesses organized by category or location, making it easier for consumers to find services.

Canonical URL

A canonical URL is the preferred version of a webpage that you want search engines to index.

Citation

A citation in SEO refers to a mention of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-Through Rate (CTR) measures the percentage of users who click on a link compared to the total number of users who view the content.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience.

Crawling

Crawling is the process by which search engines discover and index content on the web.

Digital PR

Digital PR involves managing a brand's online reputation through strategic communication efforts.

Directory Submission

Directory submission is the process of submitting a website's URL and details to online directories for inclusion.

Disavow Tool

The Disavow Tool is a feature in Google Search Console that allows webmasters to inform Google of backlinks they want to ignore when assessing their site's ranking.

Do-Follow Link

A do-follow link is a type of hyperlink that allows search engines to follow it and pass link equity to the linked site.

Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines. It is scored on a scale from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank.

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which are factors Google considers in evaluating content quality.

Earned Media

Earned media refers to publicity gained through promotional efforts other than paid advertising.

Email Outreach

Email outreach is the process of sending emails to individuals or organizations to build relationships and promote products or services.

Engagement Metrics

Engagement metrics are measurements that reflect how users interact with content, such as likes, shares, comments, and time spent on a page.

External Link

An external link is a hyperlink that points to a webpage on a different domain than your own.

Featured Snippet

A featured snippet is a special box that appears at the top of Google search results, providing a summary answer to a query.

First Link Priority

First link priority refers to the practice where search engines give more weight to the first link on a webpage when assessing the importance of that link.

Follow Link

A follow link is a hyperlink that allows search engines to follow it and pass on link juice to the linked page.

Forum Link Building

Forum link building is the practice of creating backlinks to your website by participating in online forums.

Freshness

Freshness in SEO refers to how recently content has been published or updated.

Geographic Targeting

Geographic targeting is a marketing strategy that involves targeting specific geographic areas to reach potential customers.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that helps website owners track and understand their online traffic.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool by Google that helps website owners monitor and maintain their site's presence in Google Search results.

Growth Hacking

Growth hacking is a marketing strategy focused on rapidly growing a business through creative, low-cost methods.

Guest Posting

Guest posting is the act of writing and publishing an article on someone else's website or blog.

Hidden Text

Hidden text refers to content on a webpage that is not visible to users but can be detected by search engines.

Hreflang

Hreflang is an HTML attribute used to specify the language and regional targeting of a webpage.

HTML Sitemap

An HTML sitemap is a webpage that lists all the pages of a website in a structured manner, making it easy for visitors to navigate.

HTTP Status Codes

HTTP status codes are numerical codes returned by a web server to indicate the result of a client's request.

Hummingbird Algorithm

The Hummingbird Algorithm is a Google search algorithm update that focuses on understanding the context and meaning behind search queries rather than just the keywords.

Image SEO

Image SEO involves optimizing images to improve the visibility and ranking of a website in search engine results.

Inbound Link

An inbound link is a hyperlink on another website that points to your website.

Indexing

Indexing is the process by which search engines organize and store information from websites.

Influencer Outreach

Influencer outreach is the process of connecting with influential individuals to promote products or services.

Internal Linking

Internal linking refers to the practice of hyperlinking different pages within the same website.

JavaScript SEO

JavaScript SEO refers to optimizing websites that use JavaScript for better visibility in search engine results.

John Mueller (Google's Search Advocate)

John Mueller is a Search Advocate at Google, known for providing insights and advice on SEO practices.

JSON-LD

JSON-LD is a lightweight format for encoding linked data using JSON.

Juice (Link Juice)

Link juice refers to the value or equity passed from one page to another through hyperlinks.

Junk Links

Junk links are low-quality or spammy backlinks that can harm your website's SEO ranking.

Keyword Density

Keyword density is the percentage of times a keyword appears in relation to the total number of words on a page.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines.

Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing is the practice of overloading a webpage with keywords to manipulate search rankings.

Knowledge Graph

A Knowledge Graph is a system that enhances search engines by organizing information based on entities and their relationships.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

A KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.

Link Audit

A link audit is a process of reviewing and analyzing all the links pointing to a website.

Link Building

Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own.

Link Equity

Link equity refers to the value passed from one webpage to another through hyperlinks. It helps determine a site's authority and ranking in search engine results.

Link Exchange

Link exchange is a practice where two websites agree to link to each other.

Local SEO

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in local search results.

Manual Action

A manual action is a penalty imposed by search engines like Google for violating their webmaster guidelines.

Marketplace Listings

Marketplace listings are detailed listings where products or services are offered for sale on an online platform.

Meta Description

A meta description is a brief summary of a webpage's content that appears in search engine results.

Mobile-First Indexing

Mobile-first indexing means that Google predominantly uses the mobile version of a website for ranking and indexing.

Monthly Searches

Monthly searches refer to the average number of times a specific keyword or phrase is searched in a month.

NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number, which are essential details for local businesses.

Natural Link Profile

A natural link profile refers to the way backlinks are acquired organically over time without manipulation. It includes a diverse range of links from various sources that build credibility for a website.

Negative SEO

Negative SEO involves using unethical techniques to harm a competitor's website ranking in search engine results.

Niche Directories

Niche directories are websites that list businesses or resources focused on a specific industry or interest area.

No-Follow Link

A no-follow link is an HTML attribute that tells search engines not to pass on link equity or authority to the linked page.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside your own website to impact your ranking in search results. This includes building backlinks and engaging in social media marketing.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines.

Online Business Listing

An online business listing is a profile created for a business on platforms that help consumers find services and products.

Organic Traffic

Organic traffic refers to visitors who come to a website through unpaid search results.

Outbound Link

An outbound link is a hyperlink that directs users to a different website from the one they are currently on.

Page Authority

Page Authority (PA) is a score that predicts how well a specific page will rank on SERPs. It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of ranking well.

PageRank

PageRank is an algorithm used by Google to rank web pages in their search results based on the number and quality of links pointing to them.

PBN (Private Blog Network)

A PBN, or Private Blog Network, is a group of websites owned by the same person, used to build backlinks to boost SEO rankings.

Penalties

Penalties are consequences imposed by search engines on websites that violate their guidelines or have manipulative practices.

Product Hunt

Product Hunt is a platform that showcases new products, allowing users to discover and promote the latest software tools and apps.

Quality Content

Quality content refers to well-researched, informative, and engaging material that meets the needs of its audience.

Quality Score

Quality Score is a metric used by Google Ads to assess the relevance and quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages.

Query

A query is a request for information from a database or search engine.

Quick Answer Box

A Quick Answer Box is a search engine feature that provides direct answers to user's queries at the top of search results.

Quotation Backlinks

Quotation backlinks are links from other websites that mention your brand or website in a quote format.

Ranking Factor

Ranking factors are criteria used by search engines to determine the position of a webpage in search results.

Reciprocal Links

Reciprocal links are links exchanged between two websites, where one site links to the other and vice versa.

Redirect

A redirect is a method for forwarding one URL to another URL.

Referral Traffic

Referral traffic is the visitors that come to your website from other websites through links.

Relevance

Relevance refers to how well content matches a user's search query or intent.

Search Volume

Search volume refers to the number of times a specific keyword is searched in a given timeframe, usually monthly.

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

A SERP, or Search Engine Results Page, is the page displayed by a search engine after a user enters a query.

Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages of a website to help search engines index them.

Skyscraper Technique

The Skyscraper Technique is a link-building strategy that involves creating high-quality content that is better than existing resources to attract backlinks.

Startup Directory

A startup directory is a listing or database of new businesses and startups, showcasing their details and offerings.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO refers to optimizing a website's backend structure to improve its performance and visibility in search engines.

Tiered Link Building

Tiered link building is a strategy that involves creating multiple layers or tiers of backlinks to boost a website's authority and search engine rankings.

Toxic Links

Toxic links are backlinks that can harm your website's reputation and SEO performance.

Traffic

Traffic refers to the number of visitors accessing a website over a specific period of time.

Trust Flow

Trust Flow is a metric that measures the quality of links pointing to a website, determining its trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines.

Unique Visitors

Unique visitors refer to individual users who visit a website during a specific time period.

Universal Search

Universal Search is a Google feature that integrates various types of content from multiple sources into search results.

Unnatural Links

Unnatural links are backlinks that are created artificially to manipulate search engine rankings rather than earn them organically.

URL Structure

URL structure refers to the way URLs are organized and formatted on a website.

User Experience (UX)

User Experience (UX) refers to how users interact with and perceive a product or service.

Validation

Validation in SEO refers to the process of ensuring that website content and structure meet certain quality standards and guidelines.

Vertical Search

Vertical search refers to search engines that focus on a specific industry or niche rather than indexing the whole web.

Viral Content

Viral content refers to online material that spreads rapidly through social sharing and engagement.

Visibility

Visibility in SEO refers to how easily a website or webpage can be found by search engines and users.

Voice Search

Voice search is a technology that allows users to search the internet using voice commands instead of typing.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 refers to the second generation of the web that focuses on user-generated content and social media interactions.

Webmaster Guidelines

Webmaster Guidelines are a set of best practices provided by search engines to help website owners optimize their sites for better search performance.

Website Authority

Website authority refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of a website in the eyes of search engines and users.

White Hat SEO

White Hat SEO refers to ethical optimization practices that follow search engine guidelines.

WordPress SEO

WordPress SEO refers to the process of optimizing a WordPress website to improve its visibility in search engines.

X-Robots-Tag

The X-Robots-Tag is an HTTP header used to control how search engines crawl and index content on a web page.

XHTML

XHTML is a stricter and cleaner version of HTML that follows XML syntax rules.

XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages of a website to help search engines crawl and index its content more effectively.

XPath

XPath is a language used for selecting nodes from an XML document.

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) is a security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users.

Yahoo Directory (historical)

The Yahoo Directory was a web directory that organized websites by categories and subcategories.

Yandex SEO

Yandex SEO refers to the optimization techniques used to improve a website's visibility on Yandex, the leading search engine in Russia.

Yield Metrics

Yield metrics refer to measurements that help assess the performance and effectiveness of marketing campaigns, particularly in relation to revenue generation.

Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a popular WordPress plugin that helps users optimize their websites for search engines.

YouTube SEO

YouTube SEO refers to optimizing video content on YouTube to improve visibility and ranking in search results.

Z-pattern Layout

A Z-pattern layout is a design structure that guides the eye in a Z-shaped path across a webpage. This layout is commonly used to improve user experience and engagement.

Zero-Click Searches

Zero-click searches occur when a user receives an answer directly in the search results without having to click on any links.

Zig-Zag Ranking

Zig-Zag Ranking is a method of arranging content whereby rankings alternate between different topics or keywords.

Zip Code Targeting

Zip code targeting is a marketing strategy that focuses on specific geographic areas by using zip codes to deliver tailored messages and campaigns.

Zombie Pages

Zombie pages are old web pages that are no longer relevant or useful but still get indexed by search engines.