Mastering search engine optimisation (SEO) is key to boosting your website’s visibility and traffic, but navigating its jargon can be overwhelming.
To simplify this, we’ve created this guide to common SEO terms and their meanings so you can use it as a handy reference.
SEO Glossary
A
Algorithm
A set of rules used by search engines to determine the ranking of web pages in search results.
Alt Text (Alternative Text)
A description added to an image’s HTML tag to help search engines understand its content and improve accessibility.
____________________________________
B
Backlink
A link from another website to your own. High-quality backlinks can improve your site’s authority and ranking.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who leave a webpage without interacting further. A high bounce rate may indicate issues with content relevance or user experience.
____________________________________
C
Canonical Tag
An HTML element used to prevent duplicate content issues by specifying the preferred version of a webpage.
Crawl
The process by which search engine bots scan websites to index content.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The percentage of users who click on a link after seeing it in search results.
____________________________________
D
Domain Authority (DA)
A score (0-100) developed by Moz that predicts a website’s ability to rank in search results.
Duplicate Content
Content that appears on multiple URLs, which can confuse search engines and dilute ranking potential.
E E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
A framework used by Google to assess content quality and credibility.
External Link
A hyperlink that points to a different domain than the one it’s hosted on.
____________________________________
G
Google Analytics
A tool that provides data on website traffic, user behaviour, and performance metrics.
Google Search Console
A free tool that helps website owners monitor their site’s presence in Google search results and fix potential issues.
____________________________________
H
Heading Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
HTML elements used to structure content hierarchically and improve readability for both users and search engines.
HTML Sitemap
A page that lists all important website pages, helping users and search engines navigate the site.
____________________________________
I
Indexing
The process by which search engines store and organise content to appear in search results.
Internal Link
A hyperlink that connects one page of a website to another page within the same domain.
____________________________________
K
Keyword
A word or phrase that users type into search engines to find relevant content.
Keyword Density
The percentage of times a keyword appears in content relative to the total word count.
Keyword Research
The process of identifying and analysing search terms to optimise content for better rankings.
____________________________________
L
Link Building
The practice of acquiring backlinks to improve a website’s authority and rankings.
Local SEO
The process of optimising a website to appear in location-based searches, often involving Google My Business optimisation.
____________________________________
M
Meta Description
A brief summary of a webpage that appears in search results and influences click-through rates.
Mobile Optimisation
The process of ensuring a website functions well on mobile devices to improve user experience and rankings.
____________________________________
N
NoFollow Link
A link attribute that tells search engines not to pass authority to the linked page.
Navigation Menu
A structured list of links that help users find content on a website.
____________________________________
O
On-Page SEO
Optimisation strategies applied directly to a webpage, such as keyword usage, meta tags, and content structure.
Organic Traffic
Website visitors that arrive through unpaid search results rather than ads.
____________________________________
P
PageSpeed
A measure of how quickly a webpage loads, affecting both user experience and rankings.
Pillar Content
Comprehensive, authoritative content that serves as a central resource on a specific topic.
____________________________________
R
Redirect (301, 302)
A way to forward users and search engines from one URL to another.
Rich Snippet
Enhanced search results featuring additional information like star ratings, images, or FAQs.
____________________________________
S
Schema Markup
A type of structured data that helps search engines understand and display content in a richer format.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
A security protocol that encrypts data transferred between a website and its users, affecting trust and rankings.
____________________________________
T
Title Tag
An HTML element that defines a webpage’s title and appears in search results and browser tabs.
Traffic
The number of users visiting a website through search, social media, referrals, or direct access.
____________________________________
U
User Experience (UX)
The overall experience of visitors on a website, influencing engagement and rankings.
URL Structure
The format of web addresses, which should be clear, concise, and keyword-optimised.
____________________________________
V
Voice Search Optimisation
The process of optimising content to appear in voice search results from devices like Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri.
____________________________________
Have you mastered SEO terminology?
By understanding these key terms, you’ll be better equipped to optimise your website effectively and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of SEO.
For more information on how we can help, check out our SEO offering.