A-Z SEO Jargon Glossary
Table of Contents
Alt Text
A textual description of an image used for accessibility and SEO purposes. Helps search engines understand the content of an image, enhancing image SEO and user experience.
Anchor Text
The clickable text in a hyperlink. Optimized anchor text helps with relevancy and ranking by pointing users and search engines to related content.
Algorithm
A set of rules search engines use to rank websites in search results. Determines which pages appear for specific keywords, often updated for better accuracy.
Authority
The perceived trustworthiness and credibility of a website. Measured by backlinks, content quality, and user trust; significantly impacts search rankings.
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
A web framework to create fast-loading pages for mobile devices. Boosts mobile user experience and can improve visibility in mobile-first indexing.
Backlink
A link from one website to another. High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites improve SEO performance.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who leave a site without interacting. A high bounce rate can indicate irrelevant or unsatisfactory content.
Black Hat SEO
Unethical or manipulative SEO practices. Examples include keyword stuffing, cloaking, and buying backlinks—subject to penalties by search engines.
Breadcrumbs
A navigational aid showing a user’s path or location within a website. Improves usability and internal linking for search engines.
Canonical URL
The preferred URL version of a webpage. Prevents duplicate content issues by telling search engines which version is primary.
Crawl
The process by which search engine bots discover and index websites. Ensures new and updated content is visible in search results.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The percentage of users who click on a particular link or search result. Higher CTR often correlates with better rankings.
Content Marketing
Creating valuable, relevant content to attract and engage an audience. Builds trust, authority, and long-term SEO benefits.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of users who take a desired action (e.g., purchase, sign-up). Improving user experience and calls-to-action can boost this metric.
Domain Authority (DA)
A metric (often from Moz) predicting how well a site may rank on search engine result pages. Influenced by link quality, content, and overall SEO health.
Duplicate Content
Identical or substantially similar content on multiple URLs. Can confuse search engines and dilute ranking signals.
Dwell Time
The length of time a user spends on a webpage before returning to the search results. Longer dwell time can signal high-quality, relevant content.
E-A-T
Stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google emphasizes these factors for content, especially for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics.
External Links
Links that point from your website to an external site. Can help users find additional resources and signal content relevance to search engines.
Featured Snippet
A highlighted box at the top of Google’s search results providing direct answers. Securing a featured snippet can greatly increase visibility and clicks.
Focus Keyword
The main keyword or phrase you’re optimizing a page or post for. Guides on-page SEO efforts, ensuring alignment with user search intent.
Google Analytics
A free web analytics tool provided by Google. Tracks website traffic, user behavior, and helps measure marketing campaigns.
Google My Business (GMB)
A tool for managing a company’s presence on Google Search and Maps. Essential for local SEO to improve visibility to nearby customers.
H1, H2, H3 Tags
HTML headings defining the structure of a page’s content. Helps search engines understand context and hierarchy; improves readability.
HTTP/HTTPS
Protocols for transmitting data online. HTTPS adds security via SSL/TLS encryption, important for user trust and SEO rankings.
Index
A search engine’s database of web pages. Pages must be indexed to appear in search results.
Internal Links
Links within the same domain, connecting your site’s pages. Improves site structure, navigation, and helps distribute link equity.
Keyword
A word or phrase users type into search engines. Carefully selecting relevant keywords is vital to rank effectively.
Keyword Density
The frequency of a keyword in a piece of content compared to total word count. Overuse can lead to keyword stuffing penalties.
Keyword Research
The process of finding valuable keywords (high volume, low competition) to target. Involves tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner.
Link Building
The process of acquiring backlinks from external sites. Builds a site’s authority and improves ranking potential.
Local SEO
Optimizing a site’s presence to attract traffic from local searches. Crucial for brick-and-mortar businesses seeking nearby customers.
Meta Description
A short snippet describing a page’s content, displayed in search results. Well-crafted meta descriptions can boost click-through rates.
Mobile-First Indexing
Google’s practice of primarily using the mobile version of content for indexing and ranking. Ensures mobile users see optimal content.
NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
Consistent listing of business details across the web (directories, social profiles, etc.). A key factor in local SEO credibility.
NoFollow Link
An HTML attribute (rel=”nofollow”) telling search engines not to pass link equity. Often used for paid or untrusted links.
On-Page SEO
Optimization of individual webpages, including content, meta tags, and HTML structure. Aims to improve search visibility and user experience.
Organic Traffic
Visitors arriving at a site from unpaid search results. A primary goal of SEO to increase quality traffic and conversions.
Page Speed
How quickly a webpage loads. Fast load times improve user experience and can positively impact search rankings.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
An advertising model where you pay only when a user clicks on your ad. Commonly seen in Google Ads and complements SEO efforts.
RankBrain
Google’s AI-driven algorithm component that interprets search queries and user behavior. Helps deliver more relevant results.
Rich Snippets
Search results with enhanced information (e.g., ratings, reviews, FAQs). Implemented via structured data or schema markup.
Schema Markup
Structured data added to your site’s HTML, helping search engines interpret content. Can lead to rich results and improved CTR.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page displayed by search engines after a query. Includes organic listings, ads, snippets, and more.
SEO Audit
A comprehensive review of a site’s SEO health, covering technical, on-page, and off-page factors. Identifies areas for improvement.
Title Tag
The HTML element that defines a webpage’s title, shown in the browser tab and SERPs. Crucial for user click decisions and SEO relevance.
Traffic
The number of visits to a website. High-quality, targeted traffic is the end goal of most SEO strategies.
User Intent
The underlying goal a searcher has when typing a query (informational, navigational, transactional). Matching intent improves engagement and rankings.
URL Structure
How URLs are formed and organized. Clean, descriptive URLs make it easier for users and search engines to understand content.
Voice Search
Searching the internet using spoken queries. An increasingly popular approach that requires optimizing content for natural, conversational language.
Webmaster Tools
Platforms like Google Search Console that help monitor site performance, indexing status, and potential SEO issues.
