Algorithm, anchor text, alt attributes—what do these terms really mean? SEO is notorious for its jargon, making it seem complex and inaccessible. However, this isn’t an attempt by your agency to confuse you with technical language; it’s simply the nature of search engine optimisation that necessitates the use of specific terms. Understanding this jargon is crucial for navigating and mastering the technical aspects of SEO.
To try to explain some of these terms, we’ve pulled together a list of commonly used words and phrases with an explanation of what they mean. Don’t see one on the list? Let us know and we’ll add it!
SEO Glossary
- Algorithm
A set of rules or processes used by search engines to determine the ranking of web pages in search results. - Alt Text (Alternative Text)
A description of an image used by search engines and screen readers to understand the content of the image. Important for image SEO and accessibility. - Anchor Text
The clickable text in a hyperlink, which helps search engines understand the context and relevance of the linked page. - Backlink
A link from one website to another. Backlinks are important for SEO as they are considered a vote of confidence for the linked site. - Black Hat SEO
Unethical SEO practices aimed at manipulating search engine rankings, often resulting in penalties from search engines. - Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate issues with site content or user experience. - Canonical URL
The preferred version of a web page when multiple versions exist. Helps prevent duplicate content issues. - CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who view the link. Used to measure the effectiveness of online advertising. - Crawling
The process by which search engines discover new and updated web pages to add to their index. - De-indexing
The removal of a web page or site from a search engine’s index, making it unavailable in search results. - Domain Authority (DA)
A metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater ability to rank. - Duplicate Content
Content that appears on more than one web page, either within the same website or across different websites. Can negatively affect SEO. - E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)
A component of Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG), E-E-A-T assesses the quality of the content on your website. - Featured Snippet
A highlighted excerpt from a website that appears at the top of Google’s search results, providing a quick answer to a user’s query. - Google Analytics
A free tool provided by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, offering insights into user behaviour and site performance. - Google Search Console
A free service by Google that helps webmasters monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot their site’s presence in Google Search results. - Keyword
A word or phrase that users enter into search engines. SEO involves optimising content to rank well for relevant keywords. - Keyword Density
The percentage of times a keyword appears on a page compared to the total number of words. Excessive keyword density can lead to keyword stuffing. - Keyword Stuffing
The overuse of keywords on a web page in an attempt to manipulate search rankings. This practice is penalised by search engines. - Meta Description
A brief summary of a web page’s content that appears in search engine results below the page title. Important for click-through rates. - Meta Tags
HTML tags that provide information about a web page to search engines and website visitors. Includes title tags and meta descriptions. - NoFollow Link
A hyperlink with a rel=”nofollow” attribute, instructing search engines not to pass link equity to the linked site. - On-Page SEO
The practice of optimising individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. Involves optimising content, HTML source code, and more. - Organic Traffic
Visitors who arrive at a website through unpaid search engine results, as opposed to paid advertisements. - Page Authority (PA)
A metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). - Page Speed
The amount of time it takes for a web page to load. Faster page speeds contribute to better user experience and improved SEO. - PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
An online advertising model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their ad. Google Ads is a popular PPC platform. - RankBrain
A machine learning-based component of Google’s algorithm that helps process and understand search queries to deliver better results. - SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page displayed by search engines in response to a user’s query. It includes organic results, paid ads, featured snippets, and more. - Sitemap
A file that lists all the pages on a website, helping search engines crawl and index the site’s content more efficiently. - SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer)
A digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. Websites with SSL certificates display “HTTPS” and are favoured by search engines. - Title Tag
An HTML element that specifies the title of a web page. It appears in search engine results and is important for SEO. - User Experience (UX)
The overall experience a user has while interacting with a website, including ease of use, accessibility, and overall satisfaction. Good UX can positively impact SEO. - White Hat SEO
Ethical SEO practices that follow search engine guidelines and focus on providing value to users. - XML Sitemap
A specific type of sitemap that helps search engines understand the structure of a website and find all its pages.
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