SEO Meaning
SEO Terms & Definitions
Search Engine Optimisation GLOSSARY
SEO Glossary 2023:
Terms & Definitions You Must Know
There are currently 64 names in this directory
A
Above the Fold
The portion of a web page that is visible without scrolling, which is often considered the most valuable real estate for content and calls to action.
Algorithm
A set of rules or instructions used by search engines to determine the relevance and ranking of web pages in search results.
Alt Text
A description of an image on a web page that is used by search engines to understand the content of the image and improve accessibility for visually impaired users.
B
Backlink
A link from one website to another, which is considered a vote of confidence and can improve a website's search engine rankings.
Black Hat SEO
Unethical and manipulative SEO practices that violate search engine guidelines and aim to artificially improve search rankings.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of users who leave a website after viewing only one page, which can indicate a lack of engagement or relevance.
C
Canonical URL
The preferred URL for a web page, which is used to avoid duplicate content issues and consolidate the SEO value of multiple versions of the same page.
Content Marketing
The practice of creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and drive profitable customer action.
CTR
Click-through rate, which is the percentage of users who click on a link after seeing it in search results or on a website.
D
Domain Authority
A metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank in search engine results based on various factors such as backlinks and content quality.
Domain Name
The unique name that identifies a website on the internet, often chosen to reflect the brand or content of the site.
Duplicate Content
Content that appears on multiple web pages, which can confuse search engines and result in lower rankings for all pages involved.
E
E-A-T
Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which are factors used by Google to evaluate the quality and relevance of web pages.
Evergreen Content
Content that remains relevant and valuable over time, often providing educational or informational value to users.
F
Featured Snippet
A search result that appears at the top of the SERP and provides a brief answer to a user's query, often taken from a web page's content.
G
Google Analytics
A free web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic and user behavior.
Google My Business
A free tool offered by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence and appear in local search results.
Google Search Console
A free tool offered by Google that provides insights and data about a website's search performance, including indexing status, search queries, and backlinks.
H
Header Tags
HTML tags used to structure content on a web page, including H1 for the main heading and H2-H6 for subheadings, which can help search engines understand the hierarchy and importance of the content.
Headings
HTML tags used to structure content on a web page, which can help search engines understand the hierarchy and importance of the content.
Hreflang
An HTML attribute used to indicate the language and geographic targeting of a web page, which can improve its relevance for users in different regions.
I
Inbound Link
A link from another website to a specific page on a website, which can improve its search engine rankings and drive referral traffic.
Indexing
The process by which search engines crawl and store web pages in their databases to be used in search results.
Internal Link
A link from one page on a website to another page on the same website, which can help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of the site.
J
JavaScript SEO
The practice of optimizing web pages that use JavaScript to ensure that search engines can crawl and index the content properly.
K
Keyword
A word or phrase that describes the content of a web page and is used by search engines to match user queries with relevant results.
Keyword Density
The percentage of times a keyword appears on a web page compared to the total number of words on the page, which can affect its relevance and ranking for that keyword.
Keyword Research
The process of identifying and analyzing the keywords and phrases that users search for in order to optimize web content and improve search engine rankings.
L
Landing Page
A web page designed specifically to receive traffic from a marketing campaign or search engine results, often with a clear call to action.
Link Building
The process of acquiring backlinks to a website in order to improve its search engine rankings.
Local SEO
The practice of optimizing a website and online presence to appear in local search results, often for businesses with physical locations.
M
Meta Description
A brief summary of the content on a web page that appears in search results and can influence whether users click on the link.
Meta Tags
HTML tags used to provide additional information about a web page, including the title, description, and keywords, which can influence search engine rankings and user behavior.
Mobile Optimization
The process of optimizing a website for mobile devices, including responsive design, fast loading times, and mobile-friendly content.
N
Nofollow
An HTML attribute used to tell search engines not to follow a particular link, which can prevent the link from passing on any SEO value.
Noindex
An HTML attribute used to tell search engines not to index a particular page, which can be useful for pages with duplicate content or low-quality content.
O
Organic Search
Search engine results that are not paid for and are based on the relevance and quality of the content on a web page.
Organic Traffic
Traffic to a website that comes from search engine results, rather than paid advertising or other sources.
P
Page Authority
A metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a specific page on a website will rank in search engine results based on various factors such as backlinks and content quality.
Page Speed
The time it takes for a web page to load, which can affect user experience and search engine rankings.
PageRank
A metric developed by Google that measures the importance of a web page based on the quantity and quality of its backlinks.
Q
Quality Content
Content that is valuable, relevant, and engaging to users, often providing educational or informational value and meeting their search intent.
Quality Score
A metric used by Google Ads to evaluate the relevance and quality of ads and landing pages, which can affect ad placement and cost.
R
Rich Snippet
A search result that includes additional information beyond the title and meta description, such as ratings, reviews, or event details.
Robots Meta Tag
An HTML tag used to provide instructions to search engine crawlers, including whether to index a page, follow links, or display snippets in search results.
Robots.txt
A file on a website that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of the site should not be indexed.
S
Schema Markup
A type of structured data that provides additional information about the content on a web page, which can improve its relevance and appearance in search results.
Search Intent
The underlying motivation or purpose behind a user's search query, which can vary from informational to transactional and affect the type of content and calls to action that are most effective.
SERP
Search engine results page, which is the page that displays the results of a user's search query.
T
Title Tag
An HTML tag used to define the title of a web page, which appears in search results and can influence whether users click on the link.
U
User Experience
The overall experience a user has when interacting with a website, including ease of use, navigation, and content quality, which can affect engagement and search engine rankings.
User-generated Content
Content created by users of a website or social media platform, often in the form of reviews, comments, or social posts, which can provide valuable social proof and engagement.
V
Video SEO
The practice of optimizing video content to appear in search results, often using descriptive titles, tags, and transcripts to improve relevance and visibility.
Visibility
The extent to which a website or web page appears in search engine results for relevant queries.
Voice Search
The practice of optimizing web content to appear in search results for voice queries, often using natural language and long-tail keywords.
W
White Hat SEO
Ethical and legitimate SEO practices that follow search engine guidelines and aim to improve the relevance and quality of web content.
White Space
The empty space on a web page that separates and highlights content, which can improve readability and user experience.
X
XML Sitemap
A file on a website that lists all of the pages on the site and provides information about their content and structure to search engines.
Y
Yoast SEO
A popular SEO plugin for WordPress that provides tools and guidance for optimizing web pages for search engines.
Z
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