Search engine optimisation can feel full of jargon. This glossary explains SEO terms in clear, straightforward language so you can understand what they mean and why they matter for your website.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
A/B testing
Comparing two versions of a page or element to see which performs better for a goal such as clicks or enquiries. It’s used to improve performance based on real data rather than guesswork.
Above the fold
The section of a web page visible without scrolling. It’s where your most important headline and call to action should appear because users see it first.
Algorithm
The formula search engines use to decide which pages appear in results. Google’s algorithm changes often, so good structure, speed, and helpful content matter more than tricks.
Alt text
Text added to describe an image. It helps visually impaired visitors and lets search engines understand what the image shows. Keep it short and natural.
Anchor text
The clickable part of a link, usually underlined or coloured. Descriptive anchor text helps Google understand what the linked page is about.
B
Backlink
A link from another website pointing to yours. High-quality backlinks act as trust signals and can improve rankings. Earn them naturally by creating useful resources.
Black hat SEO
Unethical methods such as buying links or hiding text to trick search engines. These can lead to penalties or deindexing. Always use white-hat methods instead.
Bounce rate
The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page. A high rate might indicate that your content isn’t meeting expectations or that the page loads slowly.
Breadcrumb
A small set of navigational links showing where a visitor is on your site. They help users and search engines understand site structure.
C
Cache
Temporary storage that saves web files so pages load faster the next time they’re visited. Caching improves user experience and SEO performance.
Canonical URL
The preferred version of a page when there are duplicates or similar content. It prevents search engines from splitting ranking signals between multiple versions.
Click-through rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click your link after seeing it in search results. A strong title and meta description can boost CTR.
Core Web Vitals
A group of metrics Google uses to measure page experience: loading speed, responsiveness, and layout stability. Meeting these targets can improve rankings.
Crawling
The process of search engines scanning your site to discover and read pages. If your pages aren’t crawled, they can’t appear in search results.
Crawl budget
The amount of attention search engines give your site during crawling. Sites with lots of duplicate or low-value URLs can waste their crawl budget.
D
Disavow
A way to tell Google to ignore certain backlinks you think are harmful or spammy. It’s best used only in rare cases when you can’t remove the links yourself.
Domain authority (DA)
A score developed by Moz to estimate how strong a website’s backlink profile is. It’s not used by Google but can be helpful for comparison.
Duplicate content
Text or pages that appear in more than one place, either on your own site or elsewhere. It can confuse search engines and weaken your ranking signals.
E
E-E-A-T
Short for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a framework Google uses to evaluate quality and credibility in content.
Entity
A distinct person, place, brand, or topic recognised by search engines. Strong entity signals help Google associate your site with relevant subjects.
Evergreen content
Content that remains useful and accurate over time. It attracts long-term traffic with only occasional updates.
F
Featured snippet
A short, highlighted answer Google sometimes shows above regular results. Structuring your content clearly with headings or bullet points can increase your chances of earning one.
Follow link
A normal link that passes authority (“link juice”) from one page to another. Earning follow links from reputable sites helps build credibility.
Footer links
Links in the bottom section of a website. They’re useful for navigation but carry less ranking weight than links in the main body of a page.
Freshness
How recently content was published or updated. For fast-changing topics, freshness can influence rankings.
G
Google Business Profile
A free listing that helps your business appear in local search results and Google Maps. Keeping it up to date improves local visibility.
Googlebot
Google’s web crawler that visits and indexes your pages. If it can’t access your site, your content won’t show in search results.
Google Search Console
A free Google tool for tracking your site’s visibility, performance, and technical health in search results.
H
Header tags (H1, H2, H3)
HTML tags that structure your content. They help both readers and search engines understand what each section is about.
hreflang
A tag used to tell Google which language or regional version of a page to show. It’s essential for multilingual or international sites.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language, the code that structures a web page. Clean, valid HTML makes your site easier for search engines to crawl and understand.
I
Impression
Each time your page appears in search results, it counts as an impression, even if no one clicks.
Index
Google’s massive database of all the web pages it knows about. Only indexed pages can appear in results.
Internal link
A link between two pages on the same website. It helps spread authority around your site and guides users to related content.
J
JavaScript
A programming language that adds interactivity to web pages. Poorly implemented JavaScript can block crawling or slow your site down.
K
Keyword
A word or phrase people type into a search engine. Understanding and targeting the right keywords helps you attract relevant visitors.
Keyword stuffing
Overusing keywords in a way that looks unnatural or spammy. It can harm rankings rather than help.
KPI
Short for Key Performance Indicator. In SEO, this might include rankings, organic traffic, leads, or conversions.
L
Landing page
A web page designed to attract visitors from search or ads and encourage a specific action. Good landing pages are focused and persuasive.
Link building
The process of earning backlinks from other sites. Quality links from relevant websites can improve your authority and rankings.
Local SEO
Optimising your website and Google Business Profile so you appear in local search results. It’s essential for businesses serving a specific area.
M
Meta description
A short summary that appears under your title in search results. It doesn’t directly affect ranking but can improve click-through rates.
Meta title
The page title that appears in search results. It’s one of the strongest on-page ranking factors and should include your target keyword naturally.
Mobile-first indexing
Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. A responsive design is now essential.
N
NAP
Short for Name, Address, and Phone number. Consistency across your site and listings is vital for local SEO.
Noindex
A meta tag that tells search engines not to include a page in search results. It’s useful for thank-you pages or duplicate content.
Nofollow
An attribute that tells search engines not to pass authority through a link. Often used for paid or user-generated links.
O
Off-page SEO
All the actions taken outside your own website to improve rankings — mainly link building, brand mentions, and online reputation.
On-page SEO
The practice of optimising individual web pages through content, titles, meta data, and internal links.
Organic traffic
Visitors who find your site through unpaid search results rather than ads.
P
Page speed
How fast your web page loads. Faster sites provide a better experience and usually rank higher.
Page title
The main title that appears in browser tabs and search results. It should accurately describe the page’s topic and include key phrases.
Paid search
Advertising on search engines, often called PPC (pay-per-click). It’s separate from organic SEO but complements it.
Q
Query
The term or question someone types into a search engine. Understanding queries helps you match your content to user intent.
R
Redirect
A way to send users and search engines from one URL to another. A 301 redirect is permanent and passes most SEO value.
Robots.txt
A file that tells search engines which parts of your site they can or can’t crawl.
Ranking
Where your page appears in search results for a keyword. Positions 1–3 typically get the most clicks.
S
Schema markup
Code that adds context to your content, helping search engines understand it better. It can enable rich results like star ratings or FAQs.
Search intent
The reason behind a search query — informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. Matching intent improves relevance and rankings.
SERP
Short for Search Engine Results Page — the page you see after performing a search.
Sitemap
A file that lists your important pages to help search engines crawl them more efficiently.
T
Technical SEO
The process of improving a site’s infrastructure so search engines can crawl, index, and render it properly.
Thin content
Pages with very little useful information. These often perform poorly and should be expanded or combined.
Title tag
The HTML tag that sets your page title. It’s one of the strongest on-page SEO signals.
U
URL
The address of a page on the web. Short, descriptive URLs are easier for users and search engines to understand.
User experience (UX)
How people feel when using your website. Good UX keeps visitors engaged and can improve rankings indirectly.
Unique content
Original writing that doesn’t appear elsewhere. Unique content helps your site stand out and rank better.
V
Visibility
How often your site appears in search results. High visibility means your pages are showing for many relevant keywords.
Voice search
Using spoken queries through assistants like Siri or Alexa. Voice searches are often longer and phrased as questions.
W
Web crawler
A program search engines use to find and read pages across the internet.
White hat SEO
Ethical SEO techniques that follow search engine guidelines and focus on long-term success.
WordPress
A popular content management system that powers millions of websites. It’s flexible, SEO-friendly, and widely supported.
X
XML sitemap
A structured file listing all important URLs on your website. It helps search engines discover and index your content.
Y
YMYL
Stands for “Your Money or Your Life.” These are topics that affect people’s finances, health, or safety, where Google demands higher trust signals.
Z
Zero-click searches
When Google answers a question directly on the results page, meaning the user doesn’t click through to a website. Optimising for snippets can still help brand visibility.