The Complete SEO Glossary

A permanent server-side redirect that passes approximately 90–99% of link equity (ranking power) from the old URL to the new one. Used when content permanently moves to a new location, during domain migrations, or to consolidate duplicate pages.

A temporary redirect that tells search engines the original URL should remain indexed. Unlike a 301, it does not pass full link equity. Use only when the move is genuinely temporary (A/B tests, seasonal pages, maintenance).

The portion of a web page visible without scrolling. Key for user engagement because content here receives the most attention. Google's Page Layout algorithm may demote pages that load excessive ads above the fold.

A complex set of rules and signals search engines use to retrieve, rank, and present results for a given query. Google's algorithm considers over 200 ranking factors and is updated thousands of times per year.

Descriptive text added to an image's HTML tag that helps search engines understand the image content and provides accessibility for visually impaired users. Well-written alt text also helps images rank in Google Image Search.

The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. Search engines use anchor text as a relevance signal to understand the topic of the linked page. Over-optimized anchor text (using exact-match keywords repeatedly) can trigger a Google Penguin penalty.

A score (typically 1–100) predicting how well a website or page will rank. While not an official Google metric, tools like Moz, Ahrefs (Domain Rating), and Semrush (Authority Score) use proprietary algorithms to estimate this based on backlink profiles.

An incoming hyperlink from an external website to your site. Backlinks remain one of Google's top three ranking factors. Quality, relevance, and diversity of backlinks matter far more than sheer quantity.

Aggressive tactics that violate search engine guidelines to achieve higher rankings quickly. Examples include cloaking, keyword stuffing, private blog networks (PBNs), and link schemes. These techniques risk severe penalties including complete deindexation.

The percentage of visitors who leave a site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate poor content relevance, slow load times, or bad UX. However, it's context-dependent — a high bounce rate on a blog post where the user's question was quickly answered may be acceptable.

A secondary navigation scheme that shows a user's location within a site hierarchy (e.g., Home > Category > Page). Breadcrumbs improve UX and generate rich snippets in SERPs when marked up with structured data.

An HTML element that tells search engines which version of a URL is the 'master' copy when duplicate or very similar content exists. This prevents duplicate content issues and consolidates link signals to the preferred URL.

The percentage of users who click on your listing after seeing it in search results. CTR is calculated as clicks ÷ impressions × 100. Improving title tags and meta descriptions can dramatically improve CTR, and there's evidence that higher CTR can positively influence rankings.

A content strategy model where a comprehensive 'pillar page' covers a broad topic, and multiple 'cluster pages' address related subtopics — all interconnected via internal links. This approach signals topical authority to search engines.

The practice of auditing and removing or consolidating low-quality, outdated, or underperforming content from a website. Pruning can improve crawl efficiency, eliminate cannibalization, and lift overall domain quality signals.

The process of increasing the percentage of visitors who take a desired action (purchase, signup, download). CRO aligns with SEO by ensuring that organic traffic is maximized for business value, not just volume.

A broad, significant change to Google's core ranking algorithm. These updates can cause major ranking fluctuations across many sites and industries. Google typically confirms core updates and advises focusing on content quality rather than specific 'fixes.'

A set of three user-centric performance metrics from Google: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading, Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures interactivity, and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability. They are confirmed ranking signals.

The number of pages Googlebot will crawl on your site within a given timeframe. Large websites must optimize crawl budget to ensure important pages are discovered faster. Factors include server speed, internal linking, and URL parameter handling.

How easily a search engine spider can access and navigate through your website's content. Issues like blocked resources, broken redirects, JavaScript rendering problems, or missing internal links can all impair crawlability.

A text file submitted through Google Search Console that instructs Google to ignore specific backlinks when assessing your site. Used as a last resort after a manual penalty or when obvious spammy links cannot be removed manually.

An Ahrefs metric (0–100) that measures the strength of a website's backlink profile relative to all other sites in their database. Higher DR generally correlates with better ranking potential, though it's a third-party estimate, not a Google score.

Substantially similar content that appears on multiple URLs within or across domains. It can confuse search engines about which version to index and rank, causing dilution of ranking signals. Solutions include canonical tags, 301 redirects, or noindex directives.

The amount of time a user spends on a page before returning to the SERP. Longer dwell times are generally interpreted as a positive user engagement signal. While Google hasn't confirmed it as a direct ranking factor, it likely influences rankings indirectly.

Google's framework for evaluating content quality, especially for 'Your Money or Your Life' (YMYL) topics. E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor but is used by quality raters and reflects the signals Google's algorithms aim to assess. The added 'Experience' emphasizes first-hand knowledge.

Optimizing content around entities (people, places, things, concepts) rather than just keywords. Search engines increasingly use knowledge graphs and entity relationships to understand context and deliver relevant results.

Content that remains relevant and useful over time, continuing to attract traffic long after publication. Examples include how-to guides, glossaries, and foundational educational articles. Requires periodic updates to maintain accuracy.

A special SERP result appearing above traditional organic listings (often called 'Position Zero'). Featured snippets display a direct answer extracted from a page, in formats such as paragraphs, lists, tables, or videos. Winning one can dramatically increase CTR.

A Google Search Console feature (now 'URL Inspection') that allows you to see how Googlebot crawls and renders a specific page. Critical for diagnosing JavaScript rendering issues and ensuring content is accessible to search engines.

A free Google tool (formerly Google My Business) that lets businesses manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. Optimizing your GBP is the single most impactful local SEO activity, affecting map pack rankings and local visibility.

A manual or algorithmic demotion in search rankings due to violations of Google's Webmaster Guidelines. Manual actions are issued by human reviewers and appear in Search Console. Recovery requires fixing violations and submitting a reconsideration request.

A free Google tool providing insights into your site's presence in search results. GSC reports on indexing status, search queries, crawl errors, Core Web Vitals, manual actions, and more. An essential tool for every SEO practitioner.

Google's web crawling bot (spider) that discovers and indexes web pages. Googlebot follows links, reads robots.txt directives, and renders JavaScript. Understanding Googlebot behavior is fundamental to technical SEO.

HTML heading elements that create a hierarchical structure for content. H1 is the main page heading (use once), while H2–H6 organize subsections. Proper heading structure helps search engines understand content hierarchy and improves accessibility.

An HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and geographic audience a page targets. Essential for international websites to prevent duplicate content issues between language variants and ensure users see the correct version.

Three-digit server response codes indicating the result of a browser's request. Key SEO-relevant codes: 200 (success), 301 (permanent redirect), 302 (temporary redirect), 404 (not found), 410 (permanently gone), 500 (server error), and 503 (service unavailable).

The process by which search engines store and organize web page content in their database. Only indexed pages can appear in search results. Factors affecting indexing include crawlability, content quality, canonical signals, and noindex directives.

Links from one page on your domain to another page on the same domain. A strategic internal linking structure distributes page authority (PageRank) across the site, helps search engines discover pages, and establishes content hierarchy and topical relevance.

The practice of ensuring that content rendered via JavaScript frameworks (React, Angular, Vue) is accessible to search engine crawlers. Key challenges include rendering delays, dynamic content, hydration issues, and client-side routing that may prevent proper indexing.

When multiple pages on the same site compete for the same keyword, splitting authority and confusing search engines about which page to rank. This dilutes ranking potential and can cause fluctuating positions. Resolution involves consolidating or differentiating content.

A metric estimating how hard it would be to rank on the first page for a given keyword. Calculated differently across tools (Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz) but generally based on the backlink profiles of currently ranking pages. Scale is typically 0–100.

The process of discovering, analyzing, and selecting search terms that your target audience uses to find products, services, or information. Effective keyword research considers search volume, intent, competition, and business relevance to prioritize opportunities.

Google's knowledge base of interconnected entities (people, places, things) used to enhance search results with Knowledge Panels and other features. Entities in the Knowledge Graph influence how Google understands relationships between topics and concepts.

A web page specifically designed to receive traffic from a particular campaign, keyword, or channel and convert visitors into leads or customers. In SEO, optimized landing pages target high-value keywords while providing a frictionless user experience.

A mathematical technique that identifies patterns in the relationships between terms and concepts in content. While 'LSI keywords' is a popular SEO term, Google has stated they don't use LSI specifically. However, using topically related terms does help establish content depth.

The process of acquiring hyperlinks from external websites to your own. Common white-hat strategies include content marketing, digital PR, broken link building, resource page outreach, and HARO / journalist outreach. Quality and relevance outweigh quantity.

The ranking value passed from one page to another through hyperlinks. Factors affecting link equity include the linking page's authority, relevance, the number of outbound links it has, and whether the link is follow or nofollow.

The set of three local business listings (with a map) that appear in Google's SERP for queries with local intent. Rankings in the Local Pack depend on proximity, relevance, and prominence. Optimizing your Google Business Profile is key to appearing here.

The examination of server log files to understand how search engine bots crawl your site. Log file analysis reveals crawl frequency, crawl waste (bots crawling unimportant pages), server errors, and can inform crawl budget optimization strategies.

A longer, more specific search query (typically 3+ words) with lower search volume but higher conversion potential and less competition. Long-tail keywords represent the majority of all search queries and are crucial for niche targeting.

An HTML meta tag that provides a brief summary of a page's content (ideally 150–160 characters). While not a direct ranking factor, a compelling meta description improves CTR from search results, indirectly affecting rankings.

Google's approach of primarily using the mobile version of a page for indexing and ranking. Since 2023, all websites are indexed mobile-first. Ensuring responsive design, fast mobile load times, and content parity between mobile and desktop is essential.

The core business information that must be consistent across all online directories, citations, and your website for local SEO success. Inconsistent NAP data confuses search engines and dilutes local ranking signals.

A link attribute (rel='nofollow') that tells search engines not to pass link equity through the link. Commonly used for user-generated content, paid links, and untrusted content. Google now treats nofollow as a 'hint' rather than a directive.

A meta robots directive telling search engines not to include a page in their index. Useful for preventing thin content, duplicate content, admin pages, or thank-you pages from appearing in search results.

Visitors who arrive at your website through unpaid (organic) search engine results. Organic traffic is the primary KPI for SEO performance and is typically measured through Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

A page on your website that has no internal links pointing to it, making it difficult for both users and search engine bots to discover. Orphan pages waste crawl budget and miss out on internal link equity distribution.

How fast a web page loads and becomes interactive. Page speed is a confirmed Google ranking factor, especially on mobile. Key metrics include Time to First Byte (TTFB), First Contentful Paint (FCP), and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).

Google's foundational algorithm (named after Larry Page) that evaluates the quality and quantity of links pointing to a page to determine its importance. While Google no longer publicly shares PageRank scores, link-based authority remains a core ranking factor.

A SERP feature showing related questions that users commonly search for. Each question expands to reveal a brief answer from a web page. Optimizing content to answer PAA questions can generate additional organic visibility.

A comprehensive, authoritative page covering a broad topic in depth. It serves as the central hub in a topic cluster strategy, linking out to more specific cluster content pages. Pillar pages establish topical authority and drive internal linking power.

A specific type of structured data markup for e-commerce products. When implemented correctly, it enables rich results in Google showing price, availability, ratings, and reviews — significantly improving visibility and CTR for product pages.

Any signal used by a search engine's algorithm to determine the position of a page in search results. Google uses over 200 ranking factors including content quality, backlinks, page speed, mobile-friendliness, user experience, and E-E-A-T signals.

A unique external domain that links to your website. Having backlinks from a diverse set of referring domains is more valuable than many links from a single domain. Growth in referring domains is a strong indicator of healthy link acquisition.

A web design approach that makes pages render properly across all screen sizes and devices using fluid grids, flexible images, and CSS media queries. Responsive design is preferred by Google over separate mobile URLs (m-dot sites).

Enhanced search result listings that include additional visual elements like star ratings, images, prices, FAQ accordions, recipe details, or event information. Achieved through proper Schema markup and can significantly increase CTR.

A text file in the root directory of a website that instructs search engine crawlers which pages or sections they are allowed or disallowed from crawling. Important for controlling crawl budget but does not prevent indexing — use noindex for that.

Code (typically JSON-LD) added to web pages that helps search engines understand content context and meaning. Schema.org vocabulary covers hundreds of types (Article, Product, FAQ, HowTo, Organization) and enables rich results in SERPs.

The underlying goal behind a user's search query. Four primary types: Informational (learn something), Navigational (find a specific site), Commercial (research before buying), and Transactional (ready to buy). Aligning content with intent is critical for rankings.

The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query. Modern SERPs include organic listings, paid ads, featured snippets, knowledge panels, People Also Ask boxes, local packs, image carousels, video results, and more.

The hierarchical structure and organization of pages within a website. Good site architecture ensures every important page is reachable within 3–4 clicks from the homepage, distributes link equity efficiently, and helps search engines understand content relationships.

An XML file listing all important URLs on a website, along with metadata about each URL (last modified date, change frequency, priority). Submitted through Google Search Console, sitemaps help search engines discover and prioritize crawling of your pages.

The practice of optimizing a website's technical infrastructure to help search engines crawl, render, and index content more effectively. Covers areas like site speed, mobile optimization, structured data, HTTPS, XML sitemaps, robots.txt, and server configuration.

Pages with little or no substantive value — auto-generated content, doorway pages, affiliate pages with no original content, or pages with very little text. Google's Panda algorithm specifically targets thin content for demotion.

An HTML element that specifies the title of a web page, displayed in browser tabs and (usually) as the clickable headline in SERPs. Title tags are one of the most important on-page ranking factors. Keep them under 60 characters and include your primary keyword.

The degree to which a website is recognized as an authoritative source on a specific subject. Built by publishing comprehensive, interlinked content across a topic cluster. Sites with high topical authority tend to rank more easily for related terms.

The format and organization of a page's web address. SEO-friendly URLs are short, descriptive, use hyphens to separate words, include target keywords, and follow a logical hierarchy that reflects site architecture.

The overall experience a visitor has when interacting with your website, including ease of navigation, page speed, visual design, and content accessibility. Google increasingly uses UX signals (Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendliness) as ranking factors.

Optimizing content to appear in voice search results from assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Voice queries tend to be longer and conversational. Strategies include targeting question-based keywords, using FAQ schema, and achieving featured snippets.

SEO techniques that comply with search engine guidelines and focus on providing genuine value to users. White hat strategies include quality content creation, natural link building, technical optimization, and prioritizing user experience over manipulation.

A machine-readable file that provides search engines with a structured list of all important pages on your website. Including lastmod dates, change frequency, and priority values helps search engines prioritize crawling. Submit via Google Search Console for best results.

Google's classification for content topics that can significantly impact a person's health, financial stability, or safety. YMYL pages are held to the highest E-E-A-T standards. Examples include medical advice, financial planning, legal information, and news.

A search where the user's query is answered directly on the SERP (via featured snippets, knowledge panels, or instant answers) without clicking through to any website. Zero-click searches now represent over 50% of all Google searches.