The Ultimate Glossary of SEO Terms for Beginners

Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of rules search engines like Google use to rank web pages. Algorithms consider factors like relevance, quality, and user experience to determine which pages appear in search results.

Alt Text

Alt text (alternative text) describes images on a web page. It helps search engines understand image content and improves accessibility for visually impaired users.

Anchor Text

Anchor text refers to clickable words in a hyperlink. For example: Learn more about [SEO basics]. Optimizing anchor text with relevant keywords can boost SEO.

Backlink

A backlink is a link from one website to another. Backlinks act as “votes of confidence” for search engines, indicating that your content is valuable and trustworthy.

Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can signal poor user experience or irrelevant content.

Canonical URL

The canonical URL is the preferred version of a web page. It prevents duplicate content issues by telling search engines which version to index.

Domain Authority (DA)

A metric developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). Higher DA indicates better chances of ranking.

Duplicate Content

Content that appears on multiple URLs. Duplicate content can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. Use canonical tags or rewrite content to avoid this issue.

E-A-T

Stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are the three core principles Google uses to evaluate content quality.

Featured Snippet

A highlighted answer displayed at the top of Google’s search results. Optimizing for featured snippets can significantly boost traffic.

Focus Keyword

The primary keyword or phrase you want a page to rank for.

Google Analytics

A free tool by Google that tracks website traffic, user behavior, and performance metrics.

H1 Tag

The main heading on a webpage, usually the title of the content. It’s a critical on-page SEO element.

Impressions

The number of times a web page or ad is displayed in search results. Impressions measure visibility, not engagement.

Internal Link

A link that connects one page of your website to another. Internal linking improves navigation and helps search engines understand site structure.

JavaScript

A programming language used to create interactive elements on websites. While JavaScript can enhance user experience, it needs to be SEO-friendly for search engines to crawl it effectively.

Keyword

A term or phrase that users type into search engines. Keywords guide SEO strategies and content creation.

Keyword Density

The percentage of times a keyword appears in content compared to the total word count. Overusing keywords (keyword stuffing) can harm SEO.

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI)

A technique search engines use to identify related terms and synonyms to better understand content context.

Link Building

The process of acquiring backlinks from other websites to improve authority and rankings.

Meta Description

A short summary of a web page that appears in search results under the title. A well-crafted meta description can boost click-through rates.

Mobile-First Indexing

Google primarily uses the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking.

NoFollow Link

A type of link that tells search engines not to pass SEO value to the linked page.

Organic Traffic

Visitors who land on your website through unpaid search results.

Page Speed

The time it takes for a web page to load. Faster page speeds enhance user experience and improve SEO rankings.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

A paid advertising model where advertisers pay for each click on their ad.

Robots.txt

A file that tells search engines which parts of a website they should or shouldn’t crawl.

Redirect

A way to send users and search engines to a different URL than the one they originally requested. Common types include 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary) redirects.

Schema Markup

A type of code that helps search engines understand your content better. It enables rich snippets, such as reviews, FAQs, and events, to appear in search results.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query.

Sitemap

A file that lists all the pages on your website. Sitemaps help search engines crawl and index your site effectively.

SSL Certificate

A security protocol that encrypts data transferred between a website and its users. Websites with SSL show “HTTPS” in the URL and rank higher in search results.

Unique Content

Content that is original and not duplicated elsewhere. Unique content is essential for SEO success.

Voice Search Optimization

Adjusting content to cater to voice search queries, which are often conversational and question-based.

XML Sitemap

A specific type of sitemap formatted for search engines, listing all your website’s URLs.

Zero-Click Search

A search result where users get the information they need directly from the SERP, without clicking through to a website. Examples include featured snippets and knowledge panels.