SEO Terms

SEO terms are the words used to describe how search engines find, understand, and display content, and how website owners measure the results. SEO means search engine optimization: improving a website’s content and technical setup to help people find useful pages through unpaid search.

This SEO glossary explains the vocabulary you will encounter in WordPress settings, content briefs, website audits, and search reports. It covers the everyday fundamentals alongside technical SEO, local search, ecommerce, analytics, and AI search.

You do not need to memorize it. Look up the term in front of you, understand what it measures or changes, and use that information to make your next decision. No glossary can include every vendor’s terminology, so proprietary metrics and emerging labels are identified where their meanings need care.

Start with the terms that match your task

Browse the SEO glossary

For practical help, jump to commonly confused terms, the worked example, or the troubleshooting table.

Numbers

200 OK

An HTTP status meaning the request succeeded. A page returning 200 may still contain an error message or be excluded from indexing. Check the response content as well as the code.

301 redirect

A permanent move to another URL. Use it when replacing an old address with an equivalent destination. Google treats permanent redirects as a strong canonicalization signal. Google’s redirect documentation.

302 redirect

A temporary move to another URL. It tells crawlers that the original address remains relevant. Choose between permanent and temporary redirects according to the actual move. Google’s redirect documentation.

304 Not Modified

A response confirming that a previously downloaded resource has not changed. The client can reuse its cached copy. Unlike a 301, it does not send the visitor to a different page.

307 and 308 redirects

HTTP redirects that preserve the request method and body: 307 is temporary; 308 is permanent. This distinction matters when a request submits data rather than simply loads a page. MDN’s HTTP reference.

403 Forbidden

A response refusing access to a resource. An unexpected 403 on a public page can prevent crawlers from reading it. Check access rules and security settings without exposing private content.

404 Not Found

A response saying the requested resource could not be found. Keep a genuine 404 for a deleted page with no relevant replacement; fix internal links that still point to it.

410 Gone

A response saying a resource has been removed and its absence is likely permanent. Both 404 and 410 can communicate that a URL should no longer be indexed. Google’s HTTP guidance.

429 Too Many Requests

A rate-limit response. If Googlebot repeatedly receives it, Google may slow crawling. Investigate whether legitimate requests are hitting unnecessarily restrictive limits. Google’s HTTP guidance.

5xx server errors

Responses indicating server trouble: 500 means an internal error; 502 means a gateway received an invalid upstream response; 503 means temporary unavailability. Persistent errors can disrupt crawling and indexing. Google’s HTTP guidance.

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A

Above the fold

The content visible before someone scrolls. There is no universal fold position because screens and browser settings differ. Put a clear explanation of the page’s purpose near the beginning.

Absolute URL

A complete address containing the scheme and domain, such as https://example.com/guides/. It identifies its destination without relying on the address of the current page.

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

A framework for building web pages with performance-oriented components and restrictions. AMP is optional; using it is not itself a Google ranking factor. Google’s AMP documentation.

Accessibility

Making content and controls usable by people with different abilities and assistive technologies. Relevant practices include keyboard access, meaningful headings, readable text, and appropriate image alternatives. W3C’s accessibility introduction.

Affiliate link

A link that tracks a referral for a possible commission. Qualify paid relationships appropriately; Google prefers rel="sponsored" for paid links and also accepts nofollow. Google’s link guidance.

Agentic search

An emerging description of search systems that can plan and carry out multiple steps toward a goal. Ask what a particular product actually does; the label does not define a standard SEO method.

AI citation

A reference attached to an AI answer, often linking to a source. Being cited is different from receiving a visit. The reference also needs checking against the claim it supposedly supports.

AI crawler

A bot that collects web resources for an AI service. Different bots can serve search, user requests, or model development. Consult the provider’s documentation before deciding which uses to allow.

AI-generated content

Material produced using generative AI. Its publication still requires factual checking, editorial judgment, and a useful purpose. Google evaluates the content’s quality and intent, not simply whether AI was involved. Google’s AI-content guidance.

AI Mode

Google’s AI search experience for more involved questions, comparisons, and follow-up exploration. It can provide answers with supporting links. Google’s explanation of AI features.

AI Overview

An AI-generated response that can appear within Google Search results. It brings together information and supporting links, whereas a featured snippet typically highlights material from one webpage. Google’s explanation of AI features.

AI search visibility

The presence of a brand or source in AI search outputs. A measurement is meaningful only with a defined platform, set of prompts, location, testing period, and method for counting appearances.

AI SEO

A label with two common meanings: using AI to assist SEO work, or improving a site’s presence in AI-driven search. Clarify which meaning a proposal or tool is using.

Algorithm

A procedure for solving a computational problem. In SEO, people often use the word loosely for the many systems involved in interpreting queries and selecting search results.

Alt text

Text supplied in an image’s alt attribute to communicate its relevant meaning or function. Decorative images generally use alt="". Avoid turning descriptions into lists of keywords. W3C’s image guidance.

Anchor link (jump link)

A link to a particular location within a document. Its fragment must match a destination ID. For example:

<a href="#a">A</a>
<h2 id="a">A</h2>

In WordPress, set the heading block’s Advanced → HTML anchor to a, without #, and link to #a. Every destination ID must be unique. WordPress’s page-jump instructions.

Anchor text

The words a person clicks in a text link. In “read the technical SEO checklist,” those linked words describe the destination. Anchor text and the destination’s HTML anchor are different things.

Answer engine optimization (AEO)

An industry term for making information discoverable and useful in systems that answer questions directly. Its boundaries overlap with SEO and GEO; it is not a separate Google eligibility standard. Google’s generative AI guidance.

Attribution

The rules for assigning credit for an outcome to earlier interactions. A last-click model and a model considering several interactions can assign different credit to the same organic search visit.

Authority Score

Semrush’s proprietary website comparison metric, combining link, estimated organic traffic, and spam-related signals. Use its documented methodology when interpreting it. It is not a score supplied by Google. Semrush’s definition.

Average position

An aggregate search-position metric. In Search Console, property-level position uses the property’s highest result for an appearance. It does not describe one fixed rank experienced by every searcher. Search Console’s counting rules.

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B

Backlink

A link pointing to your site from another website, also called an inbound link. A supplier’s link to your store is a backlink for your store and an outbound link for the supplier.

Backlink profile

The overall collection and characteristics of links to a site or page. Review destinations, referring websites, relevance, anchor text, and link attributes instead of judging the profile by link count alone.

BERT

Short for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. Google uses this technology to interpret how combinations of words express meaning and intent. Google’s ranking systems guide.

Bing Webmaster Tools

Microsoft’s service for understanding a website’s presence in Bing and investigating search-related issues. Data from Bing and Google describes different search systems, so it should be labeled accordingly.

Bingbot

Microsoft’s web crawler for Bing. A crawler’s identity matters when diagnosing access restrictions; a rule intended for one bot may not apply to another. Bing’s webmaster guidance.

Black hat SEO

Industry shorthand for attempts to manipulate search visibility through practices that violate search engine policies. Examples include deceptive cloaking and manipulative link schemes.

Bounce rate

In Google Analytics 4, the share of sessions that were not engaged sessions. A visitor can read one page and still have an engaged session. Older analytics definitions may differ. GA4’s definition.

Brand mention

An appearance of a brand’s name in content. Mentions can be linked or unlinked, favorable or unfavorable. Their context matters, and counting them does not measure website visits.

Branded keyword

A search phrase including a particular brand or branded product. “Acme invoices login” is a hypothetical branded query; “invoice software” is a non-branded query.

Breadcrumb navigation

A trail of links indicating a page’s place in the site’s hierarchy. For example, “Home → Clothing → Jackets” lets someone move back to broader categories.

Broken link

A link that no longer takes visitors to its intended destination. Repair the link or destination when the resource should exist; remove or replace the reference when it is obsolete.

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C

Cache

A stored copy of a resource that can be reused. Caching can speed up delivery, but an old cached version may make a newly edited WordPress post appear unchanged.

Canonical tag

A link element declaring the preferred URL for duplicate or substantially similar pages. It provides a signal, not a redirect or a guarantee that Google will select that URL. Google’s canonical guidance.

Canonical URL

The representative address for a group of duplicate or very similar pages. Your declared preference can differ from the URL a search engine selects.

Canonicalization

The process of choosing a representative URL and consolidating duplicate-page signals. Consistent canonical annotations, redirects, internal links, and sitemap entries help communicate the intended version. Google’s canonical guidance.

ccTLD

Country-code top-level domain, such as .us, .ca, or .de. It is a domain category, distinct from language. A country’s audience can use more than one language.

Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX)

Google’s dataset of eligible real-user Chrome experiences. It supports field-performance reporting, but not every page or site has sufficient eligible data to appear. CrUX documentation.

Click depth

The number of link-following steps between a starting page and another page. A page buried several levels deep may be harder for visitors to find through normal navigation.

Click-through rate (CTR)

Clicks divided by impressions, expressed as a percentage. If a result receives 24 clicks from 600 impressions, its CTR is 4%. Compare like-for-like reporting groups. Search Console’s performance documentation.

Clicks

Recorded selections of search links under a platform’s counting rules. A search click does not necessarily produce a recorded analytics session, so the two totals need not match.

Client-side rendering (CSR)

Building or updating a page’s content in the visitor’s browser with JavaScript. Check whether important content and links become available to search engines during rendering. Google’s JavaScript SEO guidance.

Cloaking

Deceptively showing search engines and people different content to manipulate search results. Google’s spam policies.

Commercial investigation intent

The need to compare options before committing. Searches such as “heat pump versus furnace” call for practical tradeoffs, suitability criteria, and decision help.

Content audit

A review of existing content against its purpose and current evidence. The outcome should identify pages to retain, improve, merge, or remove, with reasons for each decision.

Content brief

A working specification for a page. It defines the audience, task, scope, supporting evidence, important questions, and useful next step before drafting begins.

Content decay

An informal name for a page’s declining performance over time. Possible causes include outdated information, changing demand, stronger competing pages, or technical problems. Diagnose the cause before rewriting.

Content delivery network (CDN)

A distributed service that helps deliver a website’s resources efficiently. Its caching, routing, and security configuration can affect visitors and crawlers.

Content gap

A reader need that existing content does not adequately answer. A competitor’s extra subheading is only a useful gap if that subject belongs in your page’s scope.

Content management system (CMS)

Software for creating and publishing website content. WordPress is a CMS. Its settings and extensions influence page URLs, metadata, navigation, and how content is delivered.

Content optimization

Improving content so it fulfills its intended task more effectively. This can mean correcting a definition, adding evidence, reorganizing a confusing section, or fixing a broken navigation feature.

Content syndication

Publishing the same content through additional outlets with permission. Plan attribution and indexing arrangements before republication; the original publisher’s preferred search visibility is not automatic.

Conversational search

Searching through natural questions and follow-up exchanges. The next question may depend on earlier context, making the complete information need broader than one isolated keyword.

Conversion

A desired outcome, such as an order or a qualified inquiry. Define what counts before measuring it; clicking a form button and successfully submitting a form are different events.

Conversion rate

The proportion of a specified group that completes a desired action. For a session-based rate, divide sessions containing the action by eligible sessions. Always name the action and denominator.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO)

Improving the path to a useful action. For example, clearer delivery information or a working inquiry form may help relevant visitors complete their task.

Core update

A broad revision to Google’s core ranking systems. A coinciding traffic change is a reason to investigate, not proof of a manual penalty. Google’s core-update guidance.

Core Web Vitals

Three measures of user experience: loading, interaction responsiveness, and visual stability. Evaluate the 75th percentile of real-user experiences separately for mobile and desktop. Google’s Web Vitals documentation.

These are experience thresholds, not predictions of search position.

Cornerstone content

A site’s foundational material on its main subjects. It should provide a useful starting point and lead readers to relevant details. “Cornerstone” describes an editorial role.

Crawl budget

The crawling a search engine can and wants to perform on a site. Detailed budget optimization primarily concerns large or rapidly changing sites. Smaller sites should first fix accessibility and discovery problems. Google’s crawl-budget guide.

Crawl Stats report

A Search Console report about Google’s crawl requests, including response types and host availability. It describes fetching activity rather than visits from searchers. Google’s Crawl Stats documentation.

Crawl trap

A URL pattern that generates excessive or effectively endless crawlable combinations. Examples include unbounded calendars and filters that produce new URLs without useful new content.

Crawlability

Whether a crawler can reach the page and necessary resources. Server availability, access restrictions, robots rules, and discoverable links all affect this practical question.

Crawled – currently not indexed

A Search Console status meaning Google fetched the page but has not indexed it. The status alone does not identify the cause or guarantee future indexing. Google’s status definitions.

Crawler

Software that automatically requests web resources. Search crawlers are also called spiders or bots. Their requests are different from visits made by prospective customers.

Crawling

Fetching content from a URL. A crawl supplies information for later processing; it does not establish that the page was indexed or selected for a search. How Google Search works.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

A Core Web Vital describing unexpected movement of visible page elements. Reserve space for images and embeds so surrounding content does not jump as they load. See the thresholds above.

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D

Data-nosnippet

An HTML attribute that excludes selected text from Google’s snippets. It offers section-level control while leaving other text available for excerpts. Google’s snippet guidance.

Deindexing

The removal of previously indexed content from a search index. It may be intentional or result from access failures, removed content, or policy issues.

Digital PR

Public relations activity conducted through online publications and communities. An announcement, useful study, or expert contribution may earn coverage, mentions, and relevant links.

Disallow

A robots.txt rule restricting crawling of matching paths by compliant bots. It is not a reliable method for removing a known URL from search results. Google’s robots.txt introduction.

Disavow

Asking Google to disregard specified backlinks. Google recommends this only under limited circumstances involving substantial problematic links and a manual action or likely manual action. A low tool score is insufficient. Google’s disavow instructions.

Discovered – currently not indexed

A Search Console status meaning Google knows the URL but has not crawled it yet. It differs from “Crawled – currently not indexed,” where fetching has already happened. Google’s status definitions.

DNS

Domain Name System. It helps clients find the servers associated with a domain. A DNS failure can stop both people and search crawlers from reaching the site.

Dofollow link

Informal shorthand for a normal link without a qualifying relationship such as nofollow. You do not need to add a rel="dofollow" value. Google’s link attributes.

Domain

A registered or delegated internet name, such as example.com. The domain is one component of a URL, not the full address of every page on a site.

Domain Authority (DA)

A proprietary Moz metric estimating a domain’s relative ability to appear prominently in search results. It is a comparison tool, not a Google-provided authority score. Moz’s definition.

Domain Rating (DR)

Ahrefs’ assessment of a website’s backlink-profile strength. It uses a different methodology from Moz’s DA; equal numbers from the two tools do not mean equal things. Ahrefs’ definition.

Doorway page

A page made to capture similar searches and funnel visitors onward without enough standalone value. Google’s spam policies.

Duplicate content

The same or substantially similar content available at multiple URLs. Ordinary duplication is not automatically a spam penalty, but it can complicate canonical selection and site management. Google’s SEO Starter Guide.

Dwell time

An informal term for the interval between clicking a result and returning to search. It should not be confused with analytics engagement time or presented as a standard Search Console report.

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E

E-E-A-T

Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. These concepts inform Google’s quality evaluation guidance. E-E-A-T is not one specific ranking factor or a public numerical website score. Google’s explanation.

Ecommerce SEO

SEO for online stores. Work commonly includes product and category content, product data, filter URLs, site navigation, and the treatment of unavailable merchandise.

Embedding

A numerical representation that lets software compare the characteristics of items such as text or images. Embeddings can help retrieve related content even when its wording differs. Google’s machine-learning glossary.

Engagement rate

In GA4, engaged sessions divided by all sessions. The default criteria include lasting longer than 10 seconds, recording a key event, or having at least two page or screen views. GA4’s criteria.

Entity

An identifiable thing, such as a person, place, company, or product. Naming and describing an entity clearly helps distinguish it from unrelated things with similar names.

Entity SEO

Work that makes a website’s subjects and their relationships clear. Consistent organization names, locations, authorship information, and accurate structured descriptions can reduce ambiguity.

Evergreen content

Material that continues to answer a recurring need after its initial publication. Evergreen does not mean maintenance-free: examples, links, and product details can still become outdated.

Expired domain abuse

Repurposing an expired domain primarily to manipulate search visibility with low-value content. Google’s spam policies.

External link

A link between different websites. It is outbound from the source website and inbound to the destination. Use external references when they help substantiate or expand an explanation.

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F

Faceted navigation

Filters for narrowing a collection, such as size, price, or material. Their URL combinations need deliberate management so useful landing pages remain accessible without creating endless near-duplicates.

Favicon

A small icon associated with a website, visible in browser interfaces and eligible search displays. Search appearance depends on the platform’s requirements. Google’s favicon guidance.

Featured snippet

A search result presentation that highlights a concise answer extracted from a webpage. Its format may be a paragraph, list, or table. It is different from an AI-generated overview.

Field data

Measurements from actual users’ experiences. Such data reflects real conditions, but coverage and aggregation can limit what it tells you about one individual page. PageSpeed Insights documentation.

First Contentful Paint (FCP)

The time until the page first displays qualifying content, such as text or an image. It answers “has anything appeared?” rather than “has the main content finished loading?”

First Input Delay (FID)

A former Core Web Vital measuring the delay before handling the first interaction. INP replaced it in 2024 and measures interaction responsiveness more broadly. Web Vitals documentation.

Freshness

How up to date information is for its intended use. A changing policy needs timely review; a stable definition may not. A new date alone does not update the underlying information.

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G

Generative AI performance report

A Search Console report of impressions in supported generative AI features. Google documents separate Search and Discover reports. Check the report’s scope before interpreting its figures as visits or brand mentions. Search report, Discover report.

Generative engine optimization (GEO)

An evolving industry label for improving how content and brands appear in generative search answers. For Google’s features, established SEO principles remain relevant; special AI files are not required. Google’s generative AI guidance.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google’s event-based platform for measuring website and app activity. Useful reports depend on correct collection, event definitions, consent handling, and reporting settings.

Google Business Profile

A listing through which eligible businesses manage customer-facing information on Google. Keep real-world details, categories, hours, and contact information accurate. Google’s business guidance.

Google Discover

A personalized content feed based on interests and activity rather than a newly entered search query. Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee inclusion. Google’s Discover documentation.

Google-Extended

A robots.txt product token controlling specified AI training and grounding uses of content. It is separate from ordinary Googlebot access and Search Console’s generative AI inclusion control. Google’s current crawler documentation.

Google Search Console (GSC)

Google’s service for examining a site’s search performance, indexing information, and selected technical issues. It describes Google’s view of your site, complementing on-site analytics.

Google Search Essentials

Google’s core requirements, spam policies, and recommended practices for search eligibility and visibility. “Webmaster Guidelines” is the older name often encountered in legacy advice. Google Search Essentials.

Google-selected canonical

The representative URL Google has chosen, which may differ from your declaration. URL Inspection lets you compare these values when the indexed information is available. Google’s indexing documentation.

Google Trends

A tool for exploring relative interest in searches over time and across locations. Its normalized interest values are not absolute monthly search counts. Google’s Trends explanation.

Googlebot

Google’s crawler for Search. A request merely claiming that user-agent name is not proof of origin; use Google’s documented verification process when authenticity matters.

Grounding

Connecting an AI response to evidence supplied or retrieved for the task. The evidence and the resulting answer still need checking for accuracy and faithful interpretation.

Guest posting

Contributing an article to another publisher. Consider whether the contribution helps that audience. Publishing mainly to arrange manipulative links creates a different problem from legitimate editorial collaboration.

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H

H1

The top-level HTML heading. A clear article title marked as H1 establishes the page’s subject and begins its heading hierarchy. Visual text size alone does not determine heading level.

Heading tags

HTML elements H1 through H6 that express content hierarchy. Use H2 for major article sections and H3 for their subsections, choosing levels for structure rather than appearance.

Helpful content system

A former standalone Google system focused on helpful content. Its work became part of Google’s core ranking systems in March 2024. Google’s ranking systems guide.

Hreflang

Annotations connecting equivalent pages for different languages or regions. They help search engines identify appropriate alternatives; they do not translate a page or repair inaccurate localization. Google’s localized-page guidance.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language, the language used to structure webpages. Paragraphs, headings, links, tables, and images each have elements that communicate their roles.

HTML sitemap

A visitor-facing page linking to useful areas of a website. It can assist navigation, while an XML sitemap serves machine-readable URL discovery.

HTTP status code

A code returned by a server to describe the outcome of a request. Read it alongside the actual response and any redirect destination when troubleshooting.

HTTPS

HTTP transmitted over a TLS-encrypted connection. It protects communication in transit. The presence of HTTPS does not independently validate the business or claims on the page.

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I

Image SEO

Making images discoverable, understandable, and useful. Relevant surrounding text, suitable alt text, accessible image URLs, and efficient delivery are practical parts of the work.

Impressions

Counted appearances in a search interface under that report’s rules. An impression is an opportunity to be seen, not a recorded visit. Counting varies across result types and reporting groupings. Search Console’s data explanation.

Index

A search engine’s organized information about processed content. Inclusion makes content available for possible retrieval; it does not guarantee selection for a particular search.

Index bloat

An informal diagnosis that too many unhelpful or unintended URLs are indexed. First establish which pages have a useful search purpose before proposing removals or consolidation.

Indexability

Whether a page meets the technical conditions needed for indexing. A technically indexable page may still be absent from the index because technical eligibility and actual selection differ.

Indexing

Processing a page and potentially storing information about it in a search index. Discovery, crawling, indexing, and ranking are related stages with different meanings. How Google Search works.

IndexNow

A protocol for notifying participating search engines that URLs were added, updated, or deleted. Receiving a notification does not commit an engine to indexing the page. IndexNow documentation.

Information gain

In editorial work, the additional useful understanding a page gives its reader. A revealing example or a clear diagnosis can add it. Do not assume this phrase identifies a universal SEO score.

Informational intent

A searcher’s need to learn something or solve a problem. “Why are my WordPress jump links broken?” calls for an explanation and repair instructions.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

A Core Web Vital describing responsiveness across interactions during a page visit. It concerns the delay before a visual response to actions such as clicks, taps, and key presses.

Internal link

A link from one page to another within the same website. Place it where the destination helps the reader, and describe that destination clearly in the link text.

International SEO

Planning and maintaining search visibility for different countries or languages. It combines useful localization with suitable URLs, language annotations, and accurate regional information.

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J

JavaScript SEO

Technical work ensuring that JavaScript-dependent content, links, and metadata can be processed by search engines. Rendering support does not mean every implementation works correctly. Google’s JavaScript SEO guidance.

JSON-LD

JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data. A format commonly used to express structured data in a webpage’s script element. Its presence does not mean the information is accurate or eligible for a search feature. Google’s structured-data introduction.

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K

Key event

In GA4, an event designated as especially important to the organization. Configure the event to reflect the actual outcome, such as a completed application rather than an opened form. Google’s key-event definition.

Keyword

A word or phrase representing a search topic. Marketers choose target keywords; searchers submit queries. One useful page can answer several closely related queries.

Keyword cannibalization

An informal description of overlapping pages interfering with the site’s intended search performance. Multiple pages mentioning the same phrase are not sufficient evidence; inspect their purpose and actual performance.

Keyword clustering

Grouping queries by shared meaning and search need. The result helps decide which searches belong on one page and which require a different resource.

Keyword density

A calculation of a term’s frequency relative to text length. There is no useful universal percentage to write toward. Repetition should serve comprehension, not a numerical quota.

Keyword difficulty (KD)

A tool’s estimate of how difficult it may be to compete for a query. Provider methodologies differ, and the number does not measure your page’s actual usefulness or resources.

Keyword mapping

Assigning search needs to planned or existing pages. It helps avoid creating another article when an existing page can satisfy the same need after improvement.

Keyword research

Investigating how an audience expresses its needs in search. Useful research considers wording, intent, relevance, demand evidence, and the kind of page needed to help.

Keyword stuffing

Excessive or unnatural repetition intended to manipulate search visibility. Google’s spam policies.

Knowledge graph

A structured representation of entities and their relationships. For example, it can connect an organization with its founder, location, and products.

Knowledge panel

A search display summarizing an entity, such as a person or company. The visible panel differs from the underlying information systems used to assemble it.

KPI

Key performance indicator. A chosen measure of progress toward a defined goal. “Qualified inquiries from organic search” is more specific than an unexplained desire for “better SEO.”

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L

Lab data

Measurements gathered under controlled test conditions. They help reproduce and diagnose performance problems, but they cannot fully represent every visitor’s device, connection, and behavior. PageSpeed Insights documentation.

Landing page

The page where a session begins. In campaign discussions, the same phrase can also mean a purpose-built page for one offer or action.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

A Core Web Vital measuring when the largest qualifying visible image or text block is rendered. It is a measure of main-content loading, not the completion of every resource request.

Lazy loading

Waiting to load a resource until it is needed. It can reduce initial page work, but delaying an important immediately visible image can worsen the perceived loading experience.

Lighthouse

An automated auditing tool for webpages, covering areas such as performance, accessibility, and SEO checks. Its results describe the tests it runs; passing them does not establish overall content quality. Lighthouse documentation.

Link building

Work intended to obtain relevant references from other websites. A useful calculator, clear technical explanation, or newsworthy announcement can give another publisher a reason to link.

Link equity

An informal name for value that links may convey between pages, also called “link juice.” It is not a public account balance that can be calculated precisely for every link.

Link reclamation

Recovering lost or misdirected links. Typical work includes restoring a useful resource or asking a publisher to update a reference after a URL changes.

Link spam

Links arranged primarily to manipulate search rankings. Google’s spam policies.

LLM

Large language model. A model that processes and generates language using learned patterns. Its training knowledge should be distinguished from evidence retrieved during a current search.

LLM optimization (LLMO)

An emerging label for efforts to influence how language-model-based products represent information or brands. Define the particular product, task, and measurement before evaluating such work.

llms.txt

A proposed website file for directing AI tools toward selected information. It is not a replacement for a sitemap or robots controls. Google says Search ignores these files for visibility and ranking. Google’s guidance.

Local citation

A published reference to a business’s identifying information, often its name, address, and phone number. It can exist on a directory or another website without a clickable link.

Local keyword

A query with geographic relevance. It may name a location, such as “bike repair Denver,” or express local intent without stating a city.

Local pack

A group of local business results associated with a map. These listings are distinct from ordinary website results and can help people compare nearby options.

Local SEO

Improving a business’s discoverability for relevant geographic searches. Google describes local results in terms of relevance, distance, and prominence. Google’s local guidance. For practical steps, read our local SEO guide.

Log file analysis

Reviewing server request records to understand what reached the website. It can reveal crawler requests, response codes, and delivery problems that search-traffic reports do not explain.

Long-tail keyword

A query in the lower-demand portion of search distribution. Such queries are often specific, but word count alone does not define them, and low volume does not guarantee easy competition. Ahrefs’ explanation.

LSI keywords

A commonly misused marketing label for related terms. LSI actually means latent semantic indexing, a particular information-retrieval technique. Treat “add LSI keywords” as a request to clarify topical coverage, not as a verified Google requirement. Stanford’s explanation of latent semantic indexing.

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M

Machine-readable content

Information organized so software can process it, such as HTML tables, structured data, or product feeds. Machine readability helps extraction; it does not establish truth.

Manual action

A measure applied after Google’s human review identifies a policy violation. Confirm it in Search Console’s Manual Actions report before describing a traffic decline as a manual penalty. Google’s manual-action documentation.

Merchant listing

A shopping-related presentation of product information, potentially including price and availability. Eligibility depends on the relevant data and requirements. Google’s product documentation.

Meta description

An HTML page summary that Google may use for a search excerpt. Google can select different visible text when it better fits the query. Write an accurate invitation to read. Google’s snippet guidance.

Meta keywords

A legacy HTML tag listing keywords. Google Search does not use this tag; filling it in is not a substitute for useful content and accurate page metadata. Google’s SEO Starter Guide.

Mobile-first indexing

Google’s use of mobile page content for indexing and ranking. Important information, links, and metadata should remain available on the mobile version. Google’s mobile-first guidance.

Multilingual SEO

Preparing content for people who search in different languages. It requires appropriate terminology and useful localization, not only a literal translation of the original keywords.

Multimodal search

Search using or connecting more than one input or content format. For example, a person can submit a photograph and ask a text question about an object in it.

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N

NAP

Name, address, and phone number. Accurate business details help people identify and contact the correct business, especially after a move, rebrand, or telephone-number change.

Natural-language search

Searching in ordinary conversational wording. “Which plants survive a shady balcony?” expresses a need that might not match a seller’s technical category names.

Navigational intent

The intention to reach a particular website or page. A search for a company’s login screen is usually navigational, even if the query includes a product category.

Negative SEO

Attempts to harm another site’s search performance. Suspicious backlinks alone do not establish that an attack succeeded or explain why traffic changed.

Nofollow

A relationship value used to qualify links. It is not an instruction to remove the linked page from search, and discovery can happen through other routes. Google’s link guidance.

Noindex

A rule instructing supporting search engines to exclude a resource from their index. Google must be able to fetch the resource to see it; blocking crawling can prevent that. Google’s noindex guidance.

Non-branded keyword

A query without a specific brand name. These searches can reach people who know the problem or product category but have not chosen a provider.

Nosnippet

A rule preventing a text snippet or video preview for a page in Google results. It controls presentation rather than removing the URL from the index. Google’s snippet guidance.

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O

Off-page SEO

Activity beyond your own pages that helps people discover and evaluate the site. Relevant coverage, editorial references, and accurate business listings are common examples.

On-page SEO

Improving page content and its presentation, including titles, headings, links, and images. The central question is whether the page helps its intended audience accomplish the task.

Open Graph

A metadata protocol for describing shared content, including its title, type, image, and URL. These tags commonly shape social previews; they are separate from the page’s visible H1. Open Graph specification.

Organic result

A search listing that is not an advertisement. Organic listings can appear in multiple formats, so the term is broader than a simple text link.

Organic traffic

Visits attributed to unpaid search. The count depends on the analytics platform and its source classification, collection, and attribution settings.

Orphan page

A page with no discoverable internal links pointing to it. A sitemap may expose its address to crawlers while visitors still struggle to reach it through site navigation.

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P

Page Authority (PA)

Moz’s proprietary estimate of an individual page’s relative ranking potential. PA evaluates a page, while DA describes a domain. Neither is a score assigned by Google. Moz’s definition.

Page experience

The practical experience of using a page, including readability, loading, responsiveness, and navigation. A single numerical test cannot capture every obstacle a visitor encounters.

Page Indexing report

A Search Console report showing indexed and non-indexed URLs known to Google, grouped by status and reason. Use URL Inspection for a closer look at one URL. Google’s indexing documentation.

Page speed

A broad description of how quickly a page becomes useful. Ask which metric is being discussed, because server response, first content, main content, and interaction delay measure different stages.

PageRank

Google’s link-analysis system for understanding relationships between pages. It remains part of Google’s core ranking systems. Google’s ranking systems guide.

PageSpeed Insights

A Google tool combining performance diagnostics with field data where available. A fast simulated test can coexist with slower real-user experiences. PageSpeed Insights documentation.

Pagination

Splitting a collection into multiple pages. Visitors and crawlers need usable navigation to items beyond the first page, such as older articles or later product listings.

Paid search

Advertising associated with search queries or search interfaces. Its budgets and placement systems are separate from the work of earning organic visibility.

Panda and Penguin

Historical Google systems associated with content quality and link spam, respectively. Both were incorporated into Google’s core ranking systems. Google’s ranking systems guide.

Passage ranking

A Google system for understanding relevant sections of a page. It helps evaluate the page’s usefulness for a query; a passage does not become a separate webpage. Google’s ranking systems guide.

People Also Ask (PAA)

A search feature presenting related questions and answers. It can suggest research questions, but an appearance there is not evidence of a particular search volume.

People-first content

Content made to serve an actual audience’s needs. Clear explanations, appropriate evidence, and useful detail give the reader a reason to choose and trust it. Google’s helpful-content guidance.

Permalink

The intended lasting URL for a page or post. In WordPress, the permalink structure influences these addresses. Changing an established structure can require redirects and updated links.

Pillar page

A broad resource that introduces a topic and connects readers to focused supporting pages. The links should help the audience navigate, rather than exist merely to create a pattern.

PPC

Pay per click, an advertising pricing model. Advertisers pay for clicks under the platform’s terms. It is a payment method, not another name for SEO.

Primary keyword

The main phrase used to represent a page’s search topic during planning. It helps define scope without requiring the writer to repeat that exact phrase in every heading.

Private blog network (PBN)

A network of sites used to create ranking-manipulation links. Such schemes can violate search engine link-spam policies. Google’s spam policies.

Product feed

A structured submission of product details to a platform, often including identifiers, price, stock status, and landing-page URLs. Keep feed information aligned with the actual offer.

Product structured data

Markup describing a product and relevant offers or reviews. Accurate, eligible markup can support product search features; it does not guarantee that a feature will appear. Google’s product documentation.

Programmatic SEO

Producing pages from templates and structured data. A useful implementation answers distinct needs with accurate information; generating large numbers of near-identical pages does not establish value.

Prominence

In local search, how well known a business is. Google’s description includes information such as links and reviews. Google’s local-ranking guidance.

Proximity

The distance between a business and the location relevant to a search. Distance is one local-ranking consideration, alongside relevance and prominence. Google’s local-ranking guidance.

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Q

Query

The input a person submits to search, also called a search term. It may be a phrase, question, location, or another supported input type.

Query deserves freshness (QDF)

The principle that some searches need current information. A query about a developing storm has different freshness needs from a definition of a triangle. Google’s ranking systems guide.

Query fan-out

Issuing several related searches to gather information for an answer. Google describes this as a technique its AI search features may use. Google’s AI-feature documentation.

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R

RankBrain

A Google AI system that helps connect words with relevant concepts. Google’s ranking systems guide.

Ranking

A result’s placement for a particular search in a particular context. Query, time, location, device, and other circumstances can change what is displayed.

Ranking factor

Information a search system uses when evaluating results. Distinguish documented signals from correlations, speculation, and metrics invented by independent software providers.

Reciprocal link

A situation in which two websites link to each other. The purpose and usefulness of the links matter; excessive exchanges made to manipulate rankings can constitute link spam.

Redirect

A mechanism for sending a visitor or crawler from one URL to another. Choose an appropriate status and a destination that actually fulfills the original page’s purpose.

Redirect chain

A series of redirects before a final destination. Where practical, point links and redirect rules directly to the current final URL to reduce unnecessary requests.

Redirect loop

Redirects that lead back to an earlier address without reaching a usable destination. A loop can make content inaccessible until the conflicting rules are corrected.

Referring domain

A distinct domain containing a backlink to a site or page. Ten links from one domain are ten backlinks but one referring domain within that counting method.

Relative URL

An address resolved against a base URL. For example, /blog/ uses the current origin. Relative links can break after moving content if their assumed base changes.

Relevance

How closely content or a result matches a person’s need. Mentioning the same keyword does not establish that a page offers the right answer, product, or level of detail.

Rendering

Processing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into a page representation. The initially downloaded HTML and the rendered content may differ, which matters when investigating missing information.

Responsive design

A layout that adapts to available screen space. It should keep important content and controls usable across devices, including tables and long-page navigation.

Retrieval

Finding candidate information from a collection in response to a request. Retrieval selects material to consider; ranking or answer generation may happen afterward.

Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)

An approach that supplies retrieved information to a generative model when producing an answer. It can improve access to relevant evidence but does not eliminate inaccurate answers.

Rich result

A Google search presentation enhanced beyond a basic text listing, often supported by structured data. Correct markup establishes potential eligibility, not guaranteed display. Google’s structured-data policies.

Rich Results Test

A Google testing tool that checks supported structured data for rich-result eligibility. It does not validate every Schema.org type or promise that Google will show an enhancement. Google’s test.

Robots meta tag

An HTML meta element carrying crawler instructions such as noindex or nosnippet. These page-level instructions differ from crawling rules in robots.txt.

Robots.txt

A file defining crawling rules for compliant bots. It is publicly readable and is not an access-control system for confidential material. Blocking crawling does not reliably prevent URL indexing. Google’s robots.txt guidance.

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S

Scaled content abuse

Producing many low-value pages primarily to manipulate search results, whether generated by people, AI, or other software. Google’s spam policies.

Schema markup

Structured data using Schema.org’s vocabulary to identify what a page describes. Google supports particular types for particular search features. Google’s structured-data introduction.

Search appearance

The format in which a result is shown. A reporting filter may group supported appearances such as particular product or video results, depending on the report.

Search engine

A system that helps users find information in response to an input. Web search combines discovery, stored information, retrieval, and evaluation to provide useful results.

Search engine marketing (SEM)

A term often used for paid search marketing. Some organizations use it more broadly to include SEO, so establish its intended scope in budgets and proposals.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Improving useful website content and its technical accessibility so people can discover it through unpaid search. SEO includes planning, implementation, measurement, and maintenance, with no guaranteed search position.

Search generative AI control

A Search Console setting for including or excluding a site’s content from specified generative AI search features. It is separate from noindex and AI-training controls. Google’s control documentation.

Search intent

What someone wants to accomplish through a search. Informational, navigational, commercial investigation, and transactional are useful planning categories, but some queries combine several needs.

Search operator

Special query syntax for refining a search. For example, site:example.com restricts results to a site. Such results are not a complete substitute for Search Console’s indexing diagnostics. Google’s search-operator guidance.

Search quality raters

People who assess sample search results using Google’s evaluation guidance. Their feedback helps assess systems; an individual rater does not directly assign your page its search position. Google’s explanation.

Search snippet

The descriptive text shown with a search result. The selected excerpt can vary by query and may come from page content instead of the meta description. Google’s snippet guidance.

Search visibility

A description of how often or prominently a site appears in search. Software visibility scores are provider-specific estimates based on the tracked query set and calculation method.

Search volume

An estimate of query frequency for a stated place and time period. It is not the number of visitors your page will receive, and different tools may report different estimates.

Secondary keyword

A related phrase within the page’s scope. Include its underlying idea when it helps the reader rather than treating every wording variation as a separate writing requirement.

Seed keyword

A starting topic for keyword research. For example, “water filter” can lead to questions about replacement schedules, installation, and comparisons among filter types.

Self-referencing canonical

A canonical annotation pointing to the page’s own preferred address. It can clarify which version is intended when alternate URL forms exist. Google’s canonical guidance.

Semantic search

Search that considers meaning and context beyond exact matching of words. It can connect related concepts and recognize that different phrases describe a similar need.

SEO audit

A structured investigation of a site’s search-related problems and opportunities. A useful audit provides evidence, priorities, and specific actions, not merely a long export of tool warnings.

SERP

Search engine results page. The screen returned for a search can contain organic links, advertisements, maps, images, questions, and AI features.

SERP analysis

Examining actual search results to understand competing resources and likely reader expectations. Record the search service, date, and relevant context because results are not universal.

SERP feature

A search-interface element beyond a basic text listing, such as a map group, image collection, or related-question panel. Features change how people encounter results.

Server-side rendering (SSR)

Generating a page’s HTML on the server before sending it to the client. This can expose important content in the initial response, but the implementation still needs accessibility and content checks.

Session

A group of recorded interactions under an analytics platform’s session rules. One person can generate several sessions; a session is also different from a page view or a search click.

Short-tail keyword

A broad head term, often associated with relatively high search demand. Its wording may reveal little about the exact product, question, or stage of decision making.

Site architecture

The arrangement of pages and links within a website. Clear categories and logical pathways help people move from broad topics to the details they need.

Site migration

A substantial change in domain, URLs, platform, or site structure. Planning should account for content, redirects, internal links, canonical signals, and monitoring after launch.

Site reputation abuse

Publishing third-party material mainly to exploit a host site’s established ranking signals. Third-party authorship alone is not the violation. Google’s spam policies.

Sitelinks

Additional links displayed with some search results, leading to pages or sections within a website. Clear site organization can help users understand these destinations.

Soft 404

A response that appears to be a missing or empty page while returning a success-like status. Compare what the page displays with its HTTP response when diagnosing it. Google’s HTTP guidance.

Sponsored link attribute

The rel="sponsored" value identifying paid placements, advertisements, or sponsorship-related links. Google’s link guidance.

Structured data

Information expressed in a standardized, machine-readable form. On a webpage, it should accurately represent the visible content and meet requirements for the intended use. Google’s structured-data introduction.

Subdirectory

A section of a URL’s path, such as /blog/. It organizes addresses under a domain even if the application does not use a matching physical folder.

Subdomain

A subdivision such as shop.example.com. It differs from a subdirectory like example.com/shop/. Choose a structure that fits the site’s operational and organizational needs.

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T

Taxonomy

A system for classifying content. WordPress categories and tags are taxonomies. Their archive pages should have a clear purpose instead of multiplying overlapping collections without useful distinctions.

Technical SEO

Work on the systems that support crawling, rendering, indexing, and usable delivery. It often involves response codes, URLs, resource access, JavaScript, and page performance.

Thin content

Content that does not provide enough value for its purpose. Short can be sufficient, while a lengthy page can remain thin if it repeats generalities instead of answering the question.

Time to First Byte (TTFB)

A measure of the time until the first byte of a response arrives. It helps investigate delivery delays that occur before meaningful page content can be displayed.

Title link

The clickable title shown in a search result. Google may generate it from several sources, so it can differ from the page’s HTML title. Google’s title-link guidance.

Title tag

The HTML title element specifying a document’s title. Make it distinctive and descriptive. It is separate from the H1 displayed within the article. Google’s title guidance.

Top-level domain (TLD)

The final domain segment, such as .com, .org, or .us. A domain ending alone does not establish the credibility or quality of the website using it.

Topic cluster

A set of related pages connected by useful internal links. Each page should answer a distinct need, with broader resources helping readers navigate to focused explanations.

Topical authority

An industry description of a source’s depth and credibility on a subject. It is not a universal public Google metric, and publication volume alone does not demonstrate expertise.

Total Blocking Time (TBT)

A lab metric measuring the blocking portions of long tasks on the browser’s main thread during a defined loading window. It helps diagnose loading-time responsiveness but measures something different from INP. Chrome’s TBT documentation.

Traffic source

The recorded origin of a visit. Source, medium, and channel grouping answer related but different questions; keep their meanings consistent when comparing reports.

Transactional intent

The intention to complete an action, such as buying, booking, or downloading. The right destination makes the action possible and answers questions needed to proceed.

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U

UGC

User-generated content, such as comments and forum contributions. The link value rel="ugc" identifies links within this material. Google’s link guidance.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. A resource’s address can contain a scheme, host, path, query parameters, and fragment. Different components serve different purposes.

URL Inspection

A Search Console tool for examining Google’s indexed information about one URL and testing the live page. The live test and indexed view answer different questions. Google’s inspection documentation.

URL parameter

Information appended after a question mark in a URL, such as ?size=large. It may change page content or record a referral, so understand its function before changing indexing rules.

URL Rating (UR)

Ahrefs’ page-level assessment of backlink-profile strength. UR applies to an individual URL; DR describes the domain-level backlink profile. Ahrefs’ definition.

URL slug

The readable portion identifying a page within its address. In this article’s URL, seo-terms is the slug. Avoid changing established slugs without a clear reason and migration plan.

User agent

An identifier sent by a browser, crawler, or other client. Because clients can imitate identifiers, use documented verification when decisions depend on authentic crawler identity.

User experience (UX)

The overall experience of using a website or product. Clear explanations, predictable navigation, accessible controls, and successful task completion are all part of it.

UTM parameters

Campaign-tracking parameters such as utm_source and utm_campaign. They help identify incoming marketing traffic. Use them deliberately on campaign links, not as labels for ordinary internal navigation. Google’s campaign-tracking guidance.

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V

Vector search

Retrieval based on similarity between numerical representations. It can find conceptually related material, but a similarity match alone does not establish factual accuracy or credibility.

Video SEO

Helping people and search engines find and understand video content. Useful practices include accessible video pages, descriptive titles, suitable thumbnails, and accurate video information.

Voice search

Search initiated by spoken input. Voice describes the input method; the underlying intent can still be informational, navigational, comparative, or transactional.

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W

White hat SEO

Industry shorthand for search optimization that follows search engine policies and helps users. It includes improving content, resolving technical barriers, and obtaining legitimate editorial references.

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X

x-default

An hreflang value identifying a fallback page for users whose language or region does not match another listed alternative. A language-selection page is one possible use. Google’s hreflang guidance.

X-Robots-Tag

An HTTP response header carrying search instructions such as noindex. It can control non-HTML resources, including PDFs, where a webpage meta tag is unavailable. Google’s indexing-control guidance.

XML sitemap

A machine-readable list of URLs and optional metadata that helps search engines discover content. Submission is a discovery aid, not an indexing guarantee. Google’s sitemap introduction.

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Y

YMYL

Your Money or Your Life. Topics that can substantially affect health, finances, safety, or societal well-being, where trustworthy information is especially consequential. Google’s helpful-content guidance.

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Z

Zero-click search

A search that does not result in a click to an external website. Studies and platforms can define the outcome differently, so examine the denominator and methodology before comparing reported rates.

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SEO terms that are easy to confuse

For technical decisions, consult Google’s noindex instructions and canonical guidance. For report comparisons, see Google’s explanation of Search Console and Analytics differences.

A worked example: reading an SEO report

Hypothetical example: A repair business compares two equal reporting periods. Assume its search impressions and clicks have been partitioned into two complete, non-overlapping groups: branded and non-branded queries. These are invented figures, not this website’s results.

Overall CTR fell from 6% to 3.6%, yet neither group’s CTR changed. Non-branded searches, which had a lower CTR in both periods, now account for more of the total impressions. Total clicks increased from 120 to 180.

The useful interpretation: A falling aggregate CTR does not, by itself, show that your title became less effective. First compare similar query groups, devices, countries, result appearances, and time periods. In a real report, hidden or unclassified queries can also prevent displayed groups from adding up to the total.

Next examine outcomes separately. If GA4 recorded 150 eligible organic sessions and 9 sessions containing a completed inquiry, the session-based inquiry rate would be:

9 ÷ 150 × 100 = 6%

Do not divide those inquiry sessions by Search Console’s 180 clicks and call the result a GA4 session conversion rate. The data sources measure different events. Google’s guide to using Search Console and Analytics together.

Use the glossary to choose your next step

Pick one page and one measurable goal. Record the issue, check the evidence, make the smallest justified improvement, and note the date so you can review what changed. For a broader process, continue with our beginner’s guide to doing SEO.