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SEO Glossary

If you are trying to rank your website on search engines, some of the SEO terms may have confused you. To help you understand these new terms, we have created an SEO glossary with easy definitions and helpful links.

A Glossary of the Most Popular SEO Terms

93% of online journeys begin with a search engine. However, like any other industry, SEO also has its own terminologies, abbreviations and jargon that you might not be familiar with. Hence, understanding these terms is important to rank your website higher in the search results and boost your website’s visibility.

The practices that place your website correctly in SERPs are called SEO or Search Engine Optimization. It works behind those relevant results at the top of the search page when you search for a product or service or simply a blog on the search engine.

By understanding the SEO terminologies, you’ll learn how search engines categorize and rank websites. This will help you create content, structure your website and build a strong online presence that will eventually attract more visitors and customers to your page.

We have created a glossary with the most popular and important SEO terms, including easy definitions and explanations. Click on the first letter of the words you want to understand to learn its definition.

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.edu Links

Is it true that .edu links are the shortcut to high ranking in SERPs? Even though these links are highly authoritative, they might not be the only reason some websites perform better than others. Let ...

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.gov Links

Some backlinks hold more value than others, and .gov links are one of them. If you are wondering why these links are valuable and how to earn one for your website, read the article below.

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.htaccess File

The .htaccess file enables developers to tweak server configurations without accessing and modifying the primary server configuration files. This flexibility allows developers to make adjustments on the go, improving security and boosting the user experience. ...

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“(not provided)”

You may come across the term “not provided” while working on Google Analytics or similar web analytics tools. Generally, the analytics reports such tools provide a list of top keywords driving a site’s traffic. Such ...

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10 blue links

In SEO, the phrase “10 blue links” holds a unique place. It reminds us of a time when a user’s query was met with a simple list of ten organic results, all presented in a ...

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10x content

There are millions of websites these days publishing billions of content pieces every day. But most of them don’t help the readers, are not optimized for SEO, lack visuals for better reader engagement, fall short ...

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200 status code

Most of us have encountered a 404 error while browsing the internet. That occurs when the requested page cannot be found on the server. Similarly, the server responds with different status codes to the browser ...

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2xx status codes

You must be familiar with the 404 page not found status code that often appears on the browser when it cannot find the requested webpage. You will be surprised to know that there are different ...

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301 redirect

A website can go through multiple changes; for example, you have updated a blog post on your website, and you are moving it from URL1 to URL2. But you want people to reach the new ...

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302 redirect

While searching on the internet, we often click on links that take us somewhere else, which is different from the one we clicked on. This is what the 302 redirect does. It is actually used ...

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307 Redirect: What It Is and How to Use It

Whether planning something new on the website or needing to make updates, the 307 redirect status code can be beneficial. Here is everything you need to know about it.

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403 Forbidden Error

A 403 Forbidden Error can be a roadblock, preventing your target customers from exploring your website. These errors are frustrating and can significantly hamper user experience on a website. Here is everything you need to ...

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404 Error

The 404 error or HTTP 404 can show up as a text indicating the requested page is either unavailable or out of service. Such errors can make it challenging for your website visitors to find ...

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4xx status codes

If you are an internet enthusiast, you must’ve encountered errors prefixed with “4xx.” These are known as 4xx status codes and hold valuable information about why a web page wouldn’t display as expected. Let’s dig ...

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HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

Have you ever encountered a frustrating error message on a web page saying “HTTP 500 Internal Server Error?” This seemingly cryptic HTTP status code often leaves users wondering whether their internet connection is to be ...

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502 Bad Gateway

If you encounter a 502 bad gateway error while surfing the internet, it does not mean that there is something wrong with your device or internet. It is a server-side error that needs to be ...

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5xx status code

It is frustrating to encounter an error code while browsing through the internet. Error codes are a nightmare for website developers and can severely impact the ranking of a website. One such error code is ...

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A/B testing

A/B testing is a popular, tried, and true research methodology that is extensively used in marketing, web design, and development, as well as in UX/UI development. The methodology is helpful in determining which version is ...

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Above the fold

Attention spans are shorter than ever in today’s fast-paced world of the internet. Hence, capturing your audience’s interest quickly is essential. This is where the concept of “above the fold” comes to the rescue. It’s ...

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Absolute link

Absolute links are your roadmap, guiding users straight to your desired destination. Let’s explore absolute links, the difference between absolute and relative URLs, and why we choose absolute URLs.

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Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

Smartphones have undoubtedly been the most helpful invention. However, the increasing smartphone screen sizes have reduced people’s attention spans. Some popular reports show that if your webpage takes more than 3 seconds to load, you’ll ...

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Access Log

Logs ensure there’s a pathway to trace how things came to be. They are incredibly helpful as they ensure there’s historical data available to identify when a certain action was taken and the events that ...

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Ad Rank

In the world of digital marketing, ad rank is the metric used particularly in pay-per-click advertising systems like Google ads to determine the position of an advertisement on a search engine results page.

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AdSense

Has it ever happened to you that you are on a gaming website reading about strategies and new updates about your favorite games, and the banner ads across the website are from a brand you ...

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Advanced search operators

Getting your website up and running is one thing, and leveraging digital marketing tactics to stay ahead is another. With Google being an incredibly popular and powerful search engine, being able to find opportunities that ...

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Advertising network

Advertising networks are platforms that act as mediators between ad publishers and groups looking to host advertisements. These networks are responsible for ensuring the aggregation of ad publishers matches an advertiser’s demands. These networks are ...

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AdWords

Given Google’s expansive use worldwide, almost everyone has come across Google ads and clicked on them at least once. On average, 99,000 Google searches take place every second. So, if you leverage Google AdWords to ...

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Affiliate Marketing

Have you ever seen your favorite influencer share links that help them earn whenever a purchase is made? Such links are known as affiliate links, and the model through which these influencers earn is known ...

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Alexa

Alexa is a tool owned by Amazon that estimates website traffic and keyword rankings. It helps marketers understand how their website stacks up against competitors.

Ahrefs

Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) can be tricky for most people. Even the most experienced and skilled digital marketers find it hard to keep track of all the ...

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Algorithm

An algorithm is a computer program used to rank search results. It considers many factors, from keywords to mobile-friendliness, to evaluate which webpages best answer search queries.

Algorithm Update

Ever thought why Google never lost its relevance in the search engine market? The answer is its commitment to consistently delivering relevant search results to the users. The search engine has always strived to display ...

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Alt attribute

An alt attribute is a text description for images on your web page. Search engines use it to understand your images and rank your content accordingly.

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Alt text

Alt text, or alternative text, is a brief description added to an image on a web page. It has many essential functions like aiding screen readers in conveying picture content to visually impaired individuals, offering ...

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Ambiguous Intent

Have you ever wondered what your target audience is looking for? You are not alone. Ambiguous intent, or Vague Search Intent, is often a problem that many digital marketers face. It is randomized and does ...

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Amplification

Have you ever wondered how some content seems to pop everywhere you look? That’s the magic of content amplification, boosting your message’s reach far beyond its initial posting. It involves utilizing various channels and methods ...

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AMPs (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

Imagine you are waiting for a friend at a cafe, and you click the menu online, but it takes forever to load. It is frustrating and inconvenient. That’s where Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) prove useful. ...

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Analytics

Ever poured your heart into crafting fantastic content, only to wonder if anyone is actually reading it? Feeling lost in a sea of search engine algorithms and unsure how to make your website shine? You’re ...

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Anchor Text

Have you ever clicked on a link in an article and wondered why it is unique? That is anchor text at work. In SEO (Search Engine Optimization) jargon, anchor text is similar to a minor ...

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API

Ever wondered how different software systems talk to each other so smoothly? The answer lies in Application Programming Interfaces or APIs. Think about APIs as translators between applications that exchange information. They ensure everything works ...

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Application (app)

An application is a software program designed for a specific task. They can be downloaded onto a device or accessed online through a web browser.

Arbitrage

Arbitrage is exploiting price differences to your advantage. One example is the practice of buying ad space at a lower price in one platform and then quickly selling it to advertisers for a higher price…

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in SEO means using AI to improve your website’s visibility in organic search results. AI can understand user intent and produce personalized search results by offering in-depth insights and automating routine tasks. ...

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Astroturfing

Astroturfing is a deceptive tactic where fake grassroots movements are created to mislead you. For example, fake social media accounts or staged reviews about a product or service.

Async

Async refers to the processes that run without pausing for each other to finish. It keeps webpages responsive by allowing users to interact while data loads.

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)

Dynamic and interactive web applications are necessary to provide a satisfactory user experience. Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) are the core technologies supporting this interactivity. Permitting websites to interact with servers in the background, AJAX ...

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Attribute

Attribute means defining characteristics of something online. In websites, it could be a product's color on a shopping page or a social media profile's location.

Author Authority

Author authority might influence Google's ranking. It depends on Google's focus on E-A-T. While the exact impact is debated, creating high-quality content by credible authors is still important for users and SEO.

Authority

Website authority is essentially a measure of trust and credibility that search engines assign to your site. A higher authority website is more likely to rank well for competitive keywords, attracting more organic traffic and ...

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Authority Score

Striving to increase the organic traffic and credibility of your website? The authority score is an important factor in this scenario. It tells you how much respect your site commands online and points out where ...

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Autogenerated content

Have you ever encountered a web page that seemed strange? Even though it has the content you were looking for, the sentences seem oddly phrased. If you keep on reading, you may find that some ...

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Average Difficulty

Average difficulty is a term used by Semrush to estimate how hard it is to rank for a particular keyword. A higher score means more competition and effort to rank higher for that term.

Average Position

Average position reveals the average ranking of your webpage for a particular keyword across a timeframe. A lower number means your webpage ranks higher in search results.

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B2B

B2B stands for business to business. It refers to marketing and sales activities between businesses, not between businesses and consumers.

B2B Business to Business

It is a business model where companies sell their products or service to other businesses, not directly to consumers.

B2B SEO

We all know that having a strong online presence is essential for your business. When potential clients search for your services, you want them to find you first, not your competitors. That’s where B2B SEO ...

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B2B web development

The process of designing websites for B2B companies. This can involve features like secure logins, quote forms and integrations with business software to simplify operations.

B2C

B2C, business to consumer, refers to businesses selling directly to customers. This is the most common type of marketing where you advertise your products or services to customers directly.

Backend

The backend is the behind-the-scenes of a website. It handles things like storing data, processing information, operating the server, and making the software run smoothly.

Backlink

A backlink is a link mentioning one site by another. Search engines consider high-quality backlinks from relevant sites when ranking websites.

Backlink analysis

Backlink analysis means analyzing a website's backlinks to understand their quality and impact on SEO. This helps you identify opportunities to build high-quality backlinks and improve your website's ranking.

Backlinks

Backlinks are links to a website from another webpage. The more high-quality sites linking to you, the better you rank in search results.

Baidu

Baidu is China's leading search engine. Founded in 2000, it's similar to Google and offers search, maps, news and more.

Bait and switch

It's a misleading marketing trick. Advertisers attract you with a lower price, but then claim it's unavailable, pushing you towards a pricier option.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the highway for data on the internet. A wider bandwidth allows more data to flow at once and results in faster loading times and smoother streaming.

Banner blindness

Banner blindness is a human tendency to subconsciously ignore online ads. Even prominent banners might go unseen. That's why creating eye-catching and relevant ads is important.

Banners

Banners are online ads that grab attention with text, images or animations. They can promote products, services or websites.

Behavioral targeting

In this highly digitalized marketplace, simply delivering targeted messages to your audience based on their demographic location is not enough. For an effective marketing campaign, one needs to implement behavioral targeting that takes into account ...

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Beta

Beta is an early, incomplete version of a software program or website still under development. Betas are often released to a limited audience for feedback before a final public launch.

Bing

Bing is Microsoft's search engine, just like Google. It was created in 2009 and offers similar features for searching the web, finding images and exploring maps.

Bing Ads

You’ve probably heard of Google Ads if you are a digital marketer. It’s a pretty popular platform for businesses to advertise online. But Bing Ads, now known as Microsoft Ads, is also another popular platform. ...

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Black box

Black box is used to describe a system where the inner workings are unknown. In SEO, it means an algorithm that makes decisions like ad targeting without revealing its exact logic.

Black hat SEO

Black hat SEO uses deceptive techniques to rank higher in search and they do not follow the search engine's defined guidelines. These tactics can get your site penalized, so it's best to avoid them.

Blog

A blog is a publication of content in chronological order. Businesses or individuals share their thoughts, stories, and expertise with their audience.

Bookmark

Bookmark is a link to save a webpage for later reference, handy for revisiting recipes, articles or anything you find online.

Boolean search

Boolean search refines your web searches using keywords and AND, OR and NOT operators. It's a way to tell search engines exactly what you're looking for.

Bootstrap

Bootstrap is a pre-built toolkit of design elements and code snippets that make creating websites faster and easier. It helps web developers save a lot of time.

Bot

A bot is a software program that runs on the web, follows instructions and automates tasks online. Chatbots are helpful, but spambots can bombard you with spam.

Bot (robot, spider, crawler)

An automated program that roams the internet. Search engines use them to discover and index web pages, but spammers might misuse them.

Bots

Bots are also known as crawlers and spiders scour the web to find and index content. They keep search engines stocked with fresh webpages.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate measures how many visitors leave your website after just one page. A lower bounce rate is generally better as it indicates visitors are finding what they need.

Brand

A brand is more than just a logo, it's the overall experience a customer has with a company. A strong builds loyalty and recognition. For example, Adidas is a sports brand.

Brand stacking

Brand stacking happens when your brand takes up multiple spots on a search engine results page. This can increase your website traffic.

Branded keywords

Branded keywords contain your brand name and lead people directly to your website. They are good for brand awareness and targeted traffic. Examples: "Nike shoes" or "Hilton hotels".

Breadcrumb

Breadcrumb is a website's secondary navigation scheme that shows where the users are and how they got there. They are helpful for users as well as SEO.

Breadcrumb navigation

Breadcrumb navigation keeps you from getting lost online. These clickable links show your browsing path. The normal format is: "Home > SubCategory1 > Content" and shows the website's structure.

Breadcrumbs

On websites, breadcrumbs are a navigational tool that shows a user's location within the website's hierarchy. They usually appear as a row of text links, separated by arrows or breadcrumbs symbols that lead the user…

Broad core update

An important update to Google's search algorithm, happening several times a year to improve the overall quality of search results by referring how Google understands and ranks webpages.

Broken link

A hyperlink on a webpage that leads to a non-existent page or resource. Broken links can frustrate users and hurt a website's SEO by hindering crawlers and conveying a lack of maintenance.

Browser

Software that lets you access and interact with websites. Browsers translate web code into readable text, images and videos. Popular examples are Chrome, Safari, etc.

Bug

An error, flaw, or unexpected behavior in a computer program or system. Bugs can cause crashes, incorrect results, or unintended actions.

Bundling

Bundling means offering multiple products or services together as a single package at a discounted price. It attracts customers to buy more.

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Cache

A temporary storage area on a computer that holds frequently accessed data. Caches store copies of data to speed up retrieval for future requests.

Caching

The process of storing website data on a user's device to improve loading speed. Browsers cache things like images, HTML, and JavaScript files.

Caffeine

Caffeine is Google's web indexing system, the library storing information on all the webpages Google has found. It allows Google to retrieve relevant results when you search the web.

Call to Action (CTA)

A clear, concise instruction telling users what specific action you want them to take next. CTAs are often found on websites, emails, and ads. For example, "Download now" or "Buy now".

Canonical URL

If you have similar content on different URLs (like with filter or sorting), a canonical URL tells search engines which version to prioritize for ranking. It helps avoid confusion and ensures the most relevant version…

Carousel

Carousel is a SERP feature that showcases multiple results that scroll sideways at once. These are usually used for news articles, images or local business listings.

Cart abandon rate

It tracks how many people add items to their online shopping cart but doesn't complete the purchase. It's a key metric for e-commerce businesses.

Cascading style sheet (CSS)

It's a code that controls the visual design of a website, separate from its content (HTML). CSS determines things like fonts, colors, layout and spacing.

ccTLD

A two-letter abbreviation indicating a website's country (e.g., .fr for France, .cn for China). Using a ccTLD in a website can target a local audience and improve local SEO.

ccTLD (Country Code TopLevel Domain)

It's an online address with a specific country code. While ".com" is used for commercial websites, ccTLD uses country codes like ".fr" for France and ".uk" for the United Kingdom.

Channel

Channel is your way to reach your target audience. There are many channels, like social media, email marketing, or search engine ads.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a large language model chatbot developed by OpenAI. It can generate text, translate languages, write different creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way.

Citations

Citations are online mentions of your brand or website on other websites. These can be links, articles mentioning your brand, or positive online reviews.

Classes

Classes are labels or categories for website elements that define how things will look. You can assign styles to a class and then apply that class to different parts of your website to get a…

Click Bait

Attention-grabbing headline or content that promises more than it delivers. It uses sensational or misleading language to attract audiences to click, often leading to irrelevant content.

Click Depth

Click depth measures the number of clicks it takes a visitor to reach a specific page on your website, starting from the homepage.

Click Potential

It predicts how likely users are to click on your website in search results, even if you rank first.

Clickstream Data

It tracks a user's journey on your website, recording every click, page view, and interaction to help you understand how they navigate your page.

Clickthrough rate

Clickthrough rate measures the percentage of people who see your ad or search results and actually click on it.

ClickThrough Rate (CTR)

The percentage of people who see your ad or other online content and click on it. A high CTR means your content is relevant and interesting, grabbing user attention.

Clientside & serverside rendering

Rendering means the place where the code runs. Client-side builds the pages in the user's browser, and server-side sends a pre-built page.

Cloaking

Cloaking is a deceptive technique where a website shows different content to search engines and human visitors. It violates search engine guidelines.

CoCitation

CoCitation happens when two web pages are mentioned by a third party, even if not linked. It shows a natural connection between pages.

Code

Code refers to the instructions written in a programming language that make a website or app function.

Code To Text Ratio

The balance between the amount of code and visible text content on a webpage. Search engines prioritize a higher text ratio as it indicates a focus on informative content.

Com.

Com. means competitive density in Semrush. The score (0-1) shows how crowded the competition is for Google Ads keywords.

Comment Spam

Irrelevant or promotional comments posted on websites, blogs or social media platforms to drive traffic to their sites or promote unrelated products.

Commercial investigation queries

CIQs are informational searches users conduct to research or compare products/services before buying. Example, "best laptop for students".

Common Keywords

Common keywords are general search terms with high search volume but also high competition.

Competition

Competition in SEO refers to other businesses vying for the same target audience and keywords. Competition, in general, means companies that sell similar products or services as yours.

Competitors in Google Ads

Competitors in Google Ads are other advertisers bidding on the same keywords you are.

Competitors in Organic Search

Websites vying for visibility in search engine results pages for the same keywords you target are your organic search competitors.

Conceptual searching

It's a technique used by search engines to understand the meaning behind searches and return results relevant to the user's intent. The results are relevant to the broader search concept.

Content

Content means the information you create and share to attract and engage your target audience. It could be articles, blog posts, images, infographics, videos, webinars, social media posts or emails.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A geographically distributed network of servers that stores website content. It delivers content to users from the server closest to them.

Content is King

A popular marketing mantra highlighting the importance of high-quality, valuable content. Content attracts and educates your audience, builds brand authority and drives conversions.

Content Management System (CMS)

A CMS is a software platform that lets users create, edit and publish website content without needing extensive coding knowledge. Examples are WordPress, Shopify, etc.

Content Marketing

A strategic marketing approach that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

Contextual advertising

Contextual advertising displays ads relevant to the content of a webpage or app rather than user data. Keywords, surrounding content and demographics influence which ads are shown.

Conversion

Conversion happens when a visitor takes a desired action on your website or app. It could be purchases, email signups, app downloads, form submission, etc.

Conversion (Goal)

A specific action you want visitors to take on your website or app is aligned with your marketing objectives.

Conversion Form

A web form placed on a website to capture visitor information and convert them into leads or customers.

Conversion Rate

A key metric that measures the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action out of the total number of visitors to your website or landing page.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

The systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action. It analyzes user behavior, pinpointing conversion roadblocks and A/B testing website elements.

Cookies

Small data files stored on a user's device by websites they visit. Cookies remember user preferences (login info, location) and track browsing activity.

Core Update

Major algorithm changes implemented by Google to improve search results. Core update can impact website rankings.

Core Web Vitals

A set of metrics from Google that measures factors of a web page's user experience: loading speed (Largest Contentful Paint or LCP), responsiveness (First Input Delay or FID) and visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift or…

Core Web Vitals (in Semrush)

Semrush offers tools to analyze your website's Core Web Vitals metrics. You can track them over time, pinpoint areas for improvement and see how changes impact these metrics.

Correlation

It measures the relationship between two variables, like website traffic and social media mentions. While a correlation might seem one factor influences the other, it doesn't prove it.

Cost %

it means the percentage of your total advertising budget spent on a particular campaign or keyword. A lower cost % means the campaign has generated more revenue than its ad spend.

Cost per action (CPA)

A pricing model where advertisers pay a specific fee each time a desired user action occurs. This action can be a purchase, download or any other conversion.

Cost per thousand (CPM)

The cost an advertiser pays for every one thousand impressions or ad views of their advertisements. This model is mainly used for display ad campaigns.

Country code top level domain (ccTLD)

The part of a website address that identifies the country or region associated with the website. Example: ".us" for the United States.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

A bidding model where advertisers pay each time someone clicks on their ad. It's a common way to buy ads on Google and social media.

CPM (Cost Per Thousand impressions)

The price advertiser pays for every one thousand times their ad is displayed. This pricing model is commonly used for brand awareness campaigns.

Crawl Budget

The estimated number of pages a search engine bot can crawl from a website within a given timeframe.

Crawler

Crawlers are automated programs used by search engines to discover and index web pages. Search engines rely on them to populate search indexes and deliver relevant results to users.

Crawler (bot, robot, spider)

Automated programs that search engines use to understand and rank websites effectively.

Crawler directives

Instructions website owners provide to crawlers through files like robot.txt or meta tags.

Crawling

The process by which search engines discover and index web pages. They analyze the content on each page and add these pages to the search engine's index.

Critical rendering path

The steps your visitor's browser takes to turn website code (HTML, CSS, Javascript) into the web page they see.

CRM

A CRM system helps businesses manage all customer interactions and data. It tracks leads, sales opportunities and customer service interaction.

CRM (customer relationship management)

Software used to manage customer interactions. It tracks past purchases, preferences and support issues.

Cross Group Negatives

In PPC ads or Google Ads, cross-group negatives are keywords you add to one ad group that you want to exclude from showing in another ad group within the same campaign.

CSS

CSS is a language that defines a website's presentation, separate from its content. It controls layout, fonts, colors and spacing.

CSS (cascading style sheet)

A code that controls a web page's visual look like fonts, colors and layout. It allows for clean, maintainable design across multiple pages.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

The code behind a webpage's look that instructs browsers on how to display fonts, colors and layout.

CTA (call to action)

A directive that prompts website visitors to take a specific action. It can be a button, text link or image designed to drive conversions.

CTR (Clickthrough rate)

Measures the percentage of people who click on a link or ad after seeing it. It's calculated by dividing clicks by impressions (views).

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

A core web vital that measures the unexpected movement of webpage elements during loading. Large CLS frustrates users and harms SEO.

Customer Journey

The complete path a customer takes when interacting with your brand, from initial awareness through consideration, purchase and post-purchase stages.

Cybersquatting

Registering a domain name that's identical or similar to a well-known trademark, with the malicious intent to profit from the trademark owner's reputation.

D dots

DA

Developed by Moz, DA is a score (from 1 to 100) predicting a website's ranking potential in search results (SERPs) based on backlinks, website age, domain popularity and other factors.

Dark search

The unknown queries users have but don't feel comfortable typing into search engines. These searches can be highly personal, confidential, or embarrassing.

Data structures

The format used to organize, process, retrieve and store data in a computer system. They impact how easily data can be accessed, added or removed.

Dayparting

It's a strategy in ad scheduling. It involves targeting specific times of day when your audience is most likely to be online and engaged with ads.

DeadEnd Page

A website page with no clear way out for users. It lacks navigation menus, internal links, or breadcrumbs, frustrating visitors and hindering website flow.

Debugging

The process of identifying and fixing errors or bugs in a program. It involves analyzing why the program isn't working as expected and then identifying the root cause of the issue.

Declined Keywords

In search engine marketing, these are the keywords removed from an ad campaign due to poor performance. This can be done manually or automatically.

Deep Link

URLs that take users directly to a specific page within a mobile app, bypassing the homepage.

Deep Link Ratio

Deep Link Ratio measures the percentage of internal links on a website that lead to specific pages, rather than just the homepage.

DeIndex

The process of removing a webpage or website from search engine results pages. This is done for outdated content, low quality or privacy concerns.

Deindexed

Deindexed webpages are hidden from search results by Google. These pages can't be found organically, but users with the URL can still access them.

Delisting

The removal of a web page or website from a search engine directory. It differs from deindexing as it may be temporary and the content might still be accessible on the original website.

Demographics

Measurable characteristics of a population, like age, gender, income, education, location, and ethnicity.

Deployment

Releasing a software application or update from a development environment to a production environment where users can access it.

Destination Site

The final web page users reach after clicking on an ad on a link. It's designed for purposes like a sale or signup and should be optimized to achieve that goal.

DevOps (development operations)

DevOps is a culture, set of practices and tools that bridge the gap between software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops).

Direct Traffic

Website visitors who arrive without a clear referrer. This could be because they typed the URL directly, used a bookmark, clicked a link from an email (not tracked) or came from a document.

Directories

Online listing of websites categorized by industry, location or niche. Some directories are general (Yellow Pages) and others are industry-specific.

Directory

An online database that organizes websites by category, location or niche. Listing in relevant directories can boost your SEO and drive traffic for local businesses.

Directory links

Links from high-quality online directories relevant to your niche. These links can improve SEO for local businesses with accurate NAP (Name, Address and Phone number) listings.

Disavow

The process of asking Google to ignore a specific link pointing to your website. This is done through a text file submitted to search consoles.

Disavow File

A specific text file (.txt) that tells Google which links to your site you want them to ignore. This is used to remove your website from low-quality backlinks.

Disavow tool

A feature within Google Search Console that allows website owners to submit a disavow file.

Display Ads

Visually engaging online ads that use text, images, animations or video to capture and promote a brand or product.

Display advertising

Online graphic advertisements through banners, videos, images, etc. placed on websites and apps to build brand awareness, drive traffic or influence user behavior.

Distance

The physical proximity between a searcher's location and the address of a business listed in the local pack.

DMOZ

A large, free, open-source web directory that existed from 1998 to 2017. Edited by human volunteers, it categorized websites by topic.

DNS

A Domain Name Server translates human-readable domain names (like "moz.com") into machine-readable numeric IP addresses (ex: "142.250.184.196").

Documentation

A complete set of instructions, tutorials, and references that explain how to use software, a website, or a product. It can cover topics like how to install, operate or troubleshoot, etc.

Dofollow

A hyperlink that instructs search engine crawlers to follow the link and pass on link equity, also known as "link juice," to the linked webpage.

Dofollow link

Hyperlinks that tell search engines to follow them and pass on ranking authority (link juice) to the linked webpage. This boosts a website's search visibility.

DOM

A web page's structure and content as a tree-like hierarchy. Scripting languages like JavaScript can access and manipulate this structure after it loads.

Domain

The unique address that identifies a website on the internet. It directs users to a specific set of web pages on a server. For example, nike.com

Domain Age

The length of time a domain has been registered. Search engines consider domain age as one factor among many when ranking websites.

Domain Authority

A score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank well in search results. It considers backlinks and website quality.

Domain History

A record of domain name's ownership and registrations over time. This can include past owners, registrars and changes to DNS records.

Domain name

The unique address users type in their browsers to access a website. It's the website's identity on the internet. Ex: "www.google.com" is Google's domain name.

Domain name registrar

A company that allows you to register and manage domain names. They work as intermediaries between you and domain name registries which hold the master database of domain names.

Domain name server(DNS)

A naming format that translates human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses that computers understand.

Domain Rating

A score developed by Ahrefs that estimates a website's ranking potential based on its backlink profile. A high DR means a good chance of ranking well.

Doorway Page

Low-quality, irrelevant web pages designed to rank well for specific keywords. They redirect users to a different, more relevant page on the same website.

DuckDuckGo

A search engine founded in 2008 that prioritizes user privacy, It doesn't track search queries or collect personal data. Instead, it relies on 400 sources to deliver unbiased results without filtering or personalization.

Duplicate content

Identical or substantially similar content that appears on multiple web pages. This can happen within a single website or across different domains.

Dwell time

Measures how long users stay on a specific web page after clicking from a search result. It's an engagement metric that tells how interesting and valuable your content is.

Dynamic content

Content that adjusts based on various factors over time, including user input (search queries), server-side data (product availability) or user location.

E dots

Earn media

Free publicity gained through word-of-mouth, influencer marketing, media mentions, customer reviews and social media engagement. Unlike paid media, you don't directly pay for earn media placement.

Earnings per click

The average revenue generated each time someone clicks on an ad you display on your website or app. it helps publishers understand their ad performance.

EAT

EAT stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Google considers these factors when evaluating websites and their content.

Ecommerce

The buying and selling of goods or services online. It is the entire online sopping experience.

Ecommerce (electronic commerce)

E-commerce is online shopping. It covers the entire process, from browsing products to secure payment and delivery.

Ecommerce SEO

Optimization techniques of online stores for search engines to improve visibility and organic traffic. For example: optimizing product pages, categories, etc.

Ecommerce web development

The process of creating online stores. These stores allow businesses to sell products and services directly to consumers over the internet.

Editorial Link

A hyperlink placed within content that isn't an advertisement. Websites earn editorial links from other sites without paying or asking for it.

Editorial links

Natural backlinks to your site from credible sources. Earned, not paid for, they boost SEO and show credibility.

EEAT

Stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's a framework search engines use to assess content quality.

Engagement

The level of interaction between a user and content. It can be measured by website metrics like time spent on page, clicks, shares and comments.

Engagement Metrics

Data points that measure how users interact with your content. Common metrics are bounce rate, click-through rate, etc.

Engagement rate (Social Analytics)

Measures how well your social media content aligns with your audience. It's calculated as the total interactions (likes, comments, shares) divided by reach or followers.

Engagement rate (Social Tracker)

Shows how well your social media content performs compared to your audience reach. It considers total interactions on your posts relative to follower count and post frequency.

Entreprise web development

The process of building complex web applications and platforms for mid to large organizations. This involves complex data management, user authentication, etc.

Estimated Accuracy

The potential margin of error associated with data collection and reporting. Metrics may not be 100% accurate due to sampling methods or data collection limitations.

Estimated Traffic

An approximate number of website traffic a website or webpage might receive, based on keyword ranking data, competitor analysis, or website analytics tools.

Everflux

The continuous changes and evolution of Google's algorithms and indexes. This process is also known as algorithmic churn.

Examples

Illustrative instances that show how a concept works in practice. They can be snippets of code, diagrams, screenshots, etc.

Exit rate

The percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing a single webpage. The higher the exit rate the more usability issues or lack of relevant content.

Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML)

XHTML was an attempt to create a stricter version of HTML that compiled with XML syntax rules.

Extensible Markup Language (XML)

A flexible tagging language that defines data formats. Unlike HTML (for web pages), you create your own tags to describe different data types.

External link

A hyperlink on your website that directs users to a webpage on a different domain name. They are useful resources for your audience, so be mindful of where you link.

F dots

Facebook

A social media platform and advertising network launched in 2004. Facebook allows users to create profiles, connect with friends and family, share content, and interact with brands.

Facebook Engagement

Interactions users have with your Facebook page content, including likes, comments, shares, clicks and other actions.

Faceted navigation

An e-commerce website feature that allows users to refine search results by applying filters based on various product attributes like category, size, color, or price.

Favicon

A small icon or logo called "favorite icon" associated with a website, displayed in the browser's address bar, bookmark tab and search results.

Featured snippet

A summarised answer to a user's search query, displayed directly on Google search results pages. It's usually taken from a page that Google finds most relevant.

Featured snippets

Concise answer boxes displayed directly on Google Search results pages, taken from highly valuable pages.

Fetch and Render tool

A tool offered by Google Search Console that allows you to see how the search engine fetches and renders your webpage.

Fields

Individual data points within a record in a database or spreadsheet. Each field has a specific data type (text, number, date) for accurate storage and retrieval.

File compression

Reducing a file's size without sacrificing quality. This is done by using algorithms that identify and eliminate redundancies.

File transfer protocol (FTP)

An established protocol transferring files between computers over a network. It's used for transferring website files, sharing large assets and bulk data exchanges.

Findability

How easy it is for users to locate your information online. It applies to both search engines and user navigating your website.

Firewall

A security for your computer network. It monitors incoming and outgoing traffic, filtering out malicious activity or unauthorized access based on predetermined rules.

First Link Priority

A debated concept says that search engines consider the anchor text of the first internal link to a specific page on a webpage for ranking purposes.

Flat design

A minimalist design that highlights clean lines, two-dimensional shapes and solid colors. It avoids complex gradients, drop shadows and 3D effects for a sleek look.

Follow

The action of subscribing to another user's account on social media to see their updates in your feed.

Follow Links

These are the standard type of hyperlink. They pass on what's called "link equity" to the linked webpage and influences its search ranking position.

Footer Link

Links placed at the bottom of a webpage, usually within the website's footer section. They serve secondary purposes like providing legal information, contact details, etc.

Forging partnerships.

Building mutually beneficial relationships with other businesses or organizations. You basically use each other's strengths and audience reach.

Forum

An online discussion board where users can connect, share information and have conversations around specific topics.

Framework

A pre-built collection of code that provides a base for developing software applications. It offers reusable components, libraries, and functionalities.

Fresh content

New, recently published or updated information on a website. Search engines prioritize fresh content as it indicates a website's ongoing activity and relevance.

Freshness

Freshness refers to how often a webpage's content is updated with new, valuable information. Search engines consider freshness as a ranking factor.

Frontend

The visual, interactive elements of a website or application that users directly interact with. It includes everything users see and use, like menus, images, etc.

FTP (file transfer protocol)

A set of rules for transferring files over a network like the internet. It allows users to upload, download, and manage files on a remote server.

Fullstack

A software developer skilled in both frontend and backend development. They can handle everything about a web application creation, like building user interfaces or creating server-side logic.

G dots

GDPR

A regulation in EU law on data privacy and protection for all individuals within the European Union. It regulates how personal data is collected, used and stored by companies.

Geographic modifiers

Location-specific terms added to keywords in search queries. They signal to search engines the searcher's intent to find local results.

Geotargeting

Creating online content or ads according to specific geographic locations. It could be targeting users based on their IP address, language settings or location history.

Google

A multinational technology company founded in 1998 that is known for its dominant web search engine. It also offers email, productivity tools, cloud computing, and other hardware products.

Google AdSense

An advertising program that allows website owners to display ads on their web pages or apps. When users click on these ads, website owners earn revenue.

Google Algorithm

The complex system Google uses to rank websites in search results. It considers many factors, like content relevance, website quality, user experience, and more.

Google Analytics

A free web analytics platform by Google that tracks website traffic and user behavior. It provides insights into website performance, user demographics, content engagement and many more.

Google Analytics (GA)

A free software provided by Google to get insights into website traffic, user demographics, content performance and marketing campaigns.

Google Analytics goals

Predefined actions users complete on a website, like visiting a specific page, submitting a form, or making a purchase. You can track these goals to measure campaign effectiveness.

Google Bomb

An outdated tactic to manipulate search results for a specific term by creating a large number of webpages linking to a target website using irrelevant keywords.

Google Business Profile

A free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. It helps customers find details about your business online.

Google Dance

Fluctuations in search engine rankings that happened in the past. Google's search results update frequently and minor rank variations were once called the "Dance."

Google Discover

A customized feed of content displayed on Google Search mobile app and some Android devices based on a user's search history, browsing activity and app usage.

Google Hummingbird

A major algorithm update announced in 2013 that focused on understanding search intent and context. Its aim was to deliver more relevant and informative results.

Google Keyword Tool

A free keyword research tool to identify relevant keywords for your website or content. It suggest search terms, estimated search volume and competitive insights.

Google Looker Studio

Free data visualization tool by Google where you can create and customize dashboards and reports using your marketing data.

Google Map Pack

The top three local business listings displayed in Google Search results for location-based queries. It includes business names, addresses, ratings and sometimes operating hours.

Google My Business

A free tool where businesses can update their business information, add photos, respond to reviews and connect with customers.

Google My Business listing

Your business's profile on Google Search and Maps. It shows information like address, hours and photos of your business.

Google News

An aggregated service that gathers headlines and stories from different publications. It personalizes news for you, showing articles on your chosen topics and locations.

Google partner

A program for agencies and consultants certified in Google Ads management. They meet qualifications and pass exams to demonstrate their ability on ad campaigns for clients,

Google Penalties

Algorithmic actions or manual reviews that lower a website's ranking for violating Google's webmaster guidelines.

Google Penguin Algorithm

A specific algorithm update launched in 2012 to target websites that manipulated search rankings with black-hat SEO tactics like unnatural backlinks.

Google Pigeon Update

An algorithm update that prioritized local search results. Pigeon increased the influence of local SEO factors by GMB listings, positive reviews, etc.

Google Quality Guidelines

Internal guidelines used by Google Search raters to evaluate webpage quality and relevance. Following these guidelines can improve your website's visibility.

Google RankBrain

A machine learning system that helps Google understand search queries and deliver relevant results, especially for complex or ambiguous terms.

Google Sandbox

An unconfirmed theory suggesting Google places new websites in a temporary low-ranking period to assess their quality.

Google SE Traffic

Website traffic originating from Google search results (excluding paid ads). It refers to users who discover your website through organic search queries.

Google Search Console

A free tool by Google that helps website owners monitor website health and search performance like search traffic and ranking data, indexing status and potential crawl errors, etc.

Google search operators

Special commands and symbols entered with keywords to refine your Google searches. Example: using quotes for exact phrases, "site:" to search within a specific website.

Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines

Internal documents used by Google to train human raters who evaluate search results. These guidelines detail factors like E-A-T that contribute to high-quality content.

Google Search Text Ads (formerly Google AdWords)

Keyword based ads displayed on Google Search results pages and partner websites. These ads appear above or along with organic search results as "Sponsored."

Google Search Text Ads Bottom

Text-based ads displayed at the lower portion of Google Search results pages, following organic results.

Google Search Text Ads Keywords

The specific terms or phrases users are likely to search for that trigger your ad to appear. Relevant keywords can attract qualified traffic and increase your ROAS.

Google Search Text Ads Top

High-visibility text ads displayed at the very top of Google Search results pages, often above organic results. Top ad positions generally have a higher CPC.

Google Search Text Ads Traffic

Website visitors acquired through clicking on your text ads displayed on Google Search results pages.

Google Search Text Ads Traffic Price

The cost of acquiring website visitors through your text ads on Google Search. This is usually measured by Cost-per-Click (CPC).

Google SEO

The practice of optimizing websites for Google's search engine. It involves strategies to improve a website's ranking in search results for relevant keywords.

Google Tag Manager

A free tag management system by Google. It helps manage website tags (snippets of code) from different analytics and marketing tools.

Google Trends

A free web tool by Google that lets you see how often specific terms are searched for over time. You get insights on search trends and popularity for different topics.

Google Webmaster Guidelines

The core principles for website quality and SEO in Google's eyes. They cover technical requirements, content quality, and spam prevention.

Google Webmaster Tools

A variety of tools for website owners to monitor website health and search performance. It has been replaced by Google Search Console.

Googlebot

A software program that automatically crawls the web to discover and index content for Google Search fetches web pages, analyzes their content, and follows links to find new pages.

GoogleBot (robot, spider, crawler)

An automated program that constantly browses the web. This ongoing process helps Google understand the web's structure and deliver relevant search results.

Googlebot / Bingbot

Web crawler, sometimes called robots and spiders. They continuously browse the web and analyzing web pages.

Gray Hat

Gray hat tactics are a blurry area between ethical white hat SEO and unethical black hat SEO. They could be considered aggressive or manipulative.

Guest blogging

Writing content for another website (the host) to reach a new audience. Such content often includes a link back to the author's website.

GUI (graphical user interface)

A user-friendly interface that lets you interact with a computer program using visual elements like windows, icons, menus and buttons.

H dots

Head keyword

The primary term you want your webpage to rank for in search results. These are broad keywords with high search volume but also high competition.

Header tags

Use header tags to structure your webpage content with clear headings, ranging from H1 (main title) to H6 (subheadings).

Heading

Headings are the titles within your webpage that identify different sections and their importance.

Heading Tag

HTML code that defines headings within your webpage content. They visually separate sections, improve readability and improve SEO.

Headings

Headings structure your webpage content using HTML tags. They help search engines understand content hierarchy.

Heat Map

A representation of user behavior on a webpage. It uses color gradients to show areas where users click, scroll, or hover most.

Heatmap (Listing Management)

This feature was previously offered by some listing management tools, like Semrush to track keyword progress for local businesses on Google Maps.

Hidden Text

Text on a webpage intentionally made invisible to users but readable by search engines. This is an unethical practice to manipulate rankings by stuffing keywords without impacting user experience.

Hijacking

Taking control of a domain name to redirect users to fraudulent websites. This is usually done for stealing data or other financial information.

Hilltop Algorithm

A basic algorithm acquired by Google in 2003 that helps identify authoritative webpages for new search results.

Historical Data

Past data used to understand trends, analyze performance and make informed marketing decisions. This could be website traffic data, social media engagement metrics, etc.

HITS Algorithm

It's an early algorithm (1997) that used to analyze website authority based on two factors: inlinks (number and quality of links pointing to a page ) and outlinks (importance of pages a website links to).

Homepage

Homepage is the main landing page of a website. It's the first page users see when they visit your domain's root URL (example: www.example.com).

Hreflang

An HTML tag that specifies the language and optional region of a webpage. For example, an English webpage can have a hreflang for "en-US".

Hreflang Tags

Snippets of HTML code that tell search engines about the language and regional variations of your webpage content.

HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)

A security policy that safeguards communication between a browser and a website. It applies encrypted connections (HTTPS) by adding a security header to the server's response.

HTML

The foundational code structure of webpages. HTML uses tags to define the content and layout of a webpage, including headings, paragraphs, images, etc.

HTML (hypertext markup language)

HTML is a coding language that uses simple tags to structure content (text, headings, images, links) and defines how it appears on your screen.

HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol)

HyperText Transfer Protocol dictates how data travels between your browser and the websites you visit. It allows you to see images, download files and access data.

HTTPS

HTTPS secures communication between your browser and a website. It encrypts data, protecting sensitive information like passwords and credit card details.

Hub Page

A central webpage on a website that analyzes a specific topic. It links to other relevant pages on the site.

Hummingbird

A major Google algorithm update in 2003. It prioritizes search results that best match a user's intent.

Hypertext markup language (HTML)

The foundational code of a webpage that defines structure and content using tags. Browsers interpret HTML code and render it into webpages users can interact with.

Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)

The base of communication between web browsers and servers that defines how data is exchanged over the web.

I dots

Image carousels

A user interface element that displays a rotating sequence of images. Users can swipe or click through them to see more.

Image compression

It reduces the file size of an image while maintaining an acceptable level of quality. It's important for faster website loading times and enough storage.

Image sitemap

An XML file listing image URLs on your website and providing additional information for search engines. This can be details like caption, title and image type.

Impressions

The number of times your content (ad, website listing, social media post) is displayed on a user's screen. It doesn't necessarily mean users interacted with it.

Improved Keywords

These keywords are more specific and targeted than broad keywords. They can focus on search intent, user demographics or product features.

Inbound Link

Links from another website that point to your site. Search engines see them as a sign of trustworthiness and relevance.

Inbound marketing

It attracts customers by creating valuable content and experiences according to their interests rather than interrupting them with ads.

Index

A large database maintained by search engines like Google. It contains information on all web pages and content crawled by search engine bots.

Index Coverage report

A report that shows how many submitted URLs from your website have been indexed by Google and identifies any indexing issues.

Indexability

A webpage's ability to be processed and included in a search engine's index. To increase indexability, your website has to be well-structured with optimized content and crawlable.

Indexed Page

A webpage successfully processed and included in a search engine's index. Once a webpage is indexed, it can appear in search results when users enter relevant keywords.

Indexed Pages

Webpages stored in search engine's database like Google's. When you search online, the engine retrieves the most relevant indexed pages to show in your results.

Indexing

The process by which search engines add webpages to their searchable database. They use crawlers to discover new and updated webpages.

Infographic

Visual summaries of information using charts, graphs and illustrations. They make complex data easily digestible and shareable.

Information architecture

The blueprint of organizing content on a website or app. It helps users find what they need easily and automatically.

Information architecture (IA)

IA is the practice of structuring content, labeling sections clearly and designing a user-friendly website navigation system.

Information Retrieval

The process search engines use to find and deliver relevant information for user queries. It helps users find high-quality, useful information.

Informational queries

Search queries where users look for knowledge, answer questions or learn about a topic. These are typically broad and focus on understanding.

Instagram

A social media platform for sharing photos and videos, owned by Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook).

Intent

The underlying reason behind a user's search query. It can be informational, navigational or transactional.

Internal Link

A hyperlink on a webpage that directs users to another page on the same website. These links help users navigate your site and find relevant content.

Internal LinkRank

A metric that estimates a webpage's importance on your site. It's a conceptual way to understand how link equity flows within a website.

Internal links

Hyperlinks connecting one page on your website to another. They helps users find relevant content and distribute link equity.

Internet service provider (ISP)

A company that connects you to the internet. They provide access through different technologies like cable, fiber or DSL.

Invisible web

Also known as the deep web, refers to the content not indexed by search engines. It includes password-protected pages, dynamic content and databases.

IP address

A unique numerical label assigned to each device on a network. Most devices have a local IP (LAN) for internal communication and a public IP (WAN) for internet identification.

J dots

Java

A popular high-level programming language known for its readability, portability and security. It's a versatile tool for web apps, mobile apps, enterprise software and more.

JavaScript

A versatile scripting language that brings interactivity to web pages. Along with ATML and CSS, it's a core technology for creating modern web applications.

JavaScript (JS)

A high-level, interpreted programming language that directly runs in web browsers, adding interactivity and dynamic behavior.

Javascript (sometimes abbreviated JS)

A programming language that adds interactivity and dynamic elements to web pages. It allows you to create features like animations, image carousels and more.

jQuery

A popular JavaScript library that simplifies manipulating the HTML Document Object Model (DOM), handling events, creating animations and interacting with AJAX.

JSONLD

A structured data format you can embed in your webpages using JSON syntax. It clarifies the meaning of your content for search engines and applications.

K dots

Kanban

A workflow management method for optimizing processes. It uses a board with columns representing work stages (for example, To Do, In Progress, Done).

Key performance indicator (KPI)

A measurable value that tracks progress towards a specific business goal. It helps evaluate success across departments and functions.

Keyword

A word or phrase users type in search engines to find information. Search engines use these phrases to match queries with relevant webpages.

Keyword (Google Ads)

A term or phrase you choose to trigger your ad in Google Ads. When users search for matching terms, your ad becomes eligible to appear.

Keyword (organic)

A search term used in SEO to attract free website traffic. Strategically including these terms can improve your website's search ranking.

Keyword (related, in Keyword Magic Tool)

Terms connected to your seed keyword but with lower search volume. These can be synonyms, broader topics or long-tail variations.

Keyword Cannibalization

It happens when multiple pages on your website compete for the same keywords and search intent. It confuses search engines and weakens your ranking potential.

Keyword Density

A ratio of times a specific keyword appears on a webpage compared to the total words. This concept is now outdated.

Keyword Difficulty

An SEO metric that estimates how challenging it is to rank a specific keyword, depending on competition from other webpages and the authority of sites already ranking.

Keyword Explorer

An online tool by Moz used in SEO to research and discover keywords for your content strategy.

Keyword not provided

A term you'll encounter in search analytics reports, particularly Google Analytics. It indicates that Google has chosen not to share the keywords users searched for to find your website.

Keyword Overview

A summary of important data about a specific keyword or group of keywords used in SEO.

Keyword Prominence

The strategic placement of a target keyword within key areas of a webpage. Search engines consider this a signal of a page's relevance to that keyword.

Keyword research

It's the most important process of SEO that involves identifying the words and phrases people use to search for information online, mainly those relevant to your website or content.

Keyword Stemming

A past concept in SEO, where search engines considered variations of a keyword during search. Fo example, "search" would match queries like "searches" or "searched."

Keyword stuffing

A black-hat SEO tactic where irrelevant keywords are excessively inserted into content. It disrupts readability and manipulates search ranking.

Keywords

Terms or phrases users enter in search engines to find information. They are the connection between search intent and relevant webpages.

Knowledge Graph

A huge database that organizes information about entities (like people, places, thins) and the connections between them.

Knowledge Panel

A box you see on the right side of Google search results for certain entities like people, places, or things.

KPI

A measurable value that tracks progress towards a business objective. They should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound).

L dots

Landing Page

A standalone webpage designed for marketing or advertising campaigns that users arrive at after clicking on a link in an ad, email or social media post.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

A web performance metric that measures the time it takes for the largest element on a webpage to load and become visible.

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI)

A concept in search engine ranking that considers synonyms, related terms and the overall context of a webpage's content.

Lazy loading

An optimization technique for web pages. It delays the loading of images or videos, until they are about to enter the user's viewport (the visible area of the browser).

Lead

In marketing, a lead is a potential customer who has shown initial interest in a business's product or service.

Link

A link, also known as a hyperlink, is a connection between two pieces of information on the web.

Link accessibility

The ease with which users and search engine crawlers can access and follow links on a webpage.

Link baiting

A content creation strategy designed to attract a large number of backlinks (links from other websites) to your content.

Link building

Acquiring links from other websites to your own is a crucial SEO technique to boost site visibility and rank.

Link churn

The rate at which links to an internet site appear and can impact the site's credibility and ranking in search engines.

Link equity

A value that a website link passes to a website boosts the site's rank and authority in search engine results.

Link exchange

The practice of trading links between two websites to mutually boost SEO value, can be viewed negatively by search engines if done inorganically or excessively.

Link Explorer

A tool to analyze a site's link profile (including backlinks, linking domains, and anchor text distribution).

Link farm

A collection of websites linking to every other site in the group to artificially increase link equity is generally penalized by search engines.

Link hoarding

The practice of not linking out to other sites, believing this will preserve all link equity in the site, is generally considered a terrible thing in SEO.

Link juice

Informal term for value or equity transferred from a single page or website to another via hyperlinks which boost the rank of the recipient website.

Link popularity

A measurement of how many backlinks a website has is a major factor utilized by search engines when ranking pages.

Link Power

A term which identifies the strength or influence that a link from a single website may put on another, concerning SEO performance.

Link profile

The quality, diversity, and relevance of all links directed to a website influence the site's online search engine ranking.

Link reputation

Characteristics of the links pointing to an internet site determine their perceived quality and reliability.

Link rot

The process of getting old or broken web page links, typically because the linked websites were moved or deleted.

Link Schemes

Any links that alter page rank or a website's rank in Google search results will usually attract penalties from search engines.

Link Stability

Consistent and long lasting links to a website were a positive influence on a website's search engine ranking stability.

Link Velocity

The rate with which a site earns or even loses backlinks over time impacts its search engine rankings based on just how natural and unnatural the growth is.

Link volume

The total number of links to a website, which might impact site authority and search engine rankings.

Linkbait

Content is created to obtain backlinks from various other websites, often because it's unique, valuable, or controversial.

Linked unstructured citations

Mentions of a business enterprise or site on some other sites with no formal framework or hyperlink (for instance, in blogs, forums, or even news articles).

Links, Internal

Hyperlinks from a single page of a site to another web page inside the same website help website navigation and spread link equity throughout the website.

Links, NoFollow

A tag within a hyperlink tells search engines not to pass link equity or authority through the link, generally to prevent endorsement of linked content.

Links, Outbound or External

Hyperlinks that point visitors from one website to another in order to give context or extra info to users but also pass link equity to the outside website.

Local business schema

Structured information markup for local companies (address, telephone number, hours of operation) in search engine results.

Local Finder

A feature in Google Maps that displays businesses associated with a search query in a certain geographical location with locations and information.

Local pack

A block of three local business listings in Google search results for local services or offerings that feature crucial business information.

Local queries

Search queries that contain location-specific terms or that imply a local intent (for instance, products, services, or places near the searcher).

Local search

An online search for something within a geographical area with the intent to visit or transact locally.

Local SEO

Search engine optimization strategies aimed to boost visibility in localized search results to bring traffic from certain geographical areas.

Local Teaser

A part of Google's local search results displays previews of information, including ratings, hours, and prices for businesses.

Log File

A file containing events in a software environment is used to analyze visitor behavior on a website and technical SEO auditing.

Log File Analysis

Examining server log files to learn site traffic patterns, online search engine crawls, and user behavior for SEO purposes.

Login forms

Web forms whereby users had to type in credentials including a username & password to access protected areas of a site.

Long Tail Keyword

Highly specific search phrases with reduced search volume but less competition and higher conversion rates than general keywords.

Longform content

Long, comprehensive content, usually more than 1200 words which tries to give in depth information on a specific subject.

Longtail keyword

Specific and sometimes longer search phrases with a lower search frequency but a far more specific audience in mind.

LSI Keywords

Terms and phrases semantically associated with a primary keyword that help search engines understand content context.

M dots

Machine Learning

A subset of artificial intelligence containing algorithms and statistical models that enable methods to do much better on data.

Manual action

A penalty imposed by Google on a website examined and determined to not meet up with Google's webmaster quality guidelines.

Manual penalty

A sanction that search engine evaluators apply directly to a website or its pages for violating search engine guidelines affecting search visibility.

Manual review

Process in which search engine personnel personally evaluate and confirm that a website fulfills quality guidelines before passing rewards or penalties.

Manual Sanctions (Manual actions)

Search engine actions against a website or page that violates guidelines that call for rectification to eliminate the penalty.

Market Consolidation (in Market Explorer)

The situation in Market analysis, where the number of competitors decreases while the remaining players grow stronger, is generally examined using tools like Market Explorer.

Match Score (in Market Explorer)

A metric which measures the relevance and potential of a Market segment to a business's offerings based on analysis in tools including market Explorer.

Meta description

A brief HTML attribute that provides a summary of the content of a web page, influencing user click-through rates from search engine results pages (SERPs).

Meta Keywords

An HTML meta tag used historically to provide search engines with a list of keywords that describe the content of a page, though now largely obsolete.

Meta robots tag

An HTML tag is used to instruct web crawlers on how to index or not index parts of a website, controlling content access by search engines.

Meta tag

An HTML tag stored in the header section of a webpage, providing metadata about the page such as descriptions, keywords, and author.

Meta Title

An HTML element that specifies the title of a web page, crucial for SEO and displayed on search engine results pages.

Metadata

Information that describes other data within a webpage, such as content descriptions, page author, and keywords, aids in content organization and SEO.

Metric

A standard of measurement used to assess various aspects of website performance, including traffic, engagement, conversion rates, and more.

Microblogging

A form of blogging where users publish short pieces of content, which can include text, links, and media, on platforms like Twitter.

Microdata

A type of HTML specification used to nest structured data within HTML content, helping search engines understand and process the content more effectively.

Mindshare

The level of consumer awareness or popularity a brand holds within its target audience is often influenced by marketing and advertising efforts.

Minification

The process of reducing the size of code files on web pages by removing unnecessary characters, such as white space, without changing functionality.

Mirror site

A replica of a website hosted on a different server is often used to distribute server load and increase site accessibility.

Mobile marketing

Marketing activities designed specifically for mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, utilizing features like location services and mobile apps.

Mobilefirst

The process of adjusting your website content and design ensures that visitors who access the site from mobile devices have an experience optimized for the device.

Mobilefirst indexing

Google usually indexes and also ranks the mobile version of a site's content to deliver mobile visitors.

MozBar

A browser extension from Moz that displays SEO metrics like domain authority and page authority in the browser while surfing the internet.

Multivariate testing

A testing method where several variables on a page are modified simultaneously to discover which combination results in the highest user engagement or conversions.

MVP (minimum viable product)

A product with sufficient features to delight initial purchasers and give feedback regarding future product development.

MySQL

An open-source relational database management system built on SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to put in, access, and control database content.

N dots

NAP (Name, Address, and Phone)

Critical business info should be consistent across all platforms and directories for local SEO and credibility.

National Level Data

Data collected and analyzed nationally are often utilized for market analysis, demographic studies, or SEO strategies focusing on country-wide patterns.

Natural language processing

Branche of artificial intelligence which helps computer systems to understand, interpret and manipulate human language, increasingly used in SEO for content optimization and understanding search intent.

Navigation

The collection of links and paths users can follow to navigate through a page on a site (user experience & SEO).

Navigational queries

Search queries that intend to return to a certain page or website, such as "Facebook login" or "Amazon."

Negative Keywords

Terms in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising which stop advertisements from being brought on by particular phrases or phrases, decreasing irrelevant traffic and also improving campaign efficiency.

Negative SEO

Malicious practices that damage a competitor's search rankings (typically through spammy links to their site).

New Algorithm

Those updates and changes to search engine algorithms affect website rank in search results.

Niche

A segment of the market for a specific service or product with particular demographics and interests.

Noarchive Tag

An HTML meta tag that directs search engines to not cache a copy of a page so web users do not see older information.

NoFollow

An HTML attribute that informs search engines that a hyperlink shouldn't impact the rank of the link's destination within the online search engine index.

Nofollow Attribute

Like NoFollow, it's an attribute in a link tag which tells search engines to disregard the link as far as passing link equity or even ranking power.

Nofollow link

A link with the nofollow attribute instructing search engines to not pass link equity (link juice) to the associated page.

Noindex

An HTML meta tag that instructs search engines not to index a web page so that it doesn't show up in search results.

NoIndex tag

Particularly informs search engines that the web page shouldn't be put in their indices, concealing the page from search results.

Nosnippet Tag

An HTML meta tag that instructs search engines to not display a snippet (description) or cache link for the webpage in search results.

Notprovided

A term in Google Analytics that indicates when Google does not disclose some user search terms due to privacy reasons (typically when logged right into a Google account).

Number of Results

The count of results a search engine returns for a particular query for a given query demonstrates the depth of content readily available for the search.

O dots

OffPage SEO

Techniques and strategies outside of the actual website to boost its position in search rankings (link building & social media engagement).

Online Visibility

The reach of a brand or website in online search results and digital media - is crucial for driving web traffic and engagement.

Onpage SEO

SEO tactics are applied directly inside the site to optimize individual web pages to rank higher and get much more relevant traffic from search engines.

OOTB (out of the box)

Those products or solutions which can be immediately put to use upon purchase with no lots of customization or modification.

Open Graph

A protocol that enables programmers to embed web pages to the social graph (primarily Facebook's public graph) to manage exactly how content is shared on social networking sites.

Open source

Software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be distributed and modified as the user requires.

Opening/closing tags

An opening tag () is the beginning of an element like a paragraph and a closing tag () is the end.

Operating system

The core software managing a computer's hardware and resources. Examples are Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.

Optin

A user's consent to receive marketing messages from a business through emails or SMS. Businesses use it to create email lists or audiences for targeted campaigns.

Optout

A user's ability to unsubscribe from a company's email list. Companies are legally required to provide a clear and easy way to opt out.

Organic

Unpaid strategies that earn visibility in search results and build brand loyalty. Organic results are displayed naturally, without paying for placement.

Organic Search

The unpaid listings you see on search engines like Google. They're ranked based on relevance and website authority, not by who pays the most.

Organic search results

The free listings on Google that appear because they are relevant to your search query. They are ranked by complex algorithms and are not paid.

Organic SEO

The practices that improve a website's ranking in unpaid search results. It attracts qualified traffic and builds brand authority.

Organic Traffic

Visitors who arrive at your website through unpaid search results on Google. This traffic is high-quality, as users are looking for information your site can provide.

Orphan Page

A webpage that's not linked to from any other internal pages. Search engines and users may struggle to find it.

Orphaned Pages

A webpage on your site that has no internal links pointed to it. Fix them by adding internal links.

Outbound link

A hyperlink on your website that directs users to a different website or external domain. Too many outbound links can impact SEO.

Outbound marketing

Actively reaching out to a broad audience to generate interest in your product or service. This can involve cold calling, email marketing, social media ads and trade shows.

Outreach

Building relationships with influencers, journalists, and other relevant audiences to acquire backlinks. It can involve guest blogging, social media engagement and more.

P dots

PA

A score (0-100) developed by Moz that predicts how well a web page will rank in search results. A higher PA means greater ranking potential.

Page speed

How fast content loads on your website. It's an important factor for SEO and user experience.

Page template

A pre-designed layout that works as a blueprint for creating multiple webpages. It defines the overall structure and style, including headers and footers.

Page Title

The clickable headline displayed at the top of a web browser tab and in search results. It summarizes a webpage's content.

Page View

Counts each time a web page is loaded in a user's browser. It's one of the foundational website traffic metric.

PageRank

An algorithm developed by Google to assess website importance based on backlinks. Pages with more high-quality backlinks get a higher PageRank.

Pages per session

This metric shows how deeply users engage with your website. It's calculated by dividing total pageviews by total sessions.

Pagination

Dividing lengthy content into multiple web pages for better user experience and website performance. Common methods are numbered pages, "next" and "previous" buttons.

Paid inclusion

An outdated SEO practice where search engines charged websites a fee to guarantee inclusion in their search results.

Paid Search

An ad model where businesses pay search engines to display their ads at the top of search results. Users see these ads when searching for relevant keywords.

Panda

A core Google algorithm update launched in 2011 to target low-quality content. It rewards sites with high-quality, relevant content.

Payperclick (PPC)

An ad model where advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad. Commonly used in search engine and social media.

PBN

A network of websites created for the sole purpose of linking back to a target website and manipulating search rankings.

PDF

A versatile file format that preserves the layout and formatting of a document, regardless of the device or software used to view it.

Penalty

A punishment from search engines like Google for violating their webmaster guidelines. Avoiding penalties is important for maintaining good SEO standing.

Penguin

A major Google algorithm update launched in 2012 to combat webspam. It targets websites that manipulate their backlink profiles.

People Also Ask

A search result featured by Google displaying related questions users frequently ask about the main search query.

People Also Ask boxes

These boxes appear in search results below the main answer, containing questions frequently asked about the search query.

Permission marketing

A marketing strategy that obtains a user's explicit consent before contacting them with promotional messages.

Persona

A fictional character representing your ideal customer. It includes their demographics, interests, goals and challenges.

Personalization

Designing marketing messages and experiences according to an individual or a group of customers with special preferences.

PHP

A popular programming language widely used for web development. It allows you t o create interactive web pages.

PHP (hypertext preprocessor)

A scripting language that is used to create dynamic web pages. PHP code is embedded in HTML and runs on the server before reaching your browser.

Pigeon

A major Google algorithm update from 2014 that revamped local search results. It aimed to improve location accuracy and prioritize listings.

Piracy

The illegal copying, distribution or access of copyrighted digital content. This can be music, movies, ebooks or software.

Piracy update

Google's update that penalize websites for copyright infringement. They usually receive DMCA takedown notices.

Plugin

A software extension adding certain features to a larger platform. Plugins are often used with CMS like WordPress.

Pogo rate / Pogo sticking

Users' behavior in search results. When someone clicks on a webpage but quickly returns to the search results page and clicks another page, that's a pogo

Pogosticking

User behavior where they bounce rapidly between search results pages. High pogosticking rates can indicate your website isn't satisfying user search intent.

Popunder

An annoying ad format where a new browser window suddenly pops up under the current window you're viewing.

Popup

A window that appears on top of a website's content, usually triggered by user actions or on page load.

Portable Document Format/PDF

A universal file format that preserves document layout and formatting across devices and software.

Position or Pos (SERP)

A web page's ranking on a SERP. The higher the position, the more visible it is to users and the more organic traffic it'll receive.

PPA (Pay Per Action)

An advertising model where advertisers pay only when a desired user action is completed on your website.

PPC (Pay Per Click)

An ad model where businesses pay search engines or social media platforms a fee each time someone clicks on their ad.

Programming language

A set of instructions that computers can understand and execute. Common languages are Python, JavaScript and HTML/CSS.

Prominence

The well-known reputation or public recognition of a brand, influencer or website. A prominent entity is considered as trustworthy and influential.

Property

The style of website elements that CSS can recognize, such as font size, color, background image, or padding.

Protocol

A set of rules that govern how data travels between devices on a network. Common protocols are HTTP and HTTPS.

Pruning

The process of identifying and removing low-quality content or inactive elements like unused pages or broken links from your website.

Public Relations

The practice of building a positive public image for a brand or organization. Marketers use PR to shape public perception and build trust.

Purchase Conversion (in Market Explorer)

A metric in Google's market explorer tool that indicates the percentage of website visitors who complete a purchase.

Purchased links

An SEO practice where website owners pay other websites to include backlinks to their own site.

Q dots

QDF

A concept in Google search that determines how likely a search query is to return results with up-to-date information.

Qualified lead

A potential customer who has shown a strong interest in your product or service and could convert into a sale compared to unqualified leads.

Qualified traffic

Website visitors who have the probability to covert into customers because their interests align with your offerings.

Quality content

Content that informs, engages, and retains your target audience. It builds brand authority, trust and drives conversions.

Quality link

A link from a relevant, high-authority website pointing back to your own. These links boost your website's ranking in search results.

Quality Score

A metric in online advertising platforms like Google Ads that shows the relevance and expected performance of your ad, its landing page and keywords.

Query

The search term or phrase a user enters into a search engine to find information. Understanding these user queries is important in digital marketing.

R dots

Rank

A web page's position in search results for a specific query. Optimizing your website for search engine is important for achieving a good rank.

Rank Brain

A complex algorithm element component within Google Search. It uses machine learning to process search queries and understand user intent.

RankBrain

A machine-learning system within Google Search that analyzes user behavior and search queries.

Ranking

The position of a web page in search engine results for a particular query. Higher ranking results in more visibility and more organic traffic.

Ranking Factor

An element that search engines consider when determining a web page's position in search results.

Readability Score

A measure that measures how simple it is to read and comprehend text on a web page, which frequently impacts visitor engagement and SEO.

Reciprocal link

A reciprocal agreement between two webmasters to link to one another's website (traditionally used for SEO but now considered suspicious by search engines).

Reciprocal links

Links are links which are exchanged between two sites (one connecting to the other). Search engines at times flag this practice as manipulative.

Recommended reading

A list or section on an internet site that suggests content related to or even books related to the primary content to enhance user experience and add value.

Redirect

A URL redirects users or search engines to a different URL compared to the one they requested (for website maintenance or restructuring).

Redirection

Forwarding traffic from one URL to another so users and search engines have the proper page whenever URLs change.

Redirects

Instructions that move the user from one URL to another (typically to manage site structure changes or merge websites).

Referral Traffic

Visitors to a site that come from direct links on various other websites, instead of directly or even with search engines, are an indicator of the site's partnerships and reach.

Referrer

The URL of the prior webpage from which a link was followed is normally used to monitor exactly how visitors arrive at a website and from which sources.

Referrer String

Information sent by an internet browser identifies the last page the person visited before clicking a hyperlink to the present page.

Regional keywords

Keywords that target specific geographical region search queries of users for regional SEO purposes.

Registrar

An approved company of ICANN or a national authority to register internet domain names.

Reinclusion

Re-indexing by search engines of a website or webpage that was in the past excluded or penalized.

Rel=canonical

An HTML element that prevents duplicate content problems by specifying the "canonical" (preferred) version of a page to search engines.

Relative link

A link that points to a target page relative to the file structure of the present site (in the exact same site).

Relevance

The degree to which information or content on a page complements the purpose of a visitor's search query (important for positioning in search engines).

Relevancy

Like relevance, it describes how well a page or piece of content matches or meets an individual's search intention.

Renderblocking scripts

JavaScript or CSS requires processing before a page can render, which prevents a webpage from loading fast.

Rendering

The process of how web browsers read code and show it as a page for the viewer.

Repeat visits

Excessive visits by the same user to a website indicate interest in the content.

Reputation management

Monitoring and affecting the perception of an individual or organization online, typically through responding to negative material and encouraging positive communications.

Resolution

The amount of distinct pixels in each dimension which may be shown on a digital display or even utilized to format digital pictures and content.

Resource pages

Webpages that offer information and links on a subject are generally used to get inbound links and enhance SEO.

Responsive design

An approach to web design whereby the website layout adjusts to various screen sizes and devices for greater user-friendliness and performance.

Responsive Website

A responsive design website that displays and interacts nicely on all devices - from desktop computers to smartphones.

Results

Search engine listings which react to a query from a person are web pages, pictures, videos or other relevant content.

Retargeting or remarketing

Online advertising strategies target people who've previously visited a Web site to return and make a sale or action.

Return on investment (ROI)

A financial metric that evaluates the efficiency of an investment is expressed as net profit divided by the cost of investment.

Reverse index

A database index storing mappings from content data in documents to their locations for quick query processing.

Reviews

User-generated evaluations or feedback about products, services, or businesses usually influence consumer decisions and SEO rankings.

Rich media

Advanced interactive media like videos and audio files, along with other multimedia, boost user engagement on sites.

Rich site summary (RSS)

A web feed that provides applications and users with updates to websites in a standard, readable format.

Rich snippet

Improved search results with extra data like ratings, photos, and other helpful information.

Robots.txt

A text file inside the root directory that directs web robots (usually Yahoo crawlers) which web pages or portions of a website to examine and dismiss.

ROI (Return On Investment)

The measure of investment profitability in terms of ratio or % of net gains to initial expenses.

Root Domain

The core domain name of an internet site with no paths or subdomains - usually the URL & the top-level domain.

RSS Feed

A kind of web feed that gives updates about internet content, including blog entries or news articles.

S dots

SaaS (Software as a Service)

A software distribution model whereby applications are hosted by a third party vendor and made accessible to clients over the web.

SAAS platforms

Online platforms that offer software as a service, as well as programs and services delivered in a cloud environment.

SAB (Service Area Business)

A kind of business which serves an area and offers services mainly by delivery or even at-home instead of from a fixed location.

Schema

Structured framework or model for organizing and interpreting information, such as used to structure data on sites.

Schema markup

Code added to HTML to help search engines determine what's on a page and the way to present the info in search results.

Schema.org

An initiative of major search engines to produce and supply a standard set of schemas for structured data markup for pages.

Scrape

Extracting data from sites (usually with automatic software) to obtain a lot of info for different uses.

Scraped content

Content taken from one website and published on another with no authorization is frequently a copyright violation and is anti-SEO.

Scraping

Scraping is the extraction of information from sites by automated programs and is utilized for data analysis, competitive information, and research collection from internet resources.

Scraping (Web Scraping, Screen Scraping, Web Data Extraction, Web Harvesting etc.)

Scraping (web & display scraping) is extracting information from sites for research, research, and business intelligence.

Scroll depth

Scroll depth gauges the distance users scroll down a page, offering content engagement and user behavior insights for optimizing site layout and content placement.

Scrum board

A Scrum board diagram belongs to an Agile project management diagram that tracks tasks, progress, and team interaction to ensure a smooth development process.

SE Traffic Price

SE Traffic Price is the price of getting traffic from search engines. It reflects keyword competitiveness, market trends, and possible return on investment for search advertisements.

Search engine

A search engine is a program that indexes and retrieves data from the web-based on consumer concerns. Examples are Yahoo, Bing, and Google for internet searches.

Search Engine (SE)

Search engines (sites like Google and Bing): online information supplied using keyword-based queries (search strings), such as SEindex and rank web pages for users 'access.

Search engine bot

A search engine bot or web crawler is a computerized system that crawls and indexes sites so that an online search engine can retrieve associated results for users.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search engine Marketing involves placing a website on search engine results pages and obtaining targeted traffic and leads through paid advertisements.

Search engine optimization

Search engine optimization improves website content and structure to rank much higher in search engine results pages (bringing organic traffic and visibility online).

Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO is the optimization of website elements (content, keywords, and technical aspects) to increase Search engine ranks and organic site traffic.

Search engine results page (SERP)

A search engine results page displays results a search engine returned for a query (organic listings, advertisements, and rich snippets).

Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

Search Engine Results Pages show Results from searches, such as organic and natural results, advertisements, and showcased snippets, to users looking for information.

Search forms

Search forms are input fields on Websites where visitors enter queries to locate particular information or content.

Search History

Search history stores all searches an individual makes on a search engine. It customizes future search results and suggests more appropriate suggestions.

Search Intent

Search intent is a user's choice to enter a query—to find out more, purchase things, or visit a website.

Search Quality Rater Guidelines

Search quality Rater Guidelines are criteria human evaluators work with to determine the importance and Quality of search engine results for high standards in search rankings.

Search traffic

Search traffic is the traffic that arrives at a website through search engines. It is an excellent indicator of how a website ranks in search engines like Google.

Search volume

Search volume measures how frequently a keyword or term is searched over time. It's essential for keyword research and market demand.

Seasonal trends

Seasonal trends are year-on-year changes in search behaviour that affect keyword popularity and require marketing adjustments to exploit peak periods.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

Secure Sockets Layer encrypts data transmitted between a computer's browser and a website.

Seed Keyword

A seed keyword is a keyword beginning term for keyword research. It defines related search terms and topics and handles content creation and SEO.

Seed keywords

Seed keywords are starting search terms from which more specific, associated keywords are derived. They provide the basis for keyword research and centered content strategies.

SEM (Search engine marketing)

Search engine marketing () is paid advertising that ranks a website higher on search engine results pages and delivers targeted traffic and ads to boost internet presence.

Semantic Core

The semantic core comprises keywords and phrases representing a website's primary themes or topics, guiding content development and SEO for improved search relevance.

Semantic search

Semantic search analyzes the context and intent of user queries to deliver much more relevant results that consider meaning and relationships in words.

Semrush

Semrush is a web marketing tool for SEO, PPC, written content, and competitive analysis that helps marketers enhance their internet visibility and search engine ranks.

Semrush Rank

Semrush Rank measures organic search ranking versus other websites in the Semrush database, measuring visibility and competitive standing.

Sentiment

Sentiment analysis evaluates public perception and brand reputation - whether internet content represents positive, negative, or neutral views.

SEO

SEO is coding that optimizes web elements for Search Engine rankings. It increases organic traffic through better content, keywords, and technical aspects.

SEO (Search engine optimization)

Search engine optimization boosts a site's rank on search engines. It includes optimizing technical, keyword, and content components for organic traffic.

SEO copywriting

SEO copywriting produces relevant content that ranks well in search engines using targeted keywords to improve search rankings while still getting read by users.

SEOfriendly url

A URL that people and search engines will understand is an SEO-friendly URL. It inserts relevant keywords and site structure for SEO performance.

SERP

A search results page (SERP) displays results from an online search engine retrieved from a person's query. It includes organic listings, advertisements, and featured snippets.

SERP (Search Engine Ranking Page)

SERP (Search engine Ranking Page) lists the ranked web pages a Search engine returns for a query.

SERP features

SERP features like rich snippets, local packs, and knowledge graphs give search results context beyond listing.

SERP Features (same as Rich Snippet)

SERP Features such as rich snippets show more about the search result display (reviews, images, ratings) to enhance click-through rates and user experience.

SERP Source

SERP Source is the URL/web page from the search results page, which drives organic visibility and user click-through rates.

SERP Volatility

SERP Volatility measures changes in search engine rankings caused by algorithm updates, other factors, or competitive dynamics that affect search result stability.

Server

A server is a significant computer that provides data, resources, or solutions to various other PCs on the Internet. It hosts websites, applications, and databases.

Serviceable Available Market (SAM)

Serviceable Available Market (SAM) is the TAM share a business could realistically target and serve with its services or products according to its reach and capabilities.

Share of Voice

Share of Voice measures brand presence versus competitors (typically advertising, media coverage, or social media mentions).

Share of Voice (in Semrush)

In Semrush, Share of Voice computes how many of a website's keywords appear in search results and how many are clicked by competitors.

Siphoning

Siphoning redirects visitors from one website to another without consumer consent, generally through misleading methods, lowering popularity and traffic on the initial webpage.

Sitelinks

Sitelinks are some other links under a primary search result to particular site pages. They assist with navigation and pointing users to proper content.

Sitemap

A sitemap lists a website's pages and content to enable crawlers to index the website more easily (SEO because all pages are discovered).

Sitemap.xml

Sitemap.xml is an XML document with website URLs. It lets search engines crawl the website to index all relevant pages and boost SEO.

Sitewide Links

Sitewide links appear on multiple website pages (typically in the header, footer, or sidebar). They help with navigation but only when utilized or when relevant to SEO.

Slider

A slider is a web design component that rotates many pictures or content within one space. It displays numerous items interactively for visual appeal and user engagement.

SMM (Social media marketing)

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is advertising goods & content via social networks. It raises brand awareness, engages audiences, and drives traffic via targeted campaigns.

Social media

Social networking websites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter let users create, discuss, and interact with information. It is utilized for communication, advertising, and community development.

Social proof

Social proof is proof of other people's actions, in addition to approvals, that impact our behavior. Some examples include reviews, testimonials, and recommendations, which generate credibility and trust.

Social Signal

Social signals consist of comments, shares, and likes, which suggest social media engagement with information. It influences SEO by signaling the importance and popularity of content.

Social Traffic

"Social traffic refers to visitors to a site from social media. It's a critical measure for evaluating social media marketing ROI and audience engagement. "

Software stack

A software stack comprises technologies and applications blended to develop and run programs. Standard stacks are LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) and MEAN (MongoDB, Angular, Express, Node.js).

Spam

Undesirable, irrelevant electronic content sent in bulk on the internet mainly for promotional purposes.

Spam Factors (Natural Profile)

Characteristics that indicate an artificial backlink profile for a site - possibly indicating manipulated SEO methods.

Spam Score

A metric that measures the risk that a site will be deemed spam by search engines, affecting its search engine rankings.

Spammy tactics

Deceptive techniques intended to mislead search engines or users to gain unfair search ranking advantages often result in penalties.

Spider

A search engine tool that crawls the web to index new and updated content by observing links between pages.

Splash page

An introductory web page that displays advertisements or stylistic features before the main content of the site.

Split Testing

A method that compares two versions of a webpage or element to decide which is more efficient at obtaining user engagement.

Sponsored

Content or advertisements paid for to advertise a service or product are differentiated from organic search engine results.

Spyware

Software that gathers personal or organizational data from a computer without their consent (often for malicious purposes).

SRCSET

An HTML code attribute that specifies several image sources for various screen sizes to improve visual responsiveness.

SSL (secure sockets layer)

A security protocol that creates an encrypted and safe link between a website and a browser to safeguard information transfer.

SSL certificate

A digital certificate that confirms the identity of a site and enables the connection to be encrypted using SSL know-how.

Static content

Web content is the same for all users without being produced, updated, or refined by the server every time it's accessed.

Status Code

A numeric code returned by a server indicates the success of a web operation requested, such as accessing a URL.

Status Codes

Numeric indicators of response from a server to a browser request, displaying success, error, and redirection.

Stop Word

Common words (and, the, of) that are ignored by search engines in queries to target more critical terms.

Structured Data

Organized data that search engines use to show more detailed search engine results of website content.

Structured data (markup)

Code added to HTML to provide search engines with content context, often making search results appear as rich snippets.

Subdomain

A prefix to the primary domain name specifies various areas or functions of a website that search engines consider as individual entities.

Subfolder

A directory in the main website hierarchy that organizes content under the main domain, impacting site structure and SEO.

T dots

Taxonomy

Classifying and arranging website content into structured groups enhances usability and SEO by making information easier to find.

Text editor

Software for editing plain text (required for coding and composing web content) without formatting (needed for developers and content creators).

Text link ads

Hyperlinked text, which appears as an advertisement, links to a service or product page when clicked.

TFIDF (Term Frequency — Inverse Document Frequency)

A statistical measure of document importance in a collection or corpus (often used in search engine algorithms).

Thin content

Web pages that offer little useful content or value for users can suffer in search engine rankings.

Thumbnails

Little image previews are generally used for bigger pictures or videos so viewers understand what to click on.

Time on page

The time a site visitor spends on a certain webpage reflects engagement and interest in the information.

Title tag

An HTML element establishing the title of a page (important for SEO & user satisfaction as it appears in search engine results).

TLD (Top Level Domain)

The last component of a domain name such as .com, .org, or .net represents probably the highest degree of the domain name system hierarchy.

Top level domain (TLD)

Part of a domain name at the right of the dot represents the domain's category or country code.

Topic Efficiency (in Topic Research)

It measures exactly how well content about a certain topic catches the interest of the audience and ranks in search results.

Topical authority

How expert or credible a site has become in a specific subject determines its search engine rankings.

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Total revenue opportunity for a product or service assuming 100% market share of the specific market.

Total Blocking Time (TBT)

The sum of time periods between first contentful paint and time to Interactive where user input is delayed because of blocking of primary thread.

Total Engagement (Social Tracker)

A metric that measures audience participation via combining all interactions (likes, shares, comments) on social media content.

Tracking code

A snippet of JavaScript code is added to a site to gather user behavior information, which is mainly used for analytics and monitoring services.

Traffic

The number of visitors and visits a site receives is a measure of website popularity and audience size.

Traffic % (in the Organic Positions & Advertising Positions reports)

The amount of search traffic that's organic or even paid for.

Traffic Cost (found in Domain Analytics)

Estimate of exactly what organic traffic might cost if bought through paid search advertisements.

Traffic Rank

A ranking of websites by user engagement & amount of visitors reflecting their popularity compared to various other sites.

Transactional queries

Search queries intended to complete a transaction (buy or book a service).

Trend (in Semrush)

A trend analysis feature that displays the popularity and performance of keywords, domains or subject areas over time.

Trust

It shows much faith do users and search engines have in the dependability and authority of a site.

TrustRank

An algorithm used by search engines to combat web spam which ranks websites based on their website link connections as for their trustworthiness.

Tweet Listings

A summary of tweets (often in search results and on sites) that display live info and trends from Twitter.

Twitter

A social media website where people post and then interact with messages, called tweets, is used for public interaction and media sharing.

Twitter Cards

Rich media attachments that augment tweets with visuals and allow a preview of linked content from Twitter.

Twitter Engagement

An indication of exactly how actively users engage with tweets by liking, retweeting, sharing, and replying.

U dots

UGC (Usergenerated content)

Content produced and shared by users online, including reviews, videos, and posts, reflect their opinions and experiences.

UI (user interface)

The interactive and visual components of a software application are what the users interact with for usability and efficiency reasons.

Uniform resource locator (URL)

The address of a certain file or webpage on the internet (how to locate it).

Universal search

A search engine that displays video, image, and news together with some other content types inside standard search results for relevant keywords.

Unnatural links

Artificial or manipulative links that increase a site's search engine rankings (which frequently violate search engine guidelines).

URL

A single character string is referencing a resource on the internet, typically a webpage.

URL (Google Ads)

The URL address of the webpage address which advertisers link from their ads that takes users to a site related to the ad content.

URL (Landing page)

The page that visitors arrive on after clicking a link or an advert is used to perform a marketing function.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

A generic way of addressing an internet document or site using a web browser.

URL folders

Segments within a URL which categorize content and help organize the structure of sites, making navigation clearer.

URL Parameter

A segment of a URL containing extra data that impacts the content or actions of the loaded webpage.

URL parameters

Elements in a URL that configure how a page appears to display or function are used (often for tracking and sorting).

Usability

Ease of interaction reflects how user-friendly and accessible the design is.

Usage data

Information regarding how people interact with a program or application to help developers improve functionality or user experience.

User Experience (UX)

The overall experience a user has of something or a system (whether it is simple or enjoyable to use).

UserGenerated Content (UGC)

Content produced by users or consumers and published on social networks frequently aids in the product or brand's online presence.

UTM code

Text snippets are added to a URL to track campaign and content performance via Google Analytics or other tools.

UX (user experience)

The complete range of effects of user interactions with a product or site, including ease of use, emotional response, and perception.

V dots

Vertical Search

A search engine concentrates on a particular piece of online content like pictures, news, or goods.

Vertical search engine

A search engine which indexes info from a certain topic or industry, generating more targeted or related results than general search engines.

Viral marketing

A marketing strategy that employs social networks or other technologies to generate brand recognition or sales via viral processes.

Virtual Assistant

A software agent that performs tasks or services for an individual upon commands or questions (often utilizing natural language processing).

Virtual server

A virtualized server that shares hardware and software resources along with other virtual servers yet works like its own server.

Visibility

How visible a website appears in search engine results, and that specifically impacts site visitors or user engagement.

Visibility % (in Position Tracking)

The % of time a website ranks in the top search results for tracked keywords.

Voice Search

Use of voice recognition to perform searches by saying queries verbally to a device.

Volatility (in Semrush)

How much search rankings change over time shows how stable search results are.

Volume (Search Volume)

The number of searches a keyword gets in a short time displays its popularity and possible traffic.

W dots

Web app

An application program is saved on a remote server and delivered over the web via a browser interface.

Webinar

A live, interactive web-based seminar where participants view presentations, pay attention to speakers, and discuss remotely.

Webmaster guidelines

Official suggestions from search engines outlining best practices for developing and maintaining search-engine-friendly sites.

Webpage

A document on the internet (typically HTML code) that has text, images, and hyperlinks to various other pages.

Website

A group of related pages is generally under one domain name and is publicly available on the web.

Webspam

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White Hat SEO

White hat SEO should always be essential to any brand’s digital marketing strategy to achieve monumental growth, an impactful online presence, and generate ROI. But what is white hat SEO? What makes it so promising? ...

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Whois

When you purchase a domain name for your business/organization or individual use, you become the registered owner of that domain. Your registrar designates you as the registrant of that domain by assigning your name and ...

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Wireframe

Building a website from scratch can be difficult for people without experience in website development. Many start by creating a blueprint of the website structure called a Wireframe to simplify and clarify the process. This ...

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Word Count

Total words in a document or piece of content, usually used as a measure in content creation and SEO techniques.

WordPress

Popular content management system for building & maintaining sites.

WYSIWYG

An acronym for What You See Is What You Get, where content displayed during editing Is very much like the final output.

Website Navigation

Did you know that 38% of people visiting a website for the first time focus on how it’s set up and where the navigation links are? If it’s hard to find a way around or ...

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X dots

XML Sitemap

A file consisting of the URLs of a website, which helps search engines crawl the website giving the URLs of most pages.

Xrobotstag

An HTTP header controls just how search engines index and adheres to a web page, like the robot's meta tag.

Y dots

Yahoo

A global internet services company offering a search engine, web portal, and associated items.

Yahoo! directory

A directory service from Yahoo that categorized websites was dropped in December 2014.

Yahoo! search marketing

A service provided by Yahoo allows businesses to advertise on the Yahoo network and partner sites with pay-per-click advertisements.

Yandex

A Russian multinational corporation that runs a significant search engine in Russia and provides numerous internet services.

YMYL

Content that may impact someone's potential happiness, well-being, financial stability, or security is held to higher standards by search engines.

Yoast

A popular SEO plugin for WordPress that helps people optimize their sites for search engines by improving technical SEO elements and content.

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