A
Algorithm
A set of rules and calculations used by search engines to determine the ranking and relevance of web pages in search results. Search engine algorithms consider various factors, such as keyword usage, content quality, backlinks, user experience, and more, to provide the most relevant and valuable results to users. Algorithms are constantly updated to improve search results and combat manipulative SEO practices.
Anchor Text
It’s the visible and clickable text in a hyperlink. It’s the text that users click on to navigate to another web page. Anchor text is important for both user experience and SEO because it provides context to search engines about the content of the linked page. Using descriptive and relevant anchor text can help search engines understand the topic of the linked page and improve its chances of ranking for specific keywords.
Alt Text
Alt text, short for “alternative text,” is descriptive text that is added to images on a website. It serves as a textual description of the image’s content for users who might be visually impaired or when images cannot be displayed properly. Alt text not only improves accessibility but also provides search engines with context about the image’s content, which can contribute to better image search rankings and overall SEO.
Algorithm Update
An algorithm update refers to changes made to a search engine’s algorithm that determines how search results are ranked and displayed. Search engines like Google regularly update their algorithms to provide more relevant and high-quality search results to users. These updates can impact website rankings and visibility, and SEO professionals need to stay informed about algorithm changes to adjust their strategies accordingly. Some well-known algorithm updates from Google include “Panda,” “Penguin,” “Hummingbird,” and “RankBrain.”
B
Backlink
A backlink, also known as an inbound link, is a hyperlink that originates from one website and points to another. Backlinks are a crucial aspect of SEO because search engines like Google use them as a signal of a website’s credibility and authority. Quality backlinks from reputable and relevant websites can positively impact a site’s search engine rankings. However, it’s important that backlinks are acquired naturally and from trustworthy sources, as low-quality or spammy backlinks can have a negative effect on SEO.
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate (used in Universal Analytics) is a metric that measures the percentage of visitors who navigate away from a website after viewing only one page, without interacting further or exploring other pages on the site. A high bounce rate can indicate that visitors are not finding the content they expected or that the page’s content and design are not engaging enough to encourage further interaction. Monitoring and reducing bounce rates are important for improving user experience and keeping visitors engaged on your website, which can positively impact SEO by signaling to search engines that your content is relevant and valuable.
Broken Link
A broken link, also known as a dead link, is a hyperlink that points to a URL that no longer exists or is inaccessible. Broken links can occur due to various reasons, such as a webpage being deleted, a URL structure change, or a mistyped URL. Broken links can negatively impact user experience and SEO, as they lead to a poor user journey and may result in search engines reducing the crawlability and ranking of your website. Regularly checking and fixing broken links is an important maintenance task for maintaining a healthy website and ensuring a positive user experience.
C
Click-Through Rate
Click-through rate (CTR) is a metric that measures the percentage of users who click on a specific link or ad after encountering it. In the context of SEO, CTR often refers to the rate at which users click on organic search results in a search engine results page (SERP). A higher CTR indicates that a greater proportion of users find the search result compelling and relevant to their query. CTR is an important indicator of the effectiveness of your title tags, meta descriptions, and the overall relevance of your content to searchers’ intent.
Canonical Tag
A canonical tag, also known as a rel=canonical tag, is an HTML element that is used to indicate the preferred version of a web page when there are multiple versions of similar content. Canonical tags are implemented to address duplicate content issues, which can occur when similar content appears on different URLs. By specifying the canonical URL using the canonical tag, website owners signal to search engines which version of the content should be treated as the primary and original source. This helps prevent issues related to duplicate content and ensures that search engines index and rank the desired version of the page.
Crawling
The process by which search engine bots (also known as crawlers or spiders) systematically browse the internet and visit web pages to gather information. These bots follow links from one page to another, collecting data about the content, structure, and other elements of each page. Crawling is the first step in search engine indexing, where the collected information is stored in a search engine’s database to be used for ranking and displaying search results. Ensuring that your website is easily crawlable and accessible to search engine bots is a fundamental aspect of SEO.
D
Duplicate Content
Refers to identical or substantially similar content that appears in more than one place on the internet. Having duplicate content on a website can make it difficult for search engines to determine which version of the content to rank in search results.
Domain Name
A domain name is a critical component of a website’s online presence. It’s the human-readable address used to access a website on the internet (e.g., https://seowithewe.co.uk). Choosing a relevant and memorable domain name can impact a website’s SEO, as it can influence click-through rates and brand recognition. Additionally, having a keyword-rich domain name can provide some SEO benefits, although its importance has diminished in recent years compared to other ranking factors.
E
External Link
An outbound link or an outgoing link, is a hyperlink on a web page that points to a different domain or website. External links are important in SEO because they can contribute to a website’s authority and credibility, especially if the linked-to websites are reputable and relevant to the content. Search engines use external links as a way to assess the quality and context of a web page’s content, and they can influence a page’s ranking in search engine results.
Engagement Metrics
Data points that measure how users interact with a website or its content. These metrics include factors like click-through rate (CTR), engagement time, and social media shares. Search engines like Google consider engagement metrics when ranking websites because they can indicate the quality and relevance of a website’s content to users. Pages with high engagement metrics are often seen as more valuable and are more likely to rank well in search engine results.
F
Featured Snippet
A special search result format displayed at the top of some Google search engine results pages (SERPs). It typically provides a concise, direct answer to a user’s query, often in a bulleted or boxed format. Earning a featured snippet for a specific keyword can significantly increase a website’s visibility and click-through rate. SEO professionals often optimize content to target featured snippets by structuring information in a way that Google is likely to feature as the “snippet” for a particular query.
Fetch as Google
A feature within Google Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) that allows webmasters and SEO professionals to request Google to crawl and render a specific URL on their website. It’s a valuable tool for checking how Googlebot sees and processes a particular page, which can help identify and address crawling and indexing issues. This feature also provides insights into how Googlebot views JavaScript-rendered content, helping webmasters ensure that their website is search engine-friendly.
G
Google Analytics
Widely used web analytics service offered by Google that provides detailed statistics and insights about website traffic and user behaviour.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a webmaster tool provided by Google that allows website owners to monitor and manage their site’s presence in Google’s search results.
H
HTTPS
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP, and it’s an important ranking factor. Websites with HTTPS encrypt data exchanged between the user’s browser and the server, enhancing security.
Hreflang
An HTML attribute used to indicate the language and regional targeting of web pages, particularly important for international SEO.
I
Indexing
Process by which search engines like Google collect, analyse, and store information from web pages to include them in their search results.
Internal Linking
Practice of linking from one page on a website to another page on the same website. It helps users navigate and distribute link authority throughout the site.
J
JavaScript SEO
Practice of optimizing websites that rely heavily on JavaScript for rendering content. Search engines traditionally had difficulty crawling and indexing JavaScript -based websites, but improvements have been made to handle JavaScript content. SEO professionals use various techniques to ensure search engines can access and understand the content within JavaScript -driven web pages, making them more visible in search results.
K
Keyword Research
Process of identifying and selecting keywords or phrases that are relevant to a website’s content and are likely to be used by search engine users.
Keyword Stuffing
An unethical SEO practice involving the excessive and unnatural use of keywords on a web page with the intent to manipulate search engine rankings.
L
Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases, e.g. ‘how to discover internal linking opportunities’ that are less competitive but can attract highly targeted traffic.
Link Building
Process of acquiring high-quality backlinks from external websites to your own site. It’s a fundamental aspect of SEO, as search engines like Google consider backlinks as a vote of confidence and authority for a website. Effective link building strategies involve creating valuable and shareable content, outreach to relevant websites, and other methods to attract and earn backlinks. Building a strong and natural backlink profile can improve a website’s search engine rankings.
M
Meta title (Title Tag)
The title of a web page and often appears as the clickable link in search engine results. Writing an optimized and relevant meta title is crucial for improving click-through rates and search rankings.
Meta description
An HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a web page’s content and often appears in search results. Writing compelling meta descriptions can improve click-through rates.
N
Nofollow
An HTML attribute applied to a hyperlink to instruct search engines not to pass any link authority or “link juice” to the linked page. Nofollow links are typically used for links that are paid or untrusted, such as sponsored links, user-generated content links, or comments on a blog. They are often used to prevent the manipulation of search engine rankings and to ensure that search engines do not count certain links when determining a website’s authority.
Natural Backlinks
Organic backlinks, are links to a website that are acquired naturally without any direct effort or manipulation by the website owner. These backlinks are typically earned because other websites find the content valuable and choose to link to it voluntarily. Natural backlinks are highly regarded by search engines and contribute positively to a website’s authority and search engine rankings.
O
Organic Search Results
Non-paid, natural search engine listings that appear when a user enters a query into a search engine like Google. These results are ranked based on their relevance to the search query and various SEO factors, rather than being influenced by paid advertising. Organic search results are a primary focus of SEO efforts, as they can drive free, high-quality traffic to a website when it ranks well for relevant keywords.
On-page SEO
Optimisation of individual web pages to improve their search engine rankings and visibility. It involves various techniques, such as optimizing content, meta tags, headings, images, and internal linking, to ensure that a web page is structured and formatted in a way that is both user-friendly and search engine-friendly. On-Page SEO is a crucial part of overall SEO strategy, as it directly influences how well individual pages perform in search engine results pages (SERPs).
P
Page Speed
Also known as website loading speed or page load time, refers to the amount of time it takes for a web page to fully load and display its content in a user’s web browser. Page speed is a critical SEO factor, as search engines like Google consider it when ranking websites. Faster-loading pages provide a better user experience, which can lead to higher rankings and improved user engagement. Optimizing page speed involves various techniques, such as reducing image file sizes, minimizing code, and leveraging browser caching.
Page Rank
An algorithm developed by Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It assigns a numerical value to web pages to measure their importance and authority. While Google no longer publicly updates PageRank, the concept of link authority and quality, which PageRank was based on, still plays a role in modern SEO. Websites with higher-quality and relevant backlinks tend to have higher authority in search engine rankings.
