Understanding SEO starts with speaking its language. Whether you're a beginner navigating your first keyword strategy or a seasoned marketer brushing up on the latest updates, this 248 SEO glossary terms is your go-to reference.

From technical jargon like canonical tags and crawl budget to strategic terms like 10x content and brand authority, we’ve broken down each concept into simple, actionable definitions. This guide is perfect for anyone building or optimising websites with SEO in mind.

Bookmark this page as your one-stop resource to master the terminology that powers search rankings.

Ad Impressions

An ad impression measures how many times your advertisement is displayed on a webpage whether or not it was clicked. It's a foundational metric in paid marketing and brand awareness campaigns.

Tip: High impressions with low clicks may indicate weak ad copy or targeting, so always track click-through rate (CTR) alongside impressions.

ADA Website Compliance

ADA compliance refers to making your website accessible to people with disabilities, in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This means implementing features like keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, alt text, and proper colour contrast.

Why It Matters: Besides being ethically important, an ADA-compliant site also improves user experience and can prevent legal risks. Accessibility can even positively impact SEO by enhancing site structure and usability.

AhrefsBot

AhrefsBot is the web crawler used by Ahrefs, one of the leading SEO tools. It scans websites to gather backlink data, keyword rankings, and site health information for its users.

SEO Insight: If you're seeing AhrefsBot in your logs, it means your site is being indexed for inclusion in Ahrefs’ backlink database — a good sign for visibility.

Alt Text (Alternative Text)

Alt text is a written description added to images in your HTML code. It serves two key roles: making content accessible for screen readers and helping search engines understand what an image is about.

SEO Tip: Properly optimised alt text boosts image search visibility and contributes to overall page relevance.

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink — what users see and click on. Google uses anchor text as a ranking signal to determine the topic and intent of the linked page. 

Best Practice: Use descriptive, relevant anchor text rather than vague terms like "click here."

Article Spinning

Article spinning involves rewriting an original article to create multiple "unique" versions often using automated tools. While tempting for content scaling, this tactic can result in low-quality or duplicate content. 

Warning: Google may penalise spun content, so it's best to focus on originality and value rather than mass replication.

Article Syndication

Article syndication means republishing the same article on other websites often with attribution and a canonical tag pointing to the original source.

Why Use It: When done correctly, syndication can boost visibility and referral traffic, especially on high-authority platforms like Medium or LinkedIn.

Auto-Generated Content

This refers to content created automatically through software, code, or AI without human input. While it can speed up publishing, search engines are cautious of auto-generated text that lacks originality or adds no real value.

Balance It Right: AI tools can assist in brainstorming or drafting but human editing, relevance, and quality are essential for SEO success.

Algorithm

A set of complex rules used by search engines to determine the ranking of web pages based on many factors (e.g., relevance, quality, speed).

Algorithm Change

Updates made by search engines to improve search quality.
Types include:

• Algorithm Update: Tweak to an existing algorithm
• Refresh: Re-run using same rules
• New Algorithm: A completely new system (e.g., Google Panda, Penguin)

Alt Attribute (Alt Text)

Text used in HTML to describe images for screen readers and search engines. Also improves image SEO.

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

An open-source HTML framework designed to load content faster on mobile. Once a key factor in ranking news stories, AMP is no longer required for visibility in Google’s Top Stories.

Analytics

The collection and analysis of website data to improve performance. For example, Google Analytics helps track traffic, behaviour, and conversion rates.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Technology that mimics human intelligence. AI in SEO helps with content generation, user experience, and ranking analysis.

Authority

A measure of trust and credibility assigned by search engines, influenced by backlinks, content quality, and brand signals.

Author Authority

The credibility of a content creator. While not a direct ranking factor, it's important in YMYL niches (e.g., health, finance) for user trust.

B2B (Business-to-Business)

Marketing products or services to other businesses. In SEO, B2B strategies often involve longer buying cycles and high-value content.

B2C (Business-to-Consumer)

Selling directly to individual customers. In B2C SEO, content is more emotionally driven and buying cycles are typically shorter than B2B.

Backlink

A link from another website to your own.

Why It Matters: Backlinks act as a vote of confidence, boosting your site’s authority and search engine rankings. Also known as: Inbound Link

Baidu

China’s leading search engine, similar to Google in function but tailored for Chinese users and content.

Bing

Microsoft’s search engine, which also powers Yahoo search results. While it has less market share than Google, Bing SEO can be valuable for certain demographics.

Black Box

A system where input and output are visible, but the internal process is unknown. For example, Google’s ranking algorithm is a black box — we know what affects it, but not how it precisely works.

Black Hat SEO

Tactics that violate search engine guidelines in an attempt to manipulate rankings.

Examples: Keyword stuffing, cloaking, and link schemes.
Risky: These can result in manual penalties or deindexing.

Blog

A section of a website featuring regularly updated content, usually sorted in reverse chronological order.

SEO Tip: A blog helps improve topical authority, drive long-tail traffic, and support internal linking.

Bounce Rate

The percentage of users who leave your site after viewing only one page.
While not a direct ranking factor, a high bounce rate might suggest poor UX or irrelevant content.

Bot

A software application that runs automated tasks. In SEO, bots (like Googlebot) are responsible for crawling and indexing websites.

Branded Keyword

Search queries that include your brand name or variations of it. For instance, “Nike shoes”, “Courses Buddy Courses”, or “Moz SEO tools”

Breadcrumb

A navigational aid showing the user’s location within a website’s hierarchy. 

Example: Home > Blog > SEO Tips > Link Building

Breadcrumbs improve UX and can appear in Google search results.

Broken Link

A hyperlink that leads to a missing or deleted page, resulting in a 404 error.
Too many broken links can hurt user experience and crawlability.

Fix by updating or redirecting them.

Canonical URL

A tag (rel="canonical") that tells search engines which version of a page is the preferred one.

Useful for managing duplicate content and consolidating ranking signals.

Canonicalisation

The process of selecting the best URL when there are several choices for a single page. 

Example:

• https://example.com
• https://www.example.com
• https://example.com/index.html

Canonicalisation ensures Google doesn’t index multiple versions of the same content.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of people who see your link (impressions) and click it.

Formula: Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100

High CTR signals relevance and may impact rankings, especially in paid ads.

Cloaking

A black hat SEO technique where the content presented to the search engine is different from what’s shown to users.

This violates Google’s guidelines and can lead to penalties.

CMS (Content Management System)

Software that helps you build and manage a website without needing to code.

Popular CMS platforms: WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Joomla

WordPress is often preferred for SEO due to flexibility and plugin support.

Content Audit

A full review of your website’s content to assess performance, relevance, and SEO opportunities. 

Helps you:

• Identify thin or outdated content
• Find internal linking gaps
• Optimise high-potential pages

Content Marketing

A strategic approach to creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience ultimately driving profitable action.

Core Web Vitals

A set of performance metrics from Google focused on user experience:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – Loading performance
2. First Input Delay (FID) – Interactivity
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – Visual stability

Meeting these metrics is crucial for ranking in Google’s Page Experience update.

Crawler (Bot/Spider)

Automated software used by search engines to browse the internet and index pages. For example, Googlebot is Google’s crawler.

Crawl Budget

The number of pages a search engine bot is willing to crawl on your site during a given timeframe. Large or frequently updated sites need to manage crawl budget effectively through clean architecture, internal linking, and sitemap optimisation.

Crawl Error

When a bot fails to access a page on your site.

Types:

• DNS errors

• Server errors (5xx)

• 404 Not Found

Monitor these using Google Search Console.

CTR Manipulation

Tactics to artificially increase your click-through rate. Often considered spammy or manipulative if using bots or paid click farms.

DA (Domain Authority)

A metric by Moz (scale: 1–100) that predicts how well a domain might rank in search engines.

Note: It’s not used by Google, but it's helpful for comparing websites in your niche.

Deindexed

When a page or website is removed from Google’s index and no longer appears in search results.

Causes include:

• Manual penalties
• Violating Google’s quality guidelines
• Use of noindex tags
• Technical issues like broken sitemaps

Deep Linking

Creating links that point to pages within your website rather than just the homepage. For example, linking directly to a blog post or product page. 

This strengthens internal SEO and improves user navigation.

Directory Links

Backlinks from online business directories.

Good: High-quality, niche-relevant directories (e.g., Yelp, GBP, Clutch)

Bad: Low-quality or spammy directories — these violate Google’s guidelines and may trigger penalties.

Disavow Tool

A tool in Google Search Console that lets you ask Google not to consider certain backlinks when assessing your site. Only use this if you’ve received unnatural link warnings or suspect a negative SEO attack.

Dofollow Link

A regular link that passes PageRank (ranking power) from one site to another.

Note: "Dofollow" is not an official tag. It’s just the default link behaviour unless marked as "nofollow".

Duplicate Content

Blocks of content that are exactly or significantly similar across different URLs.
This can confuse search engines and may dilute rankings.

Note: Use canonical tags or 301 redirects to handle duplicates properly.

Dynamic Content

Content on a webpage that changes based on user behaviour, preferences, or device.

Examples:

• Location-based content
• Recently viewed products

You can improve UX but must be crawlable for SEO purposes.

Dwell Time

The amount of time a user spends on a page before returning to the SERP. While not a confirmed ranking factor, longer dwell time can signal user satisfaction.

DuckDuckGo

A privacy-focused search engine that doesn’t track user data. While its global market share is small, it’s growing in popularity among privacy-conscious users.

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

A framework from Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines to assess content quality. While not a direct ranking factor, E-A-T influences how Google evaluates content, especially in YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) niches like health and finance.

To improve E-A-T:

• Show author credentials
• Use reputable sources
• Secure your site (HTTPS)
• Build positive brand mentions

Editorial Links

Unpaid, naturally earned backlinks placed by other websites because your content is valuable. These are highly trusted by search engines and a strong signal of authority.

For example, a journalist linking to your blog post in a news article.

Engagement Metrics

Measurements of how users interact with your website.

Key metrics include:

• Bounce rate
• Pages per session
• Time on site
• Scroll depth

These give insights into content quality and user satisfaction.

Entities

People, places, organisations, or things that Google understands as distinct concepts. Used heavily in semantic SEO and Knowledge Graph.

For example, “Apple” can be recognised as a tech company or a fruit based on context.

Evergreen Content

Content that remains relevant and valuable over time.

Examples:

• “How-to” guides
• FAQs
• Tutorials

Evergreen content supports long-term SEO, attracts backlinks, and compounds organic traffic growth.

External Link

A link on your site that points to a different domain.

Best practice: Link to high-quality, relevant sources to improve user experience and signal trust to search engines.

Exact Match Domain (EMD)

A domain name that exactly matches a search query (e.g., bestlaptops2025.com).
Google used to favour EMDs, but they now offer no SEO advantage on their own and can even look spammy without quality content.

Exit Rate

The percentage of users who leave your website from a specific page. Different from bounce rate. Exit rate counts any page exit, not just single-page visits.

Excerpts

Short summaries of content, often used in blog archives, category pages, or SERPs.
They help improve click-through rates and guide users to relevant pages.

Featured Snippet

A highlighted box at the top of Google’s SERP, providing a direct answer to a user’s query. It often includes text, lists, tables, or videos. Also called “Position 0” — can drive significant organic traffic.

Fetch as Google (Now called URL Inspection Tool)

A former Search Console feature that allowed you to test how Google crawls a specific URL. Now replaced with the URL Inspection Tool, which provides similar crawling and indexing insights.

Filter Bubble

A state of information isolation caused by personalised search results based on a user’s preferences, search history, and behaviour. This can limit exposure to diverse content and perspectives.

Findability

How easily users and search engines can discover your content. High findability = well-structured site, good internal linking, and accurate metadata.

First Contentful Paint (FCP)

A Core Web Vital metric that measures how long it takes for the first piece of content to appear on screen.

Faster FCP = better user experience and performance.

Flat Site Architecture

A site structure where every page is reachable within a few clicks from the homepage. Improves crawlability and ensures link equity is spread more evenly.

Focus Keyword

The main term or phrase you want a specific page to rank for. Used in page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout the content.

Footer Links

Links placed at the bottom of a webpage. Often include legal pages, contact info, or navigation.

Remember: Avoid over-optimising with exact-match anchor text because Google may see it as manipulative.

Fresh Content

New or recently updated content. Google’s Query Deserved Freshness (QDF) algorithm rewards fresher content for trending or time-sensitive searches.

Freshness Score

A ranking signal tied to how recent or regularly updated your content is. Important in niches like news, finance, or tech where information changes rapidly.

Funnel

A model describing the stages users go through before converting.

Common stages:

1. Awareness
2. Consideration
3. Conversion
4. Loyalty

SEO can support all funnel stages through targeted content.

Fuzzy Matching

A technique used in search algorithms that matches search terms to similar words or phrases, accounting for typos or slight variations. It is useful for improving search  result relevance.

Google Ads (formerly AdWords)

Google’s advertising platform that allows businesses to appear at the top of search results through paid advertising. While not part of organic SEO, it’s often used alongside it for broader visibility.

Google Algorithm

A complex system of rules and calculations Google uses to retrieve and rank content in its search results. Google’s algorithm uses hundreds of ranking factors, including content quality, backlinks, site speed, and user experience.

Google Analytics

A free tool from Google that tracks and reports website traffic.

Key metrics include:

• Sessions
• Users
• Bounce rate
• Conversion goals
• Source/medium

Essential for measuring SEO performance and making data-driven decisions.

Google Business Profile (GBP) (Previously Google My Business)

A free tool that lets businesses manage how they appear in Google Search and Maps. Important for local SEO, especially for showing up in the Local Pack (map results).

Add accurate details, photos, hours, and respond to reviews for better local visibility.

Googlebot

Google’s web crawler (also known as a spider or robot) that discovers and indexes content from websites. It follows links across the web to find new or updated content.

Google Dance

A term used to describe the temporary fluctuation in rankings that can occur when Google is updating its algorithm or reindexing a site. Common during major algorithm updates.

Google Disavow Tool

A tool in Google Search Console that lets you tell Google to ignore low-quality or spammy backlinks to your site. Use with caution only when you’re sure harmful links are affecting your rankings.

Google Discover

A personalised feed on mobile devices that shows users relevant content, even if they didn’t search for it. 

Optimising for Discover involves:

• High-quality, fresh content
• Engaging visuals
• Strong E-A-T signals

Google Keyword Planner

A free tool within Google Ads used for keyword research. It helps find keyword ideas, search volumes, and competition levels. It is useful even for organic SEO planning.

Google Page Experience Update

A major update focusing on how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page.

Includes signals like:

• Core Web Vitals
• Mobile-friendliness
• HTTPS
• No intrusive interstitials

Google Penalty

A negative impact on your website's rankings as a result of violating Google’s quality guidelines.

Two types:

1. Manual penalty – applied by a Google reviewer
2. Algorithmic penalty – automatic, from updates like Penguin or Panda

Use Search Console to check for manual actions.

Google Sandbox

An unconfirmed theory that new websites may be temporarily held back from ranking well on Google until they’ve built up trust and authority.

Google Search Console (GSC)

A free Google tool that helps monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search.

Key features:

• Index coverage
• Mobile usability
• Performance reports
• Page Experience
• URL inspection

Essential for technical SEO and monitoring site health.

Google Trends

A free tool that shows the popularity of search terms over time. Useful for content planning, keyword research, and seasonal trends.

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

HTML elements used to structure content hierarchically.

• H1: Main heading (used once per page)
• H2-H6: Subheadings

These help search engines and users understand the topic structure of your content. And always use header tags logically and include relevant keywords where appropriate.

Heading Structure

The logical organisation of headings on a web page using header tags. A clean heading structure improves readability, accessibility, and SEO by guiding both readers and search engines through your content.

Hidden Content

Content that is not immediately visible to users (e.g., in tabs or dropdowns). Google can index hidden content, but visible content tends to carry more weight for ranking.

Hilltop Algorithm

A component of Google’s ranking system that assesses the relevance and authority of a page based on expert or "hub" pages that link to it. Especially important for informational searches.

Hits

A general server metric measuring the number of file requests from a site. Not a reliable measure of user engagement or traffic. It uses sessions or users in Google Analytics instead.

Homepage

The main or root page of a website, typically found at the base URL (e.g., coursesbuddy.com). It serves as a navigation hub and carries high internal link equity, making it an important SEO asset.

Host

The server or service that stores your website’s files and delivers them to users' browsers. Hosting affects page speed, uptime, and SEO performance.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

The standard code used to create web pages.

SEO-relevant HTML elements include:

• <title>
• <meta>
• <header>
• <img> (with alt)

Understanding HTML is foundational for on-page SEO.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

The protocol used to transfer data over the web. Now largely replaced by HTTPS, which is secure and considered a ranking factor by Google.

HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure)

An encrypted version of HTTP using SSL/TLS for secure data transfer. HTTPS is a confirmed ranking signal and builds trust with visitors. Always use HTTPS for your site. Google may label non-HTTPS sites as "Not Secure."

Hreflang

An HTML attribute that tells search engines the language and regional targeting of a webpage.

For Example:

html

CopyEdit

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://example.com/uk/" />

Crucial for multilingual or international SEO.

Hub Page

A central content page designed to link out to related subtopics or supporting content. Also called pillar content, it’s excellent for internal linking and improving topical authority.

Impressions

The number of times a URL from your site appears in a user’s search results. It is found in Google Search Console, impressions help you understand how often your pages are being shown, even if they aren’t clicked.

Index / Indexing

The process by which a search engine stores and organises content it finds during crawling. If your page is indexed, it means it’s eligible to appear in search results. 

Tip: Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to check indexing status.

Indexability

Refers to whether a page can be included in a search engine’s index.

Blocked by:

• noindex meta tags
• Robots.txt disallow rules
• Canonicalisation issues

Ensuring your important pages are indexable is essential for SEO.

Inbound Link

Also known as a backlink, it’s a link from another website pointing to your site. Inbound links are one of the most powerful ranking signals, especially when they come from high-authority and relevant sources.

Internal Link

A hyperlink that connects one page on your website to another page on the same domain.

Helps:

• Distribute link equity
• Improve crawlability
• Guide user navigation

Tip: Use descriptive anchor text to enhance relevance.

Image SEO

The process of optimising images to help them rank in Google Images and contribute to on-page SEO. 

Includes:

• Descriptive file names (e.g., seo-glossary.jpg)
• Compressed size for fast loading
• Relevant alt attributes
• Structured data (for products or recipes)

Information Architecture

The way your website’s content is organised and structured.

Good IA ensures:

• Easy navigation for users
• Efficient crawling for search engines
• Logical hierarchy using categories, tags, and internal links

Informational Query

A search performed to learn something, not to buy or take action.

Examples:

• "What is SEO?"
• "How does Google rank websites?"

Optimising content to answer informational queries builds top-of-funnel traffic.

Intent (Search Intent)

The purpose behind a user’s search. 

Types of search intent include:

• Informational – Learn something
• Navigational – Find a specific website
• Transactional – Complete an action or purchase

Aligning your content with intent is crucial for SEO success.

Indexed Pages

Pages that have been crawled and added to Google’s database. The more high-quality indexed pages you have, the greater your site’s visibility, but quality trumps quantity.

IP Address

A unique string of numbers identifying a device on the internet. Not a direct SEO factor, but shared IPs or frequent IP changes can affect crawling, speed, and trustworthiness.

JavaScript (JS)

A programming language used to create dynamic and interactive elements on web pages like sliders, pop-ups, and real-time updates. JavaScript-heavy websites can complicate crawling and indexing, so ensure proper rendering by using tools like:

• Google Search Console’s “Inspect URL”
• Mobile-Friendly Test
• Server-side or dynamic rendering (if needed)

JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data)

A lightweight format for structuring data on your site. It’s Google’s preferred method for adding structured data (schema markup) to help enhance search results with rich snippets.

Example use cases:

• Products
• FAQs
• Articles
• Events

Placed inside a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in your site’s HTML.

Jump Link

Also called an anchor link, it takes users to a specific section within a page (like a table of contents). For example, clicking “Back to Top” or “Read More” and jumping to that section.

Note: Helpful for UX and can appear in Google’s sitelinks in search results.

JavaScript SEO

A specialised area of SEO focused on how search engines crawl, render, and index JavaScript content.

Best practices include:

• Using pre-rendering or server-side rendering
• Minimising reliance on JavaScript for key content
• Testing with Google’s rendering tools

Critical for modern web apps and frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.

Keyword

A word or phrase that users type into a search engine when looking for something. Keywords are the foundation of SEO and help match search intent with your content.

Types include:

• Short-tail: “SEO”
• Long-tail: “how to learn SEO for free”
• LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing): Related terms and phrases

Keyword Cannibalisation

When multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, they compete against each other in search results. This can confuse search engines and dilute ranking power.

Fix it by:

• Merging pages
• Consolidating content
• Adjusting internal links and keyword focus

Keyword Density

The percentage of times a keyword appears in a piece of content. Use naturally because keyword stuffing can harm rankings. Instead of focusing on a percentage, prioritise user intent, readability, and semantic relevance.

Keyword Difficulty

A metric used to estimate how hard it would be to rank for a specific keyword. 

Measured by tools like:

• Moz (Keyword Difficulty %)
• Ahrefs (KD score)
• Semrush (Keyword Difficulty)

High difficulty = Competitive niche; may need strong backlinks and authority to rank.

Keyword Research

The process of discovering which keywords your audience uses and how competitive those keywords are. 

Core steps:

1. Find relevant search terms
2. Check search volume and difficulty
3. Map keywords to content types and intent

Essential for creating strategic, optimised content.

Knowledge Graph

A database that Google uses to enhance its search results with factual information about people, places, and things. This data often appears in Knowledge Panels on the right-hand side of desktop search results.

Optimise for this by:

• Building authority
• Using structured data
• Creating consistent and verified profiles (Wikidata, LinkedIn, etc.)

Knowledge Panel

An information box shown by Google, usually on the right side of the SERPs, offering a quick snapshot of facts.

Common for:

• Brands
• Public figures
• Organisations

Can be influenced by structured data and consistent citations across trusted sources.

Landing Page

A standalone web page designed for a specific purpose, such as lead generation or sales.

Often used in:

• Paid campaigns
• Email marketing
• SEO content funnels

Optimised landing pages include:

• A compelling headline
• Clear call to action (CTA)
• Minimal distractions
• Relevant keyword targeting

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI)

A method used by search engines to understand the context of a keyword using semantically related terms. For example, a page about “Apple” might include LSI terms like “iPhone,” “MacBook,” or “Steve Jobs” to clarify intent.

Use LSI keywords to:

• Improve relevance
• Avoid keyword stuffing
• Support better content flow

Note: Google has moved beyond traditional LSI and now uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

Link

A hyperlink that connects one web page to another.

Types:

• Internal: Linking to another page on the same website
• External: Linking out to a different website

Links help:

• Guide users
• Build topical authority
• Pass ranking signals

Link Bait

Content specifically created to attract backlinks. 

Examples include:

• Original research or data
• Infographics
• Controversial opinions

The more value or uniqueness, the more likely it is to earn editorial links naturally.

Link Building

The process of earning links from other websites to your own. It is essential for SEO because backlinks are one of the strongest ranking signals.

Strategies include:

• Guest posting
• Broken link building
• Digital PR
• Creating share-worthy content

Tip: Avoid manipulative tactics like purchased links or spammy exchanges.

Link Equity

Also known as “link juice,” this refers to the ranking power passed from one page to another through hyperlinks.

Factors affecting link equity:

• Page authority of linking page
• Relevance
• “Follow” or “NoFollow” status
• Number of outbound links

Link Farm

A group of websites that excessively link to each other with the goal of manipulating rankings. Considered a black hat tactic and can result in Google penalties.

Link Profile

The overall picture of all the inbound links pointing to a website. 

A healthy link profile includes:

• Diverse sources
• High-quality editorial links
• Low spam score
• Balanced anchor text usage

Tools to audit link profiles:

• Moz Link Explorer

• Ahrefs
• SEMrush

Linked Unstructured Citations

Mentions of your business name, address, or phone number (NAP) outside of directories, such as blogs, articles, or press mentions.

Valuable for local SEO and brand visibility especially if they include a link.

Local Pack

A set of three local business listings that appear on the first page of Google when a local intent is detected.

Includes:

• Business name
• Star ratings
• Map location
• Phone number

Triggered by searches like “dentist near me” or “SEO agency Lahore.”

Local SEO

The process of optimising a website to attract traffic from local searchers, especially those with commercial intent.

Tactics include:

• Optimising your Google Business Profile
• Building NAP consistency across directories
• Getting local backlinks and reviews

Log File Analysis

The process of reviewing your website’s server logs to understand how search engine bots are crawling your site.

Helps you:

• Identify crawl errors
• Spot indexing issues
• Prioritise technical SEO fixes

Manual Action

A penalty applied by Google when a website violates its quality guidelines.

Common reasons include:

• Spammy backlinks
• Thin or duplicate content
• Cloaking or hidden text

A manual action can drastically reduce search visibility until the issue is resolved and reconsideration is requested via Google Search Console.

Meta Description

A short HTML attribute (around 150–160 characters) that summarises a page’s content in SERPs.

While it’s not a ranking factor, a well-written meta description can:

• Improve click-through rates (CTR)
• Increase user engagement

Best practices:

• Include target keywords naturally
• Use action-driven language
• Be unique for each page

Meta Keywords

An outdated meta tag once used to list keywords related to a page’s content. It is not used by Google and now ignored by most search engines. Avoid using them because they can even signal low-quality SEO tactics.

Meta Tags

Snippets of text that describe a page’s content. They don’t appear on the page itself but in the HTML code.

Important meta tags:

• Title tag (a strong ranking factor)
• Meta description
• Robots meta tag

Metric

A measurable data point used to evaluate website or campaign performance.

Common SEO metrics:

• Organic traffic
• Bounce rate
• Page speed
• Conversion rate
• DA/PA (Moz) or DR (Ahrefs)

Use tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, and third-party SEO platforms to track metrics.

Mobile-First Indexing

Google primarily uses the mobile version of a site’s content for indexing and ranking.

Ensure:

• Responsive design
• Fast mobile load speeds
• All important content is present on mobile
• Structured data is mobile-compatible

Mobile-Friendly

A website optimised for a smooth user experience on smartphones and tablets. Key mobile-friendly factors:

• Readable font sizes
• Easy-to-tap buttons
• No horizontal scrolling

Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help you identify issues.

Moz

A leading SEO software company that developed widely used metrics like:

• DA (Domain Authority)
  
• PA (Page Authority)
  
• Spam Score
  Key Moz tools:
• MozBar
• Link Explorer
• Keyword Explorer

MozBar

MozBar is a browser extension by Moz (for Chrome) that shows key SEO metrics like:

• Page Authority
• Domain Authority
• Spam Score
• On-page elements like title, description, and headings

Handy for quick SERP analysis and competitive research.

Machine Learning

A form of AI where systems improve performance over time without being explicitly programmed.

Used by search engines like Google to:

• Interpret search intent
• Rank results dynamically
• Personalise SERPs

Google’s RankBrain is an example of machine learning in action.

Markup

Structured data or code that helps search engines better understand your content.

Common types:

• Schema.org
• JSON-LD
• Microdata

Helps power rich results like:

• Reviews
• Recipes
• FAQs
• Events

Mention

When a website talks about your brand or content without necessarily linking to it. 

Brand mentions can still have SEO value, especially for:

• Brand awareness
• E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
• Future link opportunities

NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

A key component of local SEO.

Your business’s NAP details must be:

• Consistent across all listings (Google Business Profile, directories, social media)
• Accurate to build trust with search engines and users

Inconsistencies can confuse Google and lower your visibility in local results.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

A type of AI that helps search engines understand human language.

Used by Google to:

• Interpret search intent
• Analyse context beyond keywords
• Improve featured snippets and voice search

Examples: BERT and MUM (Google’s NLP models)

Content that is clear, conversational, and helpful performs better with NLP-powered algorithms.

Negative SEO

The use of unethical tactics to harm a competitor’s search rankings. 

Examples:

• Building spammy backlinks to their site
• Copying and duplicating their content
• Hacking or injecting malicious code

Monitor your backlink profile regularly and use Google’s Disavow Tool if necessary.

Noarchive Tag

An HTML tag that tells search engines not to store a cached copy of your page.
This prevents users from viewing older versions of your page via “Cached” links in SERPs. It is used for sensitive content or rapidly changing pages.

NoFollow Link

A link that includes the rel="nofollow" attribute, telling search engines not to pass link equity. 

Common uses:

• Blog comments
• Sponsored or paid links
• User-generated content

While NoFollow links don’t pass PageRank, they can:

• Still drive referral traffic
• Provide visibility

Google treats NoFollow as a hint, not a strict rule, since 2019.

NoIndex Tag

An HTML meta tag or HTTP header directive that tells search engines not to index a specific page.

Useful for:

• Thank-you pages
• Admin or login pages
• Duplicate content

It helps control which pages appear in search results.

Navigation

Refers to how users move through a website. Good navigation:

• Improves user experience (UX)
• Helps search engines crawl and index your site

Use clear menus, breadcrumbs, and internal links to improve both usability and SEO.

News SEO

Specialised optimisation to help news articles appear in:

• Top Stories carousel
• Google News tab
• Google Discover

Requires:

• Fast load times
• Structured data (e.g., Article, NewsArticle)
• Clear timestamps
• Author credibility

Off-Page SEO

All activities done outside your own website to improve its search engine rankings.

Key components include:

• Backlink building
• Brand mentions
• Social media signals
• Influencer outreach

The goal is to build authority, trust, and relevance in the eyes of search engines.

On-Page SEO

Optimising individual web pages to improve rankings and user experience.

Key areas include:

• Title tags
• Meta descriptions
• Header tags (H1–H6)
• Internal linking
• Keyword optimisation
• Image alt text
• Page speed

A strong on-page SEO foundation is essential for ranking success.

Open Graph Tags (OG Tags)

Meta tags that control how your content appears when shared on social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. 

For example:

html

CopyEdit

<meta property="og:title" content="Your Article Title" />

<meta property="og:image" content="featured-image.jpg" />

OG tags help increase engagement and click-through rates on social media.

Organic Search

Traffic that comes from non-paid search engine results.

Benefits:

• Cost-effective in the long run
• Higher trust and credibility
• Long-lasting visibility

Improving organic search visibility is a core goal of SEO.

Organic Traffic

The number of users who visit your website by clicking non-paid search engine listings. 

Tracked in tools like Google Analytics as:

 Source / Medium = google / organic

A strong indicator of your site’s SEO performance.

Orphan Page

A page that isn’t linked to from any other page on your website. Orphan pages are hard for users and search engines to find. You can fix them by adding internal links to the page from relevant content.

Outbound Link

A link that points from your site to another website.

Best practices:

• Link to credible, relevant sources
• Use sparingly and strategically
• Open external links in a new tab to keep users on your site

Outbound links can improve content value and trustworthiness.

Outreach

The process of reaching out to websites, bloggers, or influencers to promote your content and build backlinks.

Types of outreach:

• Guest posting
• Link building
• Content collaboration
• Digital PR

Crafting personalised, value-driven emails increases your outreach success rate.

Page Authority (PA)

A Moz metric that predicts how well a specific page will rank in search results.

• Scored from 1 to 100 (higher is better)
• Influenced by backlinks, content quality, and internal linking

Use PA to evaluate and compare the strength of individual pages not whole domains.

Page Speed

The amount of time it takes to fully load a page.

Key factors include:

• Server response time
• Image optimisation
• Browser caching
• JavaScript/CSS minification

Faster pages improve user experience, reduce bounce rates, and support better rankings especially on mobile.

Pages per Session

The average number of pages a user views during one session on your site.

• Higher numbers usually indicate strong internal linking and user engagement
• Tracked in Google Analytics

Aim to increase this metric with compelling content and intuitive navigation.

Paid Search (PPC)

A form of digital advertising where you pay to appear in search engine results.

• Most common platform: Google Ads
• Works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model

Paid search complements organic SEO by targeting high-converting keywords instantly.

Panda Algorithm

A Google algorithm update first launched in 2011 to penalise low-quality, thin, or duplicate content.

Panda rewards:

• Unique, valuable content
• Authoritative sources
• Strong user experience

Its effects are now part of Google’s core ranking algorithm.

Penalty

A negative impact on rankings due to violations of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

Two types:

1. Manual penalty (applied by a human reviewer)
2. Algorithmic penalty (automatic via updates like Penguin or Panda)

Avoid tactics like spammy backlinks, keyword stuffing, and cloaking.

Penguin Algorithm

A Google update targeting spammy or manipulative backlinks.

• First released in 2012
• Now part of Google’s core algorithm

Focuses on link quality, not quantity. Backlinks should be earned, not bought or exchanged excessively.

People Also Ask (PAA)

A dynamic Google SERP feature showing related questions users often search for. 

Examples:

"How does SEO work?"
"What is on-page SEO?"
"How long does SEO take to work?"

Optimising content to answer these questions can improve your visibility and click-through rate.

Personalisation

Search engines customise results based on the user’s:

• Search history
• Location
• Device
• Behaviour

While this helps users, it makes SEO results less consistent across different people.

Pillar Page

A comprehensive, in-depth piece of content covering a broad topic.

It links out to:

• Cluster pages or related subtopics
• Blog posts or supporting articles

It is used in content strategy to build topical authority and improve site structure.

Plugin

A software add-on used to extend the functionality of a CMS (like WordPress).

Popular SEO plugins:

• Yoast SEO
• All in One SEO

These help manage meta tags, XML sitemaps, canonical URLs, and more without coding.

Position Zero

Also called a Featured Snippet, it’s the box of content shown above the #1 organic result in Google. It usually answers a question directly.

Earning this spot can dramatically increase your visibility and traffic.

PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

A paid advertising model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks their ad.

Used in:

• Search engine advertising (Google Ads)
• Social media ads (Facebook, LinkedIn)

PPC offers instant visibility, making it ideal for competitive or time-sensitive campaigns.

Pruning

The process of removing low-performing or low-quality pages from your website to improve overall SEO health.

Benefits:

• Reduces index bloat
• Focuses crawl budget
• Improves average content quality

Regular pruning helps maintain a lean, high-quality content profile.

Programmatic SEO

Automating the creation of large volumes of SEO-optimised landing pages often using:

• Structured templates
• Keyword datasets
• CMS integrations

It is common for directories, job boards, or review sites with thousands of similar pages.

Qualified Lead

A website visitor who takes an action like filling out a form, calling, or subscribing and matches your target audience profile. These are leads with a higher likelihood of becoming paying customers.

Tip: Qualified leads matter most in B2B and high-ticket B2C strategies.

Qualified Traffic

Website visitors who are most likely to convert based on relevance and intent.
Sources of qualified traffic:

• Targeted keywords
• High-quality backlinks
• Relevant content and offers

Focus your SEO and content efforts on attracting qualified, not just more traffic.

Query

A word, phrase, or question a user types into a search engine. For example:

“Latest AI Trends 2025”

Search engines interpret queries using intent and match them with the most relevant content. Understanding search intent (informational, navigational, transactional) helps improve keyword targeting.

Query Deserves Freshness (QDF)

A part of Google’s algorithm that gives priority to fresh content for time-sensitive or trending topics.
Examples:

• “Olympics 2025 schedule”
• “Google algorithm update”

Tip: Update or republish content to benefit from QDF and improve rankings for current events.

Ranking Factors

The signals and criteria search engines use to decide how to rank pages.

Common factors include:

• Page speed
• Backlinks
• Mobile-friendliness
• Keyword relevance
• Content quality

Google's algorithm uses hundreds of seo factors. Prioritise those with the highest SEO impact.

Reach

The total number of unique people who see your content, ad, or page.
Unlike impressions (which may count multiple views by the same user), reach measures individual exposure.

In digital marketing, increasing your reach can lead to greater brand awareness and traffic.

Redirect

A way to send both users and search engines from one URL to another.

• 301 Redirect: Permanent redirect; passes nearly all link equity
• 302 Redirect: Temporary redirect; used when a page will come back

Remember: Always use redirects wisely to avoid losing SEO value or creating redirect chains.

Referral Traffic

Visitors who land on your site by clicking a link from another website. For example, someone visits your blog from a link on a guest post or news article.

Tip: Track referral traffic in Google Analytics under Source/Medium to assess your off-page efforts.

Rel Canonical Tag

An HTML tag used to tell search engines which version of a URL is the master copy. They are useful for avoiding duplicate content issues when the same content exists across multiple URLs.

Tip: Place rel="canonical" in your page header to consolidate ranking signals.

Relevance

How well your content matches the user’s query and intent. Search engines use keyword presence, context, and content quality to assess relevance. Creating highly relevant content increases the chance of ranking and satisfying the searcher.

Reputation Management

The process of monitoring, managing, and improving your brand’s perception online. 

This may involve:

• Getting positive reviews
• Addressing negative feedback
• Publishing authoritative content

Strong reputation supports SEO, E-E-A-T, and conversions.

Resource Page

A curated page that lists helpful links or tools around a specific topic. For example, A “Beginner’s Guide to SEO” page linking to top articles, tools, and tutorials.

These pages are useful for link building if your content fits, reach out to be included.

Robots.txt

A file placed at the root of your domain that instructs search engines on which parts of your site they can or cannot crawl.

Useful for:

• Blocking admin pages
• Preventing duplicate content indexing

A misconfigured robots.txt can block important content, so handle with care.

ROI (Return on Investment)

A measure of the profitability of your marketing efforts.

Formula:

(Gain from investment – Cost of investment) ÷ Cost of investment

Use ROI to track the effectiveness of your SEO, ads, or content campaigns.

Schema Markup

A type of structured data added to your website’s code to help search engines better understand your content.

It enhances your listings with rich results like:

• Star ratings
• Event dates
• FAQs

Use Schema.org formats to improve visibility and CTR in search results.

Search Engine

A system (like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo) that helps users find information online by indexing and ranking webpages. Search engines use crawlers, algorithms, and ranking factors to serve the most relevant results.

SEO is the practice of optimising content to rank higher on search engines.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

A digital marketing strategy that includes both paid search advertising (PPC) and organic search (SEO).

• SEO = Long-term, organic visibility
• PPC = Paid ads for immediate visibility

Combining both can maximise your search presence.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

The process of improving your website’s visibility in organic search results through:

• Keyword research
• Content optimisation
• Technical fixes
• Link building

SEO helps drive free, consistent, and high-converting traffic to your site.

Search Intent

The reason behind a user’s query.
Types include:

• Informational: “What is SEO?”
• Navigational: “Courses Buddy blog”
• Transactional: “Buy SEO course online”

Matching your content to search intent is critical for ranking well.

Search Traffic

Visitors who arrive on your site through search engines.

• Organic search traffic is free and driven by SEO.
• Paid search traffic comes from ads (like Google Ads).

Analysed in tools like Google Analytics to measure SEO performance.

Semrush

A powerful SEO and SEM tool used for:

• Keyword research
• Site audits
• Competitor analysis
• Backlink tracking

Semrush is widely used by digital marketers and SEO professionals.

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

The page users see after entering a query into a search engine.

SERPs can include:

• Organic results
• Paid ads
• Rich snippets
• People Also Ask boxes

Optimising your site means aiming to appear in the most valuable SERP features.

Sitemap

A file (usually XML) that lists all the pages on your website to help search engines crawl and index your content.

Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console boosts discoverability.

Site Speed

How fast your website loads.

It affects:

• User experience
• Bounce rate
• SEO rankings

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test and improve speed.

Site Structure

How your website’s pages are organised and linked together.

A clean structure helps both:

• Users navigate easily
• Search engines crawl and index your site efficiently

Use categories, subcategories, breadcrumbs, and internal links for clarity.

Social Signals

Metrics such as likes, shares, and comments on social media platforms.
While not direct ranking factors, they can increase visibility, engagement, and link opportunities.

Spam Score

A Moz metric that predicts how likely a website might be penalised by Google based on certain red flags. High spam scores can indicate poor-quality backlinks or shady SEO practices.

SSL Certificate

A digital certificate that enables HTTPS encryption on your website, securing the connection between browser and server. Google considers HTTPS a ranking factor. It's essential for SEO and user trust.

Structured Data

A standardised format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content. It is used in schema markup to generate rich results in SERPs.

Subdomain vs. Subfolder

• Subdomain: blog.example.com
• Subfolder: example.com/blog

SEO professionals often recommend subfolders for content to consolidate authority under one root domain.

Sweat Equity Links

Links earned through manual outreach, content creation, and building relationships. They require time and effort but are often the most valuable and sustainable in the long run.

Tag

A tag is a descriptive keyword or label used to organise content.

• In SEO: Tags can refer to HTML elements (like title tags or meta tags).
• In blogs: Tags help group related posts.

While helpful for UX and internal organisation, excessive tagging can create thin or duplicate pages.

Technical SEO

The process of optimising your website’s infrastructure to help search engines crawl, index, and render your pages.

Key elements include:

• XML sitemaps
• Robots.txt
• Page speed
• Mobile-friendliness
• Canonical tags

It’s the foundation of effective SEO, ensuring everything works behind the scenes.

Text-to-HTML Ratio

The ratio of text content to HTML code on a page. Although not a direct ranking factor, a very low ratio may suggest:

• Thin content
• Overly complex code

Aim for clean, efficient code and meaningful content to improve this balance.

Thin Content

Pages with little to no valuable or original information for users.

Examples:

• Auto-generated content
• Affiliate pages with no added value
• Duplicate or near-duplicate content

Google may penalise sites for having too much thin content. Quality is key.

Title Tag

An HTML element that defines the title of a webpage.

It appears:

• At the top of your browser tab
• In search engine results

It’s one of the strongest on-page SEO signals—use your primary keyword naturally and keep it under ~60 characters.

Top-Level Domain (TLD)

The final part of a domain name, such as .com, .co.uk, or .org. Some TLDs are country-specific (e.g., .pk for Pakistan), while others are generic.

TLDs can influence trust, user perception, and geo-targeting.

Traffic

The visitors who come to your website.

Types include:

• Organic Traffic: From search engines (SEO)
• Direct Traffic: From users typing your URL or using bookmarks
• Referral Traffic: From external sites
• Paid Traffic: From ads (PPC)

Analysing traffic sources helps you evaluate your digital marketing strategies.

Transactional Query

A search intent where the user is ready to take action such as buying, signing up, or contacting.

Examples:

• “Buy SEO tools online”
• “Best digital marketing course deal”

These keywords often convert well and are ideal for landing pages.

Trust Flow

A Majestic SEO metric that scores a website based on the quality of its backlinks. Higher scores indicate more trustworthy and authoritative link profiles.

Trust Flow is useful in link audits to assess backlink value and spam risk.

Trust Signals

Elements on your site that build credibility with users and search engines.

Examples:

• SSL certificates (HTTPS)
• Reviews and testimonials
• About and contact pages
• Author credentials

Strong trust signals support E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

UGC (User-Generated Content)

Content created by your users rather than your brand.

Examples include:

• Blog comments
• Product reviews
• Forum discussions
• Social media posts

UGC can enhance SEO by increasing content diversity, engagement, and long-tail keyword coverage but it must be moderated to avoid spam.

UI (User Interface)

The visual layout and interactive elements of a website that users interact with.

A well-designed UI:

• Makes content easier to find
• Improves usability
• Increases conversions

A clean UI complements good UX (user experience) and supports SEO indirectly by reducing bounce rates.

Unnatural Links

Backlinks that violate Google Search Essentials are typically manipulated to boost rankings. 

Examples:

• Paid links
• Link schemes
• Irrelevant blog comments

Google may penalise sites with unnatural links via manual actions or algorithm updates (e.g. Penguin).

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

The web address of a specific page. 

For example, https://coursesbuddy.com/65-types-of-seo/

SEO-friendly URLs are:

• Short
• Descriptive
• Include keywords
• Avoid special characters, and stop words

Tip: Use hyphens (-) not underscores (_) to separate words.

URL Parameters

Values added to a URL to track or filter content.

Example: ?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=spring_sale

While useful for analytics, excessive or unhandled parameters can create duplicate content issues. Use canonical tags and Google Search Console settings to manage them properly.

Usability

The ease with which users can navigate and interact with your website.
Good usability means:

• Fast loading times
• Mobile responsiveness
• Clear CTAs
• Intuitive navigation

Usability is closely tied to UX (User Experience) and is a critical component of SEO success.

User Experience (UX)

The overall experience users have while interacting with your site. Google increasingly factors UX into rankings, especially through metrics like:

• Core Web Vitals
• Mobile usability
• Bounce rate

Prioritise UX to keep users engaged and improve conversions.

User Intent

Another term for search intent—what the user aims to achieve when typing a query.

Understanding intent helps you:

• Match content to what users are really looking for
• Increase relevance and satisfaction
• Improve SERP performance

Align every page to a specific type of intent: informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.

UTM Code (Urchin Tracking Module)

Tags you append to a URL to track campaign performance in Google Analytics.

Common parameters include:

• utm_source (e.g. Facebook)
• utm_medium (e.g. email, CPC)
• utm_campaign (e.g. blessed_friday_sale)

Use UTM codes to understand which traffic sources are driving the best ROI.

Vertical Search

A specialised search that focuses on a specific category or industry.

Examples:

• Google Images (visual content)
• Google News (journalistic content)
• YouTube (video content)
• Amazon (product search)

Optimising for vertical search means tailoring your content format and metadata to dominate specific search types.

Video SEO

The practice of optimising video content for visibility in search engines.

Key components include:

• Video titles and descriptions
• Tags and transcripts
• Schema markup (VideoObject)
• Video sitemaps

Hosting on platforms like YouTube or embedding on your own site (with structured data) can drive both direct views and SERP visibility.

Visibility (Search Visibility)

A metric indicating how prominently a website appears in search engine results. Often tracked using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz, it reflects:

• The number of keywords a site ranks for
• The positions of those keywords

Higher visibility generally means more organic traffic—monitor this regularly for SEO performance tracking.

Voice Search

Search performed using voice-activated assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa. 

Voice queries are typically:

• Longer
• Conversational
• Often question-based (e.g. “What is the best SEO plugin for WordPress?”)

Optimise for voice by using natural language, targeting featured snippets, and creating FAQ-style content.

Viral Content

Content that is rapidly and widely shared across the internet due to its appeal, entertainment, or usefulness.

SEO benefits:

• Surge in backlinks
• Increased brand awareness
• Spike in referral traffic

While not predictable, creating high-value, emotional, or trend-driven content increases your viral potential.

Webmaster Guidelines (Now called Google Search Essentials)

A set of best practices published by Google to help site owners build search-friendly websites.

They cover:

• Technical SEO (e.g. crawlability, mobile-friendliness)
• Content quality (e.g. originality, E-E-A-T)
• Link practices (e.g. avoiding link schemes)

Violating these guidelines can lead to ranking drops or manual actions.

Web Crawler

Also known as a spider or bot, this is a script used by search engines to scan and index content from websites.

Popular crawlers include:

• Googlebot (Google)
• Bingbot (Microsoft Bing)

Ensure your site is crawlable via a properly configured robots.txt and accessible internal linking.

Website Architecture

The organisational structure of a website's content and navigation.

A well-structured site:

• Makes it easier for crawlers to index pages
• Helps users find information quickly
• Supports SEO by passing link equity efficiently

Use a flat, logical structure and most content should be accessible within 3 clicks from the homepage.

Website Navigation

The menu or structure that helps users move around a website.

Includes elements like:

• Main menu
• Breadcrumbs
• Footer links

Good navigation enhances user experience and supports SEO by improving crawlability and internal linking.

Webspam

Any deceptive or manipulative practice intended to cheat search engine rankings.

Examples:

• Keyword stuffing
• Hidden text or links
• Cloaking
• Doorway pages

Webspam violates Google’s guidelines and can result in penalties or removal from search results.

White Hat SEO

Ethical SEO practices that follow search engine guidelines.

This includes:

• High-quality content
• Relevant backlinks
• Clean site structure
• Proper on-page optimisation

White hat strategies offer long-term rankings and sustainable growth, unlike black hat techniques which risk penalties.

WHOIS

A publicly accessible database that contains registration details of a domain name, including:

• Owner information
• Domain registration and expiration date
• Registrar info

Tip: WHOIS is useful for link building research, transparency, or identifying spammy domains.

Widget Links

Links embedded in widgets (e.g. weather tools, calendars, counters) that appear across multiple websites. Google considers links in widgets unnatural if they are manipulative, keyword-rich, and not editorially placed.

Word Count

The total number of words on a page. While there’s no fixed ideal, sufficient word count helps ensure:

• Content depth
• Keyword relevance
• Semantic coverage

Note: Focus on quality, not just quantity. Long-form content often performs well when it's informative and well-structured.

WordPress

A popular content management system (CMS) used by millions of websites worldwide.

SEO benefits of WordPress include:

• Clean code
• SEO plugins (like Rank Math or Yoast)
• Customisable themes

With the right setup and optimisation, WordPress is one of the most SEO-friendly platforms available.

XML Sitemap

A file that lists the URLs of a website and helps search engines crawl and index pages more effectively. 

Benefits of an XML sitemap:

• Guides crawlers to important pages
• Highlights recently updated content
• Supports websites with complex structures

Submit your sitemap through Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools for better crawl coverage.

X-Robots-Tag

A server-level HTTP header directive used to control how search engines index or serve content.

 Examples of usage:

• noindex to prevent indexing of a PDF or video file
  
• nofollow to avoid passing link equity

Useful for controlling crawl behaviour for non-HTML content.

YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)

Pages or topics that could impact a person’s health, safety, finances, or overall well-being.

Examples include:

• Medical advice
• Financial guidance
• Legal information

Google applies stricter standards to YMYL pages, placing high importance on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

Yahoo

A veteran web portal and search engine. While its influence has faded, Yahoo still serves search results powered by Bing and remains relevant for specific demographics and industries.

Yandex

The most widely used search engine in Russia. Yandex uses different ranking algorithms than Google, focusing more heavily on location and user behaviour within the Russian internet ecosystem.

Zero-Click Search

When a search query is answered directly on the search engine results page (SERP) without the need to click a result.

Examples:

• Featured snippets
• Knowledge panels
• Weather results

While this reduces organic traffic, optimising for featured snippets still builds visibility and brand authority.

Zombie Pages

Low-value pages that bring little or no traffic and can dilute a site’s SEO strength.

These may include:

• Thin content
• Outdated posts
• Duplicate pages

Perform content pruning or update these pages to boost overall site quality and improve rankings.

Future-Proof Your SEO Strategy with the Right Knowledge

Staying updated with SEO isn’t just about chasing algorithms but it’s about building a strong foundation of reliable, ethical, and effective practices. This glossary is more than a list of definitions. It's a toolkit for digital growth.

By understanding these key SEO terms, you're equipping yourself to:

• Interpret your analytics with greater precision
• Execute content strategies with purpose
• Communicate SEO insights with clients or teams more effectively

Use this resource as a reference point whenever you need clarity on a concept, and bookmark it for easy access. And remember: at Courses Buddy, we’re committed to helping you grow with confidence in the digital space.