Home / Resources / SEO Glossary
THE SEO ONE GLOSSARY

Less jargon.
More understanding.

From keywords to Core Web Vitals, get to know the language of search. Clear definitions to help you make sense of your SEO.

YOUR SEARCH VOCABULARY✦
Aa→
TERM IN FOCUS · KEYWORDS

Search intent / noun

The reason behind a search. Understanding what someone wants helps you create content that answers their needs.

Understand the term.See the bigger picture. ↗
200 glossary entriesA–Z easy to exploreEvery level. A clearer next step.
LOOK IT UP. KEEP MOVING.

The language of SEO,
in plain English.

Find a familiar topic or discover something new.
Search definitions, browse a subject, or choose a letter.

Showing all 200 entries

Technical SEO & Website Performance

301 Redirect

Permanent redirect from one URL to another, passing SEO value.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

302 Redirect

Temporary redirect from one URL to another.

Analytics & Conversion

A/B Testing

Comparing two variations of a page to see which performs better.

User Experience & Behavior

Accessibility SEO

Making websites usable for all visitors, including those with disabilities.

AI & Emerging SEO Trends

AI Content Optimization

Using AI to improve keyword relevance, readability, and search intent alignment.

Search Engines & Algorithms

Algorithm Update

Changes to how search engines rank content, often affecting traffic.

On-Page SEO

Alt Text

Descriptions for images, important for accessibility and SEO.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

A framework to make mobile pages load faster.

Technical & Advanced SEO

AMP Pages

Accelerated Mobile Pages that load quickly on mobile devices.

Off-Page SEO

Anchor Text

The clickable text of a hyperlink, ideally descriptive of the linked page.

Analytics & Metrics

Assisted Conversions

Pages or channels that contributed to a conversion indirectly.

Analytics & Conversion

Assisted Conversions

Pages or channels that indirectly contribute to conversions.

Analytics & Metrics

Average Session Duration

Average length of time visitors spend on your site.

Off-Page SEO

Backlink

A link from another website pointing to your site.

Search Engines & Algorithms

BERT Update

Update using natural language processing to better understand queries.

Advanced Concepts

Black Hat SEO

Using manipulative tactics to improve rankings, which can lead to penalties.

Advanced & Analytics

Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors who leave a page without interacting further.

Analytics & Metrics

Bounce Rate

Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Broad Match

In paid search, a keyword match type that allows ads to show for searches related to your keyword, even if not exact.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Broken Link / 404 Error

A link leading to a non-existent page; fixing improves user experience and SEO.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Canonical URL

The preferred version of a page to prevent duplicate content issues.

E-Commerce SEO

Canonicalization in E-Commerce

Using canonical tags to prevent duplicate product pages from hurting SEO.

E-Commerce SEO

Category Page SEO

Optimizing category pages to improve navigation and rankings.

Link Building & Authority

Citation

Mention of your business name, address, and phone (NAP) on other sites, important for local SEO.

User Experience & Behavior

Click Depth

Number of clicks it takes to reach a page from the homepage.

Analytics & Metrics

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of users who click a link compared to those who see it.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Clickbait

Misleading titles designed to attract clicks; generally discouraged.

Marketing & Strategy

Competitor Analysis

Studying competitor websites to improve your own SEO strategy.

Content & Keywords

Content Audit

A review of all website content to assess quality, relevance, and performance.

On-Page SEO

Content Freshness

Updating pages regularly to remain relevant and rank higher.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Content Gap

Topics your competitors rank for but your site does not.

Content & Keywords

Content Marketing

Creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage an audience.

On-Page SEO

Content Optimization

Making text, images, and media more search-engine friendly.

Content & Keywords

Content Pruning

Removing or consolidating low-quality pages to improve SEO performance.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Content Pruning

Removing or consolidating low-quality pages.

Marketing & Strategy

Content Repurposing

Adapting content into new formats for broader reach.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Content Repurposing

Transforming content into new formats (blog, video, infographic).

Advanced Concepts

Content Silos

Organizing content into hierarchical categories for better SEO.

Marketing & Strategy

Conversion Funnel

The journey from awareness to action on a website.

Analytics & Conversion

Conversion Optimization

Improving pages and content to increase user actions.

Analytics & Metrics

Conversion Rate

The percentage of visitors completing a desired action on your site.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Core Web Vitals

Google metrics measuring page speed, responsiveness, and visual stability.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Cornerstone Content

High-value, comprehensive pages that are central to your website strategy.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Crawl Budget

The number of pages a search engine will crawl on your site in a given period.

Technical SEO

Crawl Budget Optimization

Ensuring that search engines efficiently crawl important pages.

Advanced Concepts

Crawl Error

Any issue preventing a search engine from accessing or indexing a page.

Search Engines & Algorithms

Crawl Error Report

List of pages search engines could not access.

Technical SEO

Crawlability

How easily search engines can access and read your website content.

Technical & Advanced SEO

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Measures visual stability as a page loads.

Link & Authority Management

Disavow Tool

Google tool to reject harmful backlinks.

Link Building & Authority

DoFollow Link

A standard link that passes authority to the linked page.

Off-Page SEO

Domain Authority (DA)

A score predicting a site’s ability to rank, based on backlinks and other factors.

Links & Authority

Domain Rating (DR)

A metric showing the strength of a website’s backlink profile.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Duplicate Content

Identical content on multiple pages, which can harm rankings.

Analytics & Metrics

Dwell Time

How long a user stays on a page before returning to search results.

E-Commerce SEO

Dynamic Content SEO

SEO for pages generated dynamically based on filters or categories.

Link & Authority Management

Editorial Links

High-value links added naturally by other sites in content.

Video SEO

Engagement Metrics for Video

Views, watch time, shares, and clicks affecting rankings.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Evergreen Content

Content that remains relevant over time and continues to drive traffic.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Evergreen Content

Timeless content that continues to generate traffic.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Exact Match

Ads appear only when the exact keyword or close variants are searched.

Analytics & Metrics

Exit Rate

The percentage of users leaving a site from a specific page.

E-Commerce SEO

Faceted Navigation SEO

Optimizing filter-based navigation to prevent duplicate content issues.

Advanced & Analytics

Featured Snippet

A summary answer at the top of search results, above the first organic listing.

Voice & Mobile SEO

Featured Snippets for Voice

Providing answers that devices read aloud.

Technical & Advanced SEO

First Input Delay (FID)

Measures responsiveness; lower is better for SEO.

Analytics & Conversion

Funnel Visualization

Mapping visitor paths to understand conversions and drop-offs.

Local SEO

Geo-Targeting

Optimizing content for specific geographic locations.

Analytics & Metrics

Goal Completion

Achieving a predefined action on your site, e.g., form submission or purchase.

Local SEO

Google Maps Optimization

Optimizing a business listing to appear in map-based searches.

Local SEO

Google My Business (GMB)

Google’s platform to manage local business listings.

Advanced Concepts

Google Penalty

A manual or algorithmic punishment for violating Google’s SEO guidelines.

AI & Emerging SEO Trends

GPT & Content AI

AI-generated content tools for SEO, content creation, and keyword optimization.

Advanced Concepts

Gray Hat SEO

Tactics that are risky or borderline acceptable.

Off-Page SEO

Guest Posting

Writing articles for other websites to earn backlinks.

On-Page SEO

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3…)

Used to structure content and indicate topic hierarchy.

Analytics & Conversion

Heatmap Analytics

Visual representation of how users interact with pages.

Technical SEO

hreflang

Tag indicating language and regional targeting for content.

Technical & Advanced SEO

hreflang Implementation

Properly indicating language and regional targeting to search engines.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Hreflang Tag

A tag used to indicate language and regional targeting for content.

Technical SEO

HTTPS / SSL Certificate

Secured websites using HTTPS are preferred by search engines.

Search Engines & Algorithms

Hummingbird Update

Update improving semantic search and understanding of search intent.

Analytics & Metrics

Impressions

The number of times your website or content appears in search results.

Technical & Advanced SEO

Index Bloating

Too many low-value pages indexed by search engines.

Technical SEO

Indexing

When a search engine stores and includes your pages in its results.

Marketing & Strategy

Influencer Outreach

Collaborating with influencers to promote content and earn links.

E-Commerce SEO

Internal Linking for E-Commerce

Linking between products, categories, and blog posts to improve rankings.

On-Page SEO

Internal Links

Links from one page on your website to another, helping search engines understand your site structure.

Technical & Advanced SEO

International SEO

Optimizing websites for multiple languages and countries.

Technical & Advanced SEO

JavaScript SEO

Ensuring search engines can crawl and index JavaScript-based content.

Keyword & Search Terms

Keyword

A word or phrase people type into search engines to find information, products, or services.

Advanced & Analytics

Keyword Cannibalization

When multiple pages target the same keyword, harming rankings.

Content & Keywords

Keyword Clustering

Grouping similar keywords to target a topic comprehensively.

On-Page SEO

Keyword Density

The percentage of times a keyword appears in content relative to total words.

Keyword & Search Terms

Keyword Difficulty / Competition

A metric estimating how hard it is to rank for a keyword.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Keyword Mapping

Assigning specific keywords to specific pages on your website.

Advanced Concepts

Keyword Stuffing

Overusing keywords in content, which can penalize SEO.

Search Engines & Algorithms

Knowledge Graph

Database Google uses to enhance search results with structured info.

AI & Emerging SEO Trends

Knowledge Graph SEO

Optimizing content to appear in Google’s knowledge panels.

Analytics & Conversion

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Metrics to measure success of SEO strategies.

Technical & Advanced SEO

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

Time it takes for the largest element to render; affects rankings.

Technical SEO

Lazy Loading

Loading images or content only when users scroll to them, improving page speed.

Off-Page SEO

Link Building

The process of acquiring backlinks to improve authority and rankings.

Link Building & Authority

Link Juice

The SEO value passed from one page to another via links.

Link & Authority Management

Link Profile

The collection of all backlinks pointing to a website.

Links & Authority

Link Reclamation

Recovering lost or broken backlinks to restore SEO value.

Links & Authority

Link Velocity

The speed at which a website gains or loses backlinks over time.

Link & Authority Management

Link Velocity

Rate at which new links are gained or lost over time.

Local SEO

Local Citation

Mentions of your business name, address, and phone (NAP) on local websites.

Local SEO

Local Link Building

Acquiring backlinks from local sources to improve local SEO.

Local SEO

Local Pack / Map Pack

The map and top local results that appear for local searches.

Local SEO

Local Ranking Factors

Criteria affecting local search rankings, e.g., reviews, proximity, and relevance.

Voice & Mobile SEO

Local Voice Queries

Optimizing for users asking for local businesses or services via voice.

Advanced Concepts

Log File Analysis

Examining server logs to understand how search engines crawl your website.

Keyword & Search Terms

Long-Tail Keywords

Longer, more specific phrases with lower search volume but higher intent. Example: “best running shoes for women.”

On-Page SEO

Meta Description

A short summary shown in search results that encourages clicks.

Content & Keywords

Meta Robots Tag

Code that instructs search engines whether to index or follow a page.

Voice & Mobile SEO

Mobile-First Indexing

Google primarily uses mobile versions of content for indexing and ranking.

Technical SEO

Mobile-Friendliness / Responsive Design

Sites optimized for mobile devices improve user experience and rankings.

Analytics & Metrics

Multi-Channel Funnels

Analysis of how multiple channels contribute to conversions.

Analytics & Conversion

Multi-Touch Attribution

Assigning credit to all marketing interactions leading to a conversion.

Local SEO

NAP Consistency

Ensuring your business Name, Address, and Phone number are consistent across the web.

AI & Emerging SEO Trends

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Understanding search intent and context for AI-driven search.

Keyword & Search Terms

Negative Keywords

Keywords you exclude from paid campaigns to prevent irrelevant traffic.

Link Building & Authority

NoFollow Link

A link that doesn’t pass SEO authority but can drive traffic.

Keyword & Search Terms

Organic Keyword

Keywords that bring traffic through unpaid search results.

Analytics & Metrics

Organic Traffic

Visitors arriving through unpaid search results.

Link Building & Authority

Outreach

Contacting other websites to request backlinks or collaborations.

Links & Authority

Outreach Campaign

Coordinated effort to acquire backlinks or mentions from other websites.

Off-Page SEO

Page Authority (PA)

A score predicting a single page’s ability to rank.

Technical & Advanced SEO

Page Experience

Google’s ranking criteria including Core Web Vitals and user experience.

Technical SEO

Page Speed

How quickly a webpage loads; faster pages rank better.

Advanced Concepts

PageRank

Google’s original algorithm measuring the importance of a webpage based on backlinks.

Analytics & Metrics

Pages per Session

Average number of pages a visitor views per visit.

Technical & Advanced SEO

Pagination & rel=prev/next

Helps search engines understand multi-page content sequences.

Technical SEO

Pagination SEO

Optimizing multi-page content for better indexing.

Keyword & Search Terms

Paid Keyword

Keywords targeted in paid ads, such as Google Ads.

Analytics & Metrics

Paid Traffic

Visitors arriving through paid advertising campaigns.

Search Engines & Algorithms

Panda Update

Google algorithm update targeting low-quality or thin content.

Search Engines & Algorithms

Penguin Update

Update targeting spammy or unnatural backlinks.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Phrase Match

A keyword match type where ads show for queries that include the exact keyword phrase.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Pillar Pages

Central pages covering a broad topic, linking to related cluster content.

Keyword & Search Terms

Primary Keyword

The main keyword a page is optimized for.

E-Commerce SEO

Product Page Optimization

Optimizing individual product pages for search visibility.

Voice & Mobile SEO

Question-Based Keywords

Targeting queries phrased as questions (“how to…”, “best…”, “where…”) for voice search.

AI & Emerging SEO Trends

RankBrain

Google’s AI system that interprets search queries and improves results.

Keyword & Search Terms

Ranking

The position your page appears in search results for a keyword.

Link & Authority Management

Reciprocal Links

Mutual link exchanges, which can be risky if overused.

Marketing & Strategy

Retargeting / Remarketing

Targeting users who previously visited your site with ads.

Local SEO

Reviews & Ratings

User feedback that influences local SEO visibility.

Advanced & Analytics

Rich Snippets / Structured Data

Additional info like reviews, stars, and prices displayed in search results.

E-Commerce SEO

Rich Snippets for Reviews

Displaying star ratings and review info in search results.

Technical SEO

Robots Meta Tag

Used on individual pages to control indexing and link-following behavior.

Technical SEO

Robots.txt

A file that tells search engines which pages to crawl or avoid.

Analytics & Conversion

ROI (Return on Investment)

Measuring the financial return from SEO campaigns.

E-Commerce SEO

Schema for Products

Structured data markup for product details like price, availability, and ratings.

Technical SEO & Website Performance

Schema Markup

Code added to your site to help search engines understand your content.

User Experience & Behavior

Scroll Depth

How far visitors scroll down a page, indicating engagement.

Analytics & Conversion

Scroll Maps

Tracking how far visitors scroll on a page.

Keyword & Search Terms

Search Intent

The goal behind a search query: informational, navigational, or transactional.

Content & Keywords

Search Intent Optimization

Aligning content with the specific goals behind a user’s query.

Keyword & Search Terms

Search Volume

The number of searches a keyword receives in a given period.

Keyword & Search Terms

Secondary / LSI Keywords

Related keywords that provide context for search engines.

AI & Emerging SEO Trends

Semantic Search Optimization

Targeting meaning and context instead of just exact keywords.

Advanced Concepts

Semantic SEO

Optimizing content to match the meaning and context of search queries, not just keywords.

Advanced Concepts

SEO Audit

A full review of a website’s SEO health, performance, and optimization opportunities.

Advanced Concepts

SEO Funnel / Conversion Funnel

A model showing the journey from search traffic to conversion.

Advanced & Analytics

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

The page displayed by search engines after a query.

Advanced Concepts

SERP Features

Enhanced elements in search results like featured snippets, knowledge panels, and reviews.

Technical SEO

Server Response Codes

HTTP codes indicating page status, e.g., 200 (OK), 404 (Not Found), 301 (Redirect).

User Experience & Behavior

Session Replay / Heatmaps

Tools to visualize user behavior and optimize website layout.

Analytics & Metrics

Sessions

A group of user interactions with a website in a given timeframe.

E-Commerce SEO

Shopping Feed Optimization

Improving product feeds for Google Shopping and marketplaces.

Keyword & Search Terms

Short-Tail Keywords

Broad, general search terms, usually one or two words. Example: “shoes.”

Technical SEO

Sitemap

A file listing all pages on your website to help search engines crawl your site.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Snippet Optimization

Structuring content to appear in featured snippets.

Off-Page SEO

Social Signals

Shares, likes, and engagement on social media that can indirectly impact SEO.

Technical SEO

Structured Data / Schema

Coding that helps search engines understand page content for rich results.

Advanced Concepts

TF-IDF (Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency)

A method to measure the importance of a keyword relative to other words in content.

Advanced Concepts

Thin Content

Pages with very little or low-quality content.

Content & Keywords

Thin Pages

Pages with minimal or low-value content that may negatively affect SEO.

On-Page SEO

Title Tag / Meta Title

The page title displayed in search results; optimized for your primary keyword.

Keywords & Content Strategy

Topic Cluster

A group of related pages built around a single central topic to boost SEO.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Topic Clusters

Related content grouped around a pillar page.

Link & Authority Management

Toxic Backlink

Low-quality links that can harm SEO performance.

Video SEO

Transcripts & Captions

Text versions of videos to improve SEO and accessibility.

Links & Authority

Trust Flow / Citation Flow

Metrics to measure link quality and influence on SEO.

User Experience & Behavior

UI (User Interface)

Design elements of a website that affect usability and navigation.

On-Page SEO

URL Structure

The format of a page’s web address; should be readable and include keywords.

Content Marketing & Strategy

User-Generated Content (UGC)

Content created by users, such as reviews, comments, or forums.

Analytics & Metrics

Users / Unique Visitors

Number of distinct individuals visiting a website.

User Experience & Behavior

UX (User Experience)

How users interact with a website, influencing engagement and SEO.

Video SEO

Video Optimization

Making video content discoverable via titles, descriptions, and metadata.

Video SEO

Video Schema

Structured data to enhance video search results with thumbnails and info.

Video SEO

Video Sitemap

A sitemap specifically for video content to help search engines index videos.

Content Marketing & Strategy

Visual Search SEO

Optimizing images for search engines and platforms that allow visual search.

Voice & Mobile SEO

Voice Search Optimization

SEO strategies targeting spoken search queries via devices like Alexa or Siri.

Advanced Concepts

White Hat SEO

Ethical SEO practices following search engine guidelines.

Technical SEO

XML Sitemap

A file that lists all URLs on a website to help search engines index content.

Video SEO

YouTube SEO

Optimizing video content for YouTube search and suggested videos.

TURN KNOWLEDGE INTO PROGRESS

Know the terms.
Understand your website.

Put your SEO vocabulary to work. Explore your website’s search visibility, performance and technical health with SEO ONE.

Start Free Website Analysis →