Term
Glossary
Every term in alphabetical order, each with a plain-language definition.
Terms: 40
A
- APIAPI stands for Application Programming Interface: a defined way for one piece of software to request data or actions from another. In SEO...
- Alt textAlt text is a short written description of an image, used by screen readers and by search engines to understand what the image shows. Goo...
- Anchor textAnchor text is the clickable words of a link, which give readers and search engines a hint about the page the link leads to. Google descr...
B
C
- CTRCTR stands for click-through rate: clicks divided by impressions, usually shown as a percentage. Google's Search Console report defines i...
- CMSCMS stands for Content Management System: software that lets people create, edit and publish website pages without writing all the code b...
- CWVCWV stands for Core Web Vitals: a set of measurements describing the loading speed, responsiveness and visual stability of real page visi...
- CDNCDN stands for Content Delivery Network: a group of servers in different places that store copies of site files so they reach visitors fa...
- CrawlerA crawler, also called a bot or spider, is an automated program that visits web pages by following links so a search engine can discover ...
- Canonical URLA canonical URL is the preferred web address for a piece of content when similar or duplicate versions can be reached through several URL...
E
H
- HTMLHTML stands for HyperText Markup Language: the standard code that structures the content of web pages, including headings, paragraphs, li...
- HTTPHTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol: the set of rules browsers and servers use to exchange web pages and other resources. Each re...
- HTTPSHTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure: the encrypted version of HTTP that protects data sent between a visitor and a websit...
- HreflangHreflang is an annotation that tells search engines which language or regional version of a page is meant for which audience. Google says...
I
K
L
- Long-tail keywordA long-tail keyword is a longer and more specific search phrase that usually shows clearer intent than a short, broad term. Laptop is bro...
- Local SEOLocal SEO is the optimisation that helps a business appear in searches with a local intent, such as results with maps and nearby business...
M
N
O
- Organic trafficOrganic traffic is the visits that reach a website from unpaid search results, as opposed to visits that come from paid advertisements. Y...
- On-page SEOOn-page SEO is the set of improvements made on the page itself, including content, headings, titles, descriptions, images, URLs and inter...
- Off-page SEOOff-page SEO is the activity and signals outside your own website that relate to its reputation, mainly links and mentions from other sit...
P
R
S
- SEOSEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation: the practice of improving a website so search engines can understand it and show it to relevan...
- SERPSERP stands for Search Engine Results Page: the page shown after a query, which can include organic links, ads, maps, images, videos and ...
- SEMSEM stands for Search Engine Marketing: a broad term for promoting a website through search, often including paid search advertising as w...
- Search intentSearch intent is the goal behind a search query, such as learning, comparing options, finding a particular site or completing a purchase....
- Structured dataStructured data is standardised code that labels the meaning of page content, such as an article or a product, so machines can interpret ...
T
- Title tagA title tag is the HTML element that defines a page's title, often shown as the clickable headline in search results and in the browser t...
- Technical SEOTechnical SEO is the work on a website's infrastructure so it can be crawled, indexed and used smoothly, including speed, mobile friendli...