SEO Glossary SEO
All SEO definitions explained simply. From A to T, master the SEO vocabulary to make better decisions.
Algorithm
A set of rules used by search engines to rank web pages in search results. Google updates its algorithms hundreds of times per year to improve the relevance of results.
Anchor Text
The clickable text of a hyperlink. Anchor text gives Google a clue about the content of the destination page. Vary your anchors naturally to avoid penalties.
SEO Audit
A comprehensive analysis of a website to identify technical, content, and authority issues that hinder its rankings. It is the first step in any SEO strategy.
Run a free auditBacklink
An inbound link from another website to yours. High-quality backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors. Focus on quality over quantity.
Title Tag
An HTML element that defines the title of a web page. It appears in the browser tab and as the clickable headline in search results. Ideal length: 50-60 characters.
Meta Description Tag
A short description (150-160 characters) of a web page that appears below the title in search results. It does not directly influence rankings but impacts click-through rate.
Bot (Crawler)
An automated program that crawls the web to discover and index pages. Googlebot is Google's main crawler. It follows links and reads content to feed the search index.
Canonical Tag
An HTML tag that tells Google which URL is the "official" version of a page when multiple URLs display identical or similar content. Essential for avoiding duplicate content issues.
Semantic Clustering
A method of grouping keywords by semantic proximity and search intent. Clustering lets you structure content into coherent topical pillars for better SEO coverage.
Clustering guideDuplicate Content
Identical or very similar content accessible at multiple different URLs. Google rarely penalizes duplicate content directly, but it picks only one version to index, diluting your visibility.
Core Web Vitals
A set of web performance metrics measured by Google: LCP (loading speed), INP (interaction responsiveness), and CLS (visual stability). They have been ranking factors since 2021.
Content Silo
A content architecture where a central pillar page is linked to satellite pages covering related sub-topics. Internal linking reinforces topical relevance in the eyes of Google.
Structured Data
Code added to a page's HTML (usually in JSON-LD) to help Google understand the content: products, FAQs, reviews, recipes, events. Structured data enables rich snippets in search results.
E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. Criteria used by Google to evaluate content quality. Especially important for YMYL topics (health, finance). Demonstrate your expertise and cite your sources.
Featured Snippet
A highlighted excerpt displayed by Google at position 0, above the classic results. It can appear as a paragraph, list, or table. Structure your content to earn it: answer a question clearly in 40-60 words.
Google Search Console
A free Google tool for monitoring your site's presence in search results. It shows your keywords, clicks, impressions, indexing issues, and technical errors.
Google Business Profile
A free business listing on Google that appears in local results and on Google Maps. Essential for local SEO: optimize it with photos, hours, and customer reviews.
HTTPS
A secure communication protocol using SSL/TLS encryption. Google has considered it a ranking factor since 2014. A non-HTTPS site displays a "Not Secure" warning in Chrome.
Indexing
The process by which Google stores and organizes web page content in its database. Only indexed pages can appear in search results. Check your indexing status via Google Search Console.
Search Intent
The real goal behind a user's search query. Google distinguishes 4 types: informational (learn), commercial (compare), transactional (buy), and navigational (find a site). Align your content with intent to rank better.
Keyword Stuffing
The practice of excessively repeating a keyword in content to try to manipulate rankings. Heavily penalized by Google. Write naturally and use semantic variations.
Internal Link
A link that points from one page on your site to another page on your site. Internal linking distributes authority across your pages and helps Google discover and understand your content structure.
Long-tail Keyword
Search phrases of 3 or more words, with low individual volume but a high conversion rate. Example: "French SEO tool for small businesses". Long-tail keywords account for roughly 70% of total search traffic.
Internal Linking Strategy
The strategy for organizing a site's internal links. A strong internal linking structure creates logical navigation paths, distributes PageRank, and reinforces the topical relevance of your pages.
Meta Robots
An HTML tag or HTTP header that tells search engines how to handle a page: index/noindex (whether to index it), follow/nofollow (whether to follow its links). Use it to control what Google indexes.
Mobile-first Indexing
Since 2021, Google uses the mobile version of your site as the primary version for indexing and ranking. Your mobile site must contain the same content and structured data as the desktop version.
Nofollow
A link attribute that asks search engines not to pass authority through the link. Used for advertising links, blog comments, and unverified content. Since 2020, Google treats it as a hint, not a directive.
Noindex
A directive that prevents a page from being indexed by search engines. Useful for thank-you pages, internal search results, or pages under development.
On-page Optimization
All optimizations applied directly to web pages: title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, content, images, internal links, structured data, and page speed.
PageRank
Google's original algorithm measuring a page's importance based on the number and quality of links pointing to it. The concept still exists internally, even though the public score is no longer displayed.
Position Zero
See Featured Snippet. It is the result displayed before the first classic organic result, often as a boxed excerpt that directly answers a question.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The set of techniques aimed at improving a website's position in unpaid search engine results. Encompasses technical SEO, content, and link building.
SEO strategy guide301 Redirect
A permanent redirect from one URL to another. It transfers approximately 90-99% of SEO authority. Use it when you delete or move a page to preserve the value of existing links.
Rich Snippet
An enhanced search result with additional visual elements: review stars, prices, FAQs, images. Achieved through Schema.org structured data, they increase click-through rates by 20-30%.
Robots.txt
A text file at the root of a site that tells crawlers which parts of the site they can or cannot explore. Note: it does not block indexing, only crawling.
Schema.org
A standardized structured data vocabulary created jointly by Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex. It allows you to describe page content in a way that search engines can understand.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
A search engine results page. In 2026, Google SERPs include organic results, ads, featured snippets, videos, images, and AI-powered results (SGE).
XML Sitemap
An XML file that lists all important URLs on a site to facilitate discovery and indexing by search engines. Submit it via Google Search Console.
Technical SEO
The branch of SEO that focuses on site infrastructure: speed, indexing, crawlability, HTTPS, architecture, and structured data. It is the foundation on which content and link building rest.
Local SEO
An SEO strategy targeting searches with geographic intent. Essential for businesses with a local service area: Google Business Profile, local citations, and customer reviews.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing a single page without interacting. A high bounce rate may indicate content that does not match search intent, but it depends on context.
Organic Traffic
Visitors who arrive on your site through unpaid search results (as opposed to paid, social, or direct traffic). It is the ultimate SEO metric: it measures the real impact of your optimization efforts.
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