Glossary of SEO Terms

The SEO Jargon Janitor

Every specialisation has its own jargon and Search Engine Optimisation is no exception. Our SEO Jargon Janitor is here to clean up any confusion our technical terms may be responsible for. 

• Algorithm – Unique formula used by a search engine to determine the relevance of a webpage
• Alt text – Text that describes an image to a search engine
• Black Hat SEO – Unethical SEO techniques that violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines
• Bot – Program that functions with considerable autonomy
• Bounce Rate – A percentage of site viewers who leave after visiting only one page of the site
• Content – Text, images, or videos on a website provided for the needs of site visitors
• eCommerce Site – A website that functions as an online retail store
• HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) – Code that tells web browsers how to display webpages
• Index – Database of websites used by search engines
• Keywords – Search terms that people use to find your site
• Keyword Density – Frequency with which keywords appear on a page
• Keyword Research – Process by which the ideal keywords for your site are determined
• Listing – web pages brought up on Google’s search result pages
• Search Engine – Programs that find relevant webpages for searchers
• SEM (Search Engine Marketing) – Strategy that increases the visibility of a website in search engine results
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) – Techniques by which pages are made more attractive and relevant to search engines
• Site Map – Page that allows viewers to see every user-accessible page on a website
• SMM (Social Media Management) – Process by which social media platforms are used to promote websites
• Social Media – Platforms (like Facebook and Twitter) used by people to share or discuss their thoughts, likes, and interests
• Traffic – Aggregate of people who visit a site
• URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – The address of a website or webpage.
• White Hat SEO – Ethical SEO techniques