SEO TERMINOLOGY — EXHAUSTIVE GLOSSARY

1. Core SEO Concepts

  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
    The practice of improving a website’s visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results, whether performed by a business owner for their own website, or by an SEO Agency.

  • Organic Search
    Traffic earned from unpaid listings on search engines.

  • Search Engine
    A system (e.g., Google, Bing) that crawls, indexes, and ranks web content.

  • SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
    The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query.

  • Ranking
    A page’s position in the SERP for a given keyword.

  • Visibility
    Aggregate presence of a site across many keywords and SERPs. It’s where your website or entity shows up in the organic search pages.

  • Relevance
    How well a page matches the intent behind a query.

  • Authority
    A perceived measure of trust, expertise, and credibility of a site or page.

  • Search Intent
    The underlying goal of a user’s query (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional).

2. Crawling, Indexing & Rendering

  • Crawling
    The process by which search engine bots discover web pages.

  • Crawler / Spider / Bot
    Automated software that scans the web (e.g., Googlebot).

  • Indexing
    Storing and organizing crawled pages in a search engine’s database.

  • Rendering
    Processing a page (including JavaScript) to understand its final content.

  • Crawl Budget
    The number of pages a search engine will crawl on a site within a given timeframe.

  • Crawl Path
    The route a bot follows via internal links.

  • Robots.txt
    A file that gives crawling instructions to search engines.

  • Meta Robots Tag
    HTML directives controlling indexing and crawling at the page level.

  • Noindex
    A directive telling search engines not to index a page.

  • Nofollow
    A directive instructing search engines not to pass link equity.

  • Canonical Tag
    Signals the preferred version of duplicate or similar pages.

  • Orphan Page
    A page with no internal links pointing to it.

3. Keyword Research & Query Types

  • Keyword
    A word or phrase users enter into a search engine.

  • Search Query
    The actual text typed by a user.

  • Short-Tail Keyword
    Broad, high-volume keywords (e.g., “SEO”).

  • Long-Tail Keyword
    Specific, lower-volume phrases with clearer intent.

  • Primary Keyword
    The main keyword a page targets.

  • Secondary Keyword
    Supporting terms closely related to the primary keyword.

  • LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing)
    Semantically related terms (not a real Google system, but common shorthand).

  • Keyword Difficulty
    An estimate of how hard it is to rank for a keyword.

  • Search Volume
    Average number of searches per month for a keyword.

  • Keyword Cannibalization
    Multiple pages competing for the same keyword.

  • Query Refinement
    How users adjust searches to narrow results.

4. On-Page SEO Elements

  • Title Tag
    HTML title shown in SERPs and browser tabs.

  • Meta Description
    Summary shown under the title in SERPs (not a ranking factor).

  • H1 Tag
    Primary heading describing page topic.

  • Header Tags (H2–H6)
    Subheadings used to structure content.

  • URL Structure
    The format and hierarchy of page URLs. Home Service Businesses (Roofers, Remodelers, HVAC, Plumbers) should pay careful attention to their url structure.

  • Internal Linking
    Links between pages on the same site.

  • Anchor Text
    The clickable text of a link.

  • Image Alt Text
    Text describing images for accessibility and search engines.

  • Content Optimization
    Aligning content with keywords, intent, and user value. Content Optimization should be the center of any Content Marketing Strategy. What are you trying to get your audience to click on, and what problem does that solve for your audience? 

  • Content Depth
    How comprehensively a topic is covered.

  • Keyword Placement
    Strategic inclusion of keywords in important page elements.

5. Technical SEO

  • Site Speed
    How fast pages load for users.

  • Core Web Vitals
    Google’s UX metrics (LCP, INP, CLS).

  • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
    Measures loading performance.

  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
    Measures visual stability.

  • INP (Interaction to Next Paint)
    Measures responsiveness.

  • Mobile-First Indexing
    Google primarily uses mobile versions for indexing. 

  • Responsive Design
    Layout adapts to different screen sizes.

  • HTTPS
    Secure protocol and confirmed ranking factor.

  • XML Sitemap
    A file listing important URLs for search engines.

  • Schema Markup
    Structured data that helps search engines understand content.

  • Structured Data
    Code that enables rich results.

  • JavaScript SEO
    Optimizing sites reliant on JS frameworks.

  • Pagination
    Splitting content across multiple pages.

  • Faceted Navigation
    Filter systems that can create crawl issues.

6. Content & Information Architecture

  • Content Strategy
    Planned approach to creating and managing content.

  • Topical Authority
    Demonstrated expertise across a subject area.

  • Content Cluster
    Interlinked pages around a central topic.

  • Pillar Page
    Core page covering a broad topic.

  • Supporting Content
    Detailed subtopic pages linked to a pillar.

  • Evergreen Content
    Content that remains relevant over time.

  • Content Pruning
    Removing or consolidating low-value pages.

  • Information Architecture (IA)
    How content is structured and organized.

  • Silo Structure
    Grouping related content into sections.

7. Off-Page SEO & Links

  • Backlink
    A link from another website to yours.

  • Link Equity (Link Juice)
    Value passed through links.

  • Referring Domain
    A unique website linking to yours.

  • Domain Authority (DA)
    Third-party metric estimating site strength.

  • Page Authority (PA)
    Third-party metric for individual pages.

  • Natural Links
    Earned links given editorially.

  • Unnatural Links
    Manipulative or paid links.

  • Link Building
    Acquiring backlinks intentionally.

  • Anchor Text Distribution
    Balance of branded, exact-match, and generic anchors.

  • Disavow File
    Tool to ask Google to ignore bad links.

8. User Experience & Engagement

  • UX (User Experience)
    Overall ease and satisfaction of using a site.

  • Bounce Rate
    Percentage of users leaving without interaction.

  • Dwell Time
    Time spent on a page before returning to SERPs.

  • Pogo-Sticking
    Rapidly clicking back and forth between results.

  • CTR (Click-Through Rate)
    Percentage of impressions that result in clicks.

  • Above-the-Fold
    Content visible without scrolling.

  • Accessibility
    Making content usable for all users.

9. Local SEO

  • Local Pack
    Map-based results shown for local queries.

  • Google Business Profile (GBP)
    Business listing for local search.

  • NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
    Core local business data.

  • Citations
    Online mentions of NAP information.

  • Proximity
    Distance between searcher and business.

  • Service Area Business (SAB)
    Business serving customers at their location.

10. Ecommerce SEO

  • Product Page SEO
    Optimizing individual product listings.

  • Category Page SEO
    Optimizing product group pages.

  • SKU-Based URLs
    Product identifiers in URLs.

  • Duplicate Product Content
    Same descriptions across products.

  • Faceted Ecommerce Filters
    Attribute-based filtering issues.

11. Analytics, Tools & Measurement

  • Google Search Console
    Tool for monitoring search performance.

  • Google Analytics
    Traffic and behavior analysis platform.

  • Impressions
    Number of times a page appears in SERPs.

  • Clicks
    Number of visits from search.

  • Average Position
    Mean ranking position across impressions.

  • SEO Audit
    Comprehensive analysis of SEO health.

  • Rank Tracking
    Monitoring keyword positions over time.

12. Penalties, Spam & Algorithm Concepts

  • Algorithm Update
    Change to ranking systems.

  • Manual Action
    Penalty applied by human reviewers.

  • Core Update
    Broad algorithm update affecting many sites.

  • Spam Update
    Targets manipulative practices.

  • Thin Content
    Low-value or shallow content.

  • Doorway Pages
    Pages created solely to rank and redirect.

  • Cloaking
    Showing different content to users and bots.

13. E-E-A-T & Quality Signals

  • E-E-A-T
    Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.

  • YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)
    Topics impacting health, finance, or safety.

  • Author Bylines
    Attribution supporting credibility.

  • Content Freshness
    How recently content is updated.

  • Trust Signals
    Reviews, policies, credentials, and transparency.

14. Advanced & Emerging SEO Concepts

  • Semantic Search
    Understanding meaning rather than keywords.

  • Entity SEO
    Optimizing around people, places, and concepts.

  • Zero-Click Searches
    Queries answered directly in SERPs.

  • Featured Snippet
    Highlighted answer box.

  • Rich Results
    Enhanced listings from structured data.

  • SGE / AI Overviews
    AI-generated search summaries.

  • Search Generative Experience
    Google’s AI-powered search layer.

Final Coaching Note

If you’re using this glossary for strategy, training, or content planning, your next step should be to map these terms to actions (audits, page optimization, content systems). Knowing the terms isn’t the win; executing against them is.