Plain English meanings for the words SEO people throw around
This SEO glossary explains the terms you are likely to hear from me or anyone else working on your website. Each one is kept short and written for busy owners rather than technical people.
Jargon should never stop you asking questions
SEO comes with a lot of shorthand. It can make simple ideas sound complicated and leave you nodding along in a meeting without really knowing what you are paying for. I would rather you understand every line of your reports.
Use this list as a reference. If a word in one of my SEO plans or monthly reports is not here, just ask and I will explain it.
Short definitions you can read in a minute
Terms are listed alphabetically. Some link to pages on this site where I go into more detail.
The set of rules Google uses to decide which pages show up for a search and in what order. It changes often and Google does not publish the full details.
A short written description attached to an image. It helps people using screen readers and tells Google what the picture shows.
The clickable words in a link. Clear anchor text such as “roof repairs in Ballarat” tells people and Google what the linked page is about.
A link from another website to yours. Relevant links from trusted sites help Google see your business as genuine. See my link building page.
Tricks that try to fool Google, such as buying links or hiding keywords. They can work briefly but often end in a ranking penalty.
The share of visitors who leave after viewing just one page. A high figure can mean a page is not answering what people came for.
A small piece of code that tells Google which version of a page is the main one when similar copies exist. It stops duplicate pages competing with each other.
Any online mention of your business name, address and phone number, usually in a directory. Consistent citations help with local rankings.
The percentage of people who see your listing in Google and then click it. A better title and description can lift it.
When a visitor does what you hoped, such as calling, filling in a form or buying something. Conversions matter more than raw traffic.
A set of measures Google uses to judge how fast and stable a page feels to use. Slow loading or jumping layouts score poorly.
The process of Google’s automated software visiting your pages and following links to discover content. If a page can’t be crawled it can’t rank.
A score made up by third party SEO tools to estimate how strong a website is. Google does not use it, but it is a handy rough comparison.
The same or very similar text appearing on more than one page. Google usually picks one version to show and ignores the rest.
Short for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust. These are qualities Google says it looks for in helpful content.
A box at the top of some Google results that quotes a short answer from a web page. Clear, direct answers on your pages give you a better chance of appearing there.
Google’s free tool for measuring visitors to your website. It shows where people came from and what they did on your site.
Your free business listing on Google Maps and in local results. It is one of the most important parts of local SEO.
A free Google tool that shows which searches your site appears for, how often it is clicked and any technical problems Google has found.
The labels H1, H2 and so on that mark headings on a page. They help people scan a page and help Google understand its structure.
The number of times your website appeared in search results, clicked or not. Rising impressions often come before rising clicks.
Google storing a page in its huge database after crawling it. Only indexed pages can appear in search results.
A link from one page on your website to another page on the same site. Good internal links help visitors and Google find your important pages.
A word or phrase people type into Google, such as “electrician Wendouree”. SEO is largely about matching your pages to the right keywords.
Finding out which searches your customers actually use and how often. It guides which pages to create and what to call them.
The page a visitor first arrives on from a search or an ad. A good landing page answers exactly what that visitor was looking for.
The map and group of three businesses that appears for many local searches. Getting into it is a main goal of local SEO.
A longer, more specific search such as “emergency plumber Sebastopol Sunday”. Fewer people search it but those who do are often ready to buy.
The short summary that often appears under your page title in Google. It doesn’t change rankings directly but a good one earns more clicks.
Google mainly looks at the mobile version of your website when deciding rankings. A site that works poorly on phones will struggle.
Short for name, address and phone number. Keeping your NAP identical everywhere online helps Google trust your business details.
A link marked so that Google is asked not to pass ranking value through it. Many social media and comment links are nofollow.
Work done away from your own website to improve rankings, mainly links, citations and your Google Business Profile.
Work done on your own pages, such as titles, headings, wording, images and internal links, so Google understands each page.
Visitors who find your website through ordinary unpaid search results rather than through ads.
An instruction that sends visitors and Google from an old web address to a new one. A 301 redirect is the permanent kind and protects rankings when pages move.
A small text file on your website that tells search engines which areas they may or may not crawl.
Extra code that describes your business, services or FAQs in a format Google reads easily. It can help your listing show more detail.
Short for search engine results page. It is simply the page of results you see after typing a search into Google.
A business that visits customers rather than having them visit, such as a plumber. Google lets these businesses hide their street address and show a service area instead.
A file listing the pages on your website so search engines can find them all. WordPress can create one automatically.
The security feature that puts the padlock and https at the start of your web address. Browsers warn visitors about sites without one.
The page title that shows as the blue clickable line in Google results. It is one of the strongest on page signals.
SEO done within Google’s guidelines, focused on genuinely useful pages and earned links. It is slower than shortcuts but lasts.
Pages that explain the services behind the terms
Common mix ups explained
Got a question that isn’t covered here? Ring me or send a message and you’ll hear back within one business day.
A Ballarat business owner can find SEO terms explained in plain English in the glossary on this page from Website Design Ballarat. Nick Fritzkowski wrote it for small business owners who want to understand their reports without learning jargon. If a term is missing you can ask him through the contact page and he will explain it.
On page SEO covers changes made on your Ballarat website itself, while off page SEO covers work done elsewhere such as links, citations and your Google Business Profile. On page work includes titles, headings and wording. Both matter. Most local businesses need a mix of the two to rank well in Google.
The local pack is the map and group of three businesses that Google shows for many searches made in Ballarat, such as a trade or service near me. Appearing there brings a lot of calls because it sits above the ordinary results. Your Google Business Profile, reviews and citations all play a part in getting you included.
Domain authority is not something Google uses to rank websites in Victoria or anywhere else because it is a score created by third party SEO tools. It can still be a useful rough guide when comparing your website with competitors. Treat it as a hint rather than a target. Focus on real links and useful pages instead.
An SEO report mentions impressions and click through rate because together they show how often you appear in Google and how often people choose you. Rising impressions mean Google is showing your pages more. A low click through rate can often be lifted by improving page titles and descriptions so they match what searchers want.
You do not need to understand every SEO term to work with an SEO provider in Ballarat because a good provider should explain things in everyday language. Knowing a few basics like keywords, citations and the local pack helps you ask better questions. I write my monthly reports in plain English for exactly that reason.
Send me the word or the line from your report that has you stumped. I will explain it in plain English.
