| Term |
Meaning |
| .edu Links |
Links from educational sites (.edu); once valued, now less impactful. |
| .gov Links |
Links from government websites, highly trusted but often targeted by spam. |
| .htaccess File |
Hidden file configuring extra functionality on Apache Web Server sites. |
| 10 blue links |
Standard format for displaying search results: ten organic results in the same format. |
| 10x Content |
Content at least ten times better than the current top-ranking result for the target keyword. |
| 2xx Status Codes |
Server response indicating a successful request. |
| 301 Redirect |
A permanent redirect from one URL to another, signaling search engines to prioritize the new URL. |
| 302 Redirect |
Temporary redirect indicating a page has moved temporarily without passing SEO trust. |
| 304 Not Modified |
HTTP response code indicating a cached resource hasn’t changed and doesn’t need retransmission. |
| 307 Redirect |
Temporary redirect (HTTP 1.1) specifying a resource has moved temporarily. |
| 403 Error |
HTTP status code indicating a client is forbidden from accessing a valid URL. |
| 404 Error |
Error indicating a page not found. These should be resolved with 301 redirects or other methods. |
| 410 Gone |
HTTP status code indicating a resource is permanently unavailable. |
| 4xx Status Codes |
Server response indicating an unsuccessful request due to a client-side error, like “Page Not Found.” |
| 500 Internal Server Error |
Server error indicating failure while processing a request. |
| 502 Bad Gateway |
Server error indicating an issue handling the request. |
| 5xx Status Codes |
Server response indicating an issue on the server side. |
| A/B Testing |
Comparing two versions of a campaign (e.g., websites, ads) to determine the better performer. |
| Above the Fold |
Content visible before scrolling; too many ads here can lower rankings (Page Layout Algorithm). |
| Absolute Link |
A complete URL specifying the full path of a webpage or file. |
| Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) |
Accelerated Mobile Pages; speeds up mobile pages but no longer a requirement for Top Stories. |
| Access Log |
Log of all requests made by users or bots on a website. |
| Ad Impressions |
Number of times an advertisement is displayed, regardless of clicks. |
| Ad Keyword |
Query triggering paid search results. |
| Ad Rank |
Value determining ad position and visibility in search results. |
| ADA Compliance |
Adherence of a website to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. |
| Adobe Analytics |
Analytics software for real-time web and marketing data. |
| AdSense |
Google platform for contextual ads, where publishers earn revenue for ad clicks on their websites. |
| Advanced search operators |
Special characters and commands for refining search queries. |
| AdWords |
Google’s self-serve advertising platform, now called Google Ads, using quality scores to determine ad placement. |
| Affiliate |
Marketing products or services for a commission. |
| Affiliate Marketing |
Marketing model where affiliates earn commissions for driving traffic or sales to a business. |
| AhrefsBot |
Web crawler used by Ahrefs to index pages and links. |
| AJAX |
Web development technique allowing data requests without page reloads. |
| Alexa |
Amazon-owned service ranking websites based on traffic estimates and user engagement. |
| Algorithm |
Process used by search engines (e.g., Google) to rank organic search results based on various signals. |
| Algorithm Change |
Changes to search engine algorithms in three forms: updates, refreshes, or new algorithms. |
| ALT Text |
Text describing images for search engines and accessibility tools, improving SEO and usability. |
| Ambiguous intent |
A search phrase with unclear user goals, needing more specification. |
| Amplification |
Sharing or promoting a brand through social media, ads, and influencer marketing. |
| Analytics |
Systems like Google Analytics used to monitor website traffic, user behavior, and performance metrics. |
| Anchor Text |
The clickable text in a hyperlink, providing context about the linked page’s content. |
| Arbitrage |
Exploiting price differences between markets, like reselling products or traffic for profit. |
| Article Spinning |
Rewriting content to create multiple versions, often automated. |
| Article Syndication |
Republishing content on third-party sites. |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) |
Technology simulating human decision-making and problem-solving processes. |
| Astroturfing |
Concealing sponsors behind grassroots campaigns, like fake reviews to improve online reputation. |
| Async |
Asynchronous tasks run without blocking other operations. |
| Author Authority |
Using an author’s reputation as a factor for credibility; emphasized in E-A-T for YMYL niches. |
| Authority |
Signals used by search engines to evaluate website/page credibility for rankings. |
| Authority Score |
Semrush metric measuring domain quality and influence in SEO. |
| Auto-generated content |
Programmatically created content, not written by humans. |
| Average Difficulty |
Semrush metric showing the difficulty of ranking for keywords in a list. |
| Average Position |
Average ranking position for keywords in a campaign. |
| B2B SEO |
Business-to-business SEO targeting professionals with longer buying cycles and higher costs. |
| B2C |
Business-to-consumer SEO targeting shorter buying cycles and consumers with generally lower costs. |
| Backlink |
A link from one website to another. Backlinks indicate the authority of a site. |
| Backlink Analysis |
Evaluation of websites linking to your site or competitors’ sites to identify good and bad links for optimization or disavowal. |
| Backlinks |
Links from other websites pointing to your website; essential for SEO and ranking improvement. |
| Baidu |
Leading search engine in China, launched in 2000. |
| Bait and Switch |
Creating a site for one purpose and switching to another, like overloading ads after gaining authority. |
| Banner Blindness |
User tendency to ignore traditional banner ads due to oversaturation. |
| Banners |
Picture ads (468×60 pixels) that can be static, interactive, or animated, used for online advertising. |
| Behavioral Targeting |
Directing ads based on users’ past behavior, such as searches, purchases, or site visits, using cookies. |
| Beta |
Software in final testing before public release. |
| Bing |
Microsoft’s search engine, launched in 2009, powering Yahoo! Search. |
| Bing Ads |
Microsoft’s paid advertising platform, similar to Google Ads, using bids and click-through rates for ad placement. |
| Bing Webmaster Tools |
Free tool by Microsoft to monitor a website’s Bing search performance. |
| Bingbot |
Microsoft’s web crawler for building Bing’s search index. |
| Black Box |
A complex, confidential program like Google’s algorithm with observable inputs/outputs. |
| Black Hat |
Tactics that violate search engine guidelines to manipulate rankings. |
| Black Hat SEO |
Unethical SEO practices that exploit search engine algorithms, often leading to penalties. |
| Blog |
Informal, regularly updated content platform, often part of content marketing strategies. |
| Bookmark |
A saved link in a browser for quick access to a webpage. |
| Boolean Search |
Advanced search technique using operators like AND, OR, NOT to refine search results. |
| Bots |
Software known as “crawlers” or “spiders” used for tasks such as crawling and indexing webpages. |
| Bounce Rate |
Percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page, indicating a lack of engagement with the content. |
| Brand |
A company or organization associated with specific products or services. |
| Brand Authority |
Moz score (1-100) measuring the overall strength of a brand. |
| Branded Content |
Content created by brands to promote their products, services, or values. |
| Branded Keywords |
Keywords containing exact or partial matches of a company or brand name. |
| Breadcrumb |
A navigation aid showing a webpage’s position within a site’s hierarchy (e.g., Home > Category > Page). |
| Bridge Page |
A page designed solely to redirect users to another site. |
| Broken Link |
A hyperlink that no longer works due to moved or deleted content. |
| Browser |
Software for accessing the internet (e.g., Chrome, Safari). |
| Bundling |
Combining multiple resources into one for efficiency. |
| Buyer Intent Keywords |
Search terms indicating a user’s intent to make a purchase. |
| Cache |
Stored version of a webpage indexed by a search engine. |
| Cached Page |
Saved version of a webpage stored on a server. |
| Caching |
Saved versions of a webpage. |
| Caffeine |
Google’s web indexing system. |
| Call to Action (CTA) |
Instruction encouraging users to take action, e.g., “Sign Up.” |
| Canonical Tag |
HTML tag directing search engines to consider a specified URL as the primary version, avoiding duplicate content issues. |
| Canonical URL |
Specifies the preferred version of a duplicate content page to reduce SEO issues, specified using <link rel=canonical>. |
| Carousel |
Scrollable set of images in a SERP feature. |
| Cart Abandon Rate |
Percentage of visitors who add items to a cart but leave without completing a purchase. |
| ccTLD |
Country code domain indicating a site’s geographic relevance, e.g., .uk for the United Kingdom. |
| Channel |
Traffic sources, such as organic search or social media. |
| Chatbot |
AI software for automated interactions, improving user engagement and SEO. |
| Citation |
Mention of a business’s name, address, and phone number online, impacting local SEO. |
| Citation Building |
Securing mentions of a business’s NAP online. |
| Citations |
Online references to a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). |
| Click Bait |
Misleading content designed to entice clicks for ad revenue. |
| Click Depth |
Number of clicks from the homepage to a destination page; influences crawlability. |
| Click Potential |
Predicted likelihood of a search result being clicked if ranked first. |
| Click-Through Rate |
Ratio of impressions to clicks on URLs. |
| Clickstream Data |
Data tracking user browsing behavior. |
| Client-side rendering |
Code executed in the browser. |
| Cloaking |
Black hat tactic where content shown to users differs from what’s shown to search engines. |
| CMS (Content Management System) |
Backend software used for creating and managing website content, e.g., WordPress or Magento. |
| Co-Citation |
Frequency of two websites mentioned together by a third party, establishing subject similarity. |
| Co-occurrence |
Keywords appearing together on topic-related pages. |
| Code-to-Text Ratio |
Ratio of text to code on a page, affecting user experience but not a ranking factor. |
| Comment Spam |
Irrelevant, promotional comments by spambots for links. |
| Commercial investigation queries |
Queries for comparing products to find the best fit. |
| Competition |
Direct competitors (similar products) or SEO competitors (shared keywords). |
| Computer-Generated Content |
Content created by software that mimics human writing. |
| Content |
Information in various forms (text, images, videos) essential for SEO and audience engagement. |
| Content Delivery Network (CDN) |
Distributed server network for faster website access. |
| Content Gap Analysis |
Identifying missing topics compared to competitors. |
| Content Hub |
Interlinked collections of content on a similar topic. |
| Content is King |
Emphasizes the importance of high-quality content in SEO. |
| Content Marketing |
Using blogs, videos, and other content to attract and engage an audience, driving traffic and conversions. |
| Content Relevance |
The degree to which content meets reader needs and interests. |
| Contextual Advertising |
Serving ads relevant to the accompanying content, e.g., Google AdSense. |
| Conversion |
Any desired action taken on a website, such as a purchase or form submission. |
| Conversion Form |
Web form used to collect visitor data and generate leads. |
| Conversion Rate |
Percentage of actions (e.g., clicks, sign-ups) after total interactions. |
| Cookie |
Data file stored in a user’s browser for tracking and personalization purposes. |
| Core Update |
Broad changes to Google’s core algorithm for better search results. |
| Core Web Vitals |
Metrics measuring page performance: loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP), and stability (CLS). |
| Cornerstone Content |
Key articles that a website wants to rank highly in search results. |
| Correlation |
Relationship between variables in SEO; doesn’t imply causation. |
| CPA (Cost Per Action) |
Online advertising model where payment is made only when a user completes a specified action. |
| CPC (Cost Per Click) |
Advertising model where advertisers pay for each click on their ad. |
| CPM (Cost Per Thousand) |
Cost of 1,000 impressions in Pay-Per-Click advertising. |
| Crawl |
Automated search and data collection process for website pages and their SEO elements. |
| Crawl Budget |
Number of URLs a search engine can and wants to crawl on a site during a time period. |
| Crawl Error |
Errors preventing search engines from accessing pages. |
| Crawlability |
How easily search engines can access a website’s content. |
| Crawler |
Software that gathers website data for indexing by search engines. |
| Crawler directives |
Instructions for what bots should crawl and index on a site. |
| Crawler/Bot |
Programs sent by search engines to comb through & index webpages. SEOs use them for auditing & diagnosing website issues. |
| Crawling |
The process by which search engines discover new & updated web pages using automated bots called crawlers or spiders. |
| Critical rendering path |
Steps to convert HTML, CSS, and JS into a viewable page. |
| CRM |
Customer Relationship Management practices to retain and convert customers. |
| CRO |
Conversion Rate Optimization improves conversion rates through testing design and messaging. |
| CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) |
Style sheet language defining the appearance of HTML elements on a webpage. |
| CTR (Click-Through Rate) |
Percentage of users who click on a website link from search results. |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) |
Measure of unexpected shifts in webpage layout during loading. |
| Customer Journey |
Steps a consumer takes from brand awareness to purchase and beyond. |
| Cybersquatting |
Registering popular domain names to sell them at high prices to businesses. |
| DA (Domain Authority) |
Moz metric predicting a domain’s ranking ability; used for comparisons. |
| Data |
Numbers representing customers, critical for informed SEO decisions. |
| De-index |
Removing a webpage/site from search results, voluntarily or as a penalty. |
| Dead Link |
Broken links that lead to nonexistent pages, potentially harming SEO. |
| Dead-End Page |
Webpage with no outbound links, halting user or bot navigation. |
| Declined Keywords |
Keywords with decreased rankings but still in the top 100. |
| Deep Link |
A link to a specific page within a site, rather than the homepage. |
| Deep Link Ratio |
Ratio of deep links to homepage links; indicates content quality. |
| Deindexed |
URLs removed from a search engine index, often due to penalties. |
| Destination Site |
The site a user visits after leaving a domain. |
| Direct Traffic |
Visitors accessing a site directly via URL or unrecognized traffic sources. |
| Directory |
Human-edited website list categorized by relevance; can be free or paid. |
| Directory Links |
Local business listings or low-quality links violating Google’s guidelines. |
| Disavow |
Requesting Google to ignore harmful backlinks affecting your site. |
| Disavow File |
File submitted to Google listing backlinks to ignore. |
| Display Ads |
Online ads combining text, images, and links, often static or animated. |
| Distance |
Proximity of the searcher or specified location in a query (local pack context). |
| DMOZ |
Former large online directory called “Open Directory Project”; ended in 2017. |
| DNS |
Links domain names to IP addresses for browsers to load resources. |
| Do-follow |
Links passing authority to the linked site; boost SEO. |
| Dofollow Link |
Link that passes PageRank and SEO authority. |
| DoFollow vs. Nofollow |
DoFollow links pass link equity to the target, while Nofollow links instruct search engines to ignore the link. |
| DOM |
Structure of an HTML document, accessible and modifiable via JavaScript. |
| Domain |
The main address of a website, e.g., www.example.com. |
| Domain Age |
Time since a domain’s registration. |
| Domain Authority |
A Moz-developed metric (0–100) that assesses a website’s ability to rank, though not an official ranking factor. |
| Domain History |
Previous activities/backlinks associated with a domain. |
| Domain name registrar |
Company managing internet domain reservations (e.g., GoDaddy). |
| Domain Rating (DR) |
Metric measuring a website’s authority based on its backlink profile. |
| Domain Structure |
Organization of a website’s domain name, subdomains, and directories. |
| Doorway Page |
Pages created to rank for similar queries, redirecting users to other pages. |
| DuckDuckGo |
Privacy-focused search engine avoiding user tracking and targeted ads. |
| Duplicate Content |
Blocks of content repeated across pages or sites, harmful to SEO unless managed with canonical tags. |
| Dwell Time |
Time users spend on a webpage before returning to the search results. |
| Dynamic Content |
Web content that changes over time or based on user interaction. |
| Dynamic Tags |
Automatically generated meta tags for SEO across large sites. |
| Dynamic URL |
URL with content based on variable parameters. |
| E-commerce |
Online buying and selling of products or services. |
| E-E-A-T |
Google’s concept for quality content: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. |
| Earned Media |
Unpaid attention or content created by third parties, i.e. social posts, reviews, often achieved organically or through promotion. |
| Earnings Per Click |
A metric measuring potential earnings per ad click. |
| Ecommerce |
Buying/selling goods and services online (B2B, B2C, or C2C). |
| Ecommerce SEO |
Optimization strategies to improve search rankings for ecommerce websites, driving traffic and sales. |
| Editorial Link |
Inbound links earned organically without payment or request, driven by valuable content. |
| Editorial Links |
Links earned naturally without payment or coercion. |
| Ego Bait |
Content designed to attract attention from influential individuals or experts. |
| Email Outreach |
Personalized emails to promote content or products to relevant people. |
| Engagement |
Data showing how users interact with a site from search results. |
| Engagement Metrics |
Data points like click-through rate, time on page, and repeat visits used to measure user interaction. |
| Engagement Rate (Social) |
Percentage of interactions (likes, comments) relative to audience and posts. |
| Enterprise SEO |
Large-scale, long-term SEO strategy aligning business goals with market potential. |
| Entities |
People, places, or things represented in search (e.g., Knowledge Graph). |
| Entity |
Unique, distinct object, concept, or idea (e.g., person, place, item). |
| Entity-Based SEO |
SEO approach focusing on entities rather than just keywords. |
| Entry Page |
First page a user views on your website. |
| Estimated Accuracy |
Metric gauging the reliability of Semrush traffic data. |
| Estimated Traffic |
Predicted traffic for a website from various sources. |
| Everflux |
Google’s term for continuous updates to its search algorithms and indexes. |
| Evergreen Content |
Content that remains relevant and doesn’t go out of date. |
| Exact Match Keywords |
Keywords exactly matching user queries for targeted search results. |
| Exit Rate |
Percentage of visitors who leave the website after viewing a specific page. |
| External Link |
Links pointing to a different domain or website, used by search engines to evaluate page quality. |
| Facebook Engagement |
Total reactions, shares, and comments on Facebook posts. |
| Faceted Navigation |
Navigation with sorting/filtering options on websites with many listings, like e-commerce. |
| Favicon |
Small graphics representing a brand in browsers and search results. |
| Featured Snippet |
A special box above search results showing a summary, title, URL, and content (Position Zero). |
| Featured snippets |
Organic answer boxes appearing at the top of SERPs for specific queries. |
| Fetch and Render tool |
Google Search Console tool to view pages as Google sees them. |
| File compression |
Reducing file size through encoding. |
| File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
A protocol used to transfer files between a computer and a website’s server. |
| Findability |
Ease of discovering website content by users and search engines. |
| First Link Priority |
Theory that Google values anchor text of the first link to the same page. |
| Flat Design |
Minimalistic web design style without 3D effects or skeuomorphism. |
| Focus Keyword |
Primary keyword targeted for ranking in search results. |
| Follow |
Default link state that passes PageRank. |
| Follow Links |
Links passing trust and SEO value to the linked site. |
| Footer Link |
Hyperlinks placed in the footer of webpages, often site-wide. |
| Forum |
Online message boards for community discussions on niche topics. |
| Fresh Content |
New or updated website content that attracts search engine crawlers and user engagement. |
| Freshness |
Google prioritizes fresh content for certain queries (e.g., news, events). |
| FTP (File Transfer Protocol) |
Protocol for transferring files between computers or networks. |
| Gated Content |
Content accessible only after visitors provide contact information. |
| Gateway Page |
Page created to rank for search queries but redirects visitors elsewhere without value. |
| GBP Optimization |
Semrush tool for managing Google Business Profile to improve local search. |
| GDPR |
EU regulation for data protection and privacy. |
| Geo-Targeting |
Delivering ads or content based on a user’s geographical location. |
| Geographic modifiers |
Terms describing a location or service area, e.g., “pizza in Seattle.” |
| Google |
Most-used search engine, founded in 1998, based on crawling and algorithms. |
| Google AdSense |
Google’s program allowing publishers to display targeted ads on their websites. |
| Google Alerts |
Free service that monitors web content changes for specific search queries. |
| Google Algorithm |
Complex system determining search results based on relevance and query matching, continuously updated. |
| Google Analytics |
Online tool for analyzing website traffic, user behavior, and SEO campaign progress. |
| Google Analytics (GA) |
Free Google tool providing detailed website activity insights. |
| Google Analytics Goals |
Actions tracked as goals for conversion analysis. |
| Google Autocomplete |
Search suggestions shown while typing in Google’s search bar. |
| Google Bomb |
Manipulative linking to rank controversial phrases (e.g., “miserable failure”). |
| Google Bombing |
Manipulating search rankings for humorous or unexpected results. |
| Google Business Profile |
Free listing for businesses, visible in Google Maps and search results. |
| Google Caffeine |
Search index introduced in 2010 for fresher, faster results. |
| Google Dance |
Term for volatile search rankings during index updates (early 2000s). |
| Google Hummingbird |
Algorithm update (2013) focusing on understanding natural language queries. |
| Google Keyword Planner |
Tool for keyword research, search volumes, and competition insights. |
| Google Keyword Tool |
Google’s free tool for keyword research, providing search volumes, competition, and related keyword suggestions. |
| Google Knowledge Graph |
Database of entities and their relationships. |
| Google Knowledge Panel |
SERP feature displaying information about a query’s main subject. |
| Google Looker Studio |
Free tool for customizing data visualizations and reports. |
| Google My Business |
Free business listing available to local businesses. |
| Google Panda |
Algorithm update filtering low-quality or thin content, now part of Google’s core algorithm. |
| Google Panda Algorithm |
Update rewarding high-quality sites and penalizing low-quality content. |
| Google Penalties |
Consequences for violating Google’s guidelines, ranging from ranking drops to removal from search results. |
| Google Penalty |
Punishment for violating Google’s webmaster quality guidelines. |
| Google Penguin |
Algorithm update (2012) targeting manipulative links and keyword stuffing. |
| Google Penguin Algorithm |
Update targeting manipulative link schemes and keyword stuffing. |
| Google Pigeon |
Local search algorithm improving relevance and accuracy (2014). |
| Google Pigeon Update |
Local search algorithm improving organic ranking for local businesses. |
| Google Quality Guidelines |
Rules from Google outlining forbidden SEO tactics. |
| Google RankBrain |
Machine learning component of Google’s core algorithm (2015) for query understanding. |
| Google Review Link |
URL directing customers to leave feedback on Google Business Profile. |
| Google Sandbox |
Alleged filter preventing new sites from ranking high in competitive queries. |
| Google SE Traffic |
Estimated visitors from Google’s top 100 organic results. |
| Google Search Console |
A platform for monitoring and maintaining a website’s presence in Google search. |
| Google Search Operators |
Special text to refine search queries (e.g., site:). |
| Google Search Text Ads |
Paid Google ads shown above or below organic search results. |
| Google Tag Manager |
Hub for managing website tracking codes. |
| Google Top Heavy Update |
Algorithm update penalizing pages with excessive top ads. |
| Google Trends |
A tool for analyzing changes in keyword search volumes over time. |
| Google Webmaster Guidelines |
Recommended practices for optimizing websites while avoiding penalties. |
| Google Webmaster Tools |
Now called Search Console, a free tool to check site performance in search results. |
| Googlebot/Bingbot |
Search Engine web crawler for discovering and indexing webpages. |
| Gray Hat |
SEO tactics in a gray area between ethical (white hat) and unethical (black hat). |
| Guest Blogging |
Contributing posts to another blog for attention, authority, and backlinks. |
| Guestographic |
Infographic created by you but published on other websites. |
| H1 Tag |
HTML heading tag commonly used to mark up a web page title. |
| Head Term |
High-search-volume, competitive keywords; opposite of long-tail keywords. |
| Header Tag |
HTML code for headings (e.g., <h1>, <h2>) for structuring headings and subheadings. |
| Heat Map |
Visual representation of data using colors to show high-use areas (e.g., click maps). |
| Hidden Text |
Content visible to search engines but hidden from users; penalized by Google. |
| Hilltop Algorithm |
Algorithm assigning expert status to topic-specific pages (2003). |
| Historical Data |
Keyword and domain data from previous months, available in tools like Semrush. |
| Holistic SEO |
Improving all aspects of a website for better rankings. |
| Homepage |
Welcome page and main navigation hub of a website. |
| Hreflang Tags |
HTML attribute specifying alternate versions of a web page for different languages/regions. |
| HSTS |
Web security policy ensuring browsers use HTTPS to prevent attacks like cookie hijacking. |
| HTML (HyperText Markup Language) |
Basic coding language used to structure and display content on web pages. |
| HTML Tags |
Tags like H1, H2, etc., structure webpage content, helping search engines understand its hierarchy and importance. |
| HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) |
Protocol for transmitting/receiving data on the web; used for HTML pages. |
| HTTP 200 Response Code |
Status code indicating a successful HTTP request. |
| HTTPS |
Secured version of HTTP, encrypting data between browser and server, and a ranking factor. |
| Hub Page |
Authoritative, topic-focused resource linking to relevant pages. |
| Hummingbird |
A Google algorithm update that improved semantic search and understanding of synonyms. |
| Hypertext |
Text containing hyperlinks to other information or resources. |
| Image carousels |
Scrollable image results in some SERPs. |
| Image compression |
Reducing image file sizes to speed up web pages without degrading quality. |
| Image Optimization |
Optimizing images to reduce file size while maintaining quality for better SEO. |
| Image sitemap |
Sitemap containing only image URLs on a website. |
| Impressions |
Number of times an ad is shown, not necessarily unique views. |
| Improved Keywords |
Keywords with improved rankings within Semrush’s top 100 positions. |
| Inbound Link |
Links from external websites pointing to your site, important for SEO authority. |
| Inbound Marketing |
Attracting customers through valuable content rather than outbound promotions. |
| Index |
A search engine’s database of crawled and stored web pages for generating results. |
| Index Bloat |
Excessive indexing of less important pages on a site. |
| Index Coverage report |
A report in Google Search Console on the indexation status of site pages. |
| Indexability |
A search engine’s ability to analyze and store a web page. |
| Indexed Page |
A webpage stored in a search engine’s index for retrieval. |
| Indexing |
The process of adding web pages to a search engine’s database after crawling. |
| Infographic |
Visual representation of data, often used for educational or marketing purposes. |
| Information Architecture |
Organizing website content for usability and findability. |
| Information Architecture (IA) |
Practice of organizing website content for optimal usability and visitor satisfaction. |
| Information Retrieval |
Process of finding and presenting relevant data (text, images, video). |
| Informational queries |
Queries where searchers seek information or answers to questions. |
| Informational Query |
Search query seeking information, not products. |
| Intent |
User’s underlying goal when typing a search query. |
| Internal Link |
Links that connect different pages within the same website to improve navigation. |
| Internal LinkRank |
Metric measuring the importance of pages based on internal link structure (0–100 scale). |
| Internal Links |
Links navigating between pages on the same domain, aiding bots and navigation. |
| Interstitial Ad |
Full-screen ads displayed over website or app content. |
| Invisible Web |
Portions of the Internet not indexed by search engines. |
| IP Address |
Unique numerical identifier for devices on the internet or local network. |
| ISP (Internet Service Provider) |
Companies providing Internet access to users. |
| JavaScript (JS) |
Programming language for dynamic content; can impact crawlability and page load speed. |
| JavaScript SEO |
SEO practices for improving search visibility of JavaScript-heavy websites. |
| JSON-LD |
Data structuring format preferred by Google for schema.org. |
| Kanban |
A scheduling system for task management. |
| Key Performance Indicator (KPI) |
A specific metric to measure marketing success, e.g., bounce rate indicates first-time visitor interest. |
| Keyword |
A word or phrase that users type into search engines to find information. Keywords are foundation of SEO & content strategy. |
| Keyword (Google Ads) |
Terms for which a site bids in Google Ads for paid search results. |
| Keyword (Organic) |
Terms ranking in Google’s organic search results, monitored by Semrush. |
| Keyword (Related) |
Terms with similar SERPs in Google’s top-20 results. |
| Keyword Cannibalization |
Occurs when multiple pages target the same keywords, confusing search engines and lowering rankings. |
| Keyword Clustering |
Grouping similar and relevant keywords into clusters. |
| Keyword Density |
Percentage of keyword usage on a page, with excessive use leading to penalties. |
| Keyword Difficulty |
A Moz score estimating the difficulty of outranking competitors for a keyword. |
| Keyword Explorer |
A Moz tool for keyword research and discovery. |
| Keyword Lists |
Comprehensive list of target keywords for content and link strategies. |
| Keyword Metrics |
Data showing keyword performance in search strategies. |
| Keyword Modifiers |
Words (e.g., adjectives) refining keyword meaning for precision. |
| Keyword Not Provided |
Organic searches not visible in Google Analytics due to user privacy. |
| Keyword Overview |
Semrush tool providing analytics for queried keywords. |
| Keyword Prominence |
Positioning keywords high on a page for better ranking signals. |
| Keyword Ranking |
A website’s position in search results for a specific keyword. |
| Keyword Research |
The process of identifying popular search terms and phrases used by your audience. |
| Keyword Stemming |
Google’s ability to understand keyword variations like plurals or tenses (e.g., shop/shopping). |
| Keyword Stuffing |
Overusing a keyword on a page to manipulate search rankings, often penalized. |
| Keyword Value |
Cost-per-click value showing keyword worth for paid campaigns. |
| Knowledge Graph |
SERP feature providing a quick profile of a query with related images and searches. |
| Knowledge Panel |
Google’s factual box for entities, shown at the top/right of search results. |
| Landing Page |
Standalone page designed for conversions through specific calls to action. |
| Large Language Models (LLMs) |
AI algorithms for understanding and generating human language (e.g., GPT). |
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) |
Core Web Vital measuring time taken to render the largest visible content. |
| Latent Semantic Analysis |
Technique analyzing relationships between documents and terms. |
| Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) |
A method search engines use to analyze relationships between terms in content. |
| Lazy Loading |
Deferring the loading of objects until needed to improve speed. |
| Lead |
Potential customer showing interest by providing contact information. |
| Link |
Connection between websites via HTML, critical for navigation and ranking. |
| Link accessibility |
Ease of finding a link by visitors or crawlers. |
| Link Bait |
Attention-grabbing content meant to attract backlinks. |
| Link Baiting |
Content designed to attract backlinks from other websites. |
| Link Building |
The practice of acquiring backlinks to increase a site’s authority and ranking. |
| Link Churn |
Measurement of lost links over time. |
| Link Equity/ Link Juice |
Ranking power passed from a linking page to target page, influenced by factors i.e. domain authority, relevance, link type. |
| Link Exchange |
Reciprocal linking tactic (“you link to me, I’ll link to you”), often violating guidelines. |
| Link Explorer |
Moz tool for discovering and analyzing links. |
| Link Farm |
Group of websites linking to each other to manipulate rankings (spam tactic). |
| Link Hoarding |
Retaining link popularity by avoiding external linking. |
| Link Juice |
Value passed through a link from one page/site to another. |
| Link Popularity |
Total number of inbound links; quality matters more than quantity. |
| Link Profile |
Assessment of a website’s backlinks in terms of quality, quantity, and diversity. |
| Link Reclamation |
Process of recovering lost backlinks. |
| Link Reputation |
Quality and relevance of a site’s link profile. |
| Link Rot |
Broken links due to unavailable pages/sites. |
| Link Schemes |
Manipulative linking practices, violating search engine guidelines. |
| Link Spam |
Irrelevant links used to manipulate rankings. |
| Link Text |
Visible, clickable text of a hyperlink (anchor text). |
| Link Velocity |
Speed of link accumulation; sudden increases may indicate spamming or viral activity. |
| Link volume |
Number of links on a page. |
| Linkbait |
Content designed to attract backlinks. |
| Listing Management |
Maintaining accurate business info across directories to boost local visibility. |
| Local Ads |
Location-specific ads enhancing local business visibility. |
| Local business schema |
Structured data to help search engines understand business information. |
| Local Citation |
Online mentions of a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). |
| Local Citations |
Online mentions of a business’s NAP details. |
| Local Finder |
Google’s section listing additional local businesses under “More Places.” |
| Local Keyword Research |
Identifying keywords used for local searches to attract nearby customers. |
| Local Listings |
Business details listed on directories, search engines, and social media platforms. |
| Local Marketing |
Strategies to promote products/services within a specific area. |
| Local pack |
Group of three local business listings for local-intent searches (e.g., “oil change near me”). |
| Local queries |
Queries focused on specific locations, e.g., “coffee shops near me.” |
| Local Ranking Factors |
Elements like relevance, distance, and prominence affecting local search rankings. |
| Local Search |
Search results focused on a specific geographic area. |
| Local Search Grid |
Google Maps tool showing keyword rankings at a hyper-local level. |
| Local Search Marketing |
Efforts to improve search visibility for local businesses. |
| Local SEO |
Optimizing online presence to improve visibility in local search and map results. |
| Local Teaser |
SERP feature showing reservation-based businesses like hotels or restaurants. |
| Log File |
File recording user/bot activities, IPs, and site interaction details. |
| Log File Analysis |
Analyzing log files to track trends, bot movements, and demographics. |
| Login forms |
Pages requiring user authentication for content access. |
| Long Tail Keyword |
Specific, multi-word queries with low search volume but high conversion potential. |
| Long Tail Keywords |
Specific multi-word terms with lower competition and higher purchase intent. |
| LSI Keywords |
Synonym-based terms relevant to products/services identified through latent semantic indexing. |
| Machine Learning |
AI branch using data and algorithms to simulate human learning and improve accuracy over time. |
| Manual Action |
Google’s manual penalties for spammy practices, demoting or removing websites/pages from search results. |
| Manual Penalty |
Search engine penalty for noncompliance with SEO best practices. |
| Manual Review |
Human review of a website’s legitimacy by a search engine. |
| Manual Sanctions |
Google penalties for non-compliance with webmaster guidelines. |
| Map Rank Tracker |
Semrush tool for tracking local business rankings on Google Maps. |
| Market Consolidation |
Metric showing competition levels in a market. |
| Match Score |
Semrush metric for identifying domains with partnership potential. |
| Meta Description |
Brief summary appearing in SERPs below a webpage link, guiding users about the page content. |
| Meta descriptions |
HTML elements that describe page content, often used in search result snippets. |
| Meta Keywords |
Keywords in HTML code to indicate a page’s topic; no longer influential for SEO rankings. |
| Meta Redirect |
Code redirecting users to another URL after a delay. |
| Meta robots tag |
Code providing crawlers with instructions for indexing or ignoring content. |
| Meta Tags |
HTML snippets describing page content to search engines; includes title tags and meta descriptions. |
| Meta Title |
HTML title tag appearing in browser tabs and SERPs, describing a page’s content. |
| Metadata |
Descriptive data about webpage content for search engines. |
| Metric |
Data points tracked to measure SEO performance and inform strategy. |
| Microblogging |
Short, frequent updates via platforms like Twitter. |
| Microdata |
Markup language helping search engines understand webpage content. |
| Mindshare |
Brand recognition among a target audience compared to competitors. |
| Minification |
Removing unnecessary characters from source code without altering functionality. |
| Mirror Site |
Duplicate hosting of website content or download locations. |
| Mobile Marketing |
Marketing via mobile devices like phones or tablets. |
| Mobile Optimization |
Adapting a website to ensure it works well on mobile devices, boosting rankings. |
| Mobile-First Indexing |
Search engines prioritize the mobile version of a website for indexing due to the increase in mobile device usage. |
| MozBar |
Chrome plugin showing metrics like DA and PA. |
| Multivariate Testing |
Testing multiple variables simultaneously to optimize outcomes. |
| NAP (Name, Address, Phone) |
Basic info ensuring local SEO consistency across citations. |
| National Level Data |
Aggregate search engine data without bias from specific locations. |
| Natural Language Processing |
Algorithms interpreting search intent instead of exact keyword matches, e.g., Google’s Hummingbird update. |
| Natural Link |
Organic backlinks earned through quality content without requesting or paying for them. |
| Navigation |
Links helping visitors move through a website. |
| Navigational queries |
Queries aiming to find a specific location, e.g., “Moz blog.” |
| Navigational Query |
Query seeking a specific website. |
| Negative Keyword |
Keyword used to prevent ads from showing for specific searches. |
| Negative Keywords |
Keywords excluded from Google Ads to optimize budget and ROI. |
| Negative SEO |
Black hat tactics to lower competitors’ rankings, such as low-quality backlinks. |
| Niche |
A specialized subset of a broader category, e.g., “inbound marketing for mining companies.” |
| Noarchive Tag |
Tells search engines not to save a cached copy of the page. |
| Nofollow |
HTML attribute preventing link authority from passing to another site. |
| Nofollow Attribute |
Prevents links from passing authority or influencing search rankings. |
| NoFollow Link |
A type of link that does not pass SEO value to the linked page, often used for ads. |
| NoFollow Links |
Links marked with rel=”nofollow” to indicate no credit or endorsement is passed. |
| Noindex |
Command instructing search engines not to index a page. |
| Noindex Tag |
Directs search engines not to index a webpage in search results. |
| Noopener |
HTML attribute preventing security risks for links opening in new tabs/windows. |
| Noreferrer |
Attribute preventing referrer data from being passed through a link. |
| Nosnippet Tag |
Prevents search engines from displaying a snippet or cached link for the page. |
| Not Provided (Google Analytics) |
Placeholder in Google Analytics hiding popular organic keywords. |
| Number of Results |
Total search results displayed for a query. |
| Off-Page SEO |
SEO practices outside your website, including backlinks and social signals, to improve search rankings. |
| On-Page SEO |
Optimizing visible and source content on a webpage to improve its ranking in search engines. |
| Online Directories |
Websites listing business information for users to connect with companies. |
| Online Review Management |
Monitoring and managing reviews to maintain a positive reputation. |
| Online Visibility |
A business’s overall online presence and reach. |
| Open Graph |
Markup for making content shareable as rich objects on social networks. |
| Open Graph Meta Tags |
Code controlling how URLs appear when shared on social media. |
| Open Source |
Software with accessible source code for modification. |
| Opt-in |
User chooses to participate in marketing (e.g., subscribing to a newsletter). |
| Opt-out |
User chooses not to participate in marketing initiatives. |
| Organic |
Earned, unpaid placement in search results. |
| Organic Search |
Unpaid search results ranked based on relevance to user queries. |
| Organic Search Results |
Search results ranked by relevance and quality, not ads. |
| Organic SEO |
Improving rankings through non-paid strategies, focusing on relevance, content quality, and user experience. |
| Organic Traffic |
Website visitors acquired naturally without paid promotion, considered high-quality traffic. |
| Orphan Page |
Pages without any internal links, making them hard to find by users or search engines. |
| Orphaned Pages |
Webpages with no internal links, making them harder to discover. |
| Outbound Link |
Links pointing from your site to an external website. |
| Outbound Marketing |
Paid marketing targeting broad audiences (e.g., TV ads, banner ads). |
| Outbound/External Links |
Links pointing from one domain to another; used to cite sources. |
| Outreach |
Strategy to acquire backlinks by contacting website owners. |
| PA (Page Authority) |
Moz metric predicting a single page’s ranking ability. |
| Page Authority |
A score that predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine results. |
| Page Rank |
Google’s algorithm that determines the relevance of pages to a search query. |
| Page Speed |
The time it takes for a webpage to fully load; critical for user experience and rankings. |
| Page Speed & Load Times |
Key factors affecting user experience and SEO rankings, with slow pages potentially leading to higher bounce rates. |
| Page Title |
HTML tag specifying the title of a webpage, displayed as a clickable title in SERPs. |
| Page View |
Event where a user views a webpage once. |
| PageRank |
Algorithm evaluating the relevance and quality of links to rank webpages. |
| Pages per Session |
Average number of pages viewed in a single session. |
| Pageview |
Count of how often a webpage is viewed by users. |
| Pagination |
Splitting large pages into sequences, often using rel=”next” and rel=”prev” tags. |
| Paid Inclusion |
Paid ads in directories like Yahoo! based on certain standards. |
| Paid Link |
Backlink acquired by payment. |
| Paid Search |
Pay-per-click ads displayed on search engines above/below organic results. |
| Panda |
Google’s algorithm update targeting thin or low-quality content. |
| Penalty |
Search engine punishment for violating guidelines (e.g., spam, keyword stuffing). |
| Penguin |
Google algorithm targeting manipulative link schemes. |
| People Also Ask |
A box in SERPs listing related questions and answers. |
| Permission Marketing |
Inbound marketing strategy requiring user consent. |
| Persona |
Fictional representation of ideal customers to guide SEO and marketing efforts. |
| Personalization |
Search engines tailoring results based on user-specific factors like location and history. |
| PHP |
Scripting language for building dynamic, interactive websites. |
| Pigeon |
Google algorithm connecting local and regular search signals. |
| Pillar Page |
High-level guide on a broad topic, part of a topic cluster. |
| Piracy |
Unauthorized reproduction of protected content, infringing ownership rights. |
| Piracy Update |
Penalizes websites with DMCA takedown notices. |
| Pogo Rate |
High bounce-back rates indicating poor page relevancy. |
| Pogo-sticking |
Users repeatedly clicking back to SERPs after unsatisfactory results; signals poor relevance. |
| Pop-under |
Ads appearing in a hidden browser window. |
| Pop-up |
Ads displayed on top of the active browser window. |
| Position |
A webpage’s rank in search engine results. |
| Position (SERP) |
Ranking position of a page for a query in search results. |
| PPA (Pay Per Action) |
Ad model where publishers are paid only after user actions like conversions. |
| PPC (Pay Per Click) |
An advertising model where advertisers pay each time their ad is clicked. |
| Primary Keyword |
Main keyword around which a page is optimized. |
| Private Blog Network (PBN) |
Private blog networks linking to a site to manipulate rankings; against SEO guidelines. |
| Programming language |
Instructions written for computers to execute, e.g., JavaScript. |
| Prominence |
Businesses’ real-world reputation affecting local pack rankings. |
| Protocol |
“http” or “https,” governing how data is relayed between server and browser. |
| Pruning |
Removing low-quality pages to improve site quality. |
| Public Relations (PR) |
Managing a brand’s reputation and communications through outreach and press releases. |
| Purchase Conversion |
Metric showing visits ending with conversions like “thank you” or checkout pages. |
| Purchased Links |
Paid links requiring a NoFollow tag to avoid penalties. |
| QDF (Query Deserves Freshness) |
Query Deserves Freshness; prioritizes newer content for trending topics. |
| Qualified Lead |
Relevant prospect likely to become a paying customer. |
| Qualified Traffic |
Relevant visitors likely to engage or convert. |
| Quality Content |
Content that achieves business goals like traffic, rankings, and conversions. |
| Quality Link |
High-authority, relevant backlink positively influencing rankings. |
| Quality Score |
Google’s metric for ad quality based on CTR, keyword relevance, and landing page quality. |
| Quality Score (QS) |
Google Ads metric influencing ad rank and cost-per-click (CPC). |
| Query |
Words or phrases entered in a search engine to find relevant results. |
| Question Keywords |
Detailed queries in search engines, often in the form of a question. |
| Rank |
Position of a website in search engine results for a specific query. |
| RankBrain |
A component of Google’s algorithm that uses machine learning to understand search intent. |
| Ranking |
Ordering search results by relevance to the query. |
| Ranking Factor |
Criteria search engines use to evaluate and rank webpages. |
| Readability Score |
Metric assessing how easy text is to read, based on Flesch–Kincaid readability test. |
| Reciprocal Link |
When two websites link to each other. |
| Reciprocal Links |
Links exchanged between websites, can occur naturally or intentionally. |
| Reconsideration Request |
Request for Google to review a site after fixing manual action issues. |
| Redirect |
Directs users or bots from one page to another (301 permanent or 302 temporary). |
| Redirection |
Moving a URL to another location, typically with a 301 redirect. |
| Referral Traffic |
Traffic from external sources outside search engines or social media. |
| Referrer |
Source (e.g., website or social media) from which a visitor originates. |
| Regional keywords |
Keywords unique to a locale, like “soda” vs. “pop.” |
| Registrar |
Company managing domain name registrations. |
| Reinclusion |
Request to reindex a website/page after it was removed or penalized. |
| Rel=canonical |
Tag indicating the original version of a page to Google. |
| Related Searches |
Search queries related to the original term, shown at the bottom of SERPs. |
| Relative Link |
URL path referring to current page location. |
| Relative URL |
URL that omits the domain name and relies on the current page’s location. |
| Relevance |
How well a local business matches a search query in the local pack context. |
| Relevancy |
Extent to which a site matches the search query based on algorithms. |
| Render-blocking scripts |
Scripts delaying page rendering until fetched. |
| Rendering |
Process of turning code into a viewable web page. |
| Repeat Visits |
Same user returning to a website. |
| Reputation Management |
Monitoring and improving public perception of a brand online. |
| Resource Pages |
Pages with helpful links, often used for link building. |
| Responsive Design |
Design pattern allowing websites to adapt to different devices. |
| Responsive Website |
A website that adapts to different screen sizes (desktop, mobile, etc.). |
| Retargeting |
Serving ads to users who previously visited a site. |
| Return on Investment (ROI) |
Measures profitability of SEO activities relative to their costs. |
| Reverse Index |
List of keywords associated with specific content. |
| Review Management |
Semrush tool for tracking and managing online customer reviews. |
| Reviews |
SERP feature displaying customer reviews and ratings alongside a result. |
| Rich Media |
Ads using advanced features like video or audio. |
| Rich Site Summary (RSS) |
Centralized viewing of content from various sources via a feed reader. |
| Rich snippet |
Enhanced search result snippets with structured data, e.g., rating stars. |
| Robots.txt |
A file in the root directory specifying crawl rules, e.g., to exclude specific pages from search results. |
| Robots.txt File |
File guiding search engine crawlers on which pages to ignore. |
| Root Domain |
Highest hierarchical level of a site (e.g., example.com). |
| SaaS (Software as a Service) |
Subscription-based software hosted online (e.g., Semrush, Gmail). |
| SAB (Service Area Business) |
Business offering services at customer locations, optimized for local SEO. |
| SAM (Serviceable Available Market) |
Demand within the market for a product or service. |
| Schema |
Markup language improving how search engines display and interpret content. |
| Schema Markup |
Structured data that adds extra detail to your content (e.g., reviews, location), enabling rich search results. |
| Schema.org |
Guidelines for structured data markup to enhance search engine understanding. |
| Scrape |
Technique of extracting website data for analysis or use elsewhere. |
| Scraped content |
Republishing content taken from other websites without permission. |
| Scraping |
Technique to extract data from websites into a database or file. |
| Scroll Depth |
Tracking how far visitors scroll on a page. |
| Scrum Board |
Task tracking tool for larger goals. |
| SE Traffic Price |
Estimated cost of an ad campaign to match organic traffic levels. |
| Search Algorithm |
Rules for ranking search results. |
| Search Engine (SE) |
Program for retrieving information that matches a user’s input (e.g., Google, Bing). |
| Search Engine Poisoning |
Malicious websites appearing in search results to steal data or spread malware. |
| Search forms |
Website search functions for locating specific pages. |
| Search History |
A log of websites visited and related data stored by browsers for easy navigation. |
| Search Intent |
The goal behind a search query, whether informational, navigational, or transactional. |
| Search Quality Rater Guidelines |
Google’s instructions for human evaluators assessing webpage quality. |
| Search Query |
Keywords entered into search engines to find relevant websites. |
| Search Results |
List of webpages shown in response to a query. |
| Search Term |
Words or phrases entered into a search engine. |
| Search Traffic |
Visitors coming from search engines. |
| Search Visibility |
Estimated percentage of clicks from organic rankings. |
| Search volume |
Estimated number of times a keyword is searched monthly. |
| Seasonal trends |
Popularity changes in keywords over time, e.g., “Halloween costumes” near October. |
| Secondary Keywords |
Related terms complementing a primary keyword. |
| Secure Socket Layer (SSL) |
SSL certificates ensure secure, HTTPS-based websites, essential for payment sites and a ranking factor. |
| Seed Keywords |
Short-tail, foundational keywords used to start keyword research. |
| SEM (Search Engine Marketing) |
Search Engine Marketing; includes paid and organic activities to boost visibility. |
| Semantic Core |
Group of keywords defining a website’s content direction. |
| Semantic Search |
Search engines understand query intent and context. |
| Semrush Rank |
Metric indicating a domain’s visibility based on organic rankings and traffic. |
| Sentiment |
Public perception of a brand. |
| SEO (Search Engine Optimization) |
Optimizing a website to rank higher in search results for targeted queries on search engines. |
| SEO Audit |
Evaluation of a website’s performance in search engines. |
| SEO Business |
Company offering services to improve website visibility and organic search traffic. |
| SEO Campaign |
A planned effort to improve website rankings using strategies like audits, keyword research, and link building. |
| SEO Company |
Firms specializing in increasing businesses’ search engine visibility for leads and sales. |
| SEO Consulting |
Expert guidance provided to businesses for better search engine rankings and traffic. |
| SEO Copywriting |
Writing optimized content to rank well and enhance user experience. |
| SEO Cost |
Pricing for SEO services, typically ranging from $700-$2,000 monthly or $80-$200/hour. |
| SEO Glossary |
Compilation of SEO terms and definitions to simplify technical jargon. |
| SEO Hosting |
Web hosting services designed to enhance website searchability and boost SEO. |
| SEO Keywords |
Words and phrases in website content helping users find the site via search engines. |
| SEO Manager |
Expert responsible for creating and implementing SEO strategies within a business. |
| SEO Report |
Tracks website SEO performance, highlighting successes and areas for improvement. |
| SEO Services |
Professional services to increase organic search traffic and website visibility. |
| SEO Silo |
Grouping related web pages via internal links for better organization. |
| SEO Specialist |
Analyzes and optimizes websites to rank higher in search results. |
| SEO Web Design |
Designing websites to improve crawling, indexing, and overall visibility in search engines. |
| SEO Writing |
Creating and optimizing content to rank well in search engines. |
| SEO-friendly URL |
Clear and concise URL reflecting page content. |
| SERP (Search Engine Results Page) |
The page displayed by search engines in response to a user’s query. |
| SERP Features |
Non-traditional elements in search engine results pages, providing extra information. |
| SERP Source |
Snapshot of SERP data collected by Semrush. |
| SERP Volatility |
Changes in rankings due to algorithm updates or index changes. |
| Server |
Computer hosting website files. |
| Server-side rendering |
Code executed on the server and sent pre-rendered to the browser. |
| Session Duration |
The average time users spend on a site during a single session. |
| Share of Voice |
A metric comparing your brand’s market presence against competitors in the same industry. |
| Short-Tail Keywords |
High-volume Search terms with three or fewer words, typically broad and competitive. |
| Siphoning |
Methods to poach traffic from other sites (e.g., spyware). |
| Site Map |
A file that lists all the pages on a website to help search engines find them. |
| Sitelinks |
Additional links shown under a website’s main search result for easier navigation. |
| Sitemap |
An XML file listing all website URLs for search engines, aiding quicker page indexation. |
| Sitemaps |
XML file listing all pages to be indexed by search engines. |
| Sitewide Link |
Outbound link appearing on every page of a website. |
| Sitewide Links |
Links appearing across multiple pages, usually in the footer, sidebar, or navigation menu. |
| SMM (Social Media Marketing) |
Promotion of products/services via social platforms. |
| Social Media |
Platforms enabling content creation, sharing, and engagement in virtual communities. |
| Social Signal |
Indicators like shares and likes that may influence search rankings by demonstrating content popularity. |
| Social Signals |
Interactions on social media that indirectly boost SEO, like shares and likes. |
| Social Traffic |
Visitors from social media platforms. |
| Source Code |
HTML and other programming code used to create and structure web pages. |
| Spam |
Unwanted, bulk digital communication often disrupting user experience. |
| Spam Score |
Moz metric indicating a site’s risk of penalization. |
| Spamdexing |
Manipulating search rankings using techniques against search engine guidelines. |
| Spammy tactics |
Practices that violate search engine quality guidelines, similar to “black hat.” |
| Spider |
Internet bot that crawls websites to index data for search engines. |
| Splash Page |
Visually appealing webpage with minimal content. |
| Split Testing |
Controlled experiments comparing webpage variations to optimize user interactions. |
| Sponsored |
Attribute marking paid/sponsored content in HTML links. |
| Sponsored Link Attribute |
Attribute indicating a link is an advertisement, paid, or sponsored. |
| Spyware |
Software collecting user data without consent. |
| SRCSET |
HTML attribute specifying different images for varying screen sizes. |
| SSL Certificate |
Digital certificate ensuring secure, encrypted connections between users and websites. |
| Static Content |
Content that doesn’t change often. |
| Status Codes |
Server responses to requests (e.g., 200 OK, 404 Not Found). |
| Stop Word |
Common words like “a,” “the,” often ignored by search engines in queries. |
| Structured Data |
Standardized information to provide context to search engines and other services. |
| Subdomain |
Section of a website under the root domain (e.g., blog.example.com). |
| Subfolder |
Section within a website indicated by a “/” after the domain (e.g., example.com/folder). |
| Syndication |
Republishing content on multiple platforms to expand its reach. |
| Taxonomy |
Grouping of URLs or content based on shared characteristics for better organization. |
| Taxonomy SEO |
Optimizing website content structure for search engines. |
| Technical SEO |
Adjustments to improve a site’s crawlability, understanding, and indexing by search engines. |
| Text Link Ads |
Ads displayed as plain text links. |
| TF-IDF |
Measures term importance in a document based on frequency within the text. |
| The Fold |
Part of the webpage visible without scrolling. |
| Thin Content |
Content offering little value or poor explanations, negatively affecting SEO. |
| Thumbnails |
Small preview images representing larger content, like videos or photos. |
| Tiered Link Building |
Creating links to external pages that link to your website. |
| Time on Page |
Duration a visitor spends on a webpage before leaving or navigating elsewhere. |
| Title Tag |
The main headline of a webpage that appears in search results and on the browser tab. |
| TLD (Top-Level Domain) |
The segment of a domain following the last dot (e.g., .com). |
| Topic Efficiency |
Metric showing the ratio of search volume to difficulty for a topic in Semrush. |
| Topical Relevance |
The closeness of content between the linking page and the linked page. |
| Total Addressable Market |
Total demand for a product/service within the target market, including all potential customers. |
| Total Blocking Time (TBT) |
Core Web Vital metric measuring delays in page interactivity. |
| Total Engagement |
Total audience interactions (e.g., likes, shares, comments) on social media over a period. |
| Tracking Code |
JavaScript code collecting detailed website traffic data for tools like Google Analytics. |
| Traffic |
Organic visits to a website via search engine results. |
| Traffic % |
Percentage of site traffic coming from a specific keyword or page. |
| Traffic Cost |
Estimated monthly ad cost to replicate organic traffic from keywords in Domain Analytics. |
| Transactional queries |
Queries focused on actions like purchasing, often at the bottom of the marketing funnel. |
| Transactional Query |
A query made by someone looking to purchase but undecided on the seller. |
| Transport Layer Security (TLS) |
More secure version of SSL used for private connections. |
| Trend (Semrush) |
Graph showing changes in keyword search volume over 12 months. |
| Trust |
Search engine perception of a site’s credibility, influenced by quality and security. |
| TrustRank |
Algorithm assessing web content quality by analyzing backlinks, site content, and relevance. |
| Tweet Listings |
Twitter links displayed in SERPs. |
| Twitter Cards |
Rich media previews on Twitter designed to drive traffic. |
| Twitter Engagement |
Total likes, retweets, and mentions for a Twitter handle during a set time. |
| UGC Link Attribute |
Attribute marking a user-generated content link (e.g., in comments or forums). |
| Universal Search |
Expands search results to include various media formats like images, videos, and news. |
| Unnatural Links |
Suspicious or manipulative links that may trigger manual actions by Google. |
| Unstructured Citations |
Business information mentioned on non-directory platforms. |
| URL (Uniform Resource Locator) |
Web address of a document/page on the internet (e.g.,https://example.com). |
| URL folders |
Website sections after the TLD, separated by slashes, e.g., “/blog” in “example.com/blog.” |
| URL parameters |
Information after a “?” in a URL to change content (active) or track data (passive). |
| URL Rating (UR) |
Metric measuring the strength of a target page’s backlink profile (0–100 scale). |
| URL Slug |
The part of the URL after the domain name or subfolder. |
| Usability |
Ease with which users navigate and derive satisfaction from a website. |
| Usage Data |
Metrics indicating website visitors (e.g., repeat visits, time on site, CTR, demographics). |
| User Agent |
Software or bots acting on behalf of users, identified in HTTP headers. |
| User Experience (UX) |
How easy and satisfying a website is to use, influencing metrics like bounce and cart abandon rates. |
| User Intent |
Purpose behind a user’s search query. |
| User-Generated Content (UGC) |
Content like text, images, or videos created by individuals rather than brands. |
| UTM Code |
Tracking code appended to URLs for campaign analysis. |
| Vanity URL |
A short, descriptive URL used for easy recall or redirection. |
| Vertical Search |
Search engine focusing on a specific category (e.g., travel, shopping). |
| Viral Marketing |
Self-disseminating marketing through shares on email, blogs, and social media. |
| Virtual Assistant (VA) |
Bots like Siri or Cortana performing tasks using natural language. |
| Virtual Server |
Dividing one physical server into multiple virtual servers for hosting multiple domains. |
| Visibility |
Measurement of a website’s presence in organic search results. |
| Visibility % |
Metric showing how visible a domain or URL is across tracked keywords in Position Tracking. |
| Voice Search |
Technology allowing users to search online by speaking into a device. |
| Voice Search SEO |
Optimization for voice-activated search platforms like Siri or Alexa. |
| Volatility (Semrush) |
Measures changes in search engine results, reflecting algorithm updates or fluctuations. |
| Volume (Search Volume) |
Average monthly searches for a keyword over the past year. |
| Webinar |
Online seminars intended to educate audiences using slides, video, or audio. |
| Webmaster guidelines |
Search engine-published guidelines to help site owners optimize content for search performance. |
| Webpage |
A document accessible via a web browser. |
| Website |
A collection of related webpages hosted under a single domain. |
| Website Authority |
Metric measuring a site’s strength, often using Domain Rating. |
| Website Hit |
A request made to a website’s server, including all individual elements. |
| Website Navigation |
How users move through a site via menus, breadcrumbs, and links. |
| Website Structure |
How a website is organized and its pages interlinked. |
| Webspam |
Manipulative SEO tactics violating guidelines (e.g., Black Hat SEO). |
| White Hat |
SEO methods adhering to search engine guidelines and user expectations. |
| White Hat SEO |
SEO strategies that follow search engine guidelines and provide value to users. |
| Whois |
Domain record containing ownership details (name, address); can be hidden by registrars. |
| Word Count |
Total number of words in content; thin content may indicate low quality. |
| WordPress |
Free blogging platform (WordPress.com) or customizable software (WordPress.org). |
| X-Robots-Tag |
HTTP header with crawling/indexing directives for web crawlers. |
| XHTML |
Extends HTML with XML formatting. |
| XML |
Markup language designed to store and transfer information (e.g., RSS feeds). |
| XML Sitemap |
A file that helps search engines index a website’s pages more efficiently. |
| Yahoo |
A search engine turned portal, now powered by Bing for organic results. |
| Yahoo Directory |
Authoritative web directory offering paid inclusion. |
| Yahoo! Search Marketing |
Yahoo’s PPC advertising platform, similar to Google Ads. |
| Yandex |
Leading search engine in Russia, founded in 1997. |
| YMYL Pages |
Pages about topics that impact an individual’s well-being, such as health and financial stability. |
