Glossary of Terms
We thought you might want to learn some useful search and social marketing terms.
A/B Testing A process of comparing two versions of a web page or element to determine which one performs better in terms of user engagement or conversion rate.
Algorithm A set of rules used by search engines to determine the relevance and ranking of web pages in search results.
AMP Implementation This refers to implementing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) on the website, which can improve mobile load times and user experience.
Analytics & Tag Management This refers to properly implementing website analytics tools and tag management systems. Analytics data can provide insights into user behaviour and website performance, which can help identify areas for improvement.
Anchor Text The visible text of a hyperlink that is clickable and leads to another web page.
Anchor Text Diversity This refers to the variety of anchor text used to link to the website from other websites. Anchor text diversity is an important factor in search engine rankings and should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit to ensure that the website’s backlink profile is not over-optimised.
Average Position This is the average ranking position of your website in Google search results for a specific query.
Backlink A link from one website to another website that is considered a ranking factor in search engine algorithms.
Backlink Profile This refers to the quantity, quality, and relevance of backlinks pointing to the website from other websites. Backlinks are an important factor in search engine rankings and their quality, quantity and relevance should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit.
Black Hat SEO Unethical SEO techniques that violate search engine guidelines, such as keyword stuffing or cloaking, in order to manipulate search rankings.
Bounce Rate The percentage of users who leave a web page without interacting with it or visiting other pages on the same website.
Brand Awareness The level of recognition and familiarity that a brand has among its target audience.
Brand Mentions This refers to the mentions of the brand name on other websites without linking to the website. Brand mentions can also have an impact on search engine rankings and their quality and quantity should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit.
Broken Links & 404 Errors These are links that lead to pages that no longer exist or have been removed. Identifying and fixing broken links can improve user experience and search engine rankings.
Call-to-Action (CTA) This refers to a clear and compelling action that users are encouraged to take on the page, such as filling out a form or making a purchase. Proper use of CTAs can improve user engagement and conversions.
Canonical URL The preferred version of a web page that search engines should use when indexing and ranking content.
Canonicalisation This refers to specifying the preferred version of a webpage to search engines when multiple versions of the page exist, such as when a website has both a www and non-www version. Proper canonicalization can consolidate link equity and improve rankings.
Content Quality & Relevance This refers to the quality and relevance of the content on the page. Content should be well-written, informative and provide value to the user. Relevance to the search query is also important for search engine rankings.
Clicks This is the number of clicks a website receives from search results for a specific query.
Click-Through Rate (CTR) The ratio of clicks to impressions on a web page or ad, used as a metric to measure user engagement and ad performance.
Conversion Rate The percentage of users who take a desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase, on a web page.
Crawler A program used by search engines to discover and index web pages by following links from one page to another.
Crawl Errors This is the number of errors a search engine encounters when crawling a website, such as broken links or missing pages.
Domain Authority (DA) A metric developed by Moz that predicts the ranking potential of a website in search engine results based on quality and quantity of backlinks, content quality and quantity of backlinks and user engagement. Domain authority should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit to determine the website’s ability to rank well in search engine results.
Duplicate Content This refers to any instances of identical or nearly identical content across multiple pages on the website or across different websites. Duplicate content can confuse search engines and harm search engine rankings.
Follower A user who subscribes to a social media account's updates and content.
Engagement Interactions and actions taken by users on social media, such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks.
External Linking This refers to linking to other websites from the page. External links can provide additional value to the user and also help search engines understand the relevance and authority of the content.
Google Analytics A free web analytics service offered by Google that provides website traffic and performance data, including user behaviour and demographics.
Guest Blogging This refers to writing and publishing content on other websites with a link back to the website. Guest blogging can be a valuable tactic for building backlinks and increasing brand exposure, but it should be done carefully and not solely for the purpose of link building.
Hashtag A keyword or phrase preceded by the "#" symbol, used to categorise and discover content related to a specific topic.
Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) These are the headings and subheadings on the page that break up the content into sections. Proper use of headings can improve the readability and organization of the page and also help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of the content.
HTTPS/SSL This refers to using a secure, encrypted connection for the website. HTTPS can improve website security and is also a ranking factor for search engines.
Impressions The number of times a website appears in search results for a specific query. Impressions or the number of times a social media post or ad is displayed to users.
Indexed Pages This refers to the number of pages on a website that have been discovered and added to a search engine's index. When a search engine crawls a website, it identifies the pages that it considers relevant and valuable to users and adds those pages to its index so that they can be displayed in search results pages (SERPs).
Pages indexed is an important metric in SEO because it provides insight into the visibility of a website in search engine results pages. The more pages that are indexed by a search engine, the higher the likelihood that the website will appear in search results for relevant queries. However, it's important to note that just because a page is indexed, it doesn't mean that it will necessarily rank well in search results. SEO practitioners must also ensure that the content on indexed pages is optimized for relevant keywords, user intent, and search engine best practices to improve their ranking in search results pages.
Indexing The process of adding web pages to a search engine’s database, allowing them to appear in search results when relevant queries are entered.
Influencer Marketing This refers to working with influencers in the industry to promote the brand and its content. Influencer marketing can help increase brand exposure and reach new audiences, but it should be done authentically and not solely for the purpose of link building.
Internal Linking This refers to linking to other pages within the website. Internal linking can help users and search engines navigate the website and understand the relationship between pages.
International SEO This is focused on optimizing a website or online presence to rank in search results across multiple countries and languages. The goal of international SEO is to reach a global audience and expand a business’s reach and customer base across multiple markets.
Image Optimisation This refers to optimizing images on the page for search engines and users. This includes using descriptive filenames, alt tags, and proper image sizes to improve load times and accessibility.
Keyword A word or phrase used in web content and metadata to describe the topic of a web page and improve its visibility in search results.
Keyword Density The percentage of times a keyword appears in a web page’s content relative to the total number of words on the page.
Keyword Optimisation This refers to the use of relevant keywords throughout the page, including in the title, headings, content and meta tags. Proper use of keywords can improve search engine rankings, but overuse can result in penalties.
Keyword Research This is the process of identifying and analysing specific words and phrases that people use to search for information online. The purpose of keyword research is to understand how people search for information related to a particular topic or product, and to identify keywords that can be used to optimize content for search engines.
Keyword Stuffing The practice of adding an excessive number of keywords to a web page’s content or metadata in order to manipulate search rankings, considered a black hat SEO technique.
Lead Generation The process of capturing potential customer information, often through sign-ups or form submissions, for future marketing efforts.
Link Building The process of acquiring backlinks from other websites to improve a web page’s ranking in search results.
Local SEO This is focused on optimising a website or online presence to rank in local search results for a specific geographic location, such as a city or region. The goal of local SEO is to increase visibility for local businesses and drive foot traffic to physical locations.
Local SEO Citations This refers to the presence and accuracy of the business information on local directories and listings, such as Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Yelp, and Yellow Pages. Consistency and accuracy of business information across various platforms can help improve local search engine rankings and should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit.
Meta Description A brief summary of a web page's content that appears in search results and helps users decide whether to click on the link. Meta descriptions should accurately and concisely describe the content of the page and include relevant keywords to improve click-through rates.
Metrics Quantitative measurements used to analyse the performance of social media campaigns, such as engagement, reach, clicks, and conversions.
Mobile Friendliness & Responsiveness This refers to how well the website displays and functions on mobile devices. With mobile devices accounting for a significant portion of internet traffic, ensuring that a website is mobile-friendly is essential for improving user experience and search engine rankings.
National SEO This is focused on ranking a website or online presence in search results across the entire country. The goal of national SEO is to reach a larger audience and drive online traffic and sales for businesses that operate in multiple locations or have a national presence.
News Feed The main content area on social media platforms where users see updates from accounts they follow.
Off-Page SEO This refers to the practice of improving a website's visibility and authority through external means, such as link building, social media, and online directories. Off-page optimisation is an essential part of SEO as it helps establish your website's credibility and authority in the eyes of search engines and users.
On-Page SEO This refers to the practice of optimising individual web pages to rank higher in search engine results and earn more relevant traffic. This involves optimising content, title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, images, and other on-page elements to make the page more relevant and user-friendly for both search engines and users.
Online Reviews This refers to the reviews and ratings of the business on various platforms, such as Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Yelp, and Facebook. Positive reviews and high ratings can indirectly impact search engine rankings and should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit.
Organic Search Search results that appear naturally in response to a user's query, as opposed to paid search results.
Paid Social Media Advertising Promoting content or ads on social media platforms by paying for increased visibility and reach.
Page Rank A ranking system developed by Google that assigns a numerical value to web pages based on the quantity and quality of their backlinks.
Page Speed & Load Time This refers to how quickly the website loads and how long it takes for the website to fully load. Faster load times can improve user experience and search engine rankings, while slow load times can negatively impact both.
Page Titles This refers to the title of the webpage that appears in search engine results and in the browser tab. Page titles should be descriptive and include relevant keywords to help both search engines and users understand the content of the page.
Platform A specific social media website or app, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc.
Press Releases This refers to the distribution of news or updates about the business to various media outlets. Press releases can help increase brand awareness and indirectly impact search engine rankings, but they should be done carefully and not solely for the purpose of link building.
Reach The total number of unique users who see a specific social media post or ad.
Rich Media Content (video, audio, infographics) This refers to the use of multimedia content on the page to provide additional value and engage the user. Proper use of rich media content can improve user experience and also help the page stand out in search engine results.
Robots.txt – This is a file that instructs search engine bots which pages or parts of the website should not be crawled or indexed. Proper use of robots.txt can help search engines focus on relevant content and improve rankings.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – The process of improving the visibility and ranking of web pages in search engine results through various on-page and off-page techniques.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP) – This refers to the page displayed by a search engine in response to a user's query.
Server Response Codes – These are the codes returned by the server when a request is made to the website. Proper use of response codes can help search engines and users understand the status of the page and any issues that need to be addressed.
Share – To repost or forward someone else's social media content to your own network of followers.
Sitemap – This refers to a file that lists all the pages of a website to help search engines better understand its structure and content. It provides a clear roadmap of a website's structure and makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index the pages of the website.
In terms of SEO, having a sitemap is important because it helps search engines discover and index all the pages on a website. This is particularly important for large websites with many pages, as it can be difficult for search engines to discover all the pages on their own. By providing a sitemap, website owners and SEO practitioners can ensure that all pages on a website are easily discovered and indexed by search engines, which can lead to improved visibility and ranking in search results pages.
Additionally, sitemaps can include metadata about each page, such as the last time it was modified, the frequency of changes, and the priority of the page within the website's hierarchy. This information can help search engines better understand the importance and relevance of each page, which can further improve their visibility and ranking in search results pages.
In summary, having a sitemap is an important SEO best practice because it helps search engines discover and index all the pages on a website, and provides metadata that can improve the relevance and importance of each page in search engine results pages.)
Sitemap Submission This refers to the number of pages on a website that are included in a sitemap and have been submitted to a search engine.
Site Search Functionality This refers to the ability for users to search for content within the website. A functional search feature can improve user experience and help visitors find the content they are looking for more easily.
Social Media Presence This refers to the presence and activity of the brand on social media platforms. Social media signals such as likes, shares and followers can indirectly impact search engine rankings and should be analysed in an off-page SEO audit.
Social Listening Monitoring and analysing online conversations to gather insights and feedback about a brand or topic.
Social Sharing This refers to the ability for users to share the page on social media platforms. Social sharing can improve visibility and also serve as a signal of relevance and popularity to search engines.
Structured Data Markup This refers to adding schema markup to the website, which provides more context and information to search engines about the content of the page. Proper use of structured data can improve search engine rankings and visibility.
Target Audience The specific group of people that a brand aims to reach and engage with on social media.
Technical SEO This refers to the optimisation of a website's technical elements to improve website performance, user experience, its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). It involves optimising a website's structure, coding and backend elements to ensure that search engines can effectively crawl, index and understand the website's content. This includes optimizing website speed, mobile responsiveness, website security, website architecture, URL structure and structured data markup.
Title Tag An HTML element that specifies the title of a web page and appears in search results as the clickable headline.
Top Pages This refers to pages on a website that receive the most traffic from search results.
Top Queries These are the queries that drive the most traffic to your website from search results.
URL Structure This refers to the format and readability of URLs on the website. URLs should be descriptive, easy to understand, and include relevant keywords. Clear URLs help search engines and users understand the content of the page and improve click-through rates.
User Experience (UX) This refers to the overall experience that users have on the page. This includes factors such as load time, ease of navigation, readability and accessibility. Improving user experience can lead to improved rankings and user engagement.
User-Generated Content (UGC) Content created and shared by users that showcases their experiences and interactions with a brand.
Viral When a piece of content spreads rapidly and extensively across social media platforms.
Web Traffic The number of visitors a website receives from social media platforms.
Website Architecture & Navigation This refers to the structure of the website and how easy it is for search engine bots and users to navigate. A clear, intuitive site architecture can help search engines understand the content and relevance of each page, which can improve rankings and user experience.
White Hat SEO Ethical SEO techniques that follow search engine guidelines and improve user experience and relevance of web pages, such as creating high-quality content or optimizing page speed.
XML Sitemap This is a file that lists all the pages on a website and their relationships to each other. Submitting a sitemap to search engines can help them find and index all the pages on the website more efficiently.
Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) The point at which a consumer researches a product or service online before making a purchasing decision, often influenced by social media content and reviews.