At Keyword Hunter, we provide low-cost keyword research services to UK businesses. Understanding SEO can be daunting, especially with the plethora of technical terms. This guide breaks down SEO acronyms, terms, and abbreviations into easy-to-understand concepts.
SEO Terms: Table of Contents
Most Important SEO Terms
SEO: Search Engine Optimisation
Definition: Optimising a website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines. SEO includes multiple strategies aimed at increasing organic traffic.
SERP: Search Engine Results Page
Definition: The page a search engine displays in response to a user’s query. Each SERP includes organic results and may contain paid ads, featured snippets, and other features.
Keyword
Definition: A specific phrase users enter into search engines to find relevant information.
Backlink
Definition: A hyperlink from one website to another. High-quality backlinks from authoritative websites significantly impact search engine rankings.
Ranking
Definition: The position of a web page in search engine results for a specific keyword. Higher rankings usually result in more organic traffic.
Organic Traffic
Definition: Non-paid traffic generated from search engine results. Organic traffic is a key indicator of SEO performance.
Crawling
Definition: The process search engines use to discover and index web pages. Crawler bots visit websites, follow links, and collect information to update search engine indexes.
Indexing
Definition: The process search engines use to add web pages to their database so they can appear in search results.
SEO Terms: Keyword Research
LSI Keywords
Definition: Latent Semantic Indexing keywords are semantically related terms that help search engines understand the context of a website or web page.
Search Volume
Definition: The average number of times a specific keyword is searched for within a given timeframe.
Long Tail Keywords
Definition: Longer, more specific keyword phrases typically containing three or more words. They usually have a lower search volume, which can result in higher conversion rates.
Short Tail Keywords
Definition: Short, general keywords that often have high search volume and high competition.
Competitor Analysis
Definition: Analysing the strategies and performance of competing websites in search results.
SEO Terms: On-Page SEO
Title Tag
Definition: An HTML element that specifies the title of a web page. Title tags are displayed in search results and browser tabs.
Meta Description
Definition: A summary of a web page’s content in search results.
Internal Linking
Definition: The practice of linking from one page to another on the same website. Internal links distribute authority and help user navigation.
Keyword Optimisation
Definition: The strategic selection and placement of keywords to increase the chance of a page ranking for relevant search queries.
SEO Terms: Off-Page SEO
Link Building
Definition: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from other websites to improve search engine rankings.
Domain Authority (DA)
Definition: A proprietary metric from Moz that predicts how well a domain will rank based on backlinks, content quality, and relevance.
Technical SEO
URL Structure
Definition: The format of web addresses. Proper URL structure can affect user experience and search engine crawling.
User Experience (UX)
Definition: The overall experience a user has when interacting with a website. A poor user experience can impact engagement and SEO performance.
Robots.txt
Definition: A text file that directs how search engines crawl and index a website.
SEO Metrics and KPIs
Bounce Rate
Definition: The percentage of visitors who navigate away from a site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate low-quality content or poor user experience.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Definition: The ratio of users who click on a link after viewing it in search results. CTR is used to measure the performance of meta tags.
Conversion Rate
Definition: The percentage of users who complete a desired action, like purchasing or filling out a form.
For more detailed explanations of SEO concepts and best practices, visit Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO. (opens an external link)
Looking for Keyword Research Services?
At Keyword Hunter, our low-cost keyword research services aim to simplify these concepts for UK businesses, helping you achieve better rankings and more organic traffic. For more details or personalised assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us!