Because there are tons of different jargon when it comes to SEO, it can become so confusing! SEO is one of those fields/topics that is constantly changing and the learning curve is so steep, it can become overwhelming. Quickly.
So I’m doing s series of “WTF is That?” with terms you need to know, but don’t want to read a bunch of boring shit about it. Quick info bites, if you will.
SEO Terms to Know
“It’s all Greek to me!’
It might seem trite, but really, SEO jargon can seem so obfuscated you just give up, slam the laptop close, and stomp away to another networking meeting. Maybe networking is your thing—but wouldn’t you like to sit at home for just a night, knowing your website is out there doing the heavy lifting?
But to know what you’re asking for, let’s go over the different terms and acronyms you’ll need for the SEO world, even if we’re just chatting about the things you need for your website. Don’t worry—if you don’t remember these terms, that’s okay. We’re patient.
The Not-So-Definitive List of SEO Terms
Keyword research
This is basically the process of putting yourself in your target audience’s shoes and trying to figure out what kind of search terms they would use to find your website. It’s like trying to read people’s minds, but for search engines!
On-page optimization:
This is like giving your web pages a spa day, but instead of massages and facials, you’re giving them a full makeover to make them more attractive to search engines. You want your web pages to look and feel their best, so they can stand out from the crowd and get noticed by Google.
Off-page optimization:
This is like networking for your website. You’re making connections with other websites and getting them to link back to your site. It’s like making new friends, but instead of meeting them at a party, you’re reaching out to other websites and asking them to promote your site.
Backlinks:
Think of backlinks like referrals from other websites. They’re like little votes of confidence that tell search engines that your website is trustworthy and authoritative. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more likely you are to rank higher in search results.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page):
This is like the scoreboard for SEO. It’s the page you see when you search for something on Google or another search engine. The goal of SEO is to get your website to show up as high as possible on the SERP, so more people will click on it.
Meta tags (title, description, keywords):
These are like little love notes to search engines. You’re telling them what your web page is about, and why it’s important. Meta tags are important because they help search engines understand the content on your web page and rank it accordingly.
Anchor text:
This is like the GPS for search engines. When you link to another page, you use anchor text to tell search engines what the link is about. It helps search engines understand the context of the link and how it’s related to your content.
Internal linking:
This is like a treasure map for search engines. You’re showing them where all the important pages on your website are located, and how they’re related to each other. Internal linking is important because it helps search engines crawl your site more efficiently and understand your site’s structure.
External linking:
This is like giving your website a little boost of credibility. When other websites link to your site, it tells search engines that your website is important and trustworthy. External linking is like getting a stamp of approval from other websites, and it can help improve your search rankings.
Sitemap:
This is like a table of contents for your website. It’s a map that shows search engines all the important pages on your site, and how they’re organized. A sitemap is important because it helps search engines crawl your site more efficiently and understand your site’s structure.
Robots.txt:
This is like a bouncer for your website. It’s a file that tells search engines which pages on your site they’re allowed to crawl, and which ones they should avoid. A robots.txt file is important because it helps you control which pages on your site get indexed by search engines.
Alt text:
This is like a description for your images. It’s the text that you add to your images to help search engines understand what the image is about. Alt text is important because it can help your images show up in search results, which can bring more traffic to your site. It’s also important to accessibility, which Google has confirmed is important to them.
Canonical URL:
This is like a hall pass for your web pages. It tells search engines which version of your page is the “official” one; it’s vital to have these signaled in your sitemap—otherwise, Google might decide for you…and you might not like it.
Duplicate content:
This is like copying someone else’s homework. It’s frowned upon in school, and it’s frowned upon in SEO. Duplicate content is when you have the same content on multiple pages of your site or on different websites. Search engines don’t like it because it can be confusing for users and make it harder to determine which page is the most relevant.
Crawlability:
This is like a scavenger hunt for search engines. Google actually calls it “spiders.” Imagine your website a web, and little spider bots trying to find every possible avenue. If the “spiders” can’t get from the outside to the center, and vice versa, so much can be lost.
Search engines crawl your website by following links from one page to another. Crawlability is the ability of search engines to access and crawl your website. If your website is crawlable, search engines can find all your pages and index them.
Indexability:
This is like being included in the yearbook. When search engines crawl your site, they’re creating an index of all your pages. Indexability is the ability of search engines to include your pages in their index. If your pages are indexable, they can show up in search results.
Page speed:
This is like the speed of a rollercoaster. People want to get to the end as quickly as possible. Page speed is how fast your web pages load. It’s important because users don’t like to wait, and neither do search engines. If your pages are slow, users may leave and search engines may not rank you as high.
Domain authority:
This is like your reputation in high school. Domain authority is a measure of how trustworthy and authoritative your website is. It’s based on factors like the number of high-quality backlinks you have, your content quality, and other factors. The higher your domain authority, the more likely you are to rank higher in search results.
Page authority:
This is like your reputation for a specific subject. Page authority measures how trustworthy and authoritative a specific page on your site is. It’s based on factors like the number of backlinks to that page, its content quality, and other factors. The higher the page authority, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results. It can be difficult to raise your domain authority, so don’t fret if it doesn’t happen immediately.
Google Analytics:
This is like a report card for your website. Google Analytics is a tool that helps you track your website’s traffic and performance. It can show you how many people are visiting your site, where they’re coming from, and what they’re doing on your site.
Google Search Console:
This is like a doctor’s checkup for your website. Google Search Console is a tool that helps you monitor and maintain your site’s presence in Google search results. It can show you which pages are indexed, which ones have errors, and other important information.
Organic search:
This is like the healthy option on a menu. Organic search results are the non-paid listings that show up in search results. They’re based on relevance and quality, not advertising dollars. Organic search traffic is important because it’s free and can bring high-quality traffic to your site.
Paid search (PPC):
This is like ordering takeout. Paid search is when you pay to show up at the top of search results. You bid on keywords and pay each time someone clicks on your ad. Paid search can be a good option if you need to get traffic quickly or want to target specific keywords.
Click-through rate (CTR):
This is like getting someone to say yes to a date. CTR is the percentage of people who click on your search result compared to the total number of impressions. A high CTR means more people are clicking on your result, which can lead to more traffic and better rankings.
Conversion rate:
This is like getting someone to say yes to a marriage proposal. Conversion rate is when a client on the SERP decides to not only visit your site but also decide to purchase your services. It’s a good feeling!
