SEO Glossary: Terms Reference Guide What You Need to Know

SEO Terms Reference Guide. Simple Definitions to Common Search Engine Optimization Terms. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a confusing subject filled with terminology that you need to understand in order to implement the SEO techniques that are thought to boost search traffic to your blog. Following is a
quick reference guide that provides easy to understand definitions to common search engine optimization terms so you can start implementing SEO techniques as soon as you hear about them rather than wondering what they mean.

Key Points

Algorithm

An algorithm is a finite set of rules created to deliver a specific result. Search engines like Google use proprietary algorithms to deliver the best web page results based on keywords users type into the search bar in an attempt to find related content.

Alt-Tag

The Alt-Tag (short for Alternate-Tag) is a piece of HTML code that is used to display text instead of an image when the corresponding image cannot be displayed in a visitor’s web browser. It is thought that text used within the alt-tag is reviewed in Google’s search algorithm.

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the text within a text link on a web page. It is the clickable text that leads to another web page.
It is thought that anchor text is reviewed in Google’s search algorithm.

Backlink

A backlink (also called an incoming link) is a link on a website that goes directly to a page on your own blog. Backlinks are thought to be reviewed in Google’s search algorithm (i.e., sites with a lot of backlinks must have great content or no one would link to them) and backlinks that use keywords are thought to be particularly useful for search engine optimization.

Duplicate Content

Duplicate content is considered blocks of text that apear multiple times on the same website (or blog) or across multiple sites. It is thought that sites with duplicate content are penalized in Google’s search algorithm.

Heading Tags

Heading tags are used within blog posts or web content to divide it into sections and can add visual relief by breaking up long blocks of text. However, they are also thought to be reviewed in Google’s search algorithm.

Incoming Link

Incoming link is another way to refer to a backlink as defined above.

Keyword Density

Keyword density is calculated by dividing the number of times a keyword is used on a web page by the number of words on that page in total. It is thought that keyword density is reviewed in Google’s algorithm.

Keyword Stuffing

Since keyword density has been reviewed in Google’s algorithm, spammers began stuffing pages with their chosen keywords over and over again. This spam tactic is referred to as keyword stuffing and Google penalizes sites that are caught doing it.

Linkbait

Linkbait (or link bait) refers to a blog post or piece of web content that was written for the sole purpose of attracting large volumes of search traffic and incoming links which are thought to be reviewed in Google’s algorithm. Link bait posts are usually written about hot, trending topics.

Long-Tail Search Engine Optimization

Long-tail search engine optimization refers to creating extremely targeted and specific content that is intended to attract a niche audience using very specific keyword searches. The goal is to attract highly interested search visitors to the site who are likely to share content and return instead of attracting larger volumes of traffic that is likely to just click away and never return again.

NoFollow Tag

The NoFollow Tag is a piece of HTML code that makes a link invisible to search engines. When inserted within the link code on a blog or website, search engines won’t “see” or index the link or the information within the link for search engine keyword rankings.

Page Rank

Page rank is a term used by Google to rate the importance of pages within a blog or Web site in order to deliver the best results for keyword searches.

SERP

SERP is an acronym for search engine results page and refers to the page of results that a person gets after typing keywords into a search engine like Google and clicking the Enter button. Using search engine optimization techniques, website and blog owners attempt to boost their search engine results rankings, so they appear on the first page of a search engine results page for keywords related to their site or content.