SEO Glossary

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301 Redirect

Applying a 301 redirect allows a visitor to be redirected from an old page to a new one. When changing a web address, enable this tool to make sure that search engines have up to date information and that visitors who saved or linked the old web page can find the new one easily.

404

This error message appears when a URL cannot be located.

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Algorithm

Search engines employ algorithms in order to properly order and calculate your query’s indexed web pages. Web pages are listed by relevancy. Search algorithms are protected to ensure that the results will not be used by others and are also improved and updated often. In mathematics, an algorithm is an ordered set of steps used to solve a problem.

Algorithmic Results

The results of search algorithms are termed Organic Listings as they are ranked by most relevant as opposed to Paid Listings, which pay search engines for advertising their page. When a user sends a query, algorithmic results are produced. Some search engines include both organic and paid Listings. The process for improving organic search results is called Natural Search Engine Optimization.

Alt Tag

If a cursor is put over an image or if one is loading, the alt tag is the HTML that appears.

Alt Text

A tool in Search Engine Optimization which incorporates the keywords used to respond to a user query.

Analytics

Analytics are the technological, programming and data aspects of Search Engine Marketing. This technique helps a website to figure out how well it is performing or to measure how successful a particular campaign has been.

Anchor Text

Anchor text serves as a clickable link between tags and HTML anchors to link to a seperate website. Since this text is interpreted by search algorithms that link to the landing page, it is an essential tool in Search Engine Optimization.

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Backlinks

Back links are links that are found on other websites and direct a user to your site when clicked. They are also referred to as backward links and inbound links. When the backlinks contain anchor text they can help elevate the rank of your site, increasing its popularity.

Banned

A banned site is removed from the index of a search engine and ignored. Usually the reason for this is that the URL was involved in Black Hat SEO. Banned sites are also called delisted or blacklisted sites.

Banner Ad –

A common type of advertising online, the majority of banner ads are rectangular graphics measuring around 468 pixels wide and 60 pixels high. When clicked on, the banner ad will direct a user to the website or landing page of the advertiser.

Black Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO is the name for the practice of unethical search engine optimization techniques such as Spam, Cloaking, or other rules violations. A site found to have engaged in Black Hat SEO will be removed from a search engine’s index.

Blacklisted

Blacklisted sites do not appear in the index of a search engine. A blacklisted site will not show up on search results.
Broken Link: Also called a dead link, this type of link does not lead to an active website landing page. Maintaining up-to-date and active links is a vital tool in optimization.
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Canonical URL: By specifying a URL as canonical, it helps search engines to know that the URL in question is the best page for someone to access when looking for a particular piece of information.
Click Fraud: Click Fraud occurs when revenue sharing agreements such as Cost-Per-Click (CPC) or Pay-Per-Click (PPC) are manipulated illegally. Typically, this occurs when a site earning money for each time a visitor clicks on the published ad links on a page pays the users to click those ads. These users have no interest in the product or service being advertised. This practice has resulted in class action suits against search engines like Yahoo! and Google. Because these search engines get ad revenue, the lawsuits allege that stopping click fraud has not been made a priority because of the financial gains involved.
Click-Through: A Click-Through involves a user selecting either a site listing or an ad link and arriving at the designated landing page. One of the main goals of Search Engine Optimization is to increase a site’s Click-Through Rate, or CTR.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of online visitors who click an ad or web listing link out of the total number of visitors who see it. For example, if five out of ten individuals click through, the CTR is 50%.
Cloaking: Cloaking involves presenting a search engine Spider with different pages to give the appearance of varying content, even though a live browser would not see any differences in content. This trick is often done with the intention of either fooling individuals to click on a website or to get a higher ranking within the search engine. This is an example of Black Hat SEO and could call for the offender to be blacklisted. Legitimate use of cloaking includes sites that generate personalized site content using information such as the IP address of a particular browser or the HTTP header of a user-agent. If this form of cloaking is engaged in, it is important to make a search engine aware, otherwise it may interpret the action as illegitimate or unethical.
Contextual Link Inventory (CLI): Different entities such as search engines or advetising networks will use CLI in order to find any relevant keywords and text links and match this information with their advetisement or the content on their website. When an ad-server finds what it thinks are relevant keywords on websites, this information can be translated into a CLI. To narrow down the inventory and make it even more relevant, networks also pay attention to the CTR of their published ads.

Conversion

Conversion occurs whenever a user who visits a website acts in any significant way, such as purchasing a product or service, registering a new account or requesting more information.

Conversion Analytics

One branch in the area of Analytics that is focused on conversion information received from user traffic on both organic and paid search engine listings. This data includes the search engines that are used, the type of conversion a user engaged in, paths to a landing page or query keywords.

Conversion Rate

After Click-Through Rate comes Conversion rate, or the percentage of visitors who convert on a particular website. This conversion can mean either purchasing, registering or asking for more information. As with calculating CTR, conversion rate percentage is taken out of the total number of visitors who accessed a website on a given day. For example, if out of ten visitors, two purchase something and three more register, the conversion rate is 50%.

Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA)

A way to measure return on investment. CPA is calculated by taking the total number of aquisitions costs (number of clicks or the total costs of marketing) and dividing this amount by the total number of conversions. Cost-Per-Action is also shortened to CPA.

Cost-Per-Action (CPA)

An ad revenue system that charges adverisers a fee based on conversion, such as whenever a site visitor makes a purchase, orders a free trial or registers for an account.

Cost-Per-Click (CPC)

Cost-Per-Click, also called pay-for-performance or pay-per-click is a system where advertisers pay a specific amount of money for each time a site user clicks on their ad. While advertisers consider CPC to be more of a cost efficient system than a system like Cost-Per-Thousand, Click Fraud can sometimes arise with CPC.

Cost-Per-Thousand (CPM) –

Cost-Per-Thousand, also called cost-per-impression or cost-per-mille, is a system where advertisers pay search engines or ad networks a specific amount of money for every one thousand visitors who see the ads. Neither click-through nor conversion rates are considered under this system, which is usually used in the sale of Banner Ads. The CPC system is more commonplace for text link ads.

Crawler

A crawler, also called a Robot or Spider, scours the web for data, follows links, saves URLs and makes copies of updated or new websites. This kind of search engine program helps keep listings as up-to-date as possible and allows search results to be generated quickly.

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Delisted

When a site is delisted, its URL no longer appears on the index of a search engine. These sites are also called banned or blacklisted sites. Often the reason for their removal is because of Black Hat SEO actions.

Description Tag

Also called meta description tags, this HTML paragraph briefly describes the content of a page. This information is used for search engine indexing. This tag won’t show up on the actual website but may show up on a search listing. They have decreased in importance as search engines put more emphasis on page content than on the description tags.
Directory: A website index put together by individuals instead of a Crawler that provides a relevant list of websites based on user search queries. Some examples include Yahoo!, LookSmart and The Open Directory Project. A directory can either be general or contain categories and subcategories. Being registered in a directory improves SEO performance and also helps to build up inbound links. With directories, editors instead of algorithms determine the category or rank of a website. Some directories charge sites for the listing, while others offer free listings.

Domain

A Domain is the main address of your website. Domain names should be renewed and maintained in order to optimize ranking on search engines and to show commitment. The longer a domain name is registered, the better.
Doorway Page: Also called a jump or gateway page, a doorway page is a URL that provides very little content that is highly specified with specific keywords to achieve a high search engine ranking. When clicked, this URL will direct a visitor to the Landing page of a website. Doorway pages can help determine how successful an advertising or promotional campaign has been. Although usually acceptable in Paid Listings, not all search engines are fond of doorway pages, as some consider them a less insidious type of Spam or Cloaking.

Dynamic Content

Web content dependent upon visitor activity and/or database information. One example of dynamic content is Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS.) While dynamic content pages change, static content pages always remain the same. Purchase history can guide dynamic content on some sites. Session ID numbers should be avoided since it makes it hard for search engines to index dynamic content pages. Search engines will strike back against websites that engage in deception when developing dynamic content.

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Flash Optimization

Flash is a Macromedia animation program that is based on graphics. A majority of sites use Flash, but sites that display more Flash than HTML text sometimes can’t be detected by search engine crawlers which are designed to read and index HTML. The process of Flash Optimization involves changing HTML code and reworking the Flash graphics on a page in order for the information to be discovered by crawlers.

The Fold

A website fold is the section of a page that is cut off by a browser window or computer monitor. Users need to scroll down to see content below the fold, so this content is not seen right away. Search engines prioritize above-the-fold content because this content is immediately viewed by visitors to a site.
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Gateway Page: A gateway page is also referred to as a doorway or jump page. It consists of a URL that features very sparse content and targeted keywords. This URL is designed with the aim of getting a high ranking and when clicked redirects users to a specified landing page.

Geographical Targeting

A type of Search Engine Marketing that adds the names of states, counties, neighborhoods, streets and cities to keywords in order to make a site more noticeable on local search websites.

Geographic Segmentation

An Analytics tool that categorizes site visitors by their geographical locations.
Google AdSense: A Google program providing website owners with multimedia advertising that is relevant to web page content. Advertisers must register with Google AdWords and choose a pay model like Pay-Per-Click, Cost-Per-Thousand, or Cost-Per-Action basis.Google displays site-appropriate ads by analyzing the content on the website, query relevancy, search algorithms, Contextual Link Inventory and other tools.

Google AdWords

A Keyword Submission program operated by Google which figures out what keywords and ad rates will be used in Google AdSense. Advertisers interested in participating in Google AdSense will submit bids on relevant keywords. The ads are ranked and show up as a sponsored link on both Google AdSense host websites and Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS.)

Graphical Search Inventory (GSI)

Graphical Search Inventory is similar to Contextual Link Inventory but is based upon visual advertising such as pop-ups, Banner Ads, video/sound/animation, and other similar types of media that relate to relevant keywords.

Gray Hat SEO

Gray Hat SEO refers to Search Engine Optimization practices falling into a gray area between legitimate (White Hat SEO) and illegitimate (Black Hat SEO.) Some of the tools considered to be Gray Hat SEO include duplicated web content, Cloaking and Doorway or Gateway Pages.
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Hidden Text: Hidden Text is a type of Black Hat SEO consisting of a webpage that hosts text that can’t be seen by visitors because it is the same color as the site background. While users can’t see this text, it is detectable to crawlers. This technique results in a site being blacklisted or its rank being lowered. Hidden Text is not used much anymore, as other alternatives such as Multiple Title Tags and HTML comments now exist.

Hit

A Hit is way to measure web traffic on a website. This method can be inaccurate however, since hits are recorded by looking at the number of file requests in the access log of a server. For example, if a visitor is on a website that features multiple images, hits are recorded for each image, as well as for the HTML on the site. A preferred way to measure the amount of web traffic is to look at the quantity of pages or HTML files that a visitor accesses.
HTML: HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, the codes or tags used by a website in creating online pages. A browser treats HTML like a set of instructions for structuring the information on a page.
Hyperlink: A Hyperlink is also called a link or an HTML link and it consists of either a grapnic or piece of text that a user can click on to access a seperate webpage or another section of the same page. In Search Engine Optimization, Inbound Links are made with relevant keywords in order to maximize page rank or visibility.
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Index: The database of a Search Engine is known as an Index. This Index contains copies of web pages and any information collected by a Crawler. When a query is submitted by a web user, a search engine looks through its list of indexed pages as well as its algorithm in order to generate a list of web pages ranked by their relevancy. In a Directory, an Index also contains summaries and names of sites that have registered with the directory and that have been ranked and categorized by editors.

Inbound Links

Inbound Links are also called backlinks or backward links and consists of the links featured on other web pages that when clicked by a user will take them to a specific web site. When inbound links also contain Anchor Text and relevant keywords that are tailored to your site (particularly if this information is listed on other top-ranked sites,) the site’s search engine ranking can be greatly improved.
Impression: An Impression is an instance of an advertisement displayed on a webpage. These ads and the number of users who click on them are tracked so advertisers are charged the appropriate Cost-Per-Thousand fees.

Internet Marketing

Internet marketing is not just using an online platform in order to reach a target audience or encourage purchases – it involves using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve site ranking. SEO makes use of keywords, submissions on search engines, link networks and crawler information in order to increase the Position, rank or Click-Through-Rate of a website
Internet Marketing Consultant: These professionals are also called SEO specialists and use Search Engine Optimization techniques and strategies to elevate the site position and rank of a client.

Internet Promotion

Internet Promotion is also called search engine promotion, website promotion or website marketing and involves the techniques used in promoting a website and elevating its Page Rank and Position.
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Javascript: A kind of scripting language that lets the admins of a site change the content of a page or site while web users are browsing on it. Although some search engines can struggle with deciphering Javascript content, their efforts are gradually improving.
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Keyword: A Keyword is also called a search or query term and is made up of any phrases or words entered by a web user visiting a search engine. Sites are ranked by Search Engine Results Page (SERP) based on how relevant the site content is to the keywords searched. Using relevant, targeted keywords is among the most important SEO tool that sites can use.
Keyword Marketing: An important aspect of Search Engine Optimization, keyword marketing uses content and Link Text that is keyword specific in order to increase site ranking and highlight how relevant a website is depending on what keywords are used. Google AdSense is one program that uses keywords to generate ads on a site.

Keyword Submission

An all-encompassing term for the strategies and steps taken by companies who plan to launch campaigns based on keywords. These steps include the research and selection of relevant keywords and the budgeting and cost assessment of advertising bids. The campaigns launched by these companies are charged on a Pay-Per-Click basis. Ad networks offering this include Google AdWords, Microsoft AdCenter, and Yahoo! Sponsored Search.

Keyword Stuffing

“Keyword stuffing” refers to the practice of loading a webpage with keywords or numbers in an attempt to manipulate a site’s ranking in Google search results. Often these keywords appear in a list or group, or out of context (not as natural prose). Filling pages with keywords or numbers results in a negative user experience, and can harm your site’s ranking. Focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and in context.

Examples of keyword stuffing include:

Lists of phone numbers without substantial added value
Blocks of text listing cities and states a webpage is trying to rank for
Repeating the same words or phrases so often that it sounds unnatural, for example:
We sell custom cigar humidors. Our custom cigar humidors are handmade. If you’re thinking of buying a custom cigar humidor, please contact our custom cigar humidor specialists at custom.cigar.humidors@example.com.

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Landing Page: When a web user clicks a listing on a search engine, an ad or a link, the Landing Page is the page the user is directed to. This landing page can either be a homepage for a website or a more specific page targeted toward users who Click-Through on links or ads. Website traffic is monitored with the help of landing pages. This helps to measure how effective an ad campaign has been and is an important tool in Search Engine Marketing. A landing page that is made with relevant keywords can increase a site’s Conversion Rate.

Link

A Link is also called an HTML lnk or a hyperlink and can be made up of either an image or text that when clicked directs a visitor to a specific page either on a different site or on a different portion of the same site. Administrators practicing Search Engine Optimization use link text with relevant keywords and Inbound Links as part of their strategy.
Link Baiting: A White Hat SEO tool where content is created in order to attract a user to be directed to a site by clicking a link found on a different site. Link bait varies greatly and can include anything from informative stories to controversial articles. This technique increases a page’s rank and popularity. Websites sometimes use link baiting in their marketing campaigns.

Link Exchange

In a Link Exchange, two websites agree to link to each others pages in a quid pro quo fashion. Typically, the links lead web users to a site’s homepage.

Link Farm

A Link Farm consists of one or more webpages that increase Backlinks in the link network of a website. They are used to elevate the rank of a page within a search engine, but search engines also consider them Spam. If a website is found to place a lot of emphasis on link farms, search engines will retaliate.

Link Popularity

– Link Popularity is measured by how many relevant Backlinks from reputable sites are present on a page. The nature of the sites is important, since a higher page rank is gained via the connection to good sites and not to Link Farms. The popularity of these links is used in many search engine algorithms.
Link Text: Link text is text that can be clicked on and connects to another site. It is also kinown as anchor text and is a key feature in Search Engine Optimization, as algorithms generated by search engines look at the relevancy of keyword links and landing pages.

Listings

A listing is a group of sites indexed by rank order that appears when a web user submits a query. These sites appear on Search Engine Results Pages.

Local Search

Local Search includes adding keywords that target geographical locations like streets and cities. Local Search also includes search engines that feature a geographical focus like AskCity, Google Maps and Yahoo! Local. These websites allow users to search businesses in their area and group them via zipcode. This is important to brick and mortar businesses since sites like these, known as Search Engine Placement Services, help the businesses be more visible to local customers browsing on the web.
Long Tail Keyword: A Long Tail Keyword is a keyword that is not searched frequently or is not very common. Targeting these types of keywords can benefit smaller businesses, since more common keywords are used by many sites and the competition makes it that much harder to achieve a high page rank on a search engine.

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Marketing Analytics

A variety of Analytics that focuses on marketing information gathered from both paid and organic searches and web traffic. Some elements of Marketing Analytics include Search Engine Marketing, Cost-Per-Click ads, keyword sites, Click Fraud and Unique Visitors.

Meta Description Tag

A Meta Description Tag is also called a description tag and consists of a brief HTML paragraph that describes the content of a page. This description helps search engines index the site and does not show up on the actual site. Whether the meta description shows up on a listing can vary, but most search engines place more value on page content than on these tags.

Meta Keywords Tag

Meta Keywords Tags consists of relevant keyword listings provided to search engines in order to improve page rank and make sure a site is indexed properly. These tags currently not as important to search engines as the content on a webpage.
Meta Robots Tag: Meta Robots Tags get their name from search engine Robots or Crawlers and allow site administrators to block their webpage from being indexed by a search engine. This can also be achieved by using tools like password protection and Robots.txt files.

Meta Search Engine

A Meta Search Engine provides a summary of search results received from a variety of search engines. One example is Dogpile.com. Unlike a regular search engine, a meta search engine does not index sites.
Meta Tags: A Meta Tag is an HTML tag that site administrators put on a site in order to provide information to Crawlers or browsers. Information on meta tags can include Description Tags, Meta Keyword Tags, Meta Robot Tags, copyright information, redirection guidelines and the dates when the page was refreshed.

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Natural Listings (or Natural Optimization)

Natural Listings are also called organic listings and show up on Search Engine Results Pages once an algorithm used by the search engine considers the listing to be relevant to the search terms submitted by a user. If a Paid Listing is also relevant to a query, they can also appear on a results page. Natural Search Engine Optimization is a method of improving the natural listing position of a website.
Natural Search Engine Optimization: This technique goes by many names, including organic search engine optimization, natural optimization and White Hat SEO. It focuses on copy and tags that center on relevant keywords. Natural Search Engine Optimization also considers sites that are maintained to be friendly to Crawlers, submissions on search engines, and Backlinks on reputable websites. All of these factors help to improve the rank, Click-Through Rate and page position of a website. Natural Listings are very important, since approximately 80% of visitors look at these first. This also means that focusing on natural SEO, as opposed to Paid Listings or Pay-Per-Click ads can provide more long-term success for a business.
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Optimization Services: A series of methods used by a Search Engine Optimization Company in order to elevate the page rank and position of a website, as well as its Click-Through and Conversion rates. Optimization Services are also called internet promotion, search engine placement services and site optimization.
Organic Listings (or Organic Optimization): Organic Listings will appear on a search engine’s results page if the algorithm used by the search engine finds the listing to be relevant enough to a user query. If a Paid Listing is also deemed relevant, they may be included in Organic Listings also. Organic Listings are also called natural listings and the method of elevating the organic listing position of a website is called Natural Search Engine Optimization.

Outbound Links

Outbound links consist of the links on a webpage that link to other pages and pages that are in the same domain as the webpage. Too many outbound links on a site can be considered by a Spider to be a Link Farm, and this can lower the site’s position on a search engine.

Page Rank (or PR): PageRank is a algorithmic method of analyzing links that was created by the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It works by assigning webpages with a number from one to ten (one being the lowest and ten being the highest,) in order to measure the likelihood of a web user getting to the page by clicking links randomly. The PageRank measures the importance of a page by this measure, and it differs from Rank.

Paid Inclusion

A search engine advertising program that guarantees a site’s inclusion on a search engine’s index if the site pays a fee. Paid Inclusion pages are ranked by the algorithm employed by the search engine – this differs from Paid Placement sites. Policies vary by search engine, but in some cases Paid Inclusion sites will be labeled as advertising.

Paid Listings

Paid Listings are listings that appear on a search engine’s results page because the site paid for either its position or inclusion. This differs from natural or organic listings which appear on a results page based on relevancy to a user’s query. The term Paid Listings encompasses both Paid Inclusion and Paid Placement practices.
Paid Placement: Paid Placement guarantees that a listing will show up on a search engine’s results page if a user searches specific keywords. Paid Placement listings are ranked via competitive bids from advertisers. Paid Placement listings are labeled as either sponsored links or ads. They differ from Paid Inclusion listings because Paid Placement listings are not displayed alongside natural listings. Among the largest networks that practice paid placement are Yahoo! Search Marketing and Google.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC): Pay-Per-Click is one kind of search engine ad revenue system where companies pay for each time their ad is clicked on. PPC is also called pay-for-performance or cost-per-click. Although this system can result in Click Fraud, some companies consider PPC to be a better value than other revenue systems like Cost-Per-Thousand.
Position: Position is also called rank and is the area of an Algorithmic Results page where a website is listed. These pages are generated as a keyword-generated response to a user query. Studies show that the majority of web users will only click listings ranked on the first results page. Since each page contains only ten coveted listings, if a business wants to be ranked in the top ten, they will usually seek out the help of a company specializing in Professional Search Engine Optimization.
Position Reporting: Position reporting tracks daily changes in the positions of URLs that have been indexed by search engines and targeted by specific keywords. This data generates a Search Engine Ranking Report that can be used by a Search Engine Optimization Company.
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Query –: A query can refer to the keywords enterted by a user into a search box or to a general question. A query is generated by considering the most relevant terms or keywords in the index of a search engine.
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Rank: Rank is also called position and is the area of an Algorithmic Results page where a website is listed. These pages are generated as a keyword-generated response to a user query. Studies show that the majority of web users will only click listings ranked on the first results page. Since each page contains only ten coveted listings, if a business wants to be ranked in the top ten, they will usually seek out the help of a company specializing in Professional Search Engine Optimization.
Reciprocal Link Exchange: Also called a Link Exchange, a Reciprocal Link Exchange consists of two websites that agree to link to each others pages in a quid pro quo fashion. Typically, the links lead web users to a site’s homepage.

Registration

Registration is also called search engine submission or search engine registration. The process of registration involves submitting a URL to be included in the Index of a Directory or a Search Engine. Registration is an essential element of Search Engine Optimization and can either be free of charge or require a fee.

Results Page

A Results Page or search engine results page provides users with a group of rank listings generated as a response to queries.
Robot: A Robot is another name for a Crawler or a Spider. A Robot is used by search engines to collect web data, make copies of websites, follow links and save URLs in an Index. This tool ensures that search engine listings are up-to-date.

Robots.txt

A Robots.txt is also called a robots exclusion protocol and consists of a text-based file saved on the root directory of a website. These files inform crawlers as to what information should be added to an Index, though crawlers do not always act on this information. Alternatives to this tool include using password protection on a site, or creating a Meta Robots Tag.
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SEO Specialist: SEO Specialists use various search engine optimization strategies in order to elevate the Page Rank or page position of a client. They are also called SEO professionals or Internet marketing consultants.

SEO Strategies

SEO Strategies encompass all of the Search Engine Optimization tools employed to elevate the Page Rank, position and Click-Through Rate of a client. Strategies include doing research on vital keywords, writing content, improving HTML codes and employing Geographical Targeting.
Search Engine: A website where visitors can submit a Query and receive crawler-gathered results from the site’s index. This index contains a variety of websites and the keywords relevant to the sites. How a site is ranked on a Search Engine Results Page is determined by either the algorithms used by a search engine, or whether Paid Listing sites have made the necessary payments in order to be listed. When a search engine ranks websites by relevancy alone, these sites are considered natural listings.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Search Engine Marketing includes all the different tools used to market sites on search engines. These include Natural Search Engine Optimizatiion and forms of advertising like Pay-Per-Click.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): When a site undergoes Search Engine Optimization, it is changed and improved with the intention of elevating its ranking on a results page. Professionals do this by creating quality content and links, and sending Submissions to directories and search engines.
Search Engine Optimization Software Systems: Systems that help marketers or site administrators to get website information and facilitate submissions by customizing them. These systems can also generate automatic submissions, but it is preferable to instead tailor submissions to the individuals search engines to make sure the rules and regulations are adhered to.
Search Engine Optimization Strategy: A customized SEO plan used to promote a client’s website.

Search Engine Placement

Site Optimization techniques employed to elevate the rank of a client’s website. An alternative definition of Search Engine Placement refers to the results page position of a site.
Search Engine Placement Services: Techniques used by Search Engine Optimization companies to increase the position and Page Rank of a client’s site, as well as their Click-Through and Conversion rates. Search Engine Placement Services go by a variety of names including site optimization, optimization services or internet promotion.
Search Engine Positioning: There are two definitions for Search Engine Positioning. One is the process that orders and ranks websites on an index. These sites are ranked using an algorithm and the results are tailored to consider those most relevant to a user’s query. Another definition is the general practice of using Search Engine Optimization to increase the position of a site on a search engine results page.
Search Engine Ranking Report: A record that can be generated on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and alerts a client to the position of their website. Site position is determined in part by relevant top keywords. A Search Engine Ranking Report helps a client determine how successful a particular SEO strategy or advertising campaign has been.
Search Engine Registration: An element of Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Registration is the term for the process of submitting a URL to be included in the Index of a search engine or a directory. Registration can either be free (and often is) but in certain cases a fee is charged. Search Engine Registration is also called web submission or search engine submission.

Search Engine Results Page (SERPs)

A grouping of listings organized by rank that appear as an answer to a user query entered into a search engine. SERPS is also called a results page.
Search Engine Submission: An element of Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Submission is the term for the process of submitting a URL to be included in the Index of a search engine or a directory. Submission can either be free (and often is) but in certain cases a fee is charged. Search Engine Submission is also called web submission or search engine registration.

Search Terms

The words or phrases entered into a search engine query by a web user. Once submitted, a SERP appears displaying the indexed sites that have been ranked by relevancy to the search term. This is a vital SEO strategy for companies to focus on – listing targeted terms on their sites can serve as a way to reach out to a greater number of potential customers. Search terms are also called query terms or keywords.
Semantic Search: Semantic search seeks to improve search accuracy by understanding the searcher’s intent and the contextual meaning of terms as they appear in the searchable dataspace, whether on the Web or within a closed system, to generate more relevant results.
Site Optimization: Techniques used in Search Engine Optimization in order to improve the Page Rank, Position, Conversion Rate and Click-Through Rate of a client’s website. Site Optimization is also referred to as a search engine placement service, optimization services, or internet promotion.
Spam: A Black Hat SEO technique that goes against the guidelines on a search engine. Often Spam is used to try and elevate a page’s Rank, but this is attempted by using content that does not offer much to users, or worse – deceptive information. Examples of Spam are repetitive keywords, Cloaking, Doorway Pages which always lead to the same page, and Hidden Text. If a site is caught spamming, a search engine will either lower its position on their results page or even blacklist the site so it no longer shows up in listings.
Spider: A Spider is another is name for a Crawler or a Robot and refers to a search engine tool used to collect web data, make copies of websites, follow links and save URLs in an Index. Spiders help keep listings up-to-date and allow search results to be generated quickly for users.

Submission

The process of submitting a URL to be included in the Index of a search engine or a directory. This tool is an element of Search Engine Optimization. Often, sites can submit their URLs free of charge, but in some cases a fee is charged. Submission is also called Search Engine Registration.

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Title Tags

An HTML tag featuring descriptive text regarding a website’s content. Title Tags are very valuable in Search Engine Optimization because of how often the tags are used to connect to websites on a results page. An effective title tag includes strategic search terms that will entice users to visit the site and will also help with proper indexing.
Three-Way Link Exchange: A Reciprocal Link Exchange agreed upon by three websites.This agreement differs from a two-way link exchange because the three sites do not always link to one another. For example, Page A can link to Page B, Page B can link to Page C, and finally Page C can link to Page A. In this scenario, all the pages are linked to, but each page does not link to each other page – there is no link from Page B to Page A or from Page C to Page B. This technique can be beneficial to small or up-and-coming websites in order to help achieve greater Link Popularity or a higher Page Rank.

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Unique Visitor

A way of measuring web traffic that refers to a website hit from a specific IP address. Reports of this data can be generated on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Since site visits are counted purely by IP addresses, multiple site visits from the same web user will only register as a single hit, thereby ensuring an effective way to really test the success rate of a campaign or SEO strategy.
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Web Analytics: A branch of Analytics that tracks the websites visited by users. This information includes aspects like the number of Unique Visitors, page views, and Hits. In addition to this data, Web Analytics looks at Conversion Rates and Landing Pages in order to test out the effectiveness of a marketing campaign or to optimize a site.
Website Marketing: The definition of Website Marketing is two-fold – the term refers to the use of the Internet as a platform for advertising, reaching out to potential customers and providing goods or services, as well as to Search Engine Optimization. A number of elements make up SEO strategies, including the development of websites that can be easily read and interpreted by crawlers, the use of targeted search terms, Submissions, and a strong network of links. All of these techniques work together and are employed in order to elevate the Page Rank, Position, and Click-Through Rate of a website. Website Marketing is also called Internet Marketing.
Website Optimization: Another name for Search Engine Optimization, this term refers to modifying a site in order to elevate its ranking on a results page. Different elements go into this, including submissions to directories and search engines, optimized links, and marketing through the use of targeted keywords.

Website Promotion

The marketing part of Search Engine Optimization, Website Promotion includes tools such as Paid Inclusion and the submission of keywords in order to increase the popularity of a website.
Website Promotion Services: Website Promotion Services is an alternative name for Search Engine Marketing – a series of marketing tools to increase the popularity of a site, including Natural Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click revenue systems.
Website Submission: The process of submitting a URL to be included in the Index of a search engine or a directory. This tool is an element of Search Engine Optimization. Often, sites can submit their URLs free of charge, but in some cases a fee is charged. Website Submission is also called Search Engine Registration.

White Hat SEO

A series of legitimate tools used to increase the Click-Through Rate, Position or Page Rank of a website. These techniques include the production of tags and text with a focus on relevant keywords, the development of sites that are easy for crawlers to index, submissions to search engines or directories, and a strong network of Backlinks. White Hat SEO is also called natural or organic search engine optimization.

XML

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. Used alongside HTML, XML is a simplified programming language that can be easily modified and is based on text. XML facilitates custom tagging and the exchange of data.
XML Feed: A type of Search Engine Submission or Paid Inclusion that uses a document created with XML language that transmits site data to a search engine. Websites that include a lot of relevant keywords such as multimedia or database websites can benefit from the XML Feed tool.
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