SEO Glossary

SEO glossary – 10 of the most common SEO terms for beginners

Are you looking to gain a foothold in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO)?

SEO plays a critical role in helping businesses improve their online visibility and attract more organic traffic. However, navigating the complex landscape of SEO can be challenging, particularly if you are new to the field.

To help you better understand the terminology and concepts associated with SEO, I’ve put together this article to provide a brief overview of some of the most popular SEO-related search terms.

From keywords and backlinks to on-page optimisation and content marketing, let’s discuss each of these terms in greater detail and explain how they can help you improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.

SEO Glossary 101

OK – here are my top ten essential SEO terms you should be aware of. This is the TLDR list. Read on for an expanded description of each term if you prefer.

TLDR list

SEO: Search engine optimisation, the practice of optimising websites to improve their search engine rankings.

Keywords: Words or phrases that are used to optimise a website for search engines.

Backlinks: Links from other websites that point to a website, which can help improve its search engine rankings.

SERP: Search engine results page, the page that displays the results of a search engine query.

On-page optimisation: The process of optimising individual web pages to improve their search engine rankings.

Off-page optimisation: The process of improving a website’s search engine rankings through external factors, such as backlinks.

Meta tags: HTML tags that provide information about a web page, including its title, description, and keywords.

Analytics: The analysis of website data to help optimise its performance and improve its search engine rankings.

Link building: The process of acquiring backlinks to a website to improve its search engine rankings.

Content marketing: The practice of creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience, with the goal of driving profitable customer action.

Expanded SEO glossary definitions

SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the practice of optimising a website to improve its visibility and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

This involves using various techniques and strategies, such as keyword research and optimisation, backlink building, and on-page and off-page optimisation, to improve a website’s relevance and authority for targeted keywords and topics.

Keywords

Keywords are words or phrases that are used to optimise a website for search engines. Keyword research is the process of identifying and analysing the terms and phrases that people use to search for information related to a particular topic or industry.

By strategically incorporating relevant keywords into a website’s content, meta tags, and other elements, webmasters can improve their site’s relevance and rankings for those search terms. Find out more about long tail keywords here.

Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to a website. Search engines use backlinks as a way to measure a website’s authority and popularity, and they can play a significant role in determining a site’s rankings in search results.

High-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant sources can help improve a website’s search engine rankings.

SERP

A search engine results page (SERP) is the page that displays the results of a search engine query. SERPs typically show a list of web pages that are relevant to the user’s search query, along with various features such as paid ads, featured snippets, and knowledge graphs.

On-page optimisation

On-page optimisation refers to the process of optimising individual web pages to improve their search engine rankings. This includes optimising content, meta tags, headers, images, and other on-page elements to make them more relevant and accessible to search engines.

Off-page optimisation

Off-page optimisation involves improving a website’s search engine rankings through external factors, such as backlinks, social media signals, and other off-page signals. This includes techniques such as link building, social media marketing, and online reputation management.

Meta tags

Meta tags are HTML tags that provide information about a web page, including its title, description, and keywords. Search engines use this information to help determine the relevance and quality of a page’s content, and to display relevant snippets in search results.

Analytics

Web analytics involves the collection, analysis, and reporting of website data to help optimise its performance and improve its search engine rankings. This includes monitoring website traffic, user behaviour, conversion rates, and other key metrics to identify areas for improvement and inform strategic decision-making.

Common analytics platform include:

• Google Analytics
• Google Tag Manager
• Ahrefs or similar SEO and keyword research tools.

Link building

Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks to a website to improve its search engine rankings. This can be done through various tactics, such as guest blogging, broken link building, business listings, and outreach campaigns to promote high-quality content.

Content marketing

Content marketing is the practice of creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience, with the goal of driving profitable customer action.

This includes creating blog posts, infographics, videos, and other types of content that are optimised for search engines and social media, and that provide value to users in the form of education, entertainment, or inspiration.

Are you ready to optimise?

Whether you’re a business owner, a marketer, or a website developer, mastering the concepts and terminology of SEO can help you achieve your online marketing goals and stay ahead of the competition.

From understanding on and off page optimisation through to knowing how to get the SERPS to work in your favour, performing SEO right can set up a sustained source of leads for the life of your business.

Are you ready to optimise?

Marshall Thurlow

Marshall Thurlow is Director and Founder of Orion Marketing Pty Ltd. He is a digital marketer with expertise in SEO, website design, content marketing and project management. With over 15 years of experience spanning government, not-for-profit and the private sector, he is well equipped to lead teams to success. He is a big proponent of environmental sustainability, critical thinking and progressive issues.