SEO & Marketing
Terms, Explained
Marketing is full of jargon. We cut through it with plain-English definitions so you always know exactly what your agency is talking about, and what you're paying for.
50 terms / more added regularly
All Terms
301 Redirect
A permanent redirect that sends users and search engines from an old URL to a new one, transferring ranking authority to the new address.
AI Overview
Google's AI-generated summary that appears at the top of search results, providing a synthesized answer drawn from multiple web sources before showing traditional links.
Alt Text
A text description added to an image's HTML that tells search engines and screen readers what the image shows. Also called alternative text or alt attributes.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
The practice of optimizing your content to appear as direct answers in AI-powered search results, voice assistants, and featured snippets.
Backlink
A link from another website pointing to your website. Backlinks act as votes of confidence that signal to search engines your content is trustworthy and valuable.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of website visitors who leave after viewing only one page without taking any further action: no clicks, no scrolling, no form fills.
Call to Action (CTA)
A prompt on your website that tells visitors exactly what to do next, like 'Call Now,' 'Get a Free Quote,' or 'Book Online.'
Canonical URL
The preferred version of a webpage that tells search engines which URL to index when duplicate or near-duplicate content exists across multiple URLs.
Citation
Any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on directories, websites, or social platforms.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who see your listing in search results and actually click on it. Calculated by dividing clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100.
Competitor Analysis
The process of researching your competitors' online presence, rankings, and marketing tactics to identify opportunities for your business.
Content Cluster / Topic Cluster
A content organization strategy where one pillar page covers a broad topic and links to related cluster pages that cover subtopics in depth.
Content Marketing
A marketing strategy focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content (blog posts, guides, videos) to attract and retain customers rather than directly selling to them.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action: calling your business, filling out a contact form, booking an appointment, or making a purchase.
Core Web Vitals
Google's three key metrics for measuring real-world user experience on your website: loading performance (LCP), interactivity (INP), and visual stability (CLS).
Crawlability
How easily search engine bots can access and move through your website's pages to discover and analyze your content.
Domain Authority
A score from 0 to 100 predicting how likely a website is to rank in search engine results. Higher scores indicate stronger ranking potential.
E-E-A-T
Google's quality framework standing for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, used by human reviewers to evaluate content quality and by algorithms as ranking signals.
Featured Snippet
A highlighted answer box at the top of Google search results (position zero) that pulls a direct answer from a website, giving that site maximum visibility above all other organic results.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
The practice of optimizing your content so it gets cited, quoted, or referenced by AI-powered search engines like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
Google Analytics
Google's free web analytics tool (currently GA4) that tracks website visitors, their behavior, traffic sources, and conversions, showing you what's working and what isn't.
Google Business Profile
Your free business listing on Google that appears in Maps and local search results. Formerly called Google My Business (GMB).
Google Maps Pack
The group of three local business listings displayed with a map at the top of Google search results for local queries. Also called the Local Pack or 3-Pack.
Google Search Console
A free Google tool that shows how your website performs in search results, including which queries bring visitors, which pages rank, and any technical issues hurting your visibility.
Indexing
The process of Google adding your web pages to its searchable database so they can appear in search results.
Internal Linking
Links that connect one page of your website to another page on the same website, helping users find content and distributing SEO authority across your pages.
Keyword Research
The process of finding and analyzing the search terms people use to find businesses like yours, so you can target them in your content.
Landing Page
A standalone web page designed for a single purpose, usually to capture leads or drive a specific action from visitors.
Lead Generation
The process of attracting and converting strangers into potential customers who have expressed interest in your business.
Local Link Building
The strategy of earning backlinks from locally relevant websites like chambers of commerce, local news, and community organizations.
Local SEO
The process of optimizing your online presence to attract customers from nearby geographic searches like 'plumber near me' or 'best restaurant in Titusville.'
Long-Tail Keyword
A specific, multi-word search phrase (usually 3+ words) with lower search volume but higher conversion intent than broad, generic keywords.
Meta Description
A short HTML snippet (150-160 characters) that summarizes a page's content and appears below the meta title in search engine results.
Meta Title
The HTML title tag that appears as the clickable headline in search engine results and in the browser tab. It's one of the most important on-page SEO elements.
Mobile-First Indexing
Google's practice of using the mobile version of your website as the primary version for ranking and indexing, rather than the desktop version.
NAP Consistency
Having your business Name, Address, and Phone number listed identically across every online directory, website, and social profile.
Organic Traffic
Website visitors who arrive through unpaid search engine results. They found you by searching Google, not by clicking an ad.
Page Speed
How fast your web pages load for visitors, measured by metrics like time to first byte, largest contentful paint, and overall page load time.
Paid Search / PPC
Online advertising where you pay each time someone clicks your ad in search engine results. PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click, and Google Ads is the most common platform.
Reputation Management
The practice of monitoring, influencing, and improving how your business appears in online reviews and search results.
Responsive Design
A web design approach where your site automatically adjusts its layout, images, and content to fit any screen size, from desktop monitors to smartphones.
Review Velocity
The rate at which your business receives new customer reviews over time, a key signal for local search rankings.
Rich Snippet
An enhanced search result that displays extra information like star ratings, prices, FAQs, or images pulled from structured data on your website.
Robots.txt
A file at the root of your website that tells search engine crawlers which pages they can and cannot access on your site.
Schema Markup
Structured data code added to your website that helps search engines understand your business information, services, and content in a machine-readable format.
Search Intent
The underlying goal or purpose behind a user's search query, whether they want information, a specific website, a local service, or to make a purchase.
Service Area Business (SAB)
A business that travels to customers rather than serving them at a storefront, like plumbers, electricians, landscapers, and mobile pet groomers. Google treats SABs differently in local search.
Sitemap
An XML file that lists all your website's important pages, helping search engines discover and crawl your content efficiently.
Topical Authority
The level of expertise and thorough coverage a website demonstrates on a specific subject, signaling to Google that the site is a trusted resource for that topic.
Zero-Click Search
A search where the user gets their answer directly on the Google results page (from featured snippets, AI Overviews, or knowledge panels) without clicking through to any website.
Know What You're Paying For
Too many business owners sign marketing contracts without understanding the terminology. This glossary exists so you can have informed conversations with any marketing provider, including us. An educated client is our favorite kind of client.