SEO Terms Explained in Plain English
This glossary defines the SEO terms business owners and marketing teams encounter most — from foundational search concepts to technical signals, content strategy, and AI-powered search. Use the definitions to better understand your SEO reports, ask sharper questions, and connect each term to the strategies that move the needle.
SEO GLOSSARY
Twenty-four core SEO terms defined without the jargon. Click any term to expand its definition.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
The practice of optimizing website content so it appears as direct answers in AI-powered search tools such as Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and similar platforms. AEO focuses on structured content, clear question-and-answer formatting, entity clarity, and demonstrating expertise so AI systems select your content as a trusted source. Distinct from traditional SEO but built on the same technical and content foundations.
Anchor Text
The visible, clickable words in a hyperlink. Search engines use anchor text as a relevance signal — it tells them what the linked page is about. Descriptive anchor text (e.g., "local SEO for contractors") is more informative than generic text (e.g., "click here"). Over-optimized or manipulative anchor text patterns can trigger search engine penalties.
Backlink
A link from another website pointing to your website. Backlinks are one of the strongest authority signals in SEO — search engines interpret quality backlinks as votes of confidence. Not all backlinks are equal: links from relevant, authoritative sources carry far more weight than links from low-quality or unrelated sites.
Canonical (Canonical Tag)
An HTML element that tells search engines which version of a page is the preferred or authoritative one when multiple URLs serve identical or very similar content. Canonicals prevent duplicate content from diluting ranking signals and help search engines index the correct page.
Citation
Any online mention of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP), whether on a directory, review site, map platform, or business listing. Consistent citations strengthen local search authority and help search engines confirm that a business is legitimate and correctly located.
Conversion
A meaningful action a website visitor completes — such as submitting a contact form, calling a phone number, booking an appointment, or making a purchase. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) focuses on increasing the percentage of organic visitors who complete these actions.
Core Web Vitals
A set of Google performance metrics that measure how fast, stable, and responsive a web page feels to real users. The three primary metrics are Largest Contentful Paint (loading speed), Interaction to Next Paint (responsiveness), and Cumulative Layout Shift (visual stability). Strong Core Web Vitals scores contribute to better page experience signals in search rankings.
Crawlability
How easily search engine bots can discover and access the pages on a website. A crawlable site has a clear structure, working internal links, a valid sitemap, and no technical barriers (such as misconfigured robots.txt rules or broken redirects) that prevent bots from reaching important pages.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The percentage of people who see your website in search results and click on it. CTR is calculated by dividing clicks by impressions. A higher CTR often indicates that your title tag and meta description are compelling and relevant to the search query. CTR data is visible in Google Search Console.
Domain Authority
A third-party scoring metric (popularized by Moz; similar metrics include Ahrefs' Domain Rating) that estimates a website's overall link-based authority on a scale of 1–100. Domain Authority is not a Google ranking factor but is widely used as a benchmark for comparing the relative authority of competing websites and evaluating link-building opportunities.
GBP (Google Business Profile)
A free Google tool that lets businesses manage how they appear in Google Search and Google Maps. An optimized Google Business Profile includes accurate business information, service categories, photos, review responses, and posts. GBP is a foundational element of local SEO.
Indexability
Whether search engines can add a page to their index and serve it in search results. A page may be crawlable but not indexable if it carries a noindex directive, is blocked by a canonical tag pointing elsewhere, or is flagged as duplicate content. Only indexed pages can rank.
Internal Link
A hyperlink from one page on a website to another page on the same website. Internal links help search engines understand site structure and content relationships, distribute authority across pages, and guide visitors to related content or conversion paths.
Keyword Mapping
The process of assigning specific target keywords to specific pages on a website so that each page has a clear search intent and there is no unnecessary competition between your own pages for the same terms (keyword cannibalization). A well-structured keyword map is the foundation of on-page SEO and site architecture.
Local Pack
The block of three business listings that appears near the top of Google search results for queries with local intent (e.g., "plumber near me" or "dentist in Phoenix"). Local Pack results are powered by Google Business Profile data, proximity, reviews, and local SEO signals. Appearing in the Local Pack is a primary goal for local service businesses.
Meta Description
An HTML attribute that provides a short summary of a web page's content. Meta descriptions appear beneath the page title in search results and influence click-through rate, though they are not a direct ranking factor. A well-written meta description should be concise (roughly 150–160 characters), accurate, and include a clear reason for the searcher to click.
NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)
The three core pieces of business identity information used in local SEO. NAP consistency — presenting the same business name, address, and phone number across your website, Google Business Profile, and all online directories — is an important local authority signal.
On-Page SEO
The practice of optimizing individual web pages to improve their relevance and quality for target search queries. On-page SEO covers title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, keyword placement, content depth, image alt text, internal links, schema markup, page speed, and user experience signals.
Organic Traffic
Website visitors who arrive through unpaid (non-advertised) search engine results. Organic traffic is a primary measure of SEO performance and is tracked in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Growing sustainable organic traffic is the core long-term goal of managed SEO.
Schema (Schema Markup)
Structured data code added to a web page's HTML that helps search engines understand the content in greater detail. Schema can enable rich results in search — such as star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, and business information — and improves how content is interpreted by both traditional and AI-powered search systems.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page a search engine displays in response to a query. SERPs include organic results, paid ads, Local Pack listings, featured snippets, AI Overviews, image carousels, and other rich features. Understanding SERP composition for your target keywords is essential when setting realistic SEO goals.
Sitemap
A file (typically XML) that lists the important pages of a website and helps search engines discover and prioritize them for crawling. Sitemaps are submitted to Google Search Console and are especially useful for large sites, new sites, or sites with complex architecture.
Technical SEO
The discipline of optimizing the infrastructure of a website — its code, server configuration, crawl paths, indexing signals, speed, mobile usability, structured data, and security — so that search engines can efficiently discover, understand, and rank its content. Technical SEO issues often create a ceiling that limits the results achievable by content and link-building efforts alone.
Topical Authority
The degree to which a website is recognized — by search engines and by users — as a credible, comprehensive source on a specific subject area. Topical authority is built by publishing well-structured, interlinked content that covers a topic in depth, answering the questions real searchers have at every stage of the buying or decision process.
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