canonical loop
Canonical tags point at each other in a circle. Found by Canonical tag checker →no hreflang
A multilingual page has no language alternates. Found by Hreflang checker →
Canonical tags point at each other in a circle. Found by Canonical tag checker →no hreflang
A multilingual page has no language alternates. Found by Hreflang checker →
SEO glossary
Terms and mini-articles for teams and clients—concise context plus links to authoritative references.
0–9
- 301 Redirect: Permanent RedirectA 301 is an HTTP response that permanently redirects one URL to another, signalling that the destination should become the preferred location.
- 302 Redirect: Temporary RedirectA 302 is an HTTP response that temporarily directs a request to another URL while the original URL remains the intended long-term location.
- 307 Temporary RedirectA temporary HTTP redirect that tells the client to repeat a request at another URL without changing its original method or request body.
- 308 Redirect: permanent move with method preservationAn HTTP status code that permanently redirects a request while requiring the client to preserve its method and request body at the new URL.
- 401 UnauthorizedHTTP 401 Unauthorized means valid credentials are required before a server returns the requested resource, so public crawlers cannot access it.
- 404 Not Found404 Not Found is an HTTP response that says the requested URL has no current resource, so users and crawlers cannot retrieve the expected page.
- 410 Gone: when a URL is permanently retired410 Gone is an HTTP response status for a known resource intentionally removed from its origin server and unlikely to return at that URL.
- 503 Service Unavailable503 Service Unavailable is an HTTP response for a temporary inability to serve a request, such as controlled maintenance or short-lived overload.
A
- Affiliate SiteAn affiliated site is a website connected through ownership, content, business purpose, or links; the connection alone is not a search violation.
- Ahrefs: use third-party SEO estimates responsiblyAhrefs is an SEO platform that estimates backlink, keyword and search visibility data from its own web index for research and comparison.
- Alt Text (Alternative Text)Alt text is the alt attribute on an HTML image that expresses the image’s purpose or information when the image cannot be seen.
- Anchor TextAnchor text is the visible, clickable wording of a hyperlink that helps people and search engines understand the destination’s subject.
- Anchor text optimization: describe destinations naturallyAnchor text is the visible clickable wording of a link, helping people and crawlers understand the linked page’s likely subject and relationship.
- Article schemaArticle schema is structured data for an article page that describes visible facts such as its headline, author, publication date and representative image.
B
- Bing Webmaster Tools: inspect Bing Search evidenceBing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft’s service for verified sites, offering crawl, indexing, URL inspection, performance and sitemap reports for Bing Search.
- Black Hat SEO: manipulative practices and their risksManipulative SEO practices that try to mislead search engines or users instead of improving a page’s usefulness, accessibility, or relevance.
- BlogPosting SchemaBlogPosting is Schema.org structured data for a blog post, describing its headline, author, dates and main image so systems can interpret the page.
- Bounce RateBounce rate is an analytics metric whose meaning depends on the tool and configuration; it should be interpreted with page purpose and engagement evidence.
- Branded AnchorA branded anchor is link text naming a site, company, product or publisher, helping readers identify the destination without a fixed percentage rule.
- Branded TrafficBranded traffic is search-driven traffic from queries that name or clearly refer to a business, product, service, or distinctive brand identifier.
- BreadcrumbList Schema: breadcrumb markupBreadcrumbList is Schema.org markup that describes a page’s navigational path so eligible Google results can show contextual hierarchy rather than only a URL.
- Breadcrumbs in E‑commerce: why and how to implementBreadcrumbs in e-commerce are a visible path from the current page to broader store levels, helping visitors navigate while canonical URLs remain separate.
- Broken Link Building: link acquisition via broken linksBroken link building is a link-earning workflow that replaces a dead outbound reference with a genuinely relevant, durable resource for the linking site’s readers.
- Broken LinksBroken links are hyperlinks whose destination no longer returns a useful, reachable resource, creating a failed path for people and crawlers.
- Buying LinksBuying links to manipulate search rankings is link spam; legitimate advertising or sponsorship needs a clearly qualified relationship.
- Bystrobot: Yandex's high‑speed crawlerBystrobot is Yandex’s fast-recrawl system for time-sensitive pages; it can request a fresh fetch, but crawling never guarantees indexing or visibility.
C
- Canonical for FiltersA canonical policy for filter URLs selects a preferred listing only for substantially similar sets; materially different, useful filtered subsets need their own treatment.
- Canonical for Multilingual SitesCanonical preference for multilingual URLs separates true duplicates from language alternatives, which usually need their own canonical URL and hreflang.
- Canonical URLA canonical URL is the preferred representative of duplicate or near-duplicate pages that a site signals to search engines for consolidation.
- Category Page SEOCategory page SEO makes an e-commerce collection page useful, crawlable, and understandable for shoppers and search engines.
- ccTLD (Country Code Top‑Level Domain)A ccTLD is a two-letter country-code domain that signals a site’s intended country audience; it does not replace localized content or hreflang.
- Chrome UX Report (CrUX)Chrome UX Report (CrUX) is Google’s aggregated field dataset of eligible real Chrome user experiences, available for popular public URLs and origins.
- Citation Flow (CF)Citation Flow is a Majestic proprietary metric that estimates the quantity and influence of links pointing to a URL or domain within Majestic’s index.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR)Click-through rate is the share of recorded impressions that produced a click, meaningful only with a defined report, query, URL, device and date range.
- Client-Side Rendering (CSR)Client-side rendering is a web delivery approach in which the browser runs JavaScript to assemble page content after receiving an initial HTML response.
- Commercial IntentCommercial intent signals that a searcher is evaluating an offer or provider and needs evidence to compare options before choosing.
- Competitor Backlink AnalysisCompetitor backlink analysis reviews verified referring pages to reveal editorial link patterns, content gaps, and outreach risks.
- Content auditA content audit is a documented review of pages against purpose, accuracy, user value and technical availability, producing an explicit action for each URL.
- Content Gap AnalysisContent gap analysis compares audience needs, existing pages and observable search evidence to find useful coverage that is missing, weak or mismatched.
- Content OptimizationContent optimization improves a page’s usefulness, accuracy, structure, and accessibility for a defined search task without keyword-density formulas.
- Content silos: group pages by a shared taskA content silo is an information-architecture group of pages covering one subject or user task, connected through useful internal links.
- Core Web VitalsCore Web Vitals are LCP, INP and CLS: loading, interaction responsiveness and visual stability, assessed at the 75th percentile of field data when available.
- Country TargetingCountry targeting aligns language, regional pages, business information and URL choices with a specific country audience without misdirecting visitors.
- Crawl BudgetCrawl budget is the practical amount of crawling a search engine devotes to a site, shaped by crawl demand, server capacity and URL quality.
- Crawling: how search bots request and discover URLsThe process in which a search engine discovers and requests URLs to collect content and signals; crawling is distinct from indexing, ranking, and reporting.
- Critical CSSCritical CSS is the minimum style needed for the initial viewport, delivered early so visible content can render before the full stylesheet is available.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)Cumulative Layout Shift measures unexpected visual movement during a page’s lifecycle using session windows and excluding shifts within 500 ms of qualifying user input.
D
- DA (Domain Authority)Domain Authority is Moz’s comparative machine-learned score for a domain’s ranking strength; it is useful for context, not a Google ranking factor.
- Disavow ToolGoogle’s Disavow Tool submits URLs or domains that Google should disregard when assessing links pointing to a site’s backlink profile.
- Discontinued products: an SEO retirement decisionA workflow for retired product URLs that preserves useful customer paths while choosing whether a page should remain, redirect, or return a removal response.
- DR (Domain Rating): what the Ahrefs metric measuresA proprietary Ahrefs metric that estimates a domain’s backlink-profile strength on a logarithmic scale; it is not a Google ranking factor or traffic forecast.
- Duplicate Content Across LanguagesCross-language duplicate risk occurs when language or regional URLs lack clear alternate relationships and a defined audience.
E
- E-commerce duplicate contentE-commerce duplicate content is a set of substantially similar catalogue URLs that need a clear preferred page and consistent internal signals.
- E-commerce SEOE-commerce SEO is the work of making product and category information discoverable, crawlable and useful while keeping catalogue URLs and data consistent.
- Evergreen ContentEvergreen content is a durable resource that remains useful beyond a news cycle and is reviewed when facts, links, examples, or user needs change.
- Exact Match AnchorAn exact-match anchor repeats a target query verbatim; it can clarify a destination, but forced repetition can make links unnatural and manipulative.
- Expired domainAn expired domain is a registered domain whose previous owner did not renew it; its history must be assessed before any legitimate reuse.
F
- Faceted navigation: control filter URLs deliberatelyFaceted navigation lets users filter a catalogue by attributes; each generated combination can need its own crawl and indexation policy.
- FAQ SchemaFAQPage structured data describes visible, publisher-authored questions and answers in a machine-readable format; it does not guarantee a rich result.
- Featured SnippetA featured snippet is a search-result presentation that may show an extracted answer from an indexed page above other web results for a query.
- Featured Snippet OptimizationFeatured snippet optimization makes page answers clear and structured for readers and search systems, but cannot require Google to select a result feature.
- Friendly URL (CHPU)A friendly URL is a stable, readable page address that uses descriptive words and one canonical form, helping people and crawlers identify its purpose.
G
- Generic AnchorA generic anchor is link text such as “read more” or “learn more” that does not identify the linked destination by topic or brand name.
- Geo-independent QueryA geo-independent query can be satisfied without a specific local area, so its results depend more on topic relevance than a searcher’s location.
- Geo‑dependent queryA geo-dependent query is one whose useful results change with the searcher’s location or place intent because local availability and context matter.
- Geolocation RedirectA geolocation redirect suggests or routes a visitor to a country or language version from a location signal while keeping every public locale URL directly accessible.
- Google AI Overviews (SGE)Google AI Overviews are generated search responses that may show supporting links; pages remain eligible through the normal Google Search requirements.
- Google BERTGoogle BERT is a language-understanding system that helps Google interpret relationships between words in a query and the content that may answer it.
- Google E-E-A-TE-E-A-T describes experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust signals that help assess whether content is helpful and reliable for people.
- Google Hummingbird: query interpretation, not a page settingGoogle’s 2013 search-system update that improved interpretation of whole queries and word relationships; site owners cannot enable or tune it directly.
- Google PandaGoogle Panda was a Google ranking-system component associated with assessing page quality; it is now understood as part of Google’s core ranking systems.
- Google PenguinGoogle Penguin is the historical name for Google’s link-spam system, now understood through current spam-policy guidance.
- Google RankBrain: a query-understanding system in SearchA Google search-system component that helps interpret unfamiliar or ambiguous queries; it is not a site-side tool, score, or setting publishers can tune directly.
- Google Rich Results TestGoogle Rich Results Test is a diagnostic that reports whether Google can parse supported structured data; it is not a prediction that a rich result will appear.
- Google Search Console (GSC)Google Search Console is Google’s free service for inspecting a site’s Search presence, including indexing, page issues, queries, clicks, and impressions.
- GooglebotGooglebot is Google Search’s crawler family that discovers, fetches and processes web content for possible inclusion in Google’s search systems.
- Grey Hat SEOGrey-hat SEO is an informal label for tactics between clearly helpful optimisation and explicit policy violations; the label does not make a tactic.
- Gzip and Brotli CompressionGzip and Brotli are HTTP content encodings that reduce transferred text bytes when the server and browser negotiate a supported encoding.
H
- H1, H2 and H3: structure a document for readersH1, H2 and H3 are HTML headings that express a page’s topic and section hierarchy, helping readers scan the document and understand its sections.
- High-Frequency QueriesHigh-frequency queries are phrases with comparatively large measured demand in a defined tool, geography and period; the label is relative, not universal.
- HowTo SchemaHowTo structured data represents visible steps in machine-readable form; it must match the page and does not promise a search feature.
- HreflangHreflang is an HTML or sitemap annotation that tells search engines which equivalent page version targets a language and optional region.
- HTTP status codeAn HTTP status code is a standardized server response that tells a client whether a request succeeded, redirected, failed or requires authentication.
- HTTPS / SSLHTTPS uses TLS and certificates to protect data in transit between a browser and a named site, but it does not by itself secure the wider application.
- Hybrid Silo ModelA hybrid silo model combines a clear topical hierarchy with selective contextual links so users and crawlers can move between related content.
I
- Inbound links (backlinks)Inbound links are hyperlinks from another page or site that point to a destination page on your own website, often called backlinks.
- IndexingIndexing is the process by which a search engine analyses an eligible crawled page and may store it for retrieval in search results.
- Intent cluster coverage: map tasks to useful pagesIntent cluster coverage is a planning method that maps distinct search tasks to useful existing pages, justified new pages, or explicit do-not-create decisions.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP)Interaction to Next Paint measures the latency from a user interaction until the next visual update, indicating how responsive a page feels in use.
- Internal LinkingInternal linking connects site pages so people and crawlers can discover related information, understand hierarchy and reach a useful next step.
- Internal Linking in E‑commerceE-commerce internal linking connects category, product, variant and support pages through useful paths so customers and crawlers can reach relevant.
J
- JavaScript OptimisationJavaScript optimisation reduces unnecessary script work so a page can deliver its essential content and interactions promptly and reliably.
- JSON-LD: structured data expressed as linked JSONA JSON-based format for linked structured data, commonly embedded in a script so a page can describe entities and relationships without changing visible HTML.
K
- KeyCollectorKey Collector is desktop software for collecting, cleaning, clustering, and exporting keyword research data for documented analysis.
- Keyword cannibalizationKeyword cannibalization occurs when pages overlap so strongly in intent that search systems receive unclear signals about the best page to show.
- Keyword ClusterA query cluster groups searches that one useful page can serve because their intent, needed information and eligible inventory substantially overlap.
- Keyword clusteringKeyword clustering is the process of grouping queries by intent and evidence so each cluster maps to one useful destination or a documented gap.
- Keyword DensityKeyword density is the proportion of words or phrases repeated in a text; it is a descriptive count, not a target for search rankings.
- Keyword DifficultyKeyword difficulty is a third-party estimate of how hard it may be to compete for a query; it is not a Google ranking metric or a traffic forecast.
- Keyword ResearchKeyword research collects and groups the words, questions, and intents people use in search so each useful query group can map to a viable page.
- Keyword StuffingKeyword stuffing is repeated, unnatural use of words or numbers to manipulate rankings; it reduces usefulness and violates Google’s spam policies.
- Keyword usage: use search language naturallyKeyword usage is the natural use of searchers’ language where it accurately describes a page’s topic, sections and answers for the reader.
- Keywords: the language people use to searchKeywords are words and phrases people use in search, used in SEO research to match a page’s language and purpose to a real information need.
L
- Language TargetingLanguage targeting is the practice of offering content versions for defined languages or regions and signalling their relationships to users and search engines.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)Largest Contentful Paint measures when the largest visible content element in the viewport is rendered during a page load.
- Lazy LoadingLazy loading delays a non-critical resource until it is needed, reducing initial work when deferred content remains discoverable, usable and available to crawlers.
- LemmatisationLemmatisation reduces inflected word forms to a lemma so language analysis can group related forms without treating each spelling as a separate concept.
- Link BuildingLink building is the work of earning or placing links to a page in ways that help relevant audiences discover it, while avoiding manipulative schemes that viola
- Link DiversityLink diversity describes variation in legitimate referring domains, contexts, attributes and anchor phrasing; it is an observation, not a target score or.
- Link DonorA link donor is the page that contains a hyperlink to another page; its context and crawlability affect the usefulness of that connection.
- Link ExchangeA link exchange is an arrangement in which sites link to one another; it becomes risky when used mainly to manipulate search ranking signals.
- Link juice (link equity)Link equity is an informal SEO term for the signals pages may pass through links; it is useful for planning internal paths, not a measurable currency.
- Link MarketplacesLink marketplaces broker paid placements between buyers and publishers; using them to manipulate rankings conflicts with major search-engine spam policies.
- Link Mass (Ssylochnaya massa)Link mass is an informal term for links pointing to a site or page; relevance, placement and intent matter more than a raw total.
- Link PopularityLink popularity describes links pointing to a page or site, considered alongside their relevance, context, quality and search-engine spam policies.
- Link profile (backlink profile)A link profile is the set of backlinks and referring pages pointing to a site; it is reviewed for relevance, context, quality, and manipulation risk.
- Link Ranking FactorsLink ranking factors describe how search engines may use links and their context as signals when evaluating pages alongside many other signals.
- Link Strategy (Ssylochnaya strategiya)A link strategy plans how a site earns, maintains and reviews links that help people reach relevant resources while respecting search-engine spam policies.
- Link velocityLink velocity is the observed change in detected links over time, interpreted with publication activity, data coverage and link relevance.
- Link velocity spike: investigate abrupt backlink growthA link velocity spike is an unusually sharp change in new backlinks or referring domains that should be checked for source, relevance and data quality.
- Link-Based RankingLink-based ranking is the use of links and their context as one class of signals that can help search engines discover, interpret and assess web pages.
- Link-source qualityLink-source quality is an evidence-based review of a prospective linking page and site, considering relevance, editorial context and observable risk.
- Local citationsLocal citations are references to a business’s identifying details on relevant public sites, directories or platforms, kept accurate and consistent.
- Local DirectoriesLocal directories are third-party listings that publish business details such as name, location, category and contact information for local discovery.
- Local KeywordsLocal keywords are search phrases that express a geographic need through a place name, proximity cue, or local service context.
- Local landing pages: pages for a real local search needDedicated pages for a distinct local intent, with accurate locally relevant information rather than thin city-name variants created only to multiply URLs.
- Local PackA Local Pack is a location-oriented group of business results a search engine may show for a query with local intent; its appearance is not guaranteed.
- Local SEOLocal SEO makes a business’s location, services, and contact information clear and consistent for nearby searchers across its site and local listings.
- LocalBusiness schemaLocalBusiness schema is structured data describing a real local business with facts such as name, address, contact details and business type.
- Log File AnalysisLog file analysis examines server request records to understand how verified crawlers access URLs during a defined observation window.
- Long-tail keywordsLong-tail keywords are specific, often multi-word search queries whose wording reveals a narrower task, audience or constraint.
- Low-volume keywordsLow-volume keywords are specific search queries with limited measured demand; their value depends on intent, fit and evidence rather than volume alone.
- LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing)LSI is an older information-retrieval technique often misused in SEO as a label for ‘related keywords’; it is not a documented Google keyword list tactic.
M
- MajesticMajestic is a backlink intelligence platform that crawls links and provides its own link indexes and metrics; its scores are not Google ranking factors.
- Manual outreach: request a relevant editorial referenceManual outreach is a researched person-to-person request for a relevant mention, correction or resource link, made for a clear reader benefit.
- Medium-Frequency KeywordsMedium-frequency queries are a relative planning label for search terms with meaningful but non-dominant demand in a chosen market, period, and topic.
- Meta DescriptionA meta description is HTML text that summarizes a page and may be used as a search-result snippet; Google can instead select visible page text.
- Meta KeywordsThe meta keywords tag is an obsolete HTML metadata field that modern major search engines do not use as a ranking input, so it should not drive SEO work.
- Meta RobotsThe meta robots tag gives page-level crawler instructions about indexing and result presentation; it works only when a crawler can access the page.
- Meta tags: machine-readable page instructions and previewsMeta tags are HTML elements in a page’s head that can describe the page, control crawler behavior or supply social-preview metadata, depending on the tag.
- Mobile Page SpeedMobile page speed describes how quickly a page becomes useful on a mobile device and network, requiring evidence about response, rendering and assets.
- Mobile SEOMobile SEO is the technical and content work that makes a site usable, accessible and consistently discoverable on mobile devices.
- Mobile-First IndexingMobile-first indexing means Google primarily uses the mobile version of a page for crawling, indexing and determining its search representation.
- Multilingual SEOMultilingual SEO makes equivalent content available in each reader’s language with distinct accessible URLs and annotations that help search engines understand language and regional variants.
N
- Naked URL AnchorA naked URL anchor uses the visible destination address as link text, making the target explicit without adding descriptive or keyword-focused wording.
- Naked URL and Generic Anchor LinksA naked URL link shows its address as anchor text; a generic link uses neutral words such as “here” or “learn more” instead of naming the destination.
- Navigational Brand QueryA navigational brand query expresses an intent to reach a known brand, product, organisation or destination rather than to research a broad topic.
- Navigational IntentNavigational intent means a searcher is trying to reach a known site, page, product or account rather than broadly research or compare options.
- Near Me QueriesNear me queries express local intent, asking search engines to connect a nearby user with a relevant service, product or place.
- Negative SEONegative SEO is the label for attempts to damage a site’s search visibility or reputation through spam, manipulation, disruption, or copied content.
- NewsArticle Schema: structured data for news reportingA Schema.org type for marking up a news article with facts such as headline, publication date, author, and images that match the visible editorial page.
- NoindexNoindex is a robots directive that asks compliant search crawlers not to show a page or resource in search results while visitors can still access it.
- Noindex for filtered pagesNoindex for filtered pages is an indexing directive used when a filter URL is useful for navigation but is not a page the site wants indexed.
O
- Organic TrafficOrganic traffic is visits or clicks attributed to unpaid search results; its measurement must keep search clicks, site sessions, and conversions distinct.
- Orphan pages: URLs with no discovered internal pathAn orphan page is a URL that has no meaningful internal link path from the site’s crawlable pages, making discovery and user navigation harder to verify.
- Outbound LinksOutbound links are hyperlinks from a page to another site; they can cite sources, direct users to useful resources, or require qualification.
P
- PageRank (PR)PageRank is Google’s historical link-analysis concept: links help model importance, but the retired Toolbar score cannot guide current decisions.
- PageSpeed InsightsPageSpeed Insights combines real-user field data, when available, with Lighthouse diagnostics to investigate performance, not certify it.
- PaginationPagination divides a long ordered set into multiple crawlable URLs, each with a clear place in the sequence and a useful user navigation path.
- Pagination in E‑commerceE-commerce pagination divides listings into reachable pages so people and crawlers can discover products, while links and filters need deliberate policies.
- Partial-Match AnchorA partial-match anchor is link text that includes a topic phrase together with additional natural wording that describes the linked destination.
- Penalties (Sanktsii)A search penalty restricts visibility for policy violations. A manual action has an explicit report; a traffic decline alone does not prove a penalty.
- Permanent linksA permanent link is a link placed with no fixed removal date; permanence alone does not establish relevance, editorial value or search benefit.
- PessimisationSearch demotion is reduced visibility caused by ranking systems, technical barriers, quality problems or a manual action that needs diagnosis.
- Pogo-stickingPogo-sticking describes a searcher returning to results after a visit; it is a journey observation, not a published standalone ranking metric.
- Private Blog Network (PBN)A private blog network is a group of sites controlled mainly to create links that manipulate rankings, a practice that conflicts with Google’s spam policies.
- Product DescriptionsA product description explains what a specific product is, who it suits, and its verified facts and constraints so a buyer can decide.
- Product Feed OptimisationProduct feed optimization maintains accurate structured data so a commerce destination can match, review and update items without misleading visitors.
- Product Page SEOProduct page SEO is the work of making an individual product page clear, accessible, technically eligible and accurate for both shoppers and search engines.
- Product RedirectsA product redirect maps a retired or moved product URL directly to the closest relevant live destination so visitors and crawlers do not reach a dead end or a r
- Product ReviewsProduct reviews are user or editorial assessments that help shoppers compare a product’s experience, evidence and suitability before deciding.
- Product SchemaProduct schema is structured data that describes a specific product and visible commerce facts, helping search systems interpret eligible pages without.
- Product VariantsProduct variants are purchasable versions of one product group that differ by attributes such as size, colour, material or capacity.
Q
- Query ClassificationQuery classification groups search queries by intent, topic and business role so each useful cluster can be mapped to an appropriate page or action.
- Query FrequencyQuery frequency is a measured estimate of how often a search phrase is entered for a defined geography, period, and matching rule.
- Question keywords: queries phrased as questionsQueries phrased as questions that reveal an information task and help shape a useful answer, rather than phrases to repeat mechanically on a page.
R
- Render-Blocking ResourcesRender-blocking resources delay initial rendering when the browser must fetch or process them before it can paint the page’s first useful view.
- Rented links: what they are and why they are riskyRented links are paid placements that disappear when recurring payment ends, making them an advertising or link-spam risk rather than editorial references.
- Resource-page link buildingResource-page link building is earning an editorial reference from a curated resource page by contributing something useful to its audience.
- Review SchemaReview schema describes visible reviews or ratings for an eligible item; structured data does not create ratings or guarantee a rich result.
- Rich ResultsRich results are enhanced Google Search presentations that may use eligible structured data and visible content; valid markup improves eligibility, never.
- robots.txtrobots.txt is a root-level text file that tells compliant crawlers which URL paths they may or may not crawl, using user-agent rules.
S
- sameAssameAs is a Schema.org property used to point from an entity to another URL that unambiguously represents the same entity.
- Schema Markup ValidatorThe Schema Markup Validator checks Schema.org data, exposes the extracted graph and syntax issues, but cannot certify search-result eligibility.
- Schema.orgSchema.org is a shared vocabulary for structured data that lets a page describe its entities and relationships in machine-readable form.
- Screaming Frog: use a crawl as bounded technical evidenceScreaming Frog SEO Spider is desktop crawling software that requests site URLs and reports links, responses, metadata, directives and crawl paths.
- Search AlgorithmA search algorithm is a collection of systems that crawl, index, retrieve, and rank pages for a query; no published single formula controls its results.
- Search crawlerA search crawler is automated software that requests web resources and discovers URLs before a search engine may render, index or rank them.
- Search EngineA search engine discovers, indexes, retrieves, and presents documents for queries through many systems rather than one controllable formula.
- Search engine query languageSearch engine query language is the set of words, operators and conventions people use to refine a search; support and meaning vary by search engine.
- Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM)Search engine reputation management is the practice of understanding and improving what searchers encounter for a brand query through accurate owned content, su
- Search IndexA search index is the searchable collection of documents and signals a search engine has processed for use in generating results.
- Search IntentSearch intent is the task a person is trying to complete with a query, inferred from wording and current result patterns rather than keyword volume alone.
- Search quality rater (assessor)A search quality rater evaluates result quality under published guidelines; ratings help assess systems but do not directly rank an individual page.
- Search QueryA search query is the words or symbols a person submits to a search engine; it is evidence of a momentary information need, not a fixed intent label.
- Search RankingRanking is the order and presentation of results a search engine selects for a query using many systems, signals and query-specific interpretations.
- Search SpamSearch spam is content or behaviour intended to manipulate search systems or mislead users instead of providing the page value they expected.
- Semantic CocoonA semantic cocoon is a topic-led internal-linking architecture that connects a broad pillar page with distinct supporting pages around real user intents.
- Semantic coreA semantic core is a structured, cleaned set of search queries grouped by intent and mapped to viable pages, sections or inventory.
- Semantic coverage: satisfying the full topic and intentThe extent to which a page accurately covers the concepts, questions, and constraints needed to satisfy a searcher’s task without unrelated padding.
- SemrushSemrush is a third-party SEO platform that estimates search, keyword and competitor data; its metrics are inputs, not search-engine ground truth.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)Search engine optimization is the ongoing work of making a website accessible, understandable and useful so search engines can discover and present relevant pages.
- SEO CopywritingSEO copywriting creates useful page content that answers a searcher’s need and makes a page’s topic and scope clear to readers and search systems.
- SERP (Search Engine Results Page)A search engine results page is the response shown after a query, combining organic listings and other result features selected for that search context.
- Server-side rendering (SSR): deliver HTML from the serverServer-side rendering creates HTML on the server for a request before the browser receives it, making meaningful content available in the initial response.
- Short-Tail KeywordsShort-tail keywords are broad, usually concise search phrases that describe a topic or category rather than a highly specific user need.
- SimilarwebSimilarweb is a third-party platform that estimates website audiences and traffic patterns; its figures are directional estimates, not analytics.
- Site mirror (duplicate domain)A site mirror is an alternative URL or host that serves the same site; SEO requires selecting one canonical public version and consolidating the rest.
- Sitewide linksSitewide links are repeated links in shared navigation, headers, footers or templates that appear across many pages.
- SnippetA search snippet is the descriptive text Google selects for a result; the title link and URL are separate parts of the result presentation.
- Soft 404A soft 404 is a URL that appears missing or empty to users or Google while returning success, so an error-like page may be treated as poor content.
- Speed IndexSpeed Index is a lab metric that estimates how quickly a page’s visible content is visually displayed during a test run; lower is generally faster.
- Structured dataStructured data is machine-readable markup for visible page facts; valid markup can aid understanding but never guarantees a rich result.
- Subdomain vs SubdirectorySubdomain versus subdirectory is an architecture choice that separates content by hostname or path; neither structure has a universal ranking advantage.
- Subdomain: a hostname beneath a parent domainA hostname under a parent domain, such as docs.example.com, that can serve a distinct technical or content purpose within the wider site architecture.
T
- Text ranking factorsTextual ranking factors are language and content signals that help search systems understand relevance and usefulness; they are not a keyword-repetition.
- Text uniqueness: originality beyond a similarity scoreThe degree to which a page adds independently useful and accurately sourced content rather than a near-duplicate or lightly rewritten version of existing material.
- Text WaterinessText wateriness is an editorial description for words that add little meaning to a reader’s task; it is not a search-engine ranking metric.
- Thin ContentThin content is a page with too little unique, useful substance for its purpose, often leaving searchers without the information, choice or next step the query.
- Thin content in e-commerceThin e-commerce content is an indexable page that adds too little distinct product or category value for its shopper task.
- Tiered Link BuildingTiered link building is a layered linking approach in which secondary pages link to pages that link to a target site, aiming to amplify those first-level links.
- Time to First Byte (TTFB)Time to First Byte is the time from starting navigation until a browser receives the first response byte; it reflects network, connection, redirects, cache and server work.
- Title tagThe HTML title element names a document in browser tabs and guides title links in search, though Google may use other page or link text for a result.
- Topic ClustersTopic clusters organise a broad subject and its supporting pages around connected user questions, using clear internal links and distinct page purposes.
- Topical authorityTopical authority is a site’s practical ability to cover a subject coherently with accurate, connected resources that satisfy related user needs; it is.
- Toxic linksToxic links are backlinks suspected of being manipulative, spammy or otherwise unsuitable; the label is a review hypothesis, not a Google metric.
- Transactional IntentTransactional intent describes a query where the searcher is ready to complete an action, such as buying, booking, requesting, or starting a service.
- Trust Flow (TF) — Majestic trust metricTrust Flow is a third-party metric estimating how closely a site’s links connect to a vendor seed set; it is useful for comparison, not a ranking factor.
V
- Video SEOVideo SEO is the optimization of a video landing page so people and search systems can understand its subject, access the video and verify its metadata.
- Video sitemapA video sitemap is an XML sitemap extension that supplies metadata about video pages so search engines can better discover and understand the content.
- VideoObject schemaVideoObject schema is structured data that describes a visible video and its page so Google can better understand eligible video content in Search.
- Voice searchVoice search is spoken-query retrieval through an assistant or device; pages support it by answering real questions clearly and accessibly.
- Voice search optimization (VSO)Voice search optimization makes information easy to retrieve and understand aloud through clear language, accessible pages and answers that fit real.
W
- WebPage schemaWebPage schema is Schema.org structured data for a specific document and its relationships; a valid graph does not guarantee indexing or a rich result.
- WebPageTestWebPageTest records controlled page-load evidence such as waterfalls and filmstrips to diagnose delivery and rendering behavior.
- WebSite SchemaWebSite schema is Schema.org structured data that describes a website entity and its basic identity, such as its name and canonical home-page URL.
- White Hat SEO methodsWhite-hat SEO uses useful content, accessible technical foundations, and transparent promotion to improve search visibility without deceptive manipulation.
X
- X-Robots-TagThe X-Robots-Tag is an HTTP response header that gives crawlers indexing or snippet directives for a URL, especially useful where HTML meta tags are unavailable.
- XML SitemapAn XML sitemap is a machine-readable list of a site’s preferred URLs that helps search engines discover pages but does not guarantee crawling or indexing.
Y
- Yandex Baden-Baden: an over-optimization filterA Yandex search quality filter associated with over-optimized keyword-stuffed text; the remedy is useful, readable content rather than a density target.
- Yandex MetricaYandex Metrica is a web analytics service for configuring tags, goals and reports that describe visits, sources, behaviour and selected site events.
- Yandex Minusinsk (paid link filter)Yandex Minusinsk is commonly used for Yandex action against manipulative link practices; sustainable SEO does not depend on purchased ranking links.
- Yandex WebmasterYandex Webmaster is Yandex’s site-owner service for monitoring crawl, indexing, sitemap and technical information about a verified website.
- Yandex WordstatYandex Wordstat is a Yandex research service for exploring query phrasing, regional patterns and historical demand signals for search planning.
- YMYLYMYL means “Your Money or Your Life”: topics where inaccurate information can significantly affect health, financial stability, safety or wellbeing.
- YouTube SEOYouTube SEO makes a video’s topic, metadata, accessibility and viewer value clear so the right audience can discover it in YouTube search and recommendations.