SEO Jargons for the Noobs
Glossary of terms for SEO and a resource for the Noobs SEO Survival Guide Book
When you Google something and that whole page appears? That’s the SERP. Think of it as the battlefield. Your job is to be somewhere near the top, not lost in page 4 like a forgotten ex.
How many people see your listing vs. how many click it. If 100 people see your site in Google and only 2 click? That’s a sad 2% CTR. Fix it by writing headlines that slap. (We’ll teach you, don’t worry.)
A link from another website pointing to yours.
Think of it as an endorsement. Like a vote of confidence. The more trustworthy sites link to you, the more Google goes: “Huh. Maybe this site’s not trash.”
The word or phrase people type into Google.
You want to show up when it matters. Not when someone’s searching for chicken soup in Manila and you’re offering dental implants in Toronto.
This is when someone tries to game the system like it’s 2005.
“Best tacos are taco best because taco best tacos in taco town.”
Yeah, Google sees that. And it will bury you. Use keywords naturally — like you’re talking to an actual human being.
Visitors that come to you via search, without paying for ads.
If someone Googles “how to fix cracked teeth” and clicks your blog? That’s organic. If they clicked because you boosted a Facebook ad? That’s paid. (Organic = the free love. Paid = swipe your card, buddy.)
The clickable title that shows up in Google.
Think of it like a movie trailer — it better hook, or they scroll right past you.
That tiny sentence under your meta title.
It doesn’t directly affect rankings but can make or break your click. Make it intriguing, not boring. And no keyword stuffing, please.
Describes an image for screen readers and Google.
Also helps your image show up in search. Write what the image is about. Not “image1234-final-final.”
Google’s little robot spiders roam the internet and sniff out content.
If they like what they see, your page gets added to the index. If they can’t crawl your site? You’re invisible.
After crawling, indexing is Google filing your page into its search database.
If your page isn’t indexed, it might as well not exist. True story.
Everything on your site that helps you rank.
Title tags, content, headers, internal links. Think of it like cleaning your room before guests arrive.
Stuff outside your site that helps rankings.
Backlinks, brand mentions, social signals. Basically, it’s what the internet thinks of you when you're not around.
Behind-the-scenes stuff that makes your site work well.
Site speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability. It’s the plumbing. No one sees it, but when it’s broken, you’ll know.
The visible text in a hyperlink.
Google reads this to understand what the linked page is about. “Click here” is the equivalent of a shrug. Be specific.
The version of a page you want Google to prioritize when there are duplicates.
Helps avoid confusion and duplicate content issues. Like picking the ‘main’ outfit for your homepage.
A roadmap for search engines to find all your pages.
It’s like handing Google a cheat sheet. Use it.
A file that tells search engines what they can and can’t crawl.
Want to hide your admin page or private stuff? This is how you do it.
The % of people who land on your site and immediately leave.
High bounce = your content didn’t do its job. Or maybe your site just scared them away.
How long someone sticks around.
Longer is usually better — unless they’re just stuck on a loading screen.
Links that connect one page of your site to another.
Helps Google crawl, helps users explore. It’s free SEO juice. Use it.
Words related to your main keyword that give context.
You don’t need to go wild with these. Just write like a human who understands the topic.
Code that gives search engines extra info.
Think of it like metadata on steroids. Want stars, event dates, FAQs on the SERP? This is how.
The number of pages Google is willing to crawl on your site.
Got 10,000 junk pages? You just wasted your allowance.
The SEO value passed through a link.
Not all backlinks are equal. A link from your friend’s cupcake blog is sweet, but it’s no Forbes.
Tells Google to ignore spammy or shady backlinks.
Use with caution. It’s the SEO version of a breakup letter.
When your old blog post slowly drops in rankings.
Happens to the best of us. Give it a refresh and a new headline.
Pages with no internal links pointing to them.
If Google can’t find it, users probably won’t either. Link it or lose it.
Splitting content into multiple pages.
Useful for big lists, bad for SEO if not handled right. Use canonical tags and rel=next/prev.
Looking at your server logs to see how bots crawl your site.
Advanced stuff, but gold for spotting issues.
Google’s metrics for user experience.
Loading time, interactivity, visual stability. Fail these and your rankings could tank.
Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.
Google’s way of judging if your content is worth trusting — especially for money and health topics.
“Your Money or Your Life” pages.
Content that affects people’s health, safety, or finances. Google scrutinizes it like an overprotective parent.
The reason behind a search.
Are they looking to buy? Learn? Navigate? Know this before you write anything.
Choosing a single version of a page to show in search.
Prevents duplicate content issues and consolidates ranking signals.
A nerdy way of saying how important a word is on a page.
Search engines use it to gauge relevance. Not required, but helpful.
If your content is hidden behind JS, Google might not see it.
Use server-side rendering or static content for important stuff.
Filters on eCommerce sites (like size, color).
If unoptimized, they can create a monster of duplicate pages. Be careful.
This glossary isn’t just for studying — it’s for surviving the SEO jungle.
Read it.
Bookmark it.
Use it.