--- title: SEO glossary | A-Z of common search terms | Good Yolk description: Understand the most used SEO terminology, definitions & abbreviations with our in-depth glossary designed for beginners and advanced SEO specialists. image: https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/egg-bagel.webp --- [![Good Yolk logo.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/Good%20Yolk..svg "Good Yolk logo.")](https://goodyolk.co.uk/) - [Services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services) Services - [SEO audits](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-audits) - [SEO strategy](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-strategy) - [Content marketing](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/content-marketing) - [Digital PR](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/digital-pr) - [Link building](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/link-building) - [AI SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/ai-seo) - [Local SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/local-seo) - [About us](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about) About us - [Our story](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#story) - [Mission](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#mission) - [Values](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#values) - [Meet the team](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#team) - [Resources](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources) Resources - [Blog](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog) - [Tools](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools) - [Webinars](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/webinars) - [Free SEO health check](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools/free-seo-health-check) - [Get in touch](https://goodyolk.co.uk/get-in-touch) [![Good Yolk logo.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/Good%20Yolk..svg "Good Yolk logo.")](https://goodyolk.co.uk/) - [Services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services) Services - [SEO audits](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-audits) - [SEO strategy](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-strategy) - [Content marketing](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/content-marketing) - [Digital PR](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/digital-pr) - [Link building](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/link-building) - [AI SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/ai-seo) - [Local SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/local-seo) - [About us](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about) About us - [Our story](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#story) - [Mission](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#mission) - [Values](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#values) - [Meet the team](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#team) - [Resources](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources) Resources - [Blog](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog) - [Tools](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools) - [Webinars](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/webinars) - [Free SEO health check](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools/free-seo-health-check) - [Get in touch](https://goodyolk.co.uk/get-in-touch) [![Good Yolk logo.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/Good%20Yolk..svg "Good Yolk logo.")](https://goodyolk.co.uk/) - [Services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services) Services - [SEO audits](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-audits) - [SEO strategy](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-strategy) - [Content marketing](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/content-marketing) - [Digital PR](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/digital-pr) - [Link building](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/link-building) - [AI SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/ai-seo) - [Local SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/local-seo) - [About us](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about) About us - [Our story](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#story) - [Mission](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#mission) - [Values](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#values) - [Meet the team](https://goodyolk.co.uk/about#team) - [Resources](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources) Resources - [Blog](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog) - [Tools](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools) - [Webinars](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/webinars) - [Free SEO health check](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools/free-seo-health-check) - [Get in touch](https://goodyolk.co.uk/get-in-touch) [Resources](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources) \> [Tools](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools) # SEO glossary: A-Z of commons terms 23 Jul 2026 | Leighton Osbourne The world of search engine optimisation (SEO) is full of acronyms and technical buzzwords that can leave you scratching your head. So, we've put together this glossary to help cut through the jargon and understand the most common SEO terms in plain English, so you can feel more confident when it comes to organic search. ![Egg, bacon, sausage and cheese bagel.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/egg-bagel.webp "Egg, bacon, sausage and cheese bagel.") ## A-Z of common SEO terminology ### Accessibility \[web accessibility\] How easy it is for people of all cognitive and physical abilities to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your digital content. ### AI cited pages References to specific sources or pages used to generate AI-generated answers by AI tools like ChatGPT and traditional search engines like Google. ### AI mentions References to brands in AI-generated answers by AI tools like ChatGPT and traditional search engines like Google. ### AI search Search experiences powered by AI that provide conversational, summarised answers in favour of the links that appear in search results. Optimising for AI search helps your content appear in tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, as well as traditional search engines, like Google and Bing. Learn more about [AI search](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog/what-is-ai-search). ### AI visibility How often your website appears in AI-generated answers. Explore our [AI SEO services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog/what-is-ai-search). ### AI-powered search engines AI-powered search engines, like ChatGPT and Perplexity, replace the traditional blue links in search engine results pages, providing summarised answers to search prompts which are curated from multiple sources at speed. They’re also known as large language models (LLMs), which are capable of understanding and generating human language through the processing of lots of text data. ### Alternative text \[alt text\] Descriptive text that conveys the meaning of an image. ### Anchor text The visible, clickable text in a link. ### Authority score A measure of how trustworthy and authoritative your website is based on factors such as backlinks and overall SEO performance. ### Backlink A link from another website to yours. Quality backlinks act as endorsements, helping improve your website's authority and search rankings. ### Child page A sub-page that sits underneath a parent page in a website hierarchy. ### Click potential An estimate of the probability (in percentage) of getting traffic to your webpage if it ranks in the top search results for a given keyword. ### Click-through rate (CTR) The percentage of people who click your website after seeing it in search results. ### Core Web Vitals A set of performance signals used by Google that are critical to all web experiences, including Interaction to Next Paint, Largest Content Paintful and Cumulative Layout Shift. ### Competitor analysis Researching competing businesses to understand what keywords they rank for, where they earn backlinks, and what opportunities exist to outperform them. ### Content marketing Creating useful, search-optimised content that answers your audience's questions and helps attract visitors through organic search. Explore our [content marketing services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/content-marketing). ### Crawlability How easily search engines can discover your webpages. ### Crawled pages Webpages that search engine crawlers have discovered. ### Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) Measure of the unexpected layout shifts that occur during the entire lifecycle of a page, when a visible element changes its position from one rendered frame to the next. ### Digital PR Building brand awareness and earning authoritative backlinks through media coverage, expert commentary, press releases, podcasts, and industry publications. Explore our [digital PR services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/digital-pr). ### Direct traffic Visitors who arrive on your website with no trackable referral source. ### First Content Paintful (FCP) The time (seconds) it takes from when a user first navigates to one of your webpagespage to when any part of that page's content is rendered on the screen. ### Follow links A standard link that allows search engines to crawl the target page and pass ranking strength. ### Heading 1 (H1) The highest level heading used on a webpage to define the main topic. ### Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) A protocol that sends data as plain text. When a website is opened, a browser sends a HTTP request to a server which then sends back a HTTP response with page data. ### Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) An extension of HTTP that scrambles data in transit with an additional encryption layer. ### Indexability The ability of search engines to add webpages to their index/database. ### Indexable pages Pages that search engines can access, read and store in their index/database to show in search results. ### Interaction to Next Paint (INP) A page's overall responsiveness to user interactions, looking at the delay between all clicks, taps, and keyboard interactions that occur during a user’s visit to a page. ### Internal link A link that connects one webpage to another on the same website or domain. ### Keyword A word or phrase people type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. Keywords help shape your SEO strategy. ### Keyword difficulty How hard it would be for your website to rank organically in the Google top 10 for the analysed keyword. 0-14 = Very easy; 15-29 = Easy; 30-49 = Possible; 50-69 = Difficult; 70-84 = Hard; 85-100 = Very hard. ### Keyword research The process of identifying the search terms your audience uses so you can create content that meets their needs and improves visibility. ### Largest Content Paintful (LCP) How long it takes (seconds) for the main content on a webpage to load. ### Link building The practice of earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to strengthen your site's authority and improve rankings. Explore our [link building services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/link-building). ### Local SEO Optimising your online presence so your business appears in local search results, particularly for location-based searches. Explore our [local SEO services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/local-seo). ### Metadata Information that tells search engines and users what a page is about, including title tags and meta descriptions displayed in search results. Learn more about [metadata](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog/optimising-title-tags-meta-descriptions). ### Meta description A short summary of a webpage that appears beneath the title in search results. Learn more about [meta descriptions](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog/optimising-title-tags-meta-descriptions). ### Nofollow links A link with a rel="nofollow" attribute in its HTML code that prevents search engines from crawling a target page and passing ranking strength. ### Off-page SEO Activities outside your website, such earning backlinks and media coverage, social media, and public relations, that help improve your site's authority and rankings. ### On-page SEO Optimising elements on your website like content, headings, images, metadata, and internal links, to improve search visibility. ### Open Graph tag Pieces of HTML code that control how a link appears when shared on social media and messaging platforms. ### Organic keywords The number of specific search terms and phrases that drive organic traffic to your website. ### Organic search Website traffic that comes from unpaid search engine results. ### Organic traffic Visitors who find your website through unpaid search engine results. ### Orphan page A webpage that doesn’t have any internal links to them from other pages on the same website. ### Page speed \[load speed\] How long it takes for content to load on a webpage. ### Paid keywords The number of specific search terms and phrases that drive paid traffic to your website. ### Paid traffic Visitors who find your website through paid advertisements. ### Parent page A higher-level page that introduces a topic and groups related sub-pages in a website hierarchy. ### Pillar page A webpage that covers a broad topic and links off to a cluster of related pieces of content that explore subtopics in more detail. ### Ranking strength \[link equity\] The value a link passes from one webpage to another. ### Redirect A link that automatically sends a user from one web address to a different one, often categorised as permanent (301) or temporary (302). ### Referral traffic Website visitors who arrive on your website by clicking a link on an external website instead of using a search engine or typing a web address directly.  ### Referring domain An external website that links to a specific website or webpage. ### Return on investment (ROI) A measure of the value generated from your marketing activity compared with the amount invested. ### Robots.txt A file that tells search engine crawlers what content they can and can’t access. ### Search engine optimisation (SEO) The process of improving your website’s visibility so it ranks higher in search engines and attracts more relevant visitors. Explore our [SEO services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services). ### Search intent \[keyword intent\] The reason behind a search query — whether someone wants information, wants to compare options, or is ready to make a purchase. Understanding intent helps you to create more relevant content for your audiences. ### Search rankings The position your website appears in search results for a particular keyword or search query. ### Search visibility How often and how prominently your website appears in search results across relevant keywords. ### Search volume The average number of monthly searches for a given keyword over a 12-month period. ### Seed keyword A short, broad term used as the initial starting point for keyword research. ### Semantic HTML HTML elements used to structure content based on each element's meaning, not its appearance e.g., \. ### SEO audit A comprehensive review of your website that identifies technical issues, content opportunities, and performance improvements to strengthen your search visibility. Explore our [SEO audit services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-audits). ### SEO strategy A structured plan that combines keyword research, competitor analysis, technical improvements, and content creation to improve long-term search visibility. Explore our [SEO strategy services](https://goodyolk.co.uk/services/seo-strategy). ### Server error A 5xx HTTP status code indicating that the server hosting a website couldn’t process a request. ### Sitemap A file that lists all of the different pages on your website. ### Site health How secure, easy to use and optimised your website is for search engine visibility. ### Site performance \[website performance\] How your website is technically performing across a variety of factors, including site speed, Largest Content Paintfuls and Cumulative Layout Shifts. ### Site speed \[load speed/page speed\] The time it takes for a webpage to load, display its content and become fully interactive. ### Site structure How your pages and content are organised, categorised, and associated with one another. ### Technical SEO Optimising the technical aspects of your website, such as site speed, structure, crawlability, and indexing, to help search engines access and understand your content. Learn more about [technical SEO](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog/what-is-technical-seo). ### Text-HTML ratio The percentage of visible, readable text on a webpage compared to the total size of its underlying HTML code. ### Title tag \[meta title\] The HTML page title shown in search results and browser tabs. Learn more about [title tags](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/blog/optimising-title-tags-meta-descriptions). ### Thought leadership Content that demonstrates expertise and builds credibility by sharing valuable insights, opinions, or industry knowledge. ### Topics Categorised groups of subtopics and search queries generated from a broad seed keyword. ### Toxicity score A metric from 0-100 (0 = non-toxic; 100 = very toxic), that estimates how harmful a backlink or domain is to your website's visibility in search results. ### Traffic share The proportion of search traffic your website receives compared with competitors within your market or industry. ### Website performance How your website is technically performing across a variety of factors, including page speed. ## Related content ### [![Poached egg on top of avocado on toast.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/poached-egg-toast.webp "Poached egg on top of avocado on toast.") Blogs Discover new search marketing strategies, industry trends, and SEO tips to scale your business’ visibility.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources) ### [![Half a boiled egg on top of a piece of toast.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/hard-boiled-egg-toast.webp "Half a boiled egg on top of a piece of toast.") Tools Download useful SEO templates and access free top-level audits to improve your Google performance.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/tools) ### [![Scrambled egg on toast.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/scrambled-egg-toast.webp "Scrambled egg on toast.") Webinars Join our upcoming organic search webinars and watch our on-demand content for practical SEO advice.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/resources/webinars) ![Good Yolk logo.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/Good%20Yolk..svg "Good Yolk logo.") - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodyolk/) - [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@good.yolk/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/good.yolk.marketing/) - [Privacy notice](https://goodyolk.co.uk/privacy-notice) - [Cookie policy](https://goodyolk.co.uk/cookie-policy) [![Bronze Startup of the Year award for the Great British Awards.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/startup-year-logo.svg)![Bronze Solopreneur of the Year award for the Great British Awards.](https://goodyolk.co.uk/hubfs/solopreneur-year-great-british-awards.svg)](https://goodyolk.co.uk/officially-an-award-winning-seo-agency) © 2026 Good Yolk Marketing Ltd. All rights reserved. Registered address: Southgate Chambers, 37 Southgate Street, Winchester SO23 9EH.