#106 Important Search Engine Optimization Terms and Concepts.

1. Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority is a score (on a 100-point scale) developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines. Higher DA means better chances of ranking.

2. Soft and Hard Redirects

• Soft Redirects: Performed using JavaScript or meta-refresh tags. These are less recommended as search engines may not always follow them.
• Hard Redirects: Done using HTTP response codes like 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary). These are ideal for redirecting users and search engines from an old URL to a new one.

3. Indexing

Indexing is the process where search engines store and organize web content after crawling. Once indexed, your page can appear in search results.

4. Crawling

Crawling is when search engine bots (like Googlebot) scan the web for new or updated content to index.

5. Caching

Caching is the process of storing a copy of a webpage to reduce load times and bandwidth usage. Search engines cache pages to serve faster results.

6. Crawl Budget

Crawl Budget is the number of pages a search engine crawls on your site within a given time. Optimizing this ensures important pages are crawled and indexed frequently.

7. Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI)

LSI refers to related keywords or terms that search engines associate with your main keyword. Using LSI keywords can help improve relevance and rankings.

8. Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword Cannibalization happens when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, causing them to compete against each other in search results.

9. Search Intent

Search Intent is the purpose behind a user’s search query (informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial). Aligning content with search intent can improve rankings and user engagement.

10. Dwell Time

Dwell Time refers to how long a user stays on a page after clicking on a search result before returning to the results page. Longer dwell time signals relevant and valuable content.

11. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

CTR is the percentage of users who click on your website link after seeing it in search results. Higher CTR means more people find your title and meta description appealing.

12. Bounce Rate

Bounce Rate is the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate irrelevant or poor-quality content.

13. Rich Snippets

Rich Snippets are enhanced search results that display additional information (like star ratings, reviews, or product prices) using schema markup. They increase visibility and CTR.

14. Featured Snippets

Featured Snippets appear at the top of Google search results, providing quick answers to a query. They can include text, lists, or tables and often appear in the coveted “position zero.”

15. Schema

Schema Markup is structured data added to a webpage’s HTML to help search engines understand the content better, which can lead to rich snippets or enhanced search results.

16. Google Penalty

A Google Penalty occurs when a site is punished for violating Google’s guidelines (e.g., using black hat SEO tactics). This can lead to a drastic drop in rankings or removal from search results.

17. Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

SERP refers to the page displayed by search engines in response to a user’s query. It includes organic results, ads, featured snippets, and more.

18. Anchor Text

Anchor Text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. Relevant, descriptive anchor text improves SEO by indicating what the linked page is about.