SEO Glossary: 137 SEO, AI Search and International SEO Terms
This SEO glossary explains 137 terms I use every day with clients, in plain English. It covers SEO basics, technical and on-page SEO, local SEO, and two areas most glossaries skip: international SEO (hreflang, x-default, ccTLDs) and AI search (AI Overviews, GEO, query fan-out). Each entry says what the term means and why it matters for your business. There’s also a list of outdated SEO terms you can ignore.
SEO field guide · Updated October 2026
SEO Glossary
137 search terms in plain English, grouped the way you'd learn them, from crawling and canonical tags to hreflang and AI Overviews. Every entry tells you what the term means, why it matters to your business, and where to go next.
Popular: Hreflang Canonical tag AI Overviews Core Web Vitals E-E-A-T
Written by Jagriti Lakher, international SEO consultant
SEO Basics
Start here if you're new to search. 25 terms
SEO (search engine optimization)
Improving a website so it appears higher in unpaid search results for the searches your customers make.
Why it matters: Organic traffic keeps coming without paying for every click.
Organic search
Unpaid results in a search engine, as opposed to ads.
Why it matters: Organic rankings build lasting visibility; ads stop when the budget stops.
SERP (search engine results page)
The page of results after a search. It can include ads, AI Overviews, a map pack, videos and normal links.
Why it matters: What appears on the SERP shows what kind of page you need to compete.
Search algorithm
The systems a search engine uses to decide which pages to show and in what order.
Why it matters: You can't control the algorithm, but you can control how useful, clear and trustworthy your pages are.
Core update
A broad change Google makes to its ranking systems several times a year. Rankings can rise or fall across many sites at once.
Why it matters: After an update, judge the trend over several weeks rather than reacting to one day's data.
Keyword
A word or phrase people type into a search engine.
Why it matters: Choosing the right keywords decides who finds your page.
Long-tail keyword
A longer, more specific search with fewer monthly searches but clearer intent.
Why it matters: Long-tail searches are easier to rank for and more likely to turn into leads.
Example: "international SEO consultant for SaaS in Australia" instead of "SEO".
Branded vs non-branded keywords
Branded searches include your business name; non-branded searches describe what you offer without naming you.
Why it matters: Non-branded rankings bring new customers who don't know you yet.
Search volume
An estimate of how many times a keyword is searched per month, from tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or Semrush.
Why it matters: Useful for prioritising, but intent matters more than volume.
Keyword difficulty
A score from SEO tools estimating how hard a keyword is to rank for, mostly based on the links pointing to the pages already ranking.
Why it matters: It's each tool's estimate, not a Google metric, so use it as a rough guide.
Search intent
The reason behind a search: to learn something, compare options, find a specific site or buy.
Why it matters: A page that doesn't match the intent rarely ranks, however well it's written.
Example: "what is hreflang" wants an explanation; "hreflang consultant" wants someone to hire.
Zero-click search
A search where the person gets their answer on the results page, from a snippet or AI answer, without clicking any result.
Why it matters: Impressions can grow while clicks stay flat, so track visibility as well as traffic.
Featured snippet
A short answer Google shows near the top of the results, taken from one web page.
Why it matters: Clear, direct answers under question-style headings have a better chance of being chosen.
People Also Ask
A box of related questions in Google results that expand to show short answers from web pages.
Why it matters: It shows which questions your page should answer.
White-hat vs black-hat SEO
White-hat SEO follows search engine guidelines; black-hat SEO tries to trick rankings with tactics such as hidden text, cloaking or bought links.
Why it matters: Black-hat tactics risk penalties that can wipe out your rankings.
Google Search Essentials
Google's official rules for appearing in Search, covering technical requirements, spam policies and best practices. It replaced the Webmaster Guidelines in 2022.
Why it matters: Breaking the spam policies can get pages demoted or removed.
Manual action
A penalty applied by a Google reviewer when a site breaks the spam policies. It appears in Search Console under Security & Manual Actions.
Why it matters: It can remove pages from results until you fix the issue and request a review.
YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)
Topics that could affect someone's health, finances, safety or rights, such as legal, medical or financial advice.
Why it matters: Google holds these pages to a higher standard of trust and expertise.
SERP features
Anything on a results page beyond the standard blue links, such as AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask, map packs, videos, images and sitelinks.
Why it matters: They decide how much attention the normal results get, so check them before choosing a target keyword.
Sitelinks
Extra links Google shows under a result, usually for brand searches, pointing to important pages on that site.
Why it matters: You can't set them directly, but clear site structure and internal links help Google choose good ones.
Knowledge panel
The information box Google shows for well-known people, businesses and topics, drawn from its Knowledge Graph.
Why it matters: A consistent online presence (website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, schema) helps Google understand who you are.
Google Discover
A personalised feed of articles in the Google app and on mobile, shown based on interests rather than searches.
Why it matters: Fresh, helpful content with large, high-quality images can earn extra traffic from it.
Topical authority
How completely and reliably a site covers a subject, built through many connected, in-depth pages on that topic.
Why it matters: Sites that cover a topic thoroughly tend to rank more easily for new pages on it.
Programmatic SEO
Creating many pages from a template and a data source, such as one page per city or product.
Why it matters: It can work at scale, but thin, near-identical pages risk Google's scaled content abuse policy.
SEO audit
A structured review of a site's technical health, content, links and rankings that ends in a prioritised list of fixes.
Why it matters: It shows what's actually holding rankings back before you spend on new content.
Technical SEO
How search engines crawl, index and load your site. 29 terms
Technical SEO
Making a site easy for search engines to crawl, index, render and load: speed, mobile usability, sitemaps, redirects, canonical tags and structured data.
Why it matters: If Google can't crawl or index a page, nothing else you do on it matters.
Crawling
When search engine bots, such as Googlebot, visit your pages by following links and sitemaps.
Why it matters: Pages that are never crawled can't appear in search.
Indexing
When a search engine stores a crawled page so it can be shown in results.
Why it matters: A page that isn't indexed can't rank. Search Console's Pages report shows which pages are indexed.
Rendering
When a search engine runs a page's code, including JavaScript, to see the final content a visitor sees.
Why it matters: Content that only appears after JavaScript runs may be missed or delayed, and many AI crawlers don't run JavaScript at all.
Crawl budget
How many pages a search engine is willing to crawl on your site in a given time. It mostly matters for very large sites.
Why it matters: For small sites, fixing broken and duplicate pages matters more.
XML sitemap
A file listing the pages you want search engines to find, usually at /sitemap_index.xml on WordPress sites using Rank Math.
Why it matters: It helps new and updated pages get found faster.
Robots.txt
A file at the root of your site that tells crawlers which areas they may or may not visit.
Why it matters: One wrong line can block search engines or AI crawlers from your whole site.
Disallow: /wp-admin/ blocks the WordPress admin area but leaves your pages open.Noindex
A tag that tells search engines not to show a page in results.
Why it matters: Use it on thin, empty or private pages so they don't weaken your site.
Canonical tag
A tag that tells search engines which URL is the main version of a page when similar versions exist.
Why it matters: It stops duplicate URLs competing with each other.
HTTP status codes
Three-digit codes a server returns for each request: 200 means OK, 301 a permanent redirect, 302 a temporary redirect, 404 not found, 410 permanently gone, and 5xx a server error.
Why it matters: Wrong codes can keep pages out of search or waste link value.
301 redirect
A permanent redirect from one URL to another.
Why it matters: Use it when you move or delete a page, so visitors and link value reach the right place.
Redirect chain
When one URL redirects to another that redirects again before reaching the final page.
Why it matters: Chains slow pages down and can lose link value. Point every redirect straight to the final URL.
Soft 404
A page that tells visitors it doesn't exist (or is nearly empty) but returns a 200 OK code.
Why it matters: Search Console flags these. Return a real 404 or 410, or add proper content.
Orphan page
A page that no other page on your site links to.
Why it matters: Search engines and visitors struggle to find it, so it rarely ranks.
Site architecture
How pages are organised and linked, from the homepage down to individual posts.
Why it matters: Important pages should be reachable within about three clicks of the homepage.
Breadcrumbs
A trail of links showing where a page sits in the site, such as Home › Blog › Post.
Why it matters: They help visitors navigate and help search engines understand structure.
Mobile-first indexing
Google uses the mobile version of your pages to index and rank them.
Why it matters: If content is missing or broken on mobile, it effectively doesn't exist for Google.
Core Web Vitals
Google's page-experience measures: loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP) and visual stability (CLS). Good scores are LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP within 200 milliseconds and CLS of 0.1 or less.
Why it matters: Slow, jumpy pages lose visitors before they read anything.
Lazy loading
Loading images or other content only when a visitor scrolls near them.
Why it matters: It speeds up pages, but don't lazy-load the main image at the top of the page.
HTTPS
The secure version of HTTP, shown by the padlock in the browser.
Why it matters: Browsers warn visitors about non-secure pages, and Google uses HTTPS as a light ranking signal.
Schema markup (structured data)
Code that describes a page's content in a standard format, such as Article, Person, Organization or LocalBusiness.
Why it matters: It helps search engines and AI tools understand who you are and what each page is.
Rich results
Search results with extra features, such as review stars, images or breadcrumbs, often powered by schema markup. Google changes which types it shows; FAQ rich results, for example, are no longer shown.
Why it matters: Rich results can stand out, but schema doesn't guarantee them.
Log file analysis
Reviewing your server's records of which pages search engine bots actually visited.
Why it matters: It shows what Google is really crawling, not just what you hope it crawls.
Googlebot
Google's web crawler. Each crawler identifies itself with a user-agent name, such as Googlebot or Bingbot, which robots.txt rules can target.
Why it matters: Blocking or slowing Googlebot by mistake can drop pages out of search.
JavaScript SEO
Making sure content and links that rely on JavaScript can still be crawled, rendered and indexed.
Why it matters: Key text and links should be in the HTML where possible, because rendering is slower and some crawlers skip it.
Server-side rendering (SSR)
Building a page's HTML on the server, so crawlers and visitors receive the full content without running JavaScript first.
Why it matters: It makes content easier for search engines and AI crawlers to read.
Faceted navigation
Filters on category pages, such as size, colour or price, that can create thousands of URL combinations.
Why it matters: Uncontrolled filter URLs waste crawling and create duplicates; keep only useful combinations indexable.
Pagination
Splitting a long list, such as blog archives or products, across several pages (page 2, page 3 and so on).
Why it matters: Each page should have its own URL and normal links so search engines can reach everything.
URL parameters
Extra parts added to a URL after a question mark, such as ?utm_source=linkedin or ?sort=price.
Why it matters: They can create duplicate versions of the same page; use canonical tags to point to the main one.
On-Page & Content
What's on each page, and how it's written. 23 terms
On-page SEO
Optimizing what's on each page: the title tag, headings, content, internal links, images and meta description.
Why it matters: It tells search engines and visitors what the page is about.
Title tag
The page title shown as the clickable headline in search results. Around 50–60 characters usually displays in full.
Why it matters: It's one of the clearest signals of what the page is about, and it decides whether people click.
Meta description
The short summary that may appear under your title in search results. About 140–160 characters usually fits.
Why it matters: It doesn't directly affect rankings, but a clear one improves clicks.
SEO-friendly URL (slug)
A short, readable web address that describes the page, using hyphens between words.
Why it matters: Clean URLs are easier to read, share and understand.
Example: /resources/checklist/international-seo-checklist/ instead of /?p=1234.
Header tags (H1–H6)
HTML headings that structure a page. Most pages should have one H1, with H2s and H3s for sections.
Why it matters: Clear headings help readers, search engines and AI tools follow your content.
Internal links
Links from one page on your site to another.
Why it matters: They help visitors and search engines find your most important pages.
Anchor text
The clickable words in a link.
Why it matters: Descriptive anchor text tells search engines what the linked page is about.
Example: "international SEO checklist" is better anchor text than "click here".
Alt text
A short text description of an image, read by screen readers and search engines.
Why it matters: It makes images accessible and helps them appear in image search.
Keyword mapping
Assigning each main keyword to one page on your site.
Why it matters: It prevents several pages competing for the same search.
Keyword cannibalization
When two or more of your pages target the same search, so they compete with each other.
Why it matters: It can keep both pages lower than one strong page would rank.
Keyword stuffing
Repeating a keyword unnaturally to try to rank. It's against Google's spam policies.
Why it matters: It makes pages worse to read and can hurt rankings.
Entity
A clearly defined thing search engines recognise, such as a person, business, place or concept, and its relationships to other entities.
Why it matters: Consistent details about you across the web help search engines and AI tools recognise your business.
Semantic search
Search that understands meaning and context, not just exact keyword matches.
Why it matters: Cover a topic thoroughly in natural language instead of repeating one phrase.
E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness: the qualities Google's quality guidelines use to judge content. Trust matters most.
Why it matters: Real author details, first-hand proof and accurate claims make content more trustworthy.
Helpful content
Content made mainly to help people rather than to rank. Google's helpful-content signals became part of its core ranking systems in 2024.
Why it matters: Pages written only for search engines tend to lose rankings over time.
Duplicate content
The same or very similar content on more than one URL.
Why it matters: Search engines then have to guess which version to rank.
Thin content
Pages with little useful content, such as near-empty pages or short pages repeated with minor changes.
Why it matters: Many thin pages can make your whole site look lower quality.
Topic cluster
A main page on a broad topic, linked to and from supporting pages that each cover one subtopic in depth.
Why it matters: It shows search engines that your site covers a topic thoroughly.
Content refresh
Updating an existing page with new information, examples and data instead of writing a new one.
Why it matters: Refreshed pages often regain rankings faster than new pages can earn them.
Content decay
A gradual drop in a page's traffic and rankings as it becomes outdated or competitors publish better content.
Why it matters: Spotting it early in Search Console lets you refresh the page before it falls off page 1.
Content pruning
Improving, merging, redirecting or removing low-value pages so a site's overall quality goes up.
Why it matters: Fewer, stronger pages often outperform many weak ones.
Passage ranking
Google's ability to rank a specific section of a long page for a narrow question, even if the whole page is about a broader topic.
Why it matters: Clear headings and self-contained sections give each part of a page its own chance to rank and be cited.
Open Graph tags
Meta tags that control the title, description and image shown when a page is shared on LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp and similar apps.
Why it matters: A good preview image and title get more clicks when people share your pages.
Off-Page & Local
Links, mentions, reviews and your Google listing. 13 terms
Off-page SEO
Signals from outside your site, mainly links and mentions from other websites, reviews and brand searches.
Why it matters: It's how search engines judge whether others trust you.
Backlinks
Links from other websites to yours.
Why it matters: Relevant links from trusted sites remain one of the strongest ranking signals.
Referring domains
The number of different websites linking to you. Ten links from one site count as one referring domain.
Why it matters: Links from many different relevant sites matter more than many links from one.
Link building
Earning links from other websites through useful content, digital PR, partnerships, guest articles and listings.
Why it matters: New sites with few links usually struggle to rank beyond page 2.
Nofollow, sponsored and UGC links
Link attributes that tell search engines not to pass ranking credit: rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content. Google treats them as hints.
Why it matters: Paid links must be marked sponsored to stay within Google's guidelines.
Link equity
The ranking value a link passes from one page to another, sometimes called link juice.
Why it matters: Internal links spread the value your strongest pages earn to the pages that need it.
Disavow
A Search Console tool that asks Google to ignore specific links to your site.
Why it matters: Use it only for clearly harmful links you can't remove; most sites never need it.
Unlinked brand mention
When a website mentions your business without linking to it.
Why it matters: Mentions build recognition with search engines and AI tools, and are easy wins to turn into links.
Domain Authority
A score created by Moz to estimate how well a site might rank. Other tools have similar scores, such as Ahrefs' Domain Rating.
Why it matters: Useful for comparing sites, but it's not a Google metric.
Google Business Profile
Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, with your address or service area, hours, reviews and posts.
Why it matters: It's essential for appearing in local and map results.
Local pack (map pack)
The map and list of usually three local businesses Google shows for searches with local intent.
Why it matters: Reviews, relevance and distance decide who appears there.
NAP consistency
Keeping your business Name, Address and Phone number identical everywhere online.
Why it matters: Matching details help search engines trust your business information.
Local citations
Mentions of your business details on directories and other websites.
Why it matters: They support your Google Business Profile and help people find you.
International SEO
Ranking in more than one country or language. 17 terms
Hreflang in 30 seconds
A page available in three English versions should list all three plus a fallback, on every version, including itself:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://example.com/uk/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://example.com/au/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://example.com/us/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/" />Common mistakes: en-UK instead of en-GB · missing return tags · pointing hreflang at redirected or noindexed URLs.
International SEO
Optimizing a website to rank in more than one country or language, using country-specific keyword research, the right URL structure, hreflang tags, localized content and links from each market.
Why it matters: Without it, your site may rank at home but stay invisible to buyers abroad.
Hreflang
An HTML, HTTP header or sitemap annotation that tells search engines which language and country each version of a page is for.
Why it matters: It helps the right version appear in each country instead of the wrong one.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://example.com/au/" />Language and region codes
Hreflang uses an ISO 639-1 language code, optionally followed by an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.
Why it matters: Invalid codes are ignored. The UK is "gb", so use en-GB, not en-UK.
en, en-GB, en-AU, ar-AESelf-referencing hreflang
Each page's hreflang set includes a tag pointing to the page itself, as well as to its alternates.
Why it matters: Leaving it out is one of the most common hreflang mistakes.
Return tags (bidirectional hreflang)
If page A lists page B as an alternate, page B must list page A back.
Why it matters: Without return tags, search engines may ignore the annotations.
x-default
A hreflang value naming the fallback page shown when no language or country version matches the searcher, often a country-selector page.
Why it matters: It stops visitors from unlisted countries landing on the wrong version.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/" />ccTLD
A country-code top-level domain, such as .com.au or .co.uk. It sends a strong signal that a site targets one country.
Why it matters: Strong local signal, but each domain has to build its own authority.
Subfolder vs subdomain
Two ways to organise country versions on one domain: subfolders (example.com/au/) or subdomains (au.example.com).
Why it matters: Subfolders are often the simplest for a growing business because all versions share one domain's authority.
Geotargeting
Signalling which country a page or section is meant for, through the URL structure, hreflang, local content and links. Search Console's old country-targeting setting was retired in 2022.
Why it matters: Country signals now come from your site itself, not a setting.
IP-based redirects
Automatically sending visitors to a country version based on their IP address.
Why it matters: They can stop search engines and travellers seeing your other versions. A visible country switcher is safer.
Country selector
A visible menu or banner that lets visitors choose their country or language version.
Why it matters: It respects visitor choice and keeps every version crawlable when built with normal links.
Localization
Adapting content for a market: language, spelling, currency, units, examples and local rules, not just translating the words.
Why it matters: Localized pages rank and convert better than translated copies.
International keyword research
Finding the words people actually search for in each target country, instead of translating your home-market keyword list.
Why it matters: The same service can be searched very differently in Sydney, Dubai and London.
Multilingual vs multiregional site
A multilingual site offers several languages; a multiregional site targets several countries, which can share a language (for example the US, UK and Australia).
Why it matters: Each needs a different setup for URLs and hreflang.
Transcreation
Recreating marketing copy for another market so the message, tone and offer land the same way, rather than translating word for word.
Why it matters: Headlines, calls to action and slogans usually need transcreation, not translation.
Regional search engines
Search engines that lead in particular countries, such as Baidu in China, Naver in South Korea, Yandex in Russia and Seznam in the Czech Republic.
Why it matters: If you target those markets, Google-only optimisation isn't enough.
International SEO consultant
A specialist who helps a business rank in several countries, from choosing markets and URL structure to hreflang, localized content and reporting by country.
Why it matters: The right consultant can show results in markets like yours.
AI Search
Being found and cited in AI answers. 14 terms
AI Overviews
AI-written summaries at the top of some Google results, with links to the sources they draw on.
Why it matters: Being one of the cited sources can bring visibility even when fewer people click.
AI Mode
Google's conversational search mode, where people ask follow-up questions and get AI-written answers with links.
Why it matters: Clear, well-structured pages are easier for it to use and cite.
LLM (large language model)
The type of AI behind tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot, trained on large amounts of text to understand and write language.
Why it matters: LLM-powered answers are now a second search channel alongside Google's blue links.
GEO (generative engine optimization)
Optimizing content so AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Copilot can understand, trust and cite it.
Why it matters: More buyers now start their research with an AI assistant.
AEO (answer engine optimization)
Structuring content as clear questions with short, direct answers that search features and AI tools can lift as an answer.
Why it matters: It overlaps heavily with GEO and good on-page SEO.
Query fan-out
When an AI search tool splits one question into several related searches, then combines the results into one answer.
Why it matters: Covering the related sub-questions on your page gives it more chances to be used.
Grounding
When an AI tool bases its answer on live web results or documents rather than only on its training data, usually citing those sources.
Why it matters: Grounded answers are where your pages can be cited and linked.
AI citation
When an AI answer names or links to your page as a source.
Why it matters: Citations build brand awareness and can send qualified visitors.
AI visibility (share of voice)
How often your brand is mentioned or cited in AI answers for your topics, compared with competitors.
Why it matters: It's the AI-search equivalent of rankings, so track it over time.
AI crawlers
Bots AI companies use to read websites, such as OAI-SearchBot and GPTBot (OpenAI), ClaudeBot (Anthropic) and PerplexityBot. You can allow or block them in robots.txt.
Why it matters: Blocking search-related AI crawlers can keep you out of AI answers.
llms.txt
A proposed text file at the root of a site that summarises its key pages for AI tools. Google has said it doesn't use it for Search.
Why it matters: It's optional and low effort; it doesn't replace good content or SEO.
Agentic search
AI tools that do more than answer: they browse, compare options and complete tasks, such as booking or shortlisting, on the user's behalf.
Why it matters: Clear prices, services, contact details and booking paths make it easier for AI agents to choose you.
Prompt tracking
Regularly running the questions your buyers ask in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Copilot and Perplexity, and recording which brands are mentioned or cited.
Why it matters: It's how you measure AI visibility, because AI answers change from run to run.
Chunking
Writing content in short, self-contained sections, each answering one question, so AI tools can lift and cite a passage on its own.
Why it matters: Well-chunked pages are easier to quote accurately in AI answers.
Spam & Penalties
Tactics Google penalises, so you can spot them in a proposal. 7 terms
Cloaking
Showing search engines different content from what visitors see. It breaks Google's spam policies.
Why it matters: It can get pages removed from search entirely.
Doorway pages
Many similar pages created to rank for slightly different searches, such as one near-identical page per city, that all funnel visitors to the same place.
Why it matters: Google treats them as spam; location pages need genuinely local content.
Scaled content abuse
Publishing large numbers of pages mainly to manipulate rankings, whether written by AI, people or both, with little value for readers. Named as a spam policy in March 2024.
Why it matters: Mass-produced AI pages can pull down a whole site.
Site reputation abuse
Third-party pages published on a trusted site mainly to borrow its rankings, sometimes called parasite SEO. A Google spam policy since 2024.
Why it matters: Buying placements on big sites to rank for unrelated topics can get those pages removed.
Expired domain abuse
Buying an expired domain with existing links and filling it with low-value content to exploit its past reputation. A Google spam policy since March 2024.
Why it matters: Old links don't carry over when the new site has nothing to do with the old one.
Private blog network (PBN)
A group of websites built mainly to link to one site and boost its rankings.
Why it matters: Google treats PBN links as link spam, and they can trigger penalties.
Negative SEO
Attempts to harm a competitor's rankings, such as pointing spammy links at their site.
Why it matters: Google says it ignores most spammy links, so most sites don't need to react unless a manual action appears.
Measurement
Tracking what's working. 9 terms
Google Search Console
Google's free tool showing how your site performs in Search: clicks, impressions, average position, indexing and errors.
Why it matters: It's the most accurate source of your Google search data.
Impressions
How many times your page appeared in search results, whether or not anyone clicked.
Why it matters: Rising impressions are often the first sign that rankings are improving.
Clicks
How many times people clicked through to your site from search results.
Why it matters: Clicks show real visits; impressions alone don't pay the bills.
Average position
Your page's average ranking for the searches it appeared in, where 1 is the top result.
Why it matters: Track it per keyword and per country, not just as one site-wide number.
Organic CTR
The share of people who click your result after seeing it: clicks divided by impressions.
Why it matters: A low CTR on a well-ranked page usually means the title or description needs work.
Rank tracking
Checking where your pages rank for chosen keywords over time, ideally by country and device.
Why it matters: Rankings differ by country, so a single global number can mislead.
Organic traffic
Visits that arrive from unpaid search results, reported in Google Analytics 4 as Organic Search.
Why it matters: It's the clearest sign your SEO is bringing people to the site, so track leads from it too.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Microsoft's free tool for monitoring your site in Bing, which also feeds Microsoft Copilot.
Why it matters: Bing matters more than many people think, especially in the US and UK.
IndexNow
A way to tell Bing and other participating search engines instantly when you publish or update a page. Google doesn't use it.
Why it matters: It helps new pages appear faster in Bing-powered results.
Outdated SEO terms
Still listed as current in many glossaries. If you see one in an SEO proposal, ask what the person means.
Renamed Google Business Profile in 2021.
Google added Experience in 2022, making it E-E-A-T.
Replaced by INP as a Core Web Vital in March 2024.
Google has ignored it for ranking since 2009.
Not a ranking factor; repeating a keyword to hit a percentage reads badly and can count as keyword stuffing.
Google has said it doesn't use "LSI keywords"; covering related subtopics naturally is what helps.
Replaced by Google Search Essentials in 2022.
Retired by Google in December 2023.
Search Console's country-targeting setting was retired in 2022.
Google no longer shows them in Search.
Google's AI search test was launched to everyone as AI Overviews in May 2024.
Renamed Microsoft Copilot in late 2023.
Renamed Gemini in February 2024.
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I help businesses in the UAE, Australia, the US, Canada and the UK with SEO, international SEO and AI search visibility.