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Search Engine Optimization Terms
Because there are a number of terms used to describe this industry
and the methods involved, we decided to provide you with a glossary you can use
to help you understand what we talk about. Different people use different terms
for the same thing which generates confusion, especially for someone new to the
industry.
If you have suggestions for additions to our list please let us
know. This page is new so we are adding to the list when we can.
This page is growing all the time so if you hit ctrl+f (for PC
users), you can enter a term to see if it is listed without having to do a lot
of scrolling.
a, b, c
algorithm - Specifications a search
engine applies to its analysis of a website, its pages, and other factors to determine
an appropriate ranking.
d, e, f
description meta tag - A short description of a website
that appears in the HEAD. Some search engines show this in their results. This
has much less relevance in positioning than it used to.
directories (Yahoo!, DMOZ) - Large categorized indexes
using human editors to decide whether a site is worthy of addition. HTML optimization
does not improve positioning.
doorway pages (a.k.a. information pages) - Pages
created with the single aim of getting high positions in search engines.
g, h, i
j, k, l
keywords - Words and phrases that are most relevant to
a site and its subject. Your keywords should not be too vague. Keyword
advice
keywords meta tag - A short list of keywords relevant to
that page appearing in the HEAD. Some search engines consider this when indexing
a page but this tag now has very little importance, if any. However it should
still be used.
link popularity - The volume of links to your website from
other sites. Search engines analyze all incoming links from separate sites and
increase your ranking accordingly. More on link
popularity
m, n, o
p, q, r
pay-for-inclusion (a.k.a. paid submission) - Paying
for a web page or a website to be indexed in a search engine / directory. Indexes
offering this option include Inktomi, AltaVista, Ask.com, Yahoo, and more.
pay-for-placement (a.k.a. pay-per-click) - You can
bid on keywords you pick. The highest bidder gest the top position. Services include
Overture.com, FindWhat, Sprinks, and others.
s, t, u
search engine placement (a.k.a. search engine optimization,
SEO, search engine ranking, search engine positioning, etc.) - The processes
used to gain higher positions for a website.
Search engines (AltaVista, Google, MSN, etc.) - Automated
search facilities that send small programs, spiders,
to 'crawl' through the pages of a site and index information from each page. Pages
are then ranked according to the search engine's algorithm.
spam - In the context of search engine optimization, this
is pages that try to trick the search engines into ranking a site higher. The
use of spam is known as 'spamming'.
spiders - Small programs sent out
by search engines to follow links on websites and harvest information found on
each page. This process is known as 'spidering' or 'crawling'.
title tag, <title> - Goes in the HEAD of the HTML
code and is the title search engines will display for that page. This is the single
most important tag that should appear in the <HEAD> of EVERY page.
v, w, x, y, z
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