The SEO glossary: 62 terms explained
Most SEO jargon gets used in reports and sales calls without being explained. Here are 62 terms you're likely to hear, laid out like a periodic table so you can see how they group. Each definition is written for business owners and checked against Google's own documentation where Google has said something specific. Tap any element to jump to it.
Updated
Every term, grouped into six families
- Technical16 terms
- On-page19 terms
- Off-page7 terms
- Local5 terms
- Measurement10 terms
- Rules and risks5 terms
Colour shows the family. The two letters are our own shorthand.
Look things up when you need them
Keep this page for when a term turns up in a report, an email or a sales pitch. You don't need to memorise it: a good SEO provider explains its work without expecting you to learn the vocabulary first.
The six family cards show which part of the work a term belongs to. Watch the rules and risks family most closely. Its five terms cover what Google's spam policies don't allow, and a provider who uses them can get your site demoted or removed. For longer explanations, the Boltly blog goes deeper on most of these topics.
- TechnicalCan Google reach and read the site?16
- On-pageWhat's on each page, and how it's set out19
- Off-pageYour reputation across the web7
- LocalMaps and nearby searches5
- MeasurementHow results are reported10
- Rules and risksWhat Google doesn't allow5
Every definition, A to Z
Jump to a letter or skim. Where we have a longer guide on a term, it's linked at the end.
A
- AeAEO and GEORules and risks
- Answer engine and generative engine optimisation: labels for work aimed at AI search features. Google's guide says that work is still SEO. Read our SEO for AI search.
- AoAI OverviewsMeasurement
- AI-written summaries at the top of some Google results, linking to the pages they draw on. They use the same ranking and quality systems as ordinary results.
- AlAlgorithmMeasurement
- The systems Google uses to decide which pages to show for a search, and in what order. It weighs many signals and changes often, which is why SEO never finishes.
- AtAlt textOn-page
- A short description of an image in the page code. Screen readers read it aloud, and it tells search engines what the image shows.
- AnAnchor textOn-page
- The visible, clickable words of a link. Descriptive anchor text tells readers and search engines what the linked page is about; "click here" tells them nothing.
- AuAuthorityOff-page
- A loose word for how trusted a site is on its subject, built mostly through useful content and links from reputable sites. Google publishes no such number.
B
- BlBacklinkOff-page
- A link from another website to yours. Relevant links from trusted sites tell search engines your pages are worth showing. Read our link building guide.
- BhBlack hat SEORules and risks
- Tactics that trick search engines rather than help people, such as hidden text, cloaking or bought links. Google's spam policies ban them.
- BrBounce rateMeasurement
- The share of visits where someone leaves without interacting further. Google Analytics 4 reports the opposite measure, engagement rate, as its main figure.
- BcBreadcrumbOn-page
- A trail near the top of a page showing where it sits, such as Home, Services, Local SEO. It helps people move around and can appear in search results.
C
- CaCanonical tagTechnical
- A line of code naming the main version of a page when the same content sits at more than one URL. Google treats it as a strong hint, not an order.
- CiCitationLocal
- Your business name, address and phone number on another website, such as a directory. Consistent citations help confirm your details. Read our local citations guide.
- CtClick-through rateMeasurement
- The percentage of people who click your result after seeing it. A clear title and description can lift it without moving position.
- CkCloakingRules and risks
- Showing search engines different content from what visitors see. Google's spam policies list it, and it can get a site removed.
- CvConversionMeasurement
- Any action you want a visitor to take, such as a call, a booking, a form or a sale. Traffic only matters if it turns into conversions.
- CwCore Web VitalsTechnical
- Three Google measures of page experience: loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP) and visual stability (CLS), read from real visits at the 75th percentile. Read our Core Web Vitals guide.
- CrCrawlTechnical
- Search engine bots fetching your pages by following links and sitemaps. A page Google can't crawl usually can't be indexed or ranked.
D
- DaDomain authorityMeasurement
- A tool company's score estimating how strong a domain is. Handy for comparison, though Google doesn't use it.
- DuDuplicate contentTechnical
- The same or near-identical content at more than one URL. Google doesn't penalise it as such, but it splits signals and wastes crawling.
E
- EeE-E-A-TOn-page
- Experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Google says E-E-A-T itself isn't a ranking factor, but its systems look for signals of these qualities.
- ElExternal linkOn-page
- A link from your site to another one. Linking to reliable sources helps readers.
F
- FlFollowed linkOff-page
- An ordinary link with no rel value such as nofollow. People call it "dofollow", but no such attribute exists: links are followed by default.
- FsFeatured snippetOn-page
- An answer lifted from a page that answers the question directly, shown near the top of some results.
G
- GbGoogle Business ProfileLocal
- Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, and the centre of most local SEO work. Read our Google Business Profile guide.
- GsGoogle Search ConsoleMeasurement
- Google's free tool showing which searches bring you clicks, which pages are indexed and what errors Google finds. Set it up first.
H
- HdHeading tagsOn-page
- HTML tags from H1 to H6 that structure a page. One H1 names the page; H2 and H3 headings organise the sections.
- HlHreflangTechnical
- A tag telling search engines which language and region a page is for, so international sites show each audience the right version.
I
- IxIndexTechnical
- Google's store of the pages it has crawled and decided to keep. Only indexed pages can appear in results.
- IlInternal linkOn-page
- A link from one page of your site to another. They help people find related pages and show search engines how your topics connect.
K
- KwKeywordOn-page
- A word or phrase people type or speak into a search. The right ones are the words your customers use, which often aren't yours.
- KrKeyword researchOn-page
- Finding the searches your customers make, and how often and how competitively, so you know what pages to build. Read our keyword research guide.
- KsKeyword stuffingRules and risks
- Repeating words or lists of place names so often that the text reads unnaturally. Google's spam policies name it directly.
L
- LpLanding pageOn-page
- The page someone arrives on from a search or a link. A good one matches what they searched for and makes the next step easy.
- LbLink buildingOff-page
- Earning links from other websites through useful content and genuine relationships. Buying links to manipulate rankings breaks Google's spam policies.
- LkLocal packLocal
- The map and short list of businesses Google shows for local searches such as "plumber near me". Getting into it is the main goal of local SEO.
- LsLocal SEOLocal
- Work that helps a business appear for nearby searches: its Business Profile, reviews, citations and pages about the places it serves. Read our what local SEO is.
- LtLong-tail keywordOn-page
- A longer, more specific search, such as "emergency plumber Sandy Bay Sunday". Each one is searched less often, but the intent is usually clearer.
M
- MdMeta descriptionOn-page
- A short summary in the page code that Google sometimes shows under your title. It doesn't affect ranking, but a clear one can earn more clicks.
- MtMeta titleOn-page
- The page's title tag, often shown as the clickable headline in results. Google wants them descriptive and concise, and may rewrite ones that aren't.
- MfMobile-first indexingTechnical
- Google mostly uses the mobile version of a page to index and rank it, so a site that works badly on phones holds itself back.
N
- NpNAPLocal
- Name, address and phone number, kept identical everywhere they appear online.
- NfNofollowOff-page
- A rel value telling Google not to associate your site with the linked page. Google treats it as a hint. For paid links it prefers rel="sponsored", and for comments rel="ugc".
- NiNoindexTechnical
- A rule in the page code or HTTP header asking search engines not to show a page in results. Handy for thank-you and test pages.
O
- OfOff-page SEOOff-page
- Work done away from your own site that builds its reputation, mostly links, mentions, citations and reviews.
- OnOn-page SEOOn-page
- Improving the page itself: titles, headings, content, images and internal links, so it answers the search clearly. Read our on-page SEO guide.
- OtOrganic trafficMeasurement
- Visitors who arrive from unpaid search results rather than ads. It keeps coming without a cost per click.
P
- PrPageRankOff-page
- Google's original method of judging a page's importance from the links pointing to it. Google says it's still one of many signals.
- PsPage speedTechnical
- How quickly a page loads and becomes usable, which Google measures through Core Web Vitals.
Q
- QyQueryOn-page
- The words someone types or speaks into a search. Understanding the need behind a query matters more than matching its exact words.
R
- RkRankingMeasurement
- Where a page appears for a given search. Positions change by location, device and over time, so one check is never the whole picture.
- RdRedirectTechnical
- A rule sending visitors and search engines from one URL to another. A permanent redirect (301 or 308) tells Google to show the new URL instead of the old one.
- RrRich resultOn-page
- A search result with extra features such as review stars, prices or stock status, made possible by structured data. Google decides when to show them.
- RtRobots.txtTechnical
- A file telling search engine bots which parts of a site they may crawl. It controls crawling, not indexing, and one wrong line can block important pages.
S
- SmSchema markupTechnical
- Structured data written in the schema.org vocabulary, usually as JSON-LD, that labels the facts on a page for search engines. Read our schema markup explained.
- SeSERPMeasurement
- Search engine results page: everything shown after a search, including ads, AI Overviews, the local pack and organic results.
- SiSitemapTechnical
- A file listing the pages you want found. Google says small, well-linked sites (about 500 pages or fewer) may not need one, but it rarely hurts.
- SdStructured dataTechnical
- A standardised way of describing a page's content so search engines can classify it. It powers rich results when Google shows them.
T
- TsTechnical SEOTechnical
- The behind-the-scenes work that lets search engines crawl, render and index a site: speed, structure, redirects, markup and errors. Read our technical SEO guide.
- TaTopical authorityOn-page
- Covering a subject thoroughly enough that your site becomes a reliable source on it, with pages that support each other. Read our topical authority guide.
U
- UrURLTechnical
- A page's web address. Google suggests descriptive words in URLs, which also help people trust what they're about to click.
- UiUser intentOn-page
- The goal behind a search: to learn something, find a place or buy something. A page that answers the wrong intent rarely ranks, however well it's written.
W
- WhWhite hat SEORules and risks
- Work that follows Google's guidelines and puts people first. It's slower than shortcuts, and the results tend to last.
Three pairs people mix up
These three pairs sound alike and get swapped on calls and in reports all the time.
- CrCrawlingGoogle fetching your pages.vsIxIndexingGoogle deciding to store them so they can appear in results.
- NfNofollowA note on a link: don't treat it as an endorsement.vsNiNoindexA note on a page: don't show it in results.
- MtMeta titleThe title tag, often the headline in search results.vsHdH1 headingThe main heading people see on the page itself.
Four phrases owners get stuck on, and what to do about each
These are the sentences the terms turn up in: a Search Console status, an agency report, an audit tool's summary and a sales call. Each comes with what it means and what to do next.
- Ix"Crawled, currently not indexed" in Search Console
Google fetched the page and decided not to store it, for now. Search Console's help page says it may or may not be indexed later and there's no need to resubmit it. Its sibling status, "Discovered, currently not indexed", means Google knows the address but hasn't fetched it yet, usually because it put off the crawl to avoid overloading the site.
What to do: read the list first. Tag archives, filter URLs and near-copies are fine to leave out. If a page that earns money is on it, make it clearly different from its neighbours and link to it from pages that already get traffic. Pressing Request indexing over and over changes nothing. - Da"Your domain authority went from 18 to 24 this quarter"
Domain authority and its cousins (domain rating, authority score) come from SEO tool companies. Google's page on hiring an SEO says third-party tools can't see Google's internal ranking data, so a rising score is only the tool's guess.
What to do: ask what happened to Search Console clicks and to enquiries over the same three months. If the report can't answer that, the score is filling the space where results should be. - Au"Our audit found 143 errors on your site"
Free crawlers count everything they can flag, cosmetic or not: a logo without alt text, a title a few characters long, a footer link that redirects. The 143 looks alarming because it mixes a handful of real faults with a lot of housekeeping.
What to do: sort the list into three piles. Things that stop a money page being indexed, things that weaken a money page, and the rest. The first pile is usually short, and it's the only one worth paying someone to fix this month. - Gp"We're a Google Partner, so we can get you to the top of Maps"
Google Partner is a Google Ads status. Its requirements are ad performance, ad spend and Ads certifications, none of which touch organic or Maps rankings. Google's "Do you need an SEO?" page adds that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking and warns against anyone claiming a special relationship with Google.
What to do: ask for the company's Partner profile link and check it yourself. Don't hand over your Google Business Profile or website login on a call you didn't make.
Sources, checked 5 October 2026: Search Console Help, "Page indexing report" (status meanings); Google Search Central, "Do you need an SEO?" (third-party tools, ranking guarantees); Google Ads Help, "How to become a Google Partner or Premier Partner" (requirements).
SEO terms, answered
What is this SEO glossary for?
Boltly's SEO glossary explains 62 common SEO terms for business owners rather than specialists. Use it to check a term when it turns up in a report or a pitch.
What does SEO stand for?
Search engine optimisation: the work of helping a website show up in search results for the things its customers look for. Google's own starter guide describes it as helping search engines understand your content.
What SEO terms should I know?
If you learn ten, make them crawl, index, keyword, meta title, internal link, backlink, Google Business Profile, local pack, Core Web Vitals and organic traffic. They come up in almost every report.
What is the difference between crawling and indexing?
Crawling is Google fetching a page. Indexing is Google analysing it and deciding to store it. A page can be crawled and still not indexed, and only indexed pages can rank.
What is the difference between nofollow and noindex?
Nofollow goes on a link and tells Google not to treat it as an endorsement. Noindex goes on a page and asks Google not to show that page in results.
What technical SEO terms should I know?
Crawl, index, robots.txt, sitemap, canonical tag, redirect, noindex and Core Web Vitals cover most technical conversations. Our technical SEO guide puts them in context.
What do AI SEO terms like AEO and GEO mean?
They're names for work aimed at AI search features. Google's guide to its generative AI features says that work is still SEO, built on the same ranking and quality systems.
What terms are in a local SEO glossary?
Google Business Profile, local pack, citation, NAP and local SEO itself are the core local terms, and reviews tie them together. Our local SEO article explains how they fit.
Is domain authority a Google ranking factor?
No. It's a tool company's score, and Google says third-party tools can't see its ranking data. A report that leads with it is measuring the tool rather than your enquiries.
Does Google Partner status mean an agency is good at SEO?
It tells you the agency meets Google's Ads requirements for performance, spend and certification. It says nothing about organic search or Maps, so judge SEO work on what the agency will change and how it will measure leads.
Seven of these questions are Google autocomplete suggestions for "seo terms", "seo glossary" and similar searches, gathered 3 October 2026.
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