Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become an essential weapon in the arsenal of every online business. Unfortunately for the owners of most businesses and marketers (and even many webmasters), it is also something of an enigma. This is due in part to the fact that this is a new and rapidly changing field, and partly due to the fact that SEO practitioners tend to speak in a language all its own, which, without translation is virtually impenetrable to the layman. This glossary is intended to remedy the situation, explaining specialist SEO terms in plain English ...

AdWords

"Sponsored Links" See.

algorithm

A complex mathematical formula used by search engines to assess the relevance and importance of web sites and classify them according to their search results. These algorithms are well maintained in secrecy, as are the key to the objectivity of search engines (ie, the algorithm ensures relevant results, and relevant results to attract more users, which in turn brings more advertising revenue).

Article PR

The presentation of reprint articles to many article submission sites and article distribution lists in order to improve the position of your website in search engines and Google PageRank. (In this sense, the "PR" stands for PageRank.) Like traditional public relations, article PR also conveys a sense of authority because its articles are widely published. And because you are showing your experience and open sharing of knowledge, confidence and your readers will be more likely to remain faithful to you. (In this sense, the "PR" refers to public relations.)

article distribution lists

User groups (eg, Yahoo, MSN, Google, Smartgroups and Topica groups) that accept email submissions of articles in text format and then distribute these articles via email to all group members . See also 'article PR.

sites article submission

Web sites that act as repositories of play items. Authors visit these sites to submit their articles free of charge, and webmasters visit to find articles to use on their websites for free. Article submission sites generate revenue by selling advertising space on their web sites. See also 'article PR.

backlink

A text link to your website from another website. See also 'link'.

copy

The words used in your website.

Editor

A professional writer who specializes in copywriting (words compelling, involving promotion of a particular product or service). See also "SEO copywriter" and "web editor.

creep

Google finds pages on the World Wide Web and records their data in the index by sending "spiders" or "robots." These spiders make their way from one page to another, from one place to another by following links. For a spider, a text link is like a door.

Domain Name

The virtual address of your website (usually in the form www.yourbusinessname.com). This is what people write when they want to visit your website. It is also to be used as the address on the text links to your site.

ezine

An electronic journal. Most journal editors are desperate for content and will gladly publish well written, useful articles and give all the credit as the author, including a link to your website.

Flash

The technology used to create animated web pages (and page elements).

free reprint article

An article written by you and freely available to other webmasters to publish on their websites. See also 'article PR.

Google

The search engine with the best coverage of the World Wide Web, and is responsible for the largest search engine referred traffic. Approximately 11.5 billion pages on the World Wide Web, it is estimated that Google has indexed around 8.8 billion. This is one reason why it takes so long to increase your ranking!

Google AdWords

"Sponsored Links" See.

Google PageRank

How Google scores importance of a website. It gives all sites a mark out of 10. By downloading the Google Toolbar (from http://toolbar.google.com), you can see the PR of any site you visit.

Google Toolbar

A free tool you can download. It becomes part of your browser toolbar. It's more useful features is the PageRank display (which allows you to see PR of any site you visit) and AutoComplete feature (when you are filling out an online form, you can click AutoFill, and enters all the standard information form automatically, including name, address, zip / postal code, telephone number, email address, company name, credit card number (password protected), etc.) Once you've downloaded and installed the bar tools, you may need to configure how 'would like to see work by clicking Options (setup is very easy). Note: Google does not record any information (particularly with respect to the sites visited.)



HTML

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the programming language used to create most of the information on the World Wide Web. Web browsers read HTML and display the page describing the code.

Internet

An interconnected network of computers around the world.

JavaScript

A programming language used to create dynamic website pages (interactivity, for example).

keyword

A word that your search for clients and is used frequently in place in order to be relevant for searches. This use is known as a keyword selection. Most websites actually "keyword phrases" aim for single keywords are too generic and it is very difficult the first places for them.

keyword density

A measure of the frequency of the keyword in relation to the total word count of the page. So if your page has 200 words, and your keyword phrase appears 10 times, its density is 5%.

keyword phrase

A phrase your search for clients and is used frequently in place in order to be relevant for searches.

link

A word or an image on a web page that the reader can click to visit another site. There are visual signals that normally tell the reader that the word or image is a link.

map link

Using text links to connect a series of pages (ie page 1 connects to page 2, page 2 connects to page 3, page 3 connects to page 4, and so on). "Spiders" from search engines and robots use the text links to jump from one page to another, and to gather information, making it a good idea for them to go through the site through text links . (Link Road 'on page 21. For more information.)

Link Partner

A webmaster who is willing to put a link to your website on your website. Very often link partners are involved in reciprocal linking.

link popularity

The number of links to your website. Link popularity is the most important factor in a high search ranking. Webmasters use a number of methods to increase the popularity of its binding site including article PR, link exchange (link partners / reciprocal linking), buying links, directories and links.

text link

Part of a text link that is visible to the reader. When generating links to your site itself, which are more effective (in terms of ranking) if they include the keyword.

metatag

A brief note in the header of the HTML of your web page that describes some aspect of the page. These meta tags are read by search engines and is used to help assess the relevance of a site to a particular search.

natural search results

The "real" search results. The results that most users seek and occupy most of the window. For most searches, the search engine displays a long list of links to sites with content that is related to the word you searched for. These results are ranked according to relevance and importance.

the organic search results

'Natural search results' See.

PPC (pay per click advertising)

"Sponsored Links" See.

PageRank

'Google PageRank See.

Range

Its position in the search results are displayed when someone searches a particular word in a search engine.

reciprocal link

A mutual agreement between two webmasters to exchange links (ie, both include a link to another website on your own website). Most search engines (certainly Google) are sophisticated enough to detect reciprocal links and do not see it very favorably because it is clearly a manufactured method of a joint. Websites with reciprocal links risk being penalized.

robot

'Spider' See.

robots.txt file

A file that is used to inform the spider of search engines that the pages of a site should not be indexed. This file is located in the root directory of your site on the web server. (Alternatively, you can do a similar thing by placing tags in the header section of your HTML for robots of search engines and spiders to read. See "Optimizing your web 'on p. 22. To more information.)

Sandbox

Many experts believe that SEO web sites 'sandboxes' new Google. Each time it detects a new website, which retains its rightful ranking for a period while it determines whether your site is a genuine, credible place in the long term. This is to discourage the creation of SPAM websites (sites which serve no useful purpose other than to increase the ranking of some other site). Similarly, if Google detects a sudden increase (ie, hundreds or thousands) in the number of links to your site, they can litter box for a point (in fact or sanction by the reduction in rank or black list your site in total).

SEO

Search Engine Optimization. The art of making your website relevant and so important that figures prominently in search results to a particular word.

SEO Editor

'Editor' A is not only competent in web copy, but also experienced in writing copy that is optimized for search engines (and therefore will help you get a search engine for better classification your website).

Search

A search engine is an online tool that allows you to search for websites that contain a particular word or phrase. The most popular search engines are Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Sitemap

A single page containing a list of text links to every page in the site (and each page contains a text link back to the site map). Think of your site map as the center of a web.

SPAM

Generally refers to unwanted e-mail and sent unsolicited mass e-mail addresses private. Also used to refer to web sites that appear in search results without having high no useful content. The creators of these sites are created simply to take advantage of their high ranking by selling advertising space, links to other sites, or links to other sites of their own and thereby increasing the ranking of sites. Search engines are increasingly sophisticated, and already have a very efficient way to detect SPAM websites and penalize them.

spider

Google finds pages on the World Wide Web and records their data in the index by sending "spiders" or "robots." These spiders make their way from one page to another, from one place to another by following links.

Sponsored Links

paid advertising that appears next to natural search results. Customers can click on the ad to visit advertiser's website. This is how search engines make their money. Advertisers set their ads to the screen every time someone searches a word that is related to your product or service. These ads are similar to natural search results, but normally labeled "Sponsored Links", and usually occupy a smaller portion of the window. These ads work on a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) basis (ie the advertiser only pays when someone clicks on your ad).

present

You can send your domain name to the search engines so that their "spiders" or "robots" to index your site. You can also submit articles to article submission sites "to have it published on the internet.

Text link

A word on a web page that the reader can click to visit another site. Text links are normally blue and underlined. Text links are the "spiders" or use "robots" to jump from page to page and website to the web.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a particular page published on the Internet. Normally in the form http://www.yourbusinessname.com/AWebPage.htm.

web copy

'Copy' See.

Web copywriter

'Editor' A comprising the unique needs of writing for an online medium.

webmaster

A person responsible for managing a particular site.

word count

The number of words in a particular web page.

World Wide Web (WWW)

The wide variety of documents published on the internet. It is estimated that the World Wide Web now consists of approximately 11.5 billion pages.