Fundamentals
Algorithm
The formula a search engine uses to rank pages.
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Reference
SEO Glossary — 30 Essential Terms
A clean, neutral dictionary of the SEO terms you'll encounter every day. Search, filter by category, study with flashcards, and test yourself with a quiz.
32 terms
6 categories
Flashcards + quiz
How to use this guide
One reference. Every essential term. Built for quick lookup and serious study.
Most SEO articles assume you already know the vocabulary. This glossary doesn't — every term gets a one-line summary, a clear definition, and a real example where it helps.
Use the search and category filters to find a term in seconds, the flashcards to memorize them, and the quiz to verify you actually know them.
All terms
Browse the glossary
Search by name or keyword, or filter by category. Tap any card to read the full definition.
Fundamentals
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Improving a site to rank higher in unpaid search results.
Fundamentals
SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
Umbrella term covering both paid search and organic SEO.
Results & Metrics
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page of results returned for a search query.
Fundamentals
Query
What a person types into a search engine.
Content & Keywords
Keywords
The words/phrases pages target to match user queries.
Content & Keywords
Keyword Stuffing
Cramming keywords unnaturally into a page.
Content & Keywords
Duplicate Content
The same text repeated across pages or domains.
Links
Backlinks (Inbound Links)
Links from other websites pointing to your site.
Links
Internal Links
Links between pages of the same website.
Links
Reciprocal Link
A 'you link to me, I link to you' exchange.
Links
Link Juice
The ranking power passed through a link.
Links
PageRank
A score representing a page's authority.
Fundamentals
White Hat SEO
Ethical, guideline-compliant SEO techniques.
Fundamentals
Black Hat SEO
Manipulative tactics that violate guidelines.
Technical
Spider (Crawler / Bot)
The program that explores and indexes the web.
Technical
Code
The HTML/CSS/JS that builds and describes a page.
Technical
Schema (Structured Data)
Code that tells search engines what your content means.
Technical
Domain Name
A website's address (e.g., example.com).
Technical
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
The full address of a specific page.
Content & Keywords
Landing Page
The page a visitor 'lands' on after clicking a link.
Results & Metrics
Organic Search Results
Unpaid results ranked by the algorithm alone.
Paid Search
Paid Search Results
Ads at the top, side, or bottom of the SERP.
Paid Search
PPC (Pay Per Click)
Ad model where you pay only when someone clicks.
Paid Search
CPC (Cost Per Click)
How much you pay each time someone clicks your ad.
Paid Search
CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions)
Pay per 1,000 ad views, not per click.
Results & Metrics
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Percentage of impressions that turned into clicks.
Results & Metrics
Impression
One time your listing or ad appears on a SERP.
Paid Search
QS (Quality Score)
A 1–10 grade for paid keywords/ads.
Results & Metrics
Conversion
When a visitor completes a valuable action.
Fundamentals
LSO (Local Search Optimization)
Optimizing to rank in local & maps results.
Fundamentals
Spam
Junk, low-value, or manipulative content.
Memorize
Flashcards — flip to reveal the definition
Tap a card to flip it. Shuffle for randomized practice. Spaced repetition beats re-reading.
Test yourself
10-question glossary quiz
Read the definition, pick the right term. No timer, no penalty — just understanding.
10 random questions drawn from the full glossary. Each question shows a definition and four possible terms.
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By Mohamed Elnahrawy
Exclusive SEO lessons — SEO Engineer & Growth Consultant