Are you ready to get your content ranking at the top of the search results?
Well, there are many facets to becoming an SEO expert. It starts with understanding what it is and the essential tactics to make Google (and your readers) fall in love with your website.
But if you’re new to the world of SEO, it may feel a bit overwhelming, considering there are so many SEO terms for beginners to learn about.
The good news is that you don’t need to know everything to begin climbing to the first page of Google. You just need to have the basics covered so you can create quality, optimized content.
25 Terms Anyone doing SEO Should Know
To help you become a master at optimizing your content, there are a few top SEO terms you should know about. Read on to discover what each one means and how they can play a role in boosting your ranking in the search results.
1. Alt Text
Alt text (alternative text) is also known as “alt attributes” or “alt descriptions.” Essentially, it’s a description of the appearance and function of an image featured on a webpage. Although alt text isn’t typically visible, it serves a few different purposes in the world of online content creation. In terms of SEO, alt text provides search engines with a description of the image so it can be indexed appropriately. This means your images can be seen in relevant search results.
Adding alt text to each image on your site is also helpful for accessibility purposes. Those who are visually impaired and using a screen reader to consume your content will read the included alt text for your images. This gives them a better understanding of any visuals they’re unable to see.
2. Anchor Text
You actually see anchor text all the time when browsing the web, but you likely didn’t know there was an official term for it. Anchor text is any text you see on a webpage that has a hyperlink attached to it. When a reader clicks on the anchor text, they’ll be redirected to the page you’ve linked to. Simple!
It’s one of the critical SEO terms for beginners to know because you’ll want to add anchor text to blog posts and other pages of your site. This will allow you to link between multiple pieces of content you’ve created, thus keeping people on your site for an extended period of time. You will also want to use anchor text to link to other reputable sources on the web for readers to learn from.
3. Backdoor Linking
Have you ever left a comment on someone’s blog post and included a link back to your website? Well, that’s called backdoor linking. Another way to go about backdoor linking is getting your site listed on some sort of online directory. The great thing about this practice is that it can be a very easy way to generate more traffic for your website. However, when doing this, make sure you’re actually providing value and not just adding a link because you can.
For instance, if you’re planning to implement backdoor linking by commenting on a few blogs each week, write a worthwhile message to go along with it. Share your thoughts on the content written by the original poster. Offer up some helpful advice or ask questions as well. This will help your comment stand out from the rest.
4. Black Hat
As you begin diving into the world of SEO, you’ll likely come across someone referring to “black hat SEO.” This term refers to tactics people will use to increase the ranking of their website or a specific webpage while also violating the terms of service set by a search engine. Examples of black hat SEO tactics include keyword stuffing, hidden text, doorway pages, cloaking, paid links, and misleading redirects.
Using these tactics yourself could get your site banned from all search engines, blocking you from receiving organic traffic. This is something you should absolutely avoid doing as a creator and marketer.
Always do your research before implementing a new tactic to ensure it won’t cause any damage to your website’s reputation.
5. Canonical URL
As your website grows and becomes filled with more content, sometimes pages can become duplicates or near-duplicates of each other. And as Google reminds us, we want to avoid creating duplicate content. When you have two pages that are very similar, search engines don’t know which one it should rank. In this situation, you would choose a preferred URL to send traffic to, which is the canonical URL.
6. Domain Authority
Fun fact! “Domain authority” is one of the top SEO terms these days. Since its creation, a number of other SEO tools have created their own authority metric. For example, it’s something that SEMrush features as well. This term essentially refers to the quantity and quality of links a website receives and then creates a score accordingly.
The important thing to note is that Google doesn’t use domain authority as a ranking factor. Instead, domain authority is helpful in determining the probability that you might see better results when ranking on the search pages. So, if you’re using a tool that calculates this, you’ll know if you need to take steps to boost your authority by generating more backlinks.
7. Doorway Link
A website or a webpage created with the intention of ranking for specific, similar search queries is considered to be a doorway link or a doorway page. When someone searches for this query, they may wind up discovering multiple similar pages in their search results. This is ultimately unhelpful since this person winds up getting directed to the same destination multiple times, making it difficult for them to find the quality content they’re looking for.
8. Headings
Headings (or headers) make your content easier for people to digest. They break blog content into sections and offer a navigational cue to what’s coming up next. However, did you know that headings do more than just improve the overall experience for those reading your content? They actually play a role in your SEO ranking, especially since the release of Google’s Hummingbird algorithm in 2013.
Since Hummingbird, Google looks at more than just keywords when assessing the value of a webpage. Content quality and relevance, along with structure and user experience, are just as important. This is why the use of various headings plays a role in ranking. They help indicate the topic of your content, allow users to navigate what you’ve written, and can feature your keyword.
9. Inbound Links
Inbound links are those links coming from another website back to your own website. You’ll be able to find those links by diving into your analytics and discovering your top traffic referrals. If your site receives a lot of inbound links from reputable sites, it can potentially give you a boost in search engine rankings. Plus, all of that extra referral traffic doesn’t hurt either!
For many people, they choose to implement inbound link-building strategies instead of waiting for it to happen organically. Doing so can increase rankings and traffic, therefore growing your website at a much faster rate. The key is getting featured on authoritative sites, not spammy ones.
10. Internal Links
An internal link sends someone from one page to another on the same website. Its primary purpose is to keep visitors on your site for as long as possible, as it encourages them to explore more of your content. Links featured in a navigation bar are considered internal links since they promote other pages of your site. You can also add internal links to your blog posts to direct readers to more related content for further reading.
By using internal links, it gives Google and other search engines a better understanding of how to rank your website. These search engines will be able to detect which pages on your site are the most important, while also providing information as to what they’re all about so they can be ranked appropriately.
11. Keyword
It’s possible that this may be the most essential of the SEO terms for beginners to know about because keywords play such a significant role in your content creation. In fact, doing keyword research comes before you even begin writing a blog post or web page’s content.
You see, a keyword is an idea or the topic that your content is focused upon. And you will choose your target keyword based on what people are actually searching for online. Using relevant keywords helps your content rank and gives you a better chance at being discovered. Keywords will be strategically placed in your blog or page title, headings, meta description, and throughout the content.
12. Keyword Density
Building off that last term, we have something known as keyword density. This refers to the number of times your focus keyword appears in your copy when compared to the number of total words that page contains. Many experts suggest aiming for a keyword density of around 1-2%. This means you would incorporate your focus keyword one or two times per 100 words.
You’ll want to pay attention to keyword density to ensure you aren’t overusing your keyword. Stuffing your content with the focus keyword will seem unnatural for readers consuming your content, and it won’t do you any favors when it comes to SEO.
13. Long-Tail Keyword
Yes, there’s another keyword term you need to know! A long-tail keyword is a longer, more specific phrase that people search to help them find the content they’re looking for. Typically, a long-tail keyword features three or four words. By using a more specific phrase, you’ll likely encounter less competition, thus giving you a better chance to rank at the top of the search results.
14. Meta Description
To put it simply, a meta description summarizes the contents of your page. It tells both readers and search engines what they can expect to find when viewing your content. This information will show up beneath your blog post or webpage title in search results. It’s wise to communicate the benefits your content has to offer the reader while also compelling them to click to read more.
When writing a meta description, don’t forget to incorporate your focus keyword for SEO purposes. Another best practice to follow is to keep the report between 120-150 characters to ensure it’s visible in its entirety on both mobile and desktop.
15. No Follow
Follow versus no follow links are a couple of top SEO terms that can sometimes be confusing to beginners. Now, we already know that linking can be great for providing an SEO boost, especially when authority websites link back to you. However, there is a way to prevent this link juice from being passed on and that is done through a no-follow link.
Should you choose to include a no-follow link on your website, it means that authority won’t be passed onto the websites you’ve linked to. This means it won’t give the site a boost in Google’s PageRank, nor will it help the site’s placement in search results. It’s often recommended to use no-follow links for sponsored posts, user-generated content (like comments and forums), and when you don’t want search engines to associate your site with the linked page.
16. Noindex Tag
Did you know that you can prevent certain pages on your website from appearing in search results? Well, it’s true! And it can be done pretty easily by adding a “noindex” HTML tag. When implemented, search engines will still be able to find this page. However, it won’t be visible in search results. This means users won’t see it popping up when searching for related terms. Instead, you would need to add the link somewhere on your website or share it with someone directly in order to give them access.
Oftentimes, site admins choose to add the noindex tag to thank you pages for sign-ups or checkouts, login pages, and internal search results.
17. Organic
You’re probably used to hearing the word “organic” being paired with things like fresh produce. However, it’s commonly used in the SEO world as well. Whenever you read about someone discussing their organic ranking in the search results or organic traffic, they’re talking about results that were earned. These results were not influenced by paid advertising.
18. Outbound Links
An inbound link sends traffic to your website, while an outbound link sends traffic from your site to another. While outbound links aren’t necessarily going to do much for your site’s SEO, they’re still great to include. They allow you to link to sources to back up claims you make, while also providing more content for your readers to consume.
In some cases, if a website sees that you’ve linked to them, they may be more inclined to link back to you. This can be beneficial considering earning links from sites with a higher authority can potentially give your content a boost in search results.
19. Page Authority
Similar to domain authority, page authority is also one of the top SEO terms developed by Moz. While domain authority references how an entire domain will potentially rank in search results, page authority is focused on a singular page within a domain. Again, this isn’t a factor that Google considers when choosing which pages to rank in their search results. Instead, it provides information that you can use as a marketer. The higher the page authority score, the greater your ability to rank.
While it’s not a guarantee you will rank, it gives you an idea of where you can make improvements when needed. For example, suppose you want to improve a page’s authority. In that case, the best way to go about it is by generating more external links from authority sites. This tells Google it’s valuable content.
20. SERP
Next on our list of SEO terms for beginners is an acronym that you probably see a lot, but may not know the meaning. SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. This refers to the page that comes up with results whenever you Google something. Creators are constantly working on getting their content to the very top of the SERPs so they can generate more traffic for their websites.
21. Sitemap
A sitemap is something that’s helpful for a website to have because it improves how search engines crawl your site and its data. Essentially, a sitemap lists the pages, videos, and any other files that are included on your website. It can also provide valuable information to Google about your content, such as when a page was last updated.
22. Title Tag
Sometimes referred to as “page titles,” the title tag is an HTML indicator allowing you to provide a title for your website. This will appear in the browser tab alongside the name of your website, and it will be visible on the search engine results page. It plays an essential role in organically ranking your website since it gives you the opportunity to tell visitors and the search engine what your site is all about.
A successful title tag is about 55-60 characters long, uses target keywords, and accurately depicts the kind of content someone will find on your website. If your title tag is relevant to their search, they’ll be more likely to click through and check out your content.
23. Webmaster Guidelines
You’ll often hear webmaster guidelines being referenced by some of the top SEO experts out there. That’s because it’s important to familiarize yourself with the best practices that will help your content rank in search results. Google and Bing each have their own guidelines that people are encouraged to follow. There are general, content-specific, and quality guidelines to keep in mind when it comes to Google.
24. White Hat
Earlier, we mentioned black hat SEO tactics, which are the ones you want to stay away from. If you implement black hat tactics, you could wind up being penalized by Google and the other search engines. Instead, you want to focus on white hat SEO so you can stay on their good side. White hat tactics are entirely in compliance with Google’s guidelines. These tactics include offering quality content, having a mobile-friendly website, having fast loading times, and making sure your site is user-friendly.
25. 301 Redirect
On the technical side of things, 301 is an HTTP status code that gets sent to a browser by a web server. Using a 301 redirect, you inform the search engines that the location of a page on your website has permanently changed. You’ll want to use this to maintain your search engine ranking by passing it from the old URL to the new URL.
So, when should you use a 301 redirect? It’s helpful in situations where you’re changing a URL, recreating a piece of older content, or moving from one domain to another. There are other types of redirects as well, such as a 302 redirect or JavaScript redirects, but the 301 redirect is the most common.
26. Ask Engine Optimization (AEO)
AEO is an emerging optimization strategy focused on answering specific questions that users ask through voice assistants and chatbots. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on keywords, AEO emphasizes natural language processing and conversational content that directly addresses user queries. This approach has become increasingly important with the rise of voice search and AI-powered search assistants.
27. Search Everywhere Optimization (SEO)
Not to be confused with traditional Search Engine Optimization, Search Everywhere Optimization represents a holistic approach to digital visibility. This strategy focuses on optimizing content for multiple platforms and formats, including social media, apps, voice search, and traditional search engines. It acknowledges that users now search for content across various platforms and devices.
28. Core Web Vitals
Google’s Core Web Vitals focuses on three key metrics that measure a webpage’s user experience and affect on search rankings: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures main content loading speed (target: under 2.5s), Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures responsiveness to user actions (target: under 200ms), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability during loading (target: under 0.1).
29. Entity SEO
Instead of just focusing on keywords, Entity SEO is about building your online presence around real-world concepts and relationships. Think of it like this: if you run a coffee shop, rather than just targeting “best coffee” or “coffee shop near me,” you’re helping Google understand that you’re an established business connected to the wider world of coffee—from your specialty roasts and barista expertise to your role in the local community. It’s the difference between being seen as just another coffee shop and being recognized as a meaningful part of the coffee culture in your area.
30. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Think of E-E-A-T as Google’s way of checking if your content is genuinely helpful and reliable. It looks at whether you have real hands-on knowledge of what you’re writing about, if you know your stuff, if others in your field respect your work, and if visitors can trust the information you’re sharing. This is especially important when you’re writing about topics that could impact someone’s life, health, or money—”your money or your life” (YMYL) topics.
31. Passage Indexing
Ever notice how sometimes Google shows you a specific paragraph from the middle of an article? That’s passage indexing at work. It’s pretty cool, actually—Google can now zoom in on individual sections of your content and rank them separately from the rest of the page. So let’s say you write a long guide about houseplants, and somewhere in there you have a great paragraph about propagating snake plants. That specific section could show up in search results when someone’s looking for snake plant tips, even if your article is mostly about general plant care. It’s one reason why writing longer, in-depth content can be really valuable—each section has a chance to shine on its own.
32. Below the Fold
The term “below the fold” comes from the old newspaper days, and it’s still super relevant for websites. When someone lands on your page, everything they see without scrolling is “above the fold,” and everything they need to scroll to see is “below the fold.” While you might think putting all your best content at the top is the way to go, Google actually pays attention to how people interact with your whole page. If visitors scroll down and spend time reading content below the fold, that’s a good signal to Google that your page is valuable. So don’t treat below-the-fold content like second-class citizens—it’s just as important for your SEO success.
33. Neural Matching
Think of Neural Matching as Google’s way of reading between the lines. Instead of just matching exact words, it tries to understand what you mean, kind of like how a human would. For example, if someone searches “why is my head hot but no fever,” Google knows to show results about body temperature and potential causes, even if the content uses more medical terms like “elevated temperature” or “hyperthermia.” It’s why you can write naturally in your content rather than stressing about using exact keyword phrases.
34. Topic Clusters
You know how textbooks have main chapters and then break down into smaller sections? That’s basically what topic clusters are for your website. You start with one main page (like “Complete Guide to Indoor Plants”) and link it to related pages covering specific topics (like “Snake Plant Care,” “Best Low-Light Plants,” and “Indoor Plant Watering Guide”). When you organize your content this way, Google sees you as more of an authority because you’re covering a topic thoroughly, not just scratching the surface. Plus, it helps your visitors find exactly what they need, whether they want the big picture or specific details.
35. Mobile-First Indexing
Here’s the thing about mobile-first indexing: Google looks at your website exactly how it appears on a phone, not a desktop computer. Makes sense, right? Most people are browsing on their phones these days. So your website needs to work beautifully on mobile—quick loading times, easy-to-tap buttons, text that’s readable without zooming, and images that fit the screen properly. If your mobile site isn’t up to par, you could be losing out on rankings, even if your desktop version looks amazing.
36. Schema Markup
Schema markup is basically your way of speaking Google’s language. It’s like putting labels on different parts of your content to tell search engines exactly what they’re looking at. When you add schema markup to your recipe page, for example, Google knows that “30 minutes” is the cooking time and “350°F” is the oven temperature. This helps your content show up in those fancy search results with stars, cooking times, or ingredient lists right there in Google—the kind of results that catch people’s eye and get more clicks.
37. SEO Slug
A URL slug is the part of your web address that comes after the domain name—and it’s more important than you might think! For example, in “www.ursite.com/blog/best-coffee-beans-2025”,
everything after “blog/” is your slug. Making these slugs SEO-friendly means keeping them short, readable, and descriptive of your content. Instead of using something like “post-id-123456” or “page-2”, a good slug tells both Google and your visitors exactly what the page is about. Plus, when people see a clear, keyword-rich slug in search results, they’re more likely to click because they know exactly where that link will take them.
38. Semantic Search
Gone are the days when Google just matched the exact words you typed. Now, search engines understand context and meaning—just like a real conversation. If someone searches “pizza place open late,” Google knows they’re probably hungry and looking for a restaurant nearby that’s still serving, even if your website talks about “24-hour Italian dining” or “midnight delivery.” That’s why your content needs to cover topics naturally and completely, using different words and phrases that real people would use when talking about your subject.
39. Featured Snippets
You know that box at the top of Google that gives you a quick answer to your question? That’s a featured snippet, and landing your content there is like winning the SEO lottery. The secret to getting there isn’t complicated—your content just needs to give clear, direct answers to questions people are asking. Break down complex topics into simple steps, use bullet points for lists, create definition boxes, and make sure your how-to guides are easy to follow. When Google sees that you’re giving straightforward answers in a clean format, you’ve got a better shot at claiming that coveted top spot.
40. Bounce Rate
A bounce is when someone visits your website and leaves without clicking on any other pages. Your bounce rate shows the percentage of visitors who do this. While a high bounce rate might seem bad, context matters—if visitors spend time reading your content before leaving, that’s actually a good sign you’re giving them what they need. Google uses this data, along with other engagement signals, to gauge if your content is valuable to visitors.
41. Local SEO Pack
You’ve seen those business listings that pop up on the map when you search for something nearby, like “coffee shops” or “dentists”? That’s the Local SEO Pack—also called the Map Pack, Snack Pack, or Local 3-Pack because it usually shows three relevant businesses. Getting your business to show up here is golden for local traffic. The key is keeping your Google Business Profile spotless with current hours, photos, and contact info, plus collecting genuine customer reviews. When locals search for what you offer, you want to be right there at the top of those map results where they can’t miss you.
42. Dwell Time
When someone clicks on your website from Google and hangs around reading your content, that’s dwell time. It’s like a vote of confidence—the longer visitors stay, the more likely it is they found what they were looking for. Google notices this. If people keep clicking on your site and sticking around instead of jumping back to search for something better, Google figures you’re giving good answers to their questions—and that’s exactly what can help boost your rankings!
43. Search Intent
Every time someone types something into Google, they’re trying to do something specific. There are four main types of searches people make: informational (like learning about a topic), navigational (finding a specific website), commercial (researching products or services), or transactional (ready to buy something). By understanding what people really want when they search certain terms, you can create content that matches their needs. For example, someone searching “how to bake bread” wants different information than someone searching “buy sourdough bread near me.” When your content lines up perfectly with what searchers want to do, you’re more likely to rank well and keep visitors happy.
44. Content Depth
Content depth is about thoroughly covering a topic rather than just skimming the surface with thin content. While a basic article might cover just the essentials, deep content addresses all aspects of a subject comprehensively. For example, an article about coffee-making could cover bean selection, water temperature, brewing methods, and common troubleshooting tips all in one place. Google tends to favor this comprehensive approach because it provides more value to readers and answers related questions they might have.
45. Crawl Budget
Google’s spiders have a limited time to crawl pages on your website—that’s your crawl budget. For smaller sites, this isn’t usually a concern, but for larger sites with thousands of pages, it becomes crucial. Managing your crawl budget means helping search engines focus on your important pages first by maintaining a clean sitemap, removing broken links, and eliminating duplicate content. It ensures your key pages stay fresh in Google’s index and get crawled regularly.
46. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
When your page shows up in search results, CTR measures how many people actually click on your link compared to how many people see it. If 100 people see your result and 5 click on it, that’s a 5% CTR. While having a high ranking is great, getting people to click is just as important. Strong titles, compelling meta descriptions, and showing up with featured snippets can all help boost your CTR and bring more visitors to your site.
47. Zero-Click Searches
Sometimes people get their answers right in Google’s search results without clicking on any websites—that’s a zero-click search. This happens with featured snippets, knowledge panels, and quick answer boxes. While it might seem counterintuitive to optimize for searches where people don’t visit your site, having your content appear in these prominent positions builds visibility and authority. The key is providing quick answers while still offering enough value to encourage people to click through for more detailed information.
48. Query Refinement
When you start typing in Google, you’ll notice it suggests different ways to complete your search—that’s query refinement in action. It shows up in autocomplete suggestions, related searches at the bottom of the page, and those expandable “People also ask” boxes. By paying attention to these suggestions, you can better understand how people are searching for your topic and adjust your content accordingly.
49. Landing Page
A landing page is a standalone webpage designed to convert visitors into taking a specific action—whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, downloading a guide, or making a purchase. Unlike regular website pages with lots of navigation options, landing pages stay laser-focused on one goal. Good landing pages keep things simple, match the promise made in your search listing, and make it crystal clear what visitors should do next.
50. NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)
Consistency is everything when it comes to your NAP—that’s your business name, address, and phone number across the web. Whether someone finds your business on Google Maps, Yelp, or your own website, these details need to match exactly. Even small differences like “St.” versus “Street” can confuse search engines and potentially hurt your local SEO rankings.
Book a Free SEO Strategy Session with Cadence!
Optimizing your content is key to effectively marketing your brand online. Done right, it’ll bring in a steady stream of traffic from Google and other search engines. However, here at CadenceSEO, we know that not everyone is an SEO expert. If you don’t know where to begin, SEO consultancy may be right for you.
We’ll implement our five-step process, which features a technical SEO audit, keyword and competitive research, optimization, content creation, and authority development. With decades of experience in digital marketing, we can tailor an SEO strategy to meet your organization’s unique needs and goals. Ready to boost your online presence? Book a free strategy session with us today!
