Common Terms Used in SEO
If you operate a website or a blog, it helps to have some degree of knowledge concerning search engine optimization (SEO). This does not mean that you have to become an expert on the subject, it only means that you should familiarize yourself with some of the terminology involved, so you know what is being talked about during a discussion with an expert.
Here are 5 of the top common terms used in SEO.
1. Ranking Position
Your website’s ranking position determines where you show up on search engine results pages (SERPs). The way one search engine handles website content is not necessarily the same way another handles it. It is important to understand what those factors are. A few of the factors that have a big influence are:
- Keywords
- Relevant content
- Sites that link to your page.
2. Keywords
Keywords are terms that are used by an internet user to find information on your site. Keywords are a critical component of SEO and the successful ranking of your website. Your website should be using relevant keywords in the page titles, content, and headers within that content. Find out more about keyword research.
When keywords relevant to your website are repeated throughout your content naturally, search engines also recognize other related topics and associate them together. Keywords are helpful if you are trying to brand yourself or a particular type of service or product you may be offering.
3. Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of conditions that are used by search engines to determine where your page will rank in their search engine according to search terms. You have probably heard mostly about the algorithm used by Google. Google uses hundreds of conditions that your website must meet to obtain favorable results.
One of the most frustrating things is keeping up with algorithm updates. Just when you think that you’ve mastered a search engine’s algorithm, a new update is released that can adversely affect your ratings.
The factors that seem most common among the search engines are great content and incoming backlinks from other sites. While there is never a guarantee, keeping up with these two factors should keep your rankings relatively stable.
4. Meta Description
The meta description of your website is limited to 150-155 characters, and it is the description internet users see when your page appears in search engine results page (SERPs). Your meta description can help your ranking because the algorithm will count how many clicks your website gets from the SERPs. The more clicks your site gets from SERPs, the more relevant your site appears, and your ranking can improve.
It is important to include relevant keywords in your meta description, as well as ensuring that your website description stands out above the rest. A great meta description is short, to the point, attractive, and relevant.
5. Canonical URLs
Making sure your URLs are “canonical” can help SEO ranking as well. Your website URL may be www.yourdomain.com, but it can also be indexed in the search engines as yourdomain.com, without the www.
Think of the term “canonical” as “main” or “official.” A canonical URL is a URL that you want the search engine to consider the official version of the page. This helps search engines distinguish between identical pages within a site and return a consistent, official URL to the SERP.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of SEO terms and you can go here to learn more. This is only meant to be a primer to help you learn more on the subject. Now that you are familiar with some SEO terms and what they can do, implement anything new you have learned from them, or give St. Louis SEO Stars a call today and learn how we can grow your business using effective SEO.