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Search Engine Optimization and MarketingSearch Engine Optimization Glossary Of Terms

Think we're speaking Greek (or is it *geek*) when we start telling you about keyword phrases, page ranking, link strategy, etc? Check out the quick glossary below to help demystifiy what it all means. Still have questions? Contact us regarding your search engine optimzation challenge!

ALT Text
These are a few words you use to describe a photo or graphic on your website. Helpful for people who use screen readers.
Anchor Text
Also known as link text, it is the clickable text of a hyperlink.
Algorithm
Specifications a search engine applies to its analysis of a website, its pages, and other factors to determine an appropriate ranking.
Below the Fold
Content of a web page that is not immediately seen by the visitor and requires the visitor to scroll down in order to read.
Description Meta Tag
A short description of a website that appears in the <head> tags of a website. Some search engines show this in their results. This has much less relevance in positioning than it used to. However it should still be used.
Directories
Large categorized indexes (such as Yahoo! or DMOZ) using human editors to decide whether a site is worthy of addition. HTML optimization does not improve positioning.
Doorway Page
A page designed as an entrance to a website. Many doorway pages are specifically created to rank high on a particular search engine. Doorway pages that are created/hosted on a differerent domain/server created for the sole purpose to redirect traffic to the primary domain are considered spam by many engines.
Filter Words
These are words such as is, am, were, was, the, ect. that search engines ignore when indexing a site.
GoogleAdWords
With Google AdWords you create your own ads, choose keywords to tell us where to show your ads and pay only when someone clicks on them. It's also an excellent tool to fine tune the keyword phrases you've optomized your site for, as you are provided with real time tracking of what phrases people have found (or clicked) on your ad.
Google Dance
Google updates the index for their search engine on a roughly monthly basis. While the update is in progress, search results for each of Google's nine datacenters are different. The positions of a site appears to "dance" as it fluctuates minute to minute. "Google dance" is an unofficial term coined to refer to the period when Google is performing the update to its index.
H1, H2 Headlines
Search engines (robots) give extra weight to text which is coded using these formats. Be sure they include your keyword phrase(s).
Keyword phrases
Keyphrases are multi-word phrases used in search engine queries. SEO is the process of optimizing web pages for keywords and keyphrases so that they rank highly in the results returned for search queries.
Keywords
Words and phrases that are most relevant to a site and its subject. Your keywords should not be too vague.
Keyword Analysis Report
A professional compiled report of keyword phrases derived especially for your site/industry. Take the guess work out of selecting your important keyword phrases. We use SEO Research Labs for this service.
Keywords Meta Tag
A short list of keywords relevant to that page appearing in the <head> of your site. Some search engines consider this when indexing a page but this tag now has very little importance, if any. However it should still be used.
Link Popularity
The volume of links to your website from other sites. Search engines analyze all incoming links from separate sites and increase your ranking accordingly.
Link Strategy
The process of soliciting quality reciprocal link partners. To automate this process, we recommend LinksManager.
Logs
Raw statitics (server logs) that provide key information about your site's traffic, incuding # of hits, which keyword/keyword phrases people are typing in to find you, referrals, etc.
Modifiers
These are "add-on" words used to form new variations of keyword phrases that include your primary keyword phrase. They can also include, if appropriate, geographic references.
Page Rank
Google's proprietary measure of link popularity for web pages. Google offers a PR viewer on their Toolbar.
PPI
Paying for inclusion (PPI) on web page or a website to be indexed in a search engine/directory. Indexes offering this option include Inktomi, AltaVista, Ask.com, Yahoo, and more.
PPC
Pay per click is where you can bid on keywords you pick. The highest bidder gest the top position. Services include Overture.com, FindWhat, Sprinks, and others.
Ssearch Engine Placement
The processes used to gain higher positions for a website.
Search Engines
Automated search facilities that send small programs, spiders, to 'crawl' through the pages of a site and index information from each page. Pages are then ranked according to the search engine's algorithm.
SEM
Abbreviation for Search Engine Marketing. SEM encompasses SEO and search engine paid advertising options
Spam
In the context of search engine optimization, this is pages that try to trick the search engines into ranking a site higher. The use of spam is known as 'spamming'. Spam could be grounds for banning.
Spider
Also called a bot (or robot). Spiders are software programs that scan the web. They vary in purpose from indexing web pages for search engines to harvesting e-mail addresses for spammers.
Spider Food
It's the code behind your graphical site that the robots scour, looking for morsels that meet their unique criteria and then deliver back to the engine.
Splash Pages
Introduction pages to a web site that are heavy on graphics (or flash video) with no textual content. They are designed to either impress a visitor or complement some corporate branding but typically do not help search engine rankings unless properly designed.
Title Tag
Goes in the <head> of the HTML code and is the title search engines will display for that page. This is the single most important tag that should appear in EVERY page and should be different on every page as well.