SEO terms, in plain language
Understand the terms you encounter in audits and search reports. Each definition includes a tool you can use to put it into practice.
- Alt text
- A text alternative that communicates an image's purpose or information when the image is not available visually. Decorative images usually need an empty alt attribute. Write for the image's context rather than filling the attribute with keywords.Try Bulk Alt Text Helper →
- Canonical URL
- The preferred URL for a page or a group of substantially similar pages. A canonical link is a signal to search engines, not a guarantee that they will select that URL. Keep it consistent with internal links, redirects, and sitemaps.Try Canonical & Robots Meta →
- Crawling
- The process of discovering and fetching URLs. A crawler can encounter a page without the page becoming indexed. Check robots rules, links, response codes, and server access when investigating discovery problems.Try SEO Analyzer →
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Clicks divided by impressions, usually expressed as a percentage. In search reports, CTR depends on query intent, position, device, and result features. A low value is a reason to investigate, not proof that a title needs changing.Try Search Console CSV Analyzer →
- Hreflang
- An annotation identifying language or regional alternatives for a page. Use accurate locale values and reciprocal references among equivalent pages. Hreflang does not translate content or replace a site's canonical strategy.Try Hreflang Generator →
- Impression
- A counted appearance of a result under the rules of a reporting system. Search Console applies different counting details to different result types. Impressions measure visibility; they do not mean a person visited the page.Try Search Console CSV Analyzer →
- Indexing
- The process by which a search engine processes a page and may store information about it for retrieval. A URL being crawlable, returning 200, or appearing in a sitemap does not guarantee indexing.Try Canonical & Robots Meta →
- Internal link
- A link from one page to another on the same site. Useful internal links help visitors and crawlers discover related information. Choose destinations and anchor text that make sense in context; avoid adding links simply to meet a count.Try Internal Link Planner →
- JSON-LD
- A JSON-based format used to describe linked data. Websites often use it to provide structured data about their content. Valid JSON syntax is only one requirement: the vocabulary, properties, values, and relationship to the visible page also matter.Try Schema Generator →
- Meta description
- A page-level summary supplied in an HTML meta tag. A search engine may use it as a snippet or choose text from the page instead. Write a useful description without assuming an exact character limit guarantees full display.Try Title & Meta Description Generator →
- Noindex
- A directive asking a supporting search engine not to include a page in its index. The crawler needs access to the directive to read it. It is not access control and should not be used to protect private content.Try Canonical & Robots Meta →
- Open Graph
- Metadata used by many services to describe a shared page's title, description, image, and URL. Social platforms may crop images or cache old values. Use publicly accessible image URLs and test the actual shared link.Try Open Graph Generator →
- Redirect
- A response or instruction that sends a visitor or crawler to another URL. Permanent and temporary redirects convey different intent. Choose a relevant destination and verify the live HTTP behavior after deploying rules.Try Redirect Rules Generator →
- Redirect chain
- A sequence in which one redirect leads to another before reaching the final page. Chains add work and can complicate migrations. Where appropriate, update old URLs and internal links to point directly to the final destination.Try Redirect Chain Checker →
- Robots.txt
- A file used to communicate crawl rules to cooperating crawlers. It does not provide authentication, and a blocked URL can still be known to a search engine. Use the file to manage crawling, with indexing and privacy controls handled separately.Try Robots.txt & Sitemap Validator →
- SERP
- A search engine results page. Its layout and snippets can vary by query, device, location, and other factors. A snippet preview is an editing aid rather than a guarantee of the result a search engine will display.Try SERP Snippet Preview →
- Sitemap
- A file listing URLs you want search engines to discover, sometimes with additional information. URL sitemaps and sitemap indexes serve different purposes. A sitemap is a discovery hint; it does not force crawling or indexing.Try Sitemap Generator →
- URL slug
- The readable path portion used to identify a page, such as image-optimization in /guides/image-optimization/. Use clear, stable paths. If an established URL changes, consider relevant redirects and update its internal links.Try Slug & URL Cleaner Pro →
- Structured data
- Machine-readable information describing entities and content on a page. Use an appropriate vocabulary and accurate values. Eligibility for a search feature depends on its current requirements, and valid markup does not guarantee enhanced display.Try Schema Generator →
- UTM parameters
- URL parameters used to label campaign sources, channels, names, and placements for analytics. They do not install analytics or count visits by themselves. Use consistent naming and avoid including personal or confidential information.Try UTM Builder →