.htaccess
A mod rewrite file in the root folder that enables Redirection on an apache server.
301 Redirect
A permanent move of website, indicating that the website no longer exists and all requests are forwarded to another page.
Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of mathematical rules to obtain a result from an input of data. The most famous online Algorithm is that of the Google Search Engine. The Google algorithm is used to determine the ranking of websites in its index. Many SEO Professionals see the Google Algorithm as the Holy Grail.
Bad neighborhood
Refers to sites that link to each other that have been penalized for using unethical promotion techniques.
Blackhat SEO
Unethical methods of optimization. Severe penalties are inflicted upon sites that are found to have used techniques such as same color text as background, spamming keywords or linking from bad neighborhoods.
Blog
Blog is an abbreviation for Web Log and is a page on a website where information can be regularly updated. Blogs are useful for Search Engine optimization because the more frequently content is added, the better the chances of regular crawling and indexing, resulting in higher placement in the SERPs.
Canonicalization
Canonicalization means that a website has two entrances to the same location/page. The error normally lies in the website’s URL structure, and this is classified as a negative offense towards most Search Engines because it leads to duplicate content. It is always important to close off one of these entrances using a [301] Permanent Redirect.
CMS
Acronym for Content Management System. An environment for editing websites, sometimes called an admin system.
Content/Copywriting
Content, or Copywriting, is the text that is placed on a web page. Good content is key to a successful SEO campaign.
Directories
A directory is a website that details services categorized by industry. There are thousands of free and paid directories available, and some can be industry specific. Within the directory you can normally submit a paragraph of information about your company, and a link is provided directly to your site.
DMOZ – The Open Source Directory
DMOZ is an open source, human reviewed Directory. Google uses the information from DMOZ to estimate the Authority of a site. Entry to the directory is not guaranteed as each submission is reviewed for quality by a human volunteer.
Domain age
The date that a page was first available for index in a Search Engine. The age of a domain has a significant impact on Search Engine rankings, as an older domain is seen as more stable, and therefore has more Authority.
Ethical SEO
Ethical SEO describes optimization that does not use underhanded methods to improve rankings. There are many methods that deceptive to Search Engines. See ‘Blackhat SEO’ for some examples of unethical Search Engine optimization.
HTML Sitemap
The HTML Sitemap is an easy way to give a visitor a snapshot of the structure of your website and allows them to navigate quickly and successfully. HTML Sitemaps also help build up “Internal Linking” throughout your entire website.
Indexing
Indexing is the action performed by the Search Engine to attain a position for a website in the listings. This should not be confused with crawling.
Keywords
Keywords are used on a website to tell a Search Engine which specific information you are targeting and to also help target users who may search for those keywords within a Search Engine. Keywords are contained within a “Meta Tag” and the Body of a website.
Long tail
Long tail keywords have three, four, even sometimes five or six words indicating the visitor has been very specific about their keyword search.
Meta Tags
Meta Tags, otherwise known as “Meta Elements”, can be found within both HTML and xHTML contained between the tags of the document. They can contain specific information about a website such as relevant keywords or the webpage description.
Organic (natural) search results
Organic results are Search Engine results gained over time, which indicates the site is seen as having Authority. Natural referrals are the opposite of pay-per-click (PPC) referrals.
Page Rank
Page Rank is a visual representation of a website’s Authority, which ranges from 0 or unranked for weak or new websites, to 10 for highly trusted and resourceful websites. Every web page is assigned a Page Rank and there is a blanket update approximately every 3 months.
PPC – Pay per Click
Pay per Click is the practice of paid advertising on a Search Engine or other website. Website owners pay the site hosting the advertisement based on the amount of clicks they receive to their site.
Sandbox
The Google Sandbox Effect, where a site does not yet appear in Search Engine listings, is associated with newly registered domains, but this has never been confirmed by Google. Many believe that it does not exist as a policy, but is an effect of the Algorithm that Google uses to calculate a ranking for a new website. It can take up to 12 months for a site to move out of the sandbox, and this can be even longer if a new domain uses Ad Sense advertisements on the page. This would suggest that it is Google’s way of trying to reduce the amount of spam sites on the internet that abuse the use of Google Ad Sense.
SEM – Search Engine Marketing
A form of internet marketing that promotes web sites listing them in Search Engines. There are various SEM methods, including Search Engine Optimization, paid placement and paid inclusion
SERPs
Acronym for Search Engine Results Pages.
Social networking
A social network is an online group of people who share similar interests or activities. Examples of social networks include Digg, Facebook and MySpace.
Spam
The term given to junk mail that arrives electronically. Spam is typically unsolicited, as email addresses are scraped from the internet by programmed spiders. Spam websites are sites that deceive users in to clicking adverts on the page, which make the site owner money.
Title Tag
The Title Tag can be found within the tag of a HTML or xHTML document and can be used to display textual information to a user. Title Tag information can be found at the very top left hand corner of the browser window.
Traffic
Traffic is the term that is used to describe visitors to a site.
W3C
W3C Stands for “The World Wide Web Consortium” which was founded by Sir Tim Berners Lee. The consortium exists to ensure compatibility between vendors and form agreements on a foundation of standards when programming for the web.
XML Sitemap
An XML Sitemap is an easy way for a Search Engine to find what type of content is hosted on your website and where to find it. The XML sitemap replaces the previous method of users submitting their site to various Search Engines through the use of submission forms. Now users simply upload an XML Sitemap for their website and wait for the Search Engines to find it.
