So.. you’re building out your landing page/website/portfolio/blog/etc and want it to rank well in Google but you’re not quite sure what all of the terminology in your SEO handbook means? This easy to follow guide will break down some of the most commonly tossed around jargon on the internet today when it comes to ranking in any search engine in 2019 (in truth, they sound far more complicated than they actually are):

  • SERP(s)

Search Engine Results Page(s).

  • DA

Domain Authority. This is a metric used by SEOs and digital marketers to grade the search clout of a website. It was developed by industry leaders Moz and is scored from 1-100, using a logarithmic scale, which means it’s easier to grow your score from 20 to 30/100 than it is to grow from 30 to 40/100, and so on.  

  • PA

Page Authority. As above but for single webpages as opposed to an entire domain.

  • Do Know Go

Search types that categorise the intent behind any types of search you’ve ever performed.

  • Core keyphrase

Usually a one- or two-word phrase that is very difficult to rank for.

  • Fat head

More general keywords that are broad and competitive, for example “Best Greek islands”.

  • Long tail

Three or more keywords that target a nice, niche demographic, for example “Best family friendly restaurants in LA”.

  • Intent

The reason why someone has searched something.

  • Evergreen

Content that will always be relevant year after year, for example “How to mow a lawn 101”

  • Interlinking

Linking your content together using keyword-rich phrases.

  • Link building

Exchanging links or receiving links from other sites to build authority and increase your reach in search.

  • Paid search

Paid search results appear because a business has spent money with the search engine in order to gain exposure on its results pages.

  • Organic search

Organic search results are selected naturally by the search engine’s algorithms for their quality.

  • HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol, which is basically how data is transferred across the web.  

  • HTTPS

An adaption of the above, it enables secure communication over a computer network.

  • 404

A HTTP status code that means a webpage couldn’t be found in response to a request for it. It usually comes around if a page has been moved or deleted without a redirect in place, or if a user mistypes a URL.

  • 301

The status code of a permanently redirected page.

  • 302

The status code of a temporarily redirected page.

  • AMP

Accelerated Mobile Page – a super speedy, stripped down page that’s delivered by mobile search on Google.

  • Canonical tag

Indicates where a content piece originated. This should be used in the code of a webpage if the content was lifted from another source. It tells search engines that you aren’t trying to pass the content off as your own.

  • PPC

Pay-Per-Click (and sometimes Cost-Per-Click).

  • Bing/Yahoo

Search engines like Google, but not quite Google.

And there you have it! A comprehensive list of all the confusing words and terms you may come across when deciphering your SEO journey. My Social Biz is a dedicated force in helping modern day businesses embrace the digital revolution, and will curate a custom plan to help you navigate online marketing. For more information, reach out to our CEO and founder, Neil Okun for a free quote and consultation: neil@mysocialbiz.net.

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