A – Alt Text
Alt text (alternative text) describes images for both users and search engines. It improves accessibility for visually impaired users and provides search engines with context about the image. In SEO, optimised alt text also helps images appear in Google Images and strengthens topical relevance on a page.
B – Backlinks
Backlinks are links from external websites to your own. They are a cornerstone of off-page SEO, as they act like votes of trust. A backlink from a well-known and relevant website can increase authority, while spammy or irrelevant links may provide little value. Quality matters more than quantity, and building a natural backlink profile remains one of the most important ranking factors.
C – Canonical Tag
A canonical tag is an HTML element that tells search engines which version of a page should be treated as the primary one. It is commonly used to resolve duplicate content issues. Without it, multiple versions of the same page may compete against each other, splitting authority and confusing crawlers.
D – Domain Authority (DA)
Domain Authority is a third-party metric, originally developed by Moz, that predicts how likely a website is to rank compared to others. Although it is not a Google ranking factor, marketers often use it to benchmark site strength when planning link-building campaigns or evaluating competitors.
E – E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are guidelines Google uses to assess content quality. Pages dealing with health, finance, or legal information face higher standards, but all websites benefit from showcasing credibility and authorship. Building strong reputations, citing reliable sources, and providing expert content all align with E-E-A-T.
F – Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are highlighted answers that appear at the top of Google’s search results. They often include a short paragraph, a numbered list, or a table. Winning a snippet can bring more visibility than ranking first organically. Structuring your content clearly with direct answers improves the chance of being chosen.
G – Google Business Profile (GBP)
Formerly Google My Business, this platform allows companies to manage how they appear in local searches and Google Maps. A complete and accurate GBP with photos, reviews, and business details is vital for local SEO.
H – Heading Tags
Heading tags (H1, H2, H3) structure your content. They help readers scan quickly and guide search engines in understanding hierarchy and relevance. A well-optimised heading structure also provides opportunities to use secondary keywords naturally.
I – Indexing
Indexing is the process of adding a page into Google’s searchable database. If a page is not indexed, it cannot appear in results. Problems with indexing often stem from duplicate content, poor quality, or crawl blocks in the site’s robots.txt file.
J – JavaScript SEO
JavaScript SEO ensures that content built with modern frameworks like React or Angular can be properly crawled and indexed by Google. Without precautions such as server-side rendering, important text or links may be hidden from search engines, leading to ranking issues.
K – Keywords
Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines. They guide the creation of content and optimisation of on-page elements like titles and headings. In 2025, keyword strategy is less about repetition and more about matching search intent with helpful content.
L – Local SEO
Local SEO focuses on improving visibility in searches tied to a geographic location. It involves optimising Google Business Profile listings, building local citations, earning reviews, and ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across the web.
M – Meta Description
A meta description is a short page summary that appears in search results. It doesn’t directly influence rankings but strongly affects click-through rates. Well-written descriptions encourage users to visit your site by clarifying what the page offers.
N – NoFollow
The NoFollow attribute signals that a link should not pass authority. It is typically applied to paid links, user-generated content, or situations where a site owner does not want to endorse the linked page. Google now treats NoFollow as a “hint” rather than a strict directive.
O – On-Page SEO
On-Page SEO refers to the optimisation of elements within your own website. This includes content, headings, internal links, URL structure, and image optimisation. Strong on-page SEO makes it easier for search engines to understand your site and for users to find what they need.
P – PageRank
PageRank was Google’s original algorithm for measuring importance based on backlinks. Although the public score is gone, the principle remains: links from authoritative sites still pass value. Understanding PageRank is essential to understanding why links remain powerful.
Q – Queries
Search queries are the actual words users type into search engines. Analysing queries helps marketers uncover search intent, guiding content creation. Queries may be informational (“what is SEO”), navigational (“Ahrefs login”), or transactional (“buy SEO tools”).
R – Rich Snippets
Rich snippets enhance search results by showing extra details like ratings, product prices, or FAQs. They are powered by schema markup and improve click-through rates by making listings more attractive and informative.
S – SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
SEM refers to paid advertising in search engines. While SEO focuses on organic rankings, SEM campaigns target visibility through ads. The two strategies often complement each other in broader digital marketing plans.
T – Title Tag
The title tag is the most important on-page signal. It defines the clickable headline in search results and tells search engines what the page is about. A good title tag balances keyword targeting with clarity to attract clicks.
U – URL Structure
A clean and descriptive URL improves both user experience and crawlability. URLs should reflect the topic of the page, avoid unnecessary parameters, and maintain consistency across the site.
V – Visibility
SEO visibility measures how frequently and prominently a website appears in search results. It is often expressed as a percentage and tracked through tools like Semrush or Ahrefs. Improving visibility means ranking for more queries and achieving higher positions.
W – Website Crawl
A crawl is when search engines follow links to discover content. Pages must be crawled before they can be indexed. Crawlability depends on site structure, internal linking, and technical signals like robots.txt.
X – XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap lists all important URLs of a website, making it easier for search engines to discover and index them. Submitting a sitemap through Google Search Console ensures updates are picked up more quickly.
Y – YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)
YMYL content covers topics that can affect a user’s health, finances, or safety. Because of the potential impact, Google applies stricter quality standards to these pages. Demonstrating expertise and trust is especially important here.
Z – Zero-Click Searches
Zero-click searches are results where users get the answer directly on the search page, without clicking through to a site. Examples include definitions, calculators, and weather updates. While they reduce clicks, they still offer opportunities for visibility through featured snippets and structured data.