Internet Glossary / SEO Glossary

SEO glossary of terms, abbreviations and acronyms used in the search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and Internet marketing industries.

Algorithm - Mathematical formula used to rank web sites.

Anchor Text - This is the actual text part of a link. It can be used heavily by search engines as a ranking factor.

BLOG - Web LOG is a journal kept on the internet. This journal is often updated daily and contains all information that the person maintaining the BLOG (Blogger) wishes to share with the world. Also applies to websites dedicated to a particular topic and being updated with the latest news, views and trends.

Cloaking - A web optimisation technique used to serve a different version of the same page to Search Engine spiders and a different version to users. Sometimes separate versions of the page are created for different Search Engine spiders to promote rankings.

DMOZ - Web Directory edited by human editors. Also known as ODP (Open Directory Project).

Google - "Googol" is the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros. The term was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner, and was popularized in the book, "Mathematics and the Imagination" by Kasner and James Newman. Google's play on the term reflects the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the web.

Keyword - A word entered into the search box of a Search Engine or Directory by a user to look for information pertaining to the word on the internet.

Keyword Density - A percentage calculated on the basis of the number of times a keyword occurs in your web page copy against the total number of words on your web page.

Link Farms - A process by which independent websites create a complex linking structure to build their Link Popularity. Since websites participating in these link farms create links to each other without any context or genuine reason, they are considered an infringement by most Search Engines and if caught carry a penalty.

Inbound Link - A link from another page that links to your page.

Inclusion - The process of having your web page included in a Search Engine or Web Directory for searches.

Indexing - The process by which a Search Engine spider visits your web page and collects information about it.

Paid Inclusion - The process of inclusion in a Web Directory or a Search Engine by paying a fee.

PPC Engine (Pay Per Click Engine) - A search engine that allows webmasters to purchase their positions within the search results based on the amount of money they are willing to pay for each click thru their site's listing receives.

Relevancy - How well a document provides the information a user is looking for, as measured by the user.

Search Engine - The software that searches an index and returns matches. Search engine is often used synonymously with spider and index, although these are separate components that work with the engine.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing) - The changes that are made to the content and code of a web site in order to increase its rankings in the results pages of search engines and directories. These changes may involve rewriting body copy, altering Title or Meta tags, removal of Frames or Flash content, and the seeking of incoming links. Search Engine Marketing also entails non-optimization methods of drawing traffic through search engines, including management of paid advertising listings on search engines.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - The changes that are made to the content and code of a web site in order to increase its rankings in the results pages of search engines and directories. These changes may involve rewriting body copy, altering Title or Meta tags, removal of Frames or Flash content, and the seeking of incoming links.

SEP (Search Engine Placement) - The changes that are made to the content and code of a web site in order to increase its rankings in the results pages of search engines and directories. These changes may involve rewriting body copy, altering Title or Meta tags, removal of Frames or Flash content, and the seeking of incoming links.