SEO glossary: the vocabulary of search engine optimization

The world of SEO is full of acronyms and technical terms that can quickly make your head spin. This glossary is designed to help you understand each concept without unnecessary jargon.

A - The basics of optimization

Alt Text

The ALT tag is the textual description of an image. Initially created for accessibility (screen readers for the visually impaired), it also enables Google to understand the content of an image and position it in Google Images.

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

Standard created by Google to display ultra-fast pages on mobile. The pages AMP are enhanced versions that load instantly from search results. Less of a priority today, with improvements in traditional mobile performance.

Anchor Text (Link anchor)

The clickable text of a hypertext link. If a site links to you with the anchor "expert comptable Lyon", Google understands that your page is about accounting in Lyon. Anchor diversity is important for a natural link profile.

B - Backlinks and Black Hat

Backlinks

Inbound links point to your site from other sites. This is the "word of mouth" of the web: the more quality sites talk about you, the more Google trusts you. It's the pillar of netlinking.

Tags (HTML)

Code elements that structure your page. The most important in SEO are the Title tag (the title in Google), the Meta Description, and the H1/H2 tags that hierarchize your content.

H tags (H1, H2, H3...)

The titles and subtitles of your page. H1 is the main title (only one per page), H2 the main sections, H3 the sub-sections. This structure helps Google understand the organization of your content.

Black Hat SEO

Techniques prohibited by Google for artificially manipulating rankings. The Black Hat can offer quick gains but exposes you to severe penalties. Avoid for a lasting strategy.

C - Content and canon

Canonical (Beacon)

A tag that tells Google which is the "official" version of a page when several URLs display similar content. Essential for e-tailers with product sheets accessible via several categories.

HTTP response codes (200, 404, 500)

The signals your server sends. 200 = all is well, 404 = page not found, 500 = server error. See our guide to hTTP codes for more details.

Content Duplicate

When the same text appears on several pages or sites. The duplicate content poses a problem because Google doesn't know which version to favor. It can then penalize all versions.

Crawl

Exploration of your site by Google's crawlers. The better structured your site, the more efficient the crawl, and the faster your pages are indexed.

D - Density and Data

Keyword density

The percentage of times a keyword appears in a text. Excessive keyword density (keyword stuffing) is penalized. Aim for natural use rather than forced repetition.

G - Google and its tools

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)

Your business listing on Google Maps. Indispensable for local referencing, it displays your opening hours, customer reviews and photos directly in search results.

I - Indexing

Indexation

Adding your pages to Google's database. A page can be crawled without being indexed. To appear in the results, your page must be indexed.

L - Long Traine

Long Tail

Long, precise search phrases (e.g. "best cheap Italian restaurant Lyon 6eme"). Less volume, but easier to target and often closer to purchase.

M - Keywords and Meta

Keywords

The terms your potential customers type into Google. Keyword research is the first step in any SEO strategy: you need to target the right queries.

Meta Description

The little text that appears under your title in Google. It doesn't directly influence ranking, but it does have an impact on the click-through rate. 150-160 characters maximum.

Meta Title (Title tag)

The title of your page displayed in Google results and browser tabs. This is one of the most important SEO criteria. 60-70 characters maximum.

N - Nofollow and Netlinking

Nofollow

An attribute that tells Google not to follow a link. Nofollow links (social networks, Wikipedia) don't bring any "SEO juice" but are still useful for traffic.

P - PageRank and Penalites

PageRank

The old Google rating system was based on popularity. Officially and publicly abandoned, the concept of popularity remains at the heart of the algorithm. See our article on PageRank.

Panda (Penalite)

Algorithm for Google Panda which penalized sites with poor-quality, duplicate or too-thin content. Now integrated into the main algorithm.

Penguin (Penalite)

Algorithm for Google Penguin which penalizes sites with artificial or poor-quality links. Targets abusive netlinking practices.

Positioning

Your site's position in Google results for a given keyword. The aim of SEO is to improve this positioning to reach the first page, ideally the top 3.

R - Rich Snippets and Robots

Rich Snippets

Enriched results that display additional information (stars, prices, availability). They increase your visibility and your click-through rate in the SERP.

Robots.txt

A file that gives instructions to Google's robots: which pages to crawl, which to ignore. Useful for optimizing crawling and hiding technical pages.

S - SERP and Sitemap

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

The results page that appears after a Google search. Understanding the SERP and its various elements (SEO, SEA, enriched blocks) is essential to your strategy.

Sitemap

An XML file that lists all the important pages on your site. It helps Google discover and index your content more efficiently.

U - User Intent

User Intent

What the surfer is really looking for behind his query. Do they want to buy, get information, compare? Understanding the intention allows us to create content that perfectly meets the need.

W - White Hat

White Hat SEO

Clean" SEO techniques that respect Google guidelines. This is the approach recommended for sustainable growth, unlike Black Hat.