| SEO is a trade that exists solely on the internet, | | | | made the web the greatest modern tool for |
| and even then it is comprised almost entirely of | | | | business, social, informational, political and any |
| the hot air of so-called "expert opinion." Plenty of | | | | other causes. Search engines look exclusively at a |
| it blowing around these days as search maintains | | | | web page's HTML code to determine its |
| position as one of the most important | | | | relevance. Therefore, it's a good idea to pay |
| marketplaces in the modern business world. Many | | | | attention to HTML and familiarize yourself with |
| DIY webmasters will end up searching for blog | | | | proper tagging techniques if you're hoping to get a |
| entries, articles, informational web sites, etc to | | | | good handle on SEO. |
| help get them up to speed. The problem is that in | | | | Link Popularity. Inbound links are probably the |
| most cases certain key terms are flung around | | | | most important optimization point for web pages. |
| like household names while the people doing the | | | | Number, quality, trust - these are all factors that |
| flinging are way out of touch with the average | | | | affect the value of an inbound link. Going back to |
| web browser. What some of us don't realize is | | | | the HTML root of search, link popularity (in terms |
| that not everyone knows even the basics of | | | | of quantity) measures how many pages point to |
| SEO. | | | | your site using anchor text ( link text ). |
| This lst of twelve SEO-related definitions in | | | | Link Building. In short, the process of gaining links |
| alphabetical order (with notes) serves as a great | | | | at other web sites pointing in to pages on your |
| companion for your initial SEO reading. Read alone | | | | own. |
| it will get you up to speed on some key | | | | Link Baiting. The process of generating high-quality |
| terminology that you'll need to know to intelligently | | | | content on your pages that users will appreciate |
| engage the ever-changing world of SEO. | | | | and link to voluntarily. |
| Algorithms. A search algorithm is, in short, the | | | | Meta Tags. Meta tags are found at the top of a |
| incredibly complex mathematical formula that a | | | | page's source code. They are used to specify |
| search engine uses to "rank" web sites for | | | | certain things that might not be found in the page |
| keywords. Based on a huge number of variables | | | | content. They also allow webmasters to put up |
| and calculations, algorithms are among the most | | | | certain "flags" that search engine crawlers can |
| closely-guarded secrets on the internet. Why? | | | | react to. There are many Meta tags available for |
| Imagine if they were leaked - suddenly the | | | | use, and many of them can help with SEO to a |
| less-than-honest would have a very specific | | | | great extent and for a variety of purposes. |
| guideline to follow in climbing to the top of search | | | | However, Meta tags are no longer used in the |
| results in a less-than-organic way, ruining the | | | | way they originally were - as a place to stuff |
| quality of Google's search results and their entire | | | | keywords to drive your site up in rankings. Some |
| competitive advantage with it. | | | | webmasters out there are still doing this, but they |
| Bot or Bots. See also "crawlers" | | | | are decidedly behind the times and unaware of |
| Crawlers. Googlebot, for example, is a search | | | | the impending, or already cast-down, penalties. |
| engine crawler. Googlebot periodically traverses | | | | Robots. See also "crawlers." |
| the web in record time, indexing content, links - | | | | Search Engines. If you don't know what a search |
| everything contained in page source code - and | | | | engine is congratulations on finally making it out |
| storing it in Google's search index. Then, when a | | | | from under that rock. Search engines are |
| user visits Google and enters a search phrase, the | | | | essentially programs that scan an existing index of |
| index, filtered by the algorithm, is what the user | | | | the web based on a query of search terms, or |
| gets. Please note: there is some delay in this | | | | keywords, that a user enters. However, the word |
| process since the results you're getting are from | | | | more commonly refers to companies as a whole |
| the index and not the live web. | | | | - Google, for example, controls a search engine, |
| Directories. When webmasters realized just how | | | | while Googlebot is the crawler that gathers |
| much power inbound links have in determining | | | | content for its index, but most users and |
| search rankings they quickly set out to do two | | | | webmasters think of a search engine as the |
| things: 1) get inbound links and 2) set up web sites | | | | whole package. |
| where other webmasters could achieve inbound | | | | Search Engine Marketing. Most often this refers to |
| links (meaning big traffc revenues for the site). | | | | Pay-Per-Click marketing in which an advertiser bids |
| Hence the directory farms you'll find today. Link | | | | on chosen keywords and writes several ads to |
| building has been a priority on the lst of any | | | | be displayed should their bid achieve placement. |
| SEO-savvy webmaster for years, and as a result | | | | These ads are displayed in the "sponsored" |
| "quick fix" directories that allow streamlined listing | | | | section of search engine result pages (SERPS). |
| submissions get a ton of traffc. However, Google | | | | However, in some circles this term is used to |
| and the other major search engines are on to this | | | | refer to any action taken to gain rankings both |
| tactic, and the word among SEO "experts" is that | | | | paid and organic. |
| the benefits of listing your site at directories are | | | | Search Engine Optimization. This one is open to |
| diminished if not gone. | | | | interpretation. It is quite often used to encapsulate |
| Frames. Frames are a way of laying out a | | | | a huge amount of different tactics. On-site |
| website with multiple documents in one browser | | | | optimization, off-site optimization (link building, etc) |
| window. Essentially, there is one main document | | | | and many other techniques all feasibly fall under |
| which contains the frameset tag - this document | | | | the SEO blanket. However, there is an obvious |
| specifies the dimensions/placement of the frames | | | | difference between optimizing a page's code to |
| and also the documents that will "populate" those | | | | be clean and search friendly and writing link bait |
| frames. From an SEO standpoint the use of | | | | that will be popular and get linked to. |
| frames for your layout is not recommended. | | | | Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). The pages |
| Since frames do not use links in the same way, | | | | resulting from a search engine query run by a |
| and since links may point to one frame from | | | | user. Webmasters review these pages to |
| another, they may cause serious problems for | | | | determine where their pages are ranking for |
| crawlers. Additionally, there are almost no uses | | | | certain search terms. |
| for frames that can't either be 1) duplicated with | | | | Sp@mming. Basically, any unnatural effort to bring |
| other methods or 2) thrown away without much | | | | a page higher in search results. What constitutes |
| fuss. If your site was built with frames and you're | | | | sp@m is open to some interpretation, but the |
| thinking you don't want to rebuild - it might be | | | | only interpretation you need to worry about is |
| tough luck if you're interested in optimizing for | | | | that of the major search engines. If Google, for |
| search. Consider it a learning experience - build | | | | example, considers a technique "spammy" you'd |
| yourself a CSS-based layout. | | | | be wise to cease at once. |
| Gateway Pages. Also "doorway pages." Although | | | | Spiders. See also "crawlers." |
| there isn't a real consensus about what these | | | | Submission. For SEO this has traditionally meant |
| pages are, their function is always cited as their | | | | submitting a web site to search engines so they'll |
| definition. In other words, these pages are | | | | know about and crawl it. SEO firms offered |
| created to "rank well in search engines" by playing | | | | submission services as a big selling point to bring in |
| to the algorithms. Often viewed as "spammy," | | | | clients. However, for a long time now submitting |
| "gray hat" or even "black hat." However, any | | | | your site to search engines hasn't done jack. |
| page written with search in mind, and geared | | | | They're all much smarter now - just focus on |
| towards search, can be construed to be a | | | | gaining quality inbound links and your site will be |
| "gateway page." The difference between a page | | | | indexed in no time. |
| well-optimized for search and a "gateway page?" | | | | This is just a sample of the core vocabulary |
| No clear lines there, but quality of content is | | | | associated with SEO. Is this all you need to know? |
| probably the determining factor. | | | | Absolutely not. But in my experience these are |
| HTML. Okay, most of you probably know this | | | | the words and phrases that newcomers have the |
| one, but there are probably some of you who | | | | most trouble with. If these definitions help one |
| don't. HTML stands for Hyper-Text Mark-up | | | | person have a better understanding of SEO, then |
| Language, and it is the core building block that has | | | | I will be satisfied. |