SEO Glossary
Updated 31 May 2026 · 5 min read
This SEO glossary defines the most common search optimisation terms in plain English, from backlinks and SERPs to Core Web Vitals and the Map pack. Use it as a quick reference whenever you meet an unfamiliar SEO word.
Key takeaways
- SERP is the search results page; ranking high on it is the goal of SEO.
- Backlinks are links from other sites and act as votes of trust.
- Core Web Vitals measure page speed and stability, and affect ranking.
- The Map pack is the three local listings shown for 'near me' searches.
- Keyword intent describes what a searcher actually wants from a query.
How to use this glossary
SEO is full of jargon that can make simple ideas sound complicated. This glossary cuts through that, giving you plain-English definitions of the terms you will meet most often when working with an agency or reading about search. You do not need to memorise them, just keep this handy as a reference. Understanding the vocabulary helps you ask sharper questions, spot vague promises, and judge whether the work you are paying for makes sense. Each definition is deliberately short and free of further jargon, so anyone, including non-technical business owners, can follow along.
- SERP
- Search engine results page: the page Google shows after a search. SEO aims to place your site high on it.
- Keyword
- A word or phrase people type into search. SEO targets the keywords your customers actually use.
- Keyword intent
- What the searcher really wants: to learn, to compare, or to buy. Matching intent is key to ranking.
- Backlink
- A link from another website to yours. Backlinks act like votes that boost your authority.
- Domain authority
- An informal score for how trusted and strong a website is overall. Higher authority ranks more easily.
- On-page SEO
- Optimisation you control on your own pages: titles, content, structure, and speed.
- Off-page SEO
- External signals, mainly backlinks and reputation, that build your site's authority.
- Core Web Vitals
- Google's measures of page speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. They affect ranking.
- Map pack
- The block of three local business listings with a map shown for local 'near me' searches.
- Google Business Profile
- Your free business listing on Google that powers Maps and local search visibility.
- Meta description
- The short summary under your title in search results. It influences whether people click.
- Title tag
- The clickable headline of a page in search results and a key on-page ranking signal.
- Crawling
- How Google's bots discover and read your pages so they can be indexed and ranked.
- Indexing
- Google storing your page in its database so it can appear in search results.
- Organic traffic
- Visitors who arrive from unpaid search results, as opposed to ads.
- Citation (local)
- A mention of your business name, address, and phone on a directory, used for local ranking.
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Frequently asked questions
What does SERP mean in SEO?
SERP stands for search engine results page, the page Google shows after a search. SEO works to place your site as high as possible on it, ideally in the top few results.
Are backlinks still important in 2026?
Yes, backlinks remain a major ranking factor because they signal trust. Quality matters far more than quantity, though; a few links from respected sites beat many from low-value ones.
What is the difference between crawling and indexing?
Crawling is Google discovering and reading your page; indexing is Google storing it for search. A page must be crawled and indexed before it can rank at all.
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