SEO glossary – part 3

• Ranking factors are criteria that impact a website’s placement on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). While the specific elements powering Google’s algorithm are mainly unknown, some have been confirmed, while others are subject to speculation by both SEO professionals and amateurs. Notably, Google consistently emphasizes that aspects such as content relevance, quality, and mobile-friendliness are vital in determining rankings;
• Redirecting is an important practice that informs users and search engines that the current URL they are requesting is at another location. There are two main types of redirects:
  • permanent redirect happens when the URL has been permanently moved. It’s often made with HTTP 301 (see: status codes), and search engines assume that you want to pass SEO authority to the new link,
  • temporary so search engines retain the SEO value with the original URL;
• Responsive website is one that adjusts well to the environment in which it’s viewed. Such a website automatically adjusts its layout, images, and navigation to ensure an optimal User Experience, whether accessed on a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone. Since internet users now browse websites using a wide range of devices, your site’s design must be flexible enough to accommodate varying screen sizes and resolutions;
• Rich snippets (also called rich results) are supplementary information that showcase elements such as ratings, images, and prices for a webpage on search engine results pages. They enable users to quickly grasp important details associated with their searches;
• Robots.txt is a type of file that instructs search engine crawlers about which URLs they should or shouldn’t crawl. This works similarly if you’re trying to prevent AI bots from crawling your site.

• Sandbox (not to be confused with Google Privacy Sandbox) is the theory that new domains are temporarily prevented from ranking well in Google search results. It’s probably supposed to give time for a search engine to evaluate each website’s quality. The duration of this phase is often debated, with estimates ranging from a few weeks to several months;
• Schema markup (also known as structured data) is a unique code you can implement on your website, so search engines can better understand the page’s content. For instance, it can help enhance articles, job postings, recipes, reviews, videos, and more. Google also uses structured data to show additional information in rich snippets;
• Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) is a tool provided by Google that helps you monitor and maintain your site’s presence in Google search results;
• SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is a page with results users see after submitting a search query. Over there, they can see organic search results and paid ones but also features like People also ask or AI-generated search summaries;
• SXO (Search Experience Optimization) is a blend of Search Engine Optimization and User Experience (sometimes it’s stated that it also consists of CRO – Conversion Rate Optimization). The primary goal of SXO is to create websites that appeal to both search engines and users, leading to higher search rankings and improved conversion rates;
• Search Volume is a metric that shows the average monthly or yearly searches for a particular query. It’s vital to consider it during keyword research, as it can help you choose the best option;
• Secondary keywords are keywords that are closely associated with the primary keyword. They can be synonyms or long-tail versions of the primary one. Often, secondary keywords are a better choice because they have lover Keyword Difficulty (a metric that indicates how hard it is to rank for a particular keyword);
• SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a network protocol designed to enhance the security of users who are engaging with online platforms. It is achieved by encrypting data and protecting sensitive information such as passwords;
• Short-tail keywords are broad and general search terms that, in contrast with long-tail keywords, typically have a higher Search Volume and contain one to three words. The only problem is that such keywords usually have very high difficulties, and it’s hard to compete against the biggest publishers for these phrases;
• Sitemaps are digital maps that may be compared to a guide that shows website structure to search engines (XML sitemaps) or users (HTML sitemaps). The first one, an XML sitemap, is a file that lists all the pages on a website and helps search engines crawl and index it. Generating and submitting a sitemap is especially recommended if you own a new or particularly large website;
• Status codes are messages issued by a server that indicate what happened after the API request. Here are some of the most popular ones:
  • 200 (OK) means that everything went well, and the server was able to fulfill the user’s request,
  • 301 (Moved Permanently) is used when the requested resource has been permanently redirected to a new location,
  • 404 (Not Found) communicates that an error occurred, and it’s not possible to show the requested page,
  • 503 (Service Unavailable) informs of the temporary inability of the server to handle the request;
• Subdomain is an extension of the domain, part of another main domain. Users can spot it by seeing a prefix with a dot added before the main domain’s name. They help to differentiate the website’s content from the rest of the website. A fun fact is that “www” is also a subdomain; however, using it in your domain name is often unnecessary.

• Technical SEO is about optimizing a website’s technical aspects to rank higher in SERP. For example, steps you can take to take care of your technical SEO is to generate and upload a sitemap, improve your site’s speed, or make sure it’s mobile-friendly;
• Thin content is low-quality content, usually with many logical and grammatical errors, sometimes artificially generated. In contrast to quality content, it can harm a website’s overall ranking and credibility;
• Title tag is an HTML element located in your website’s <head> section and provides the title of a web page to search engines and users. It should be unique, no longer than 60 characters, and include one primary keyword as it plays a key role in influencing SEO;
• TLS (Transport Layer Security) is a communication protocol that is one step ahead of the above explained SSL. It provides stronger encryption. Nowadays, the term “SSL” is commonly used to refer to TLS due to its wider familiarity.

• URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a sequence of characters, a web address that allows users to access specific resources or websites on the internet;
• URL structure is an organization of URLs. It plays a crucial role in website usability and also impacts SEO;
• UX (User Experience) mainly aims to care for the user’s needs with the help of user-friendly design. This term commonly refers to the processes involved in designing and modifying digital products. By improving the UX of your website, you can provide a smoother experience that, in return, will encourage users to spend more time in your corner of the web. There are plenty of UX laws that you can follow to elevate your website;
• UGC (user-generated content) is a content type that is generated by your audience. It’s crucial not to overlook the significance of establishing guidelines for it and moderating user interactions effectively. Publishers should prioritize such actions in order to maintain brand reputation, ensure monetization safety, and provide a good User Experience;
• User intent (also search intent) is the reason why users are searching for something on the internet. Search engines try to improve their algorithms to the best ability possible because they want to return the best answer for a specific search intent query. Content creators should always consider the user intent their content aims to address when designing it;
• User retention is the percentage of people who return to your website. There are several ways to improve user retention, like adding a persuasive “About us” tab or answering your audience questions.

• Voice search is a search method that uses speech-recognition technology so users can use their voice instead of typing their query. Significantly, you can optimize your content for this kind of search, among others, by using long-tail or by answering question keywords;
• Vertical search is a very specific type of search in which the user is searching, for instance, for a particular media type using the Google News tab.

• Web crawlers are automated programs that browse the web to index pages for search engines. Crawlers follow links across websites, gathering details about each page’s structure, keywords, and overall relevance;
• White-hat SEO is all the tactics that aim at elevating website positions in SERP and don’t break the rules inflicted by search engines. Unlike black-hat tactics, which focus on manipulative practices, these methods prioritize providing value to users and concentrate on quality content. Examples of white-hat tactics include improving site navigation, enhancing responsiveness, and optimizing for relevant keywords;
• WordPress is one of the most popular web Content Management Systems (CMS). It allows digital publishers to create custom sites without extensive technical knowledge and has a vast plugin ecosystem and customization options that make it versatile.

• XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a system of rules that helps to create a structure of documents and decide how things should look on webpages.

• Yield management is the process of fine-tuning your ad monetization setup to optimize revenue. For example, this might involve adjusting pricing dynamically based, among others, on seasonal trends or anticipated user behavior.

• Zero-click search is a search result that provides an answer immediately, meaning the user doesn’t have to click anything. This often happens when an answer to a question is short, simple, and definitive – for instance, one may be interested in today’s weather forecast or want to know in which year some battle took place.

One for the money, two for the show (of ads)!

Now you know it all! If you went through all three articles from this series, you’ve unofficially gained a black belt in SEO! Once you apply the best ones for you and your content is fully SEO-optimized, drawing in a high volume of visitors, you can begin monetizing it. With higher traffic, you’ll have greater potential to squeeze the most out of displayed ads – if it sounds tough, at optAd360 we can make that process seamless for you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us – get familiar with our requirements, fill out the registration form, and start earning more!