301 redirect

A 301 redirect is a permanent server response that automatically forwards users and search engines from one URL to another. It tells search engines the page has moved permanently, transferring most of the original page’s SEO value to the new destination. Use 301 redirects when permanently changing URLs, moving to a new domain, or consolidating duplicate content to preserve traffic and search rankings.

302 redirect

A 302 redirect is a temporary server response that sends users and search engines from one URL to another. Unlike 301 redirects, it signals the move isn’t permanent, so search engines keep indexing the original URL. This makes 302 redirects ideal for temporary site maintenance, A/B testing, or seasonal pages. Use them when you plan to eventually bring back the original page.

403 error

A 403 error appears when a visitor tries to access a webpage they don’t have permission to view. Unlike a 404 error which means a page can’t be found, a 403 error means the page exists but is forbidden to that user. This typically happens when a page is password-protected, requires specific login credentials, or when a visitor’s IP address has been blocked from accessing the content.

404 error

A 404 error appears when a webpage can’t be found on a website. This typically happens when a page has been moved or deleted, or when someone types in the wrong web address. While 404 errors are common, they can frustrate visitors and harm your website’s search engine ranking.

A well-designed custom 404 page can help guide visitors back to working pages and maintain a positive user experience.

Attribution

Attribution is the process of identifying which marketing channels and touchpoints contribute to conversions or sales. It helps you understand how customers find your business and what influences their decisions. Proper attribution helps you allocate your marketing budget more effectively.\

Answer target

Answer target refers to the specific information a search engine aims to provide in response to a user’s query. It’s what Google tries to match when determining which pages best satisfy a search intent. Creating content that directly addresses common answer targets for your industry keywords helps your pages rank higher.

API key

Application Programming Interface (API)

Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of rules and tools that let different software systems communicate and share data with each other. APIs enable websites and applications to request and exchange information automatically. For example, when your website displays social media feeds, processes payments, or pulls in external data, it’s using APIs to connect with these services while keeping the underlying code separate and secure.

Automatic backups

Automatic backups are scheduled copies of your website’s files and database that save automatically at set intervals. These backups protect your content and settings in case something goes wrong without you having to manually back up your site. For example, if your website experiences technical issues or gets hacked, you can easily restore it to a previous working version from these saved copies.

Average Sales Price

Average Sales Price (ASP) shows how much money people spend on average when they buy from you. For copywriters, this number can help show if their words are helping to sell higher-priced items or services.

To work out ASP, add up the total money from all sales and divide it by the number of sales. For example, if you made $1000 from 10 sales, your ASP would be $100.

Above the fold

‘Above the fold’ refers to the part of a webpage that’s visible without needing to scroll. It’s the first thing visitors see when they land on a site, so it’s often where key content like headlines, images, or call-to-action buttons are placed. Since it grabs the most attention, designers focus on making this area clear and engaging to encourage visitors to stay on the page and explore further.

Alt text

Alt text refers to descriptive text added to website images to help visually impaired users understand what images show. It also helps search engines understand image content, meaning adding alt text to images can also improve your SEO. Alt text should describe images as clearly and concisely as possible, including any relevant keywords naturally.

Average position

Average position is a metric that shows where a website typically appears in search results for specific keywords. It helps track SEO progress over time. A lower number means a higher position on the results page. While not always directly linked to click-through rates, improving your average position on search results often leads to more visibility and traffic.

Algorithm

An algorithm refers to a set of rules that process and rank information in digital platforms. Algorithms determine how content appears in search results and social media feeds. Marketers and SEO professionals work to understand social media and search algorithms to create more visible content and effective campaigns.

Add-on domains

Add-on domains refer to additional domain names hosted on a single hosting account. They allow users to manage multiple websites from a single hosting dashboard without the need for separate hosting plans. 

Each add-on domain operates as an independent website with its own content and can have its unique email addresses and databases. They’re great for people looking to host multiple websites without the expense of maintaining separate hosting accounts for each one. 

Accessibility

Accessibility in web design refers to the practice of making a website usable by as many people as possible. This includes people with audio, visual, physical or neurological impairments. Accessible web design helps ensure that all users have equal access to online information and services, regardless of their abilities.

A/B testing

A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of something to determine which performs better. It involves showing two variants (A and B) to similar audiences and analysing which one produces better results based on a predetermined goal or metric. A/B testing is highly valuable as a research method because it allows you to isolate the impact of what you’re testing.

Brand guidelines

Brand guidelines are a documented set of rules that define how your brand presents itself visually and verbally. They typically include logo usage, colour palette, typography, imagery style and tone of voice. Consistent guidelines ensure your brand appears cohesive across all platforms and materials. They also help maintain your brand identity as your business grows and different team members create content for various channels.

Branding

Branding is the strategic process of shaping how people perceive and experience your business. This includes developing and managing your visual identity, tone of voice, values, and messaging to create a distinct market position. Good branding builds recognition and trust with your target audience while setting you apart from competitors in meaningful ways.

Brand

A brand is the total perception of your business in people’s minds. Brands are formed through every interaction someone has with your company. It goes beyond visual elements like logos and colours to include your reputation, values, personality, and the way you communicate. A brand shapes people’s feelings about your business and influences their decision to choose you over competitors.

Bottom of the funnel

Bottom of the funnel refers to the final stage of the customer journey where potential customers are ready to make a purchase decision. At this stage, people have done their research and are comparing specific options. The content and marketing at this phase focus on convincing prospects to choose your business through detailed product information, case studies, pricing details, and direct calls to action.

Breakpoints

In the CSS coding language, breakpoints are specific points in the range of screen widths that trigger changes in the design and layout of a website to adapt to various devices and screen sizes. Designers define these breakpoints as set pixel values in CSS. Once the website reaches these values, elements such as the grid and layout adjust to create a different CSS style to provide the best user experience possible.

Below the fold

‘Below the fold’ in website design refers to the part of a webpage that users can’t see without scrolling down. It’s everything that appears lower on the page, past the point where the screen first cuts off. Content below the fold is still important, but elements above the fold usually get more attention because visitors see them immediately. Designers often put the most important information above the fold so that users don’t miss it.

Brand Authority (BA)

Brand authority describes how much search engines and users trust your expertise in your field. Measured as a metric by Moz (but not an official Google ranking factor), it shows how authoritative your website appears online. When you consistently create valuable, accurate content that answers user questions, search engines recognise this credibility. Building brand authority takes time – you need to consistently publish well-researched content, earn quality backlinks, garner positive reviews, and maintain high standards for your brand across all online platforms.

Bug

The term bug refers to an unexpected problem with software or a website, typically an error in code. The process of finding bugs and fixing them is referred to ‘debugging’ and is carried out by web developers. Before launching a website, it’s important to go through the debugging process so the website is as seamless as possible before it go live.

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs on websites are a type of navigation aid that allows users to keep track of their current location within a website’s hierarchy. For large websites, breadcrumbs are a necessity.

Here’s an example of what breadcrumbs look like: Home > Resources > SEO > Article.

Bounce rate

Bounce rate is a metric that measures how many people navigate away from a site after only viewing one page. The lower the bounce rate is, the better a website is at engaging and retaining visitors. While a bounce rate of about 40% is to be expected, anything higher indicates the website is failing to engage users or is taking so long to load that users lose patience and click away.

While bounce rate isn’t a recognised SEO ranking factor, and it’s hotly debated whether it directly impacts search engine rankings, it can still provide insight into SEO performance. A high bounce rate can say a lot about a site’s overall performance and ability to engage users.

Block Editor

The block editor is the default way to edit content on WordPress sites. It was introduced in 2019, replacing the classing editor. The block editor allows a higher level of customisation, especially when there’s a web developer on board to create custom blocks. It’s also highly intuitive and easy to use.

Blocks refer to individual content elements you can input into the editor. You can text, images, videos, carousels, audio and more – essentially, anything you can imagine.

B2C

Business-to-Consumer marketing targets individual customers directly. It often involves quicker decisions and lower-value transactions compared to B2B. B2C strategies focus on emotional appeal, brand awareness, and customer experience. Social media, influencer partnerships, and eCommerce are common approaches.

B2B

Business-to-Business (B2B) marketing focuses on selling products or services to other companies. It often involves longer decision-making processes and higher-value transactions than consumer marketing. B2B strategies emphasise building relationships, showcasing expertise, and demonstrating return on investment. Content marketing, trade shows, and highly focused campaigns are common B2B marketing methods.

Black hat SEO

‘Black hat’ refers to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies that aim to cheat the Google algorithm through dishonest tactics. Some examples of Black Hat SEO strategies are keyword stuffing with invisible text, purchasing hundreds of low-quality backlinks that have no relevance to your website, and mass publishing poor-quality AI-written content.

These strategies can provide results quicker than conventional, best-practice SEO strategies. However, the Google Algorithm is consistently getting better at detecting Black Hat SEO strategies and will swiftly penalise your website. This can result in your website being plummeting in the search engine results or even being banned from appearing completely.

Backlinks

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are hyperlinks on one website that direct users to another website. Increasing your number of backlinks, particularly from reputable websites, can improve your search engine rankings. Google uses the number of backlinks to a website to determine authority and relevance, ranking it accordingly.

Broken links

Broken links on a website are links that don’t work. When a user clicks on them, instead of taking them to the intended page or resource, they are led to an error page, typically showing a ‘404 not found’ message. This can happen if the linked page has been moved or deleted or if there was a mistake in typing the URL. 

Broken links can frustrate users, making it harder for them to find the information they need, and can harm a website’s credibility and search engine ranking. Regularly checking and fixing broken links is important for maintaining a good user experience and website performance.

Back end

The ‘back end’ of a website refers to the server side, where all the data processing happens out of sight of the user. It includes servers, databases, and applications that work together to receive, process, and manage requests from the front end (what users interact with). 

The back end stores and organises data, ensuring everything on the front end runs smoothly. For example, when a user fills out a form on a website, the back end handles saving the information and might send an email confirmation. It’s crucial for the functionality of websites, enabling them to provide dynamic content and respond to user actions.

Backups

Backing up a website involves regularly saving copies of its files, databases, and settings. Website backups are essential as they serve as a safety net in case of data loss, corruption, or other unforeseen issues. 

Most web hosting plans include automatic backups, making it easy to restore your site if anything goes wrong.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted over an internet connection in a given time. It is commonly expressed in bits or bytes per second (bps). Bandwidth affects the speed of your website and its capacity to handle user requests and deliver content. 

When users visit a website, their browser downloads all the elements like images, text, and scripts. The total size of these elements, combined with how much traffic your website gets at its busiest, determines how much bandwidth you need.

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious code into legitimate websites. This code then executes in users’ browsers when they visit the affected site. XSS attacks can steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on their behalf. Regular security testing and properly sanitising user inputs help protect your website from these attacks.

Content strategy

Content strategy is your plan for creating, publishing and managing useful content that aligns with your business goals. It defines what content you’ll create, who it’s for, how you’ll distribute it, and how you’ll measure success. A good content strategy helps you reach your target audience with the right information at the right time, building authority in your industry and supporting your marketing objectives.

Cluster content

Cluster content consists of focused articles that explore specific aspects of a broader topic covered in pillar content. These detailed pieces target long-tail keywords and link back to your main pillar page. This structure creates a comprehensive content network that signals your expertise to search engines. Cluster content helps capture more specific search queries while strengthening the authority of your pillar pages through internal linking.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability by tracking how much page elements unexpectedly move as a page loads. Lower scores mean less shifting, creating a better user experience. CLS is one of Google’s Core Web Vitals that affects your search ranking. Reducing CLS by properly sizing images, reserving space for ads, and using fixed-size elements helps prevent frustrating experiences where users accidentally click the wrong things.

Click depth

Click depth measures how many clicks it takes to reach a specific page from your website’s homepage. Lower click depths (fewer clicks) generally indicate more important pages that are easier for users and search engines to find. Pages with higher click depths often receive less traffic and may rank lower in search results. Optimising your site structure to reduce click depth improves user experience and SEO performance.

Code snippet

A code snippet is a small piece of reusable code that performs a specific function. These blocks of code can be copied and pasted into different projects to add features or solve common programming problems. Code snippets range from simple formatting tweaks to more complex functions, helping developers save time by not having to write the same code repeatedly.

Commercial query

A commercial query is a search term that shows intent to buy or research products and services before making a purchase. These searches often include words like ‘buy’, ‘price’, ‘review’, or specific product names. Commercial queries are valuable for businesses because they represent potential customers who are closer to making a purchase decision, making them prime targets for both organic content and paid advertising.

Crawled – currently not indexed

‘Crawled – currently not indexed’ means Google has found and visited your webpage but chosen not to include it in search results. This status appears in Google Search Console when the search engine decides a page doesn’t meet quality standards or adds little value beyond similar existing pages. While Google knows the page exists, it doesn’t consider it worth showing in search results.

Competitor keyword analysis

Competitor keyword analysis involves researching which search terms drive traffic to your competitors’ websites. The goal is to find opportunities to compete for valuable search terms and uncover gaps in your content strategy. By analysing which keywords your competitors rank for, their content structure, and search volumes, you can identify which terms offer the best opportunities for your website.

Content audit

A content audit is a detailed review of all content on your website to evaluate its performance, relevance, and alignment with business goals. This process involves cataloguing every page, analysing metrics like traffic and engagement, checking for outdated information, and identifying gaps or opportunities. This systematic review helps determine which content needs updating, removing, or replacing to improve website effectiveness.

Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)

A Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) helps businesses track and manage their interactions with current and potential customers. It stores contact details, communication history, sales information, and customer service records in one central location. For example, when a client calls, a CRM shows their previous purchases, support tickets, and communication history, helping provide more personalised service and track the customer journey.

Cornerstone content

Cornerstone content consists of the most important articles or pages on your website that cover your main topics in detail. These comprehensive pages act as central hubs that link to more specific related content. For example, a marketing website might have cornerstone content about ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ that links to detailed articles about keywords, backlinks, and technical SEO. Search engines give extra weight to well-structured cornerstone content.

Content brief

A content brief is a document that outlines the requirements and goals for a piece of content before writing starts. It typically includes target keywords, word count, intended audience, key points to cover, tone of voice, and any specific formatting needs. For example, a blog post brief might specify the main topic, subheadings to include, internal linking opportunities, and target search terms. This planning document helps writers create content that meets business objectives.

Content marketing

Content marketing is a strategy that focuses on creating and sharing valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a specific audience. Unlike traditional advertising, it provides useful information that helps solve problems or answer questions. For example, a business might publish how-to guides, industry insights, or educational videos to build trust and authority with potential customers rather than directly promoting products.

Cloud-based backups

Cloud-based backups store copies of your website on remote servers rather than on your own computer or hosting server. This method saves your website data in multiple locations, protecting it from local hardware problems or server issues. For example, if your hosting server crashes, you can still access your backup from the cloud and restore your website quickly.

Custom fonts

Custom fonts are typefaces selected or created specifically for a website, moving beyond standard system fonts like Arial or Times New Roman. Using custom fonts helps create a distinct brand identity and consistent visual style across your website. However, they need proper implementation to maintain fast loading times and readability across different devices and browsers.

Content-first design

Content-first design is an approach to website development that puts content creation before visual design. This method makes the design work for the content, rather than trying to fit content into a pre-existing layout. By understanding what content needs to be communicated first, designers create more effective, user-friendly websites that deliver meaningful information to visitors.

Content pruning

Content pruning in SEO is when you remove or update low-quality, outdated, or irrelevant content from your website. This improves your site’s overall quality, making it more useful for visitors. It can also improve your crawl budget and ensure search engines can focus on indexing your important pages.

ccTLD

A ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain) is a domain extension tied to a country or territory – like .uk for the United Kingdom or .au for Australia. These domain extensions tell users and search engines which geographic market you’re targeting. When search engines see a ccTLD, they’re more likely to show your website in that country’s search results, making it easier for local users to find your business.

Canonical tag

A canonical tag is a piece of HTML code that tells search engines which version of a page is the main one when similar content exists in multiple places. This helps you avoid duplicate content issues and directs your SEO value to your preferred page. It’s like telling Google ‘This is the original page that I want you to show in search results’.

Crawl budget

Crawl budget refers to the number of pages a search engine will crawl on your website within a given time. Search engines allocate more crawl budget to larger, more authoritative sites that update frequently. By optimising your crawl budget through efficient site structure, removing low-value pages, and fixing broken links, you help search engines find and index your most important content.

Customer journey

Customer journey is the path a person takes from first learning about a business to becoming a loyal customer. It includes all interactions with the company, like seeing an ad, visiting the website, making a purchase, and getting support. Understanding the customer journey helps businesses improve their marketing and service at each stage. It can reveal where customers face problems or lose interest, allowing companies to consistently optimise their strategies,

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on a link after seeing it. It’s often used to measure the success of online ads or email campaigns. To calculate CTR, divide the number of clicks by the number of times the link was shown, then multiply by 100. A higher CTR usually means your content is more relevant or appealing to your audience.

Cost Per Click (CPC)

Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your online ad. It’s commonly used in pay-per-click advertising, like Google Ads. The cost varies based on factors such as keyword competition and ad quality. A lower CPC means you’re getting more clicks for your budget. Marketers aim to balance CPC with the value of each click to ensure their advertising is cost-effective.

Copy

Copywriting is the art of crafting compelling written content with a specific purpose: to engage and persuade potential customers into taking action. It’s a fundamental part of marketing and advertising that includes compelling headlines, slogans, and body text – essentially any written material that conveys a message designed to inform or influence.

Cookies

Internet cookies, also known as magic cookies, are small pieces of data that websites store on your browser after you visit the site. Cookies can improve your online experience by ensuring you don’t have to enter data like your username and password or your location more than once.

Online advertisers use cookies to track your online browsing habits and history and use this data to create more targeted ads. While this does increase the personal relevance of the ads you see online, some people consider cookie usage a violation of user privacy.

Conversion Rate Optimisation

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is the process of improving a website to increase the percentage of visitors who take a desired action. It involves analysing how users interact with your site, identifying barriers to conversion, and testing changes to overcome these barriers. CRO might include adjusting page layouts, simplifying forms, or changing button colours.

Conversion

Conversion is when a website visitor completes a desired action. This could be buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, downloading a guide, or filling out a contact form. It’s an important goal for most marketing efforts. The percentage of visitors who convert is called the conversion rate. Marketers aim to improve this rate by changing website design, writing clear calls to action, and reaching the right audience.

Content velocity

Content velocity is a measure of how quickly and consistently a website produces new content, like blog posts, articles, or product updates. Search engines often favour websites that regularly add new, high-quality content. A higher content velocity can help improve your site’s visibility in search results.

Content freshness

Cloaking

Cloaking is a deceptive SEO tactic that shows different content to search engines and human visitors. When a search engine bot visits a webpage, it sees one version of the content, while human users see another. This trick aims to manipulate search rankings by showing content the site owner thinks will rank well while showing users something else. Search engines consider cloaking a violation of their guidelines and can penalise or remove websites that use it from search results.

Classic Editor

The Classic Editor is a plugin for writing content on WordPress websites. It bring back the old way of adding content before the Block Editor was introduced in 2019. With Classic Editor, you type text and add images much like in a word processor like Google Docs. Some website owners prefer it because it’s easy to use and works well with older themes and plugins. While not the default choice in new WordPress sites, you can add Classic Editor if you want a more straightforward writing experience.

Caching

Caching is the process of storing copies of files or data for quicker access. In web development, it helps speed up websites by saving certain elements locally or on a server. When a user visits a site again, cached content loads faster, improving performance and user experience.

Crawling

Crawling is the systematic process search engine bots use to ‘read’ web pages and gather information about the content, structure and internal linking. 

Search engines like Google then use this information to decide whether a web page should be indexed in search results and where it ranks. Websites with crawl-friendly structures and well-optimised content are more likely to be indexed and rank highly in search engine results. 

CSS

CSS, short for Cascading Style Sheets, is a style sheet language used to define the look and format of a document written in HTML or XML. It enables web designers to control the layout, colours, fonts, and overall visual aspects of websites. By separating the content (HTML) from the design (CSS), it simplifies web development and maintenance.

Core Web Vitals

Core web vitals are a set of three metrics Google uses to assess the user experience a webpage provides based on real-world user data. Core Web Vitals measure a website’s page loading performance, ease of interaction, and visual stability of a page from a user’s perspective. Core Web Vitals are a recognised ranking factor, so improving them can boost your search engine ranking.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Content Management System (CMS)

A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that allows users to create, manage, and modify digital content on a website without needing to have advanced technical skills. CMS platforms provide an intuitive interface to add content to a website and make any changes.

The most popular CMS in the world is WordPress.org, an open-source platform. 43% of all websites on the internet are run on WordPress.

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is a hosting method that uses a network of virtual servers across different locations instead of relying on a single physical server. This allows the allocation and scaling of resources such as computing power, storage, and bandwidth to be done dynamically based on the needs of a website. 

cPanel hosting

cPanel hosting is a type of web hosting that uses cPanel, a popular web-based control panel, to help you manage your website and perform server-related tasks more easily. With cPanel hosting, you can easily set up email accounts, manage files, configure domains, and install plugins using its user-friendly interface. This makes it easier for people to maintain their own website without needing advanced technical skills.

Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action. It’s calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the total number of visitors. For example, if 100 people visit your site and 5 make a purchase, your conversion rate is 5%. This metric helps businesses understand how well their website and marketing work to reach business goals.

Call-to-action

Call-to-action, abbreviated as CTA, is an action prompt on a webpage, email, ad, push notification, or any other assets that urge a user to take a specified action. They can be short, like ‘Buy Now’ or longer and more detailed, like ‘Subscribe for insider updates, news and tips’.

Domain migration

Domain migration is the process of moving your website from one domain name to another while preserving its content, functionality, and search engine rankings. It involves setting up proper 301 redirects, updating internal links, and notifying search engines of the change. A carefully planned migration helps maintain your SEO value and ensures users can still find your content at its new location.

Display ads

Display ads are visual ads on websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms. They typically include images, logos, videos, or animations alongside text. Unlike text-only search ads, display ads target users based on their browsing behaviour, demographics, or interests rather than just search queries. They help build brand awareness and reach potential customers while they browse online.

Disavow

Disavow is a tool in Google Search Console that lets you tell Google to ignore specific backlinks when assessing your website. Some SEO professionals believe this tool helps protect your site’s search ranking by rejecting connections from spammy or low-quality websites that could hurt your website’s reputation by association.

Discovered – currently not indexed

‘Discovered – currently not indexed’ means Google has found your webpage by following links but hasn’t yet visited or analysed it. This status appears in Google Search Console when search engines know a page exists but haven’t crawled it to understand its content. This often happens when a site has too many pages, making it hard for Google to crawl everything with its allocated crawl budget.

Do-follow links

Do-follow links are the standard type of links that pass authority and ranking power from one website to another. Unlike no-follow links, these connections tell search engines to count the link as a vote of confidence for the linked website. Most links are do-follow by default unless specifically tagged otherwise, helping search engines understand which pages are trusted and valuable.

Dynamic content

Dynamic content automatically changes based on user behaviour, preferences, or other variables. Unlike static content that stays the same for everyone, dynamic content adapts to provide personalised experiences. For example, an online shop might show different product recommendations based on a visitor’s browsing history, or a website might display different content depending on a user’s location or time zone.

Dashboard

A dashboard is the main control panel where you manage your website’s day-to-day operations. Like a car’s dashboard that shows important information at a glance, a website dashboard displays key metrics and gives you quick access to essential tools. For example, you can view visitor numbers, update content, manage comments, and change settings all from one central location.

Differential backups

Differential backups save all changes made since your last full backup. Where incremental backups only store changes since the last backup of any kind, differential backups track all changes since your last complete backup. For example, if you make a full backup on Monday and changes on Tuesday and Wednesday, a differential backup on Wednesday saves both days’ changes. This makes restoring your site simpler.

Duplicate content

Duplicate content occurs when identical or very similar content appears in multiple locations across the internet or within your website. Search engines may struggle to determine which version to prioritise in search results, potentially affecting your website’s ranking. This can happen when the same text appears on different URLs, through copied content, or when printer-friendly versions of pages exist.

Deindexing

Deindexed means Google has removed a page or website from its search results, making it impossible for users to find through search. This can happen if you violate Google’s guidelines, use spammy tactics, or request removal through a noindex tag. While some deindexing is intentional (like for private pages), unwanted deindexing can seriously harm your website’s visibility and traffic.

Downtime

Downtime refers to the amount of time a website is inaccessible to users. It’s normally represented as a percentage over a 12-month period. If your website is down too frequently due to poor-quality web hosting or lack of maintenance, it can harm your search engine ranking and the user experience your website provides.

Doorway pages

Domain Rank (DR)

Domain Rank (DR), developed by Ahrefs, measures the importance of a website by taking into account the quality and quantity of links pointing to it. A higher domain rank can indicate a website is seen as more authoritative and influential. Having a backlink from a website with a high DR will benefit a site’s SEO. 

Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority (DA) is a score developed by the SEO software company Moz to predict how likely a website is to rank on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). It’s based on a scale from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank. The authority score takes into account the quality and quantity of backlinks, the age and history of the website’s domain name, and the quality of the content.

Direct traffic

Direct traffic represents users who go to your website by typing in the URL directly in their browser or from a bookmark, rather than from another website or a search engine. Lots of direct traffic can indicate loyal customers who are already familiar with your business. However, any traffic that Google Analytics can’t identify is categorised as direct, meaning the origin of this traffic can sometimes be deceiving.

Direct response copy

Direct response copy is writing that aims to get readers to take a specific action right away. This could be buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting more information. The copy is clear about what it wants the reader to do and why they should do it. It often includes a sense of urgency and a clear call to action.

Data centre

A data centre is a facility that houses web hosting servers. Data centres also house all the physical infrastructure needed to run servers effectively and consistently, like backup generators and high-power cooling fans.

When choosing a web hosting provider, it’s always important to check they have a data centre near you and your target audience. The closer the data centre is, the less distance the data needs to travel to reach users. This means faster website loading times.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting means that your hosting provider uses an entire physical server to host your website, as opposed to sharing a server and its resources with other websites.

Dedicated hosting offers advantages like better performance, increased security, and more configuration options. While dedicated hosting is more expensive than other options, it’s ideal for websites with high traffic, resource-intensive functions, or specific security and compliance requirements.

Domain name registrar

Domain names are managed and registered through domain name registrars, companies that act as intermediaries between users and the Domain Name System (DNS). Domain registrars allow website owners to search for and purchase available domain names, renew their domain registration and transfer ownership. They also maintain a database of registered domain names and their corresponding information, ensuring each domain is unique and correctly assigned to its owner.

Domain Name System (DNS)

The domain name system (DNS) is like the phone book of the internet. When you type a website’s name (like www.example.com) into your browser, DNS servers work collaboratively to locate the corresponding IP address and connect it to the correct web server. This allows users to access websites using familiar domain names rather than remembering complex IP addresses.

Domain name

Engagement rate

Engagement rate measures how actively people interact with your website or content through actions like clicking links, commenting, sharing, or spending time on pages. This metric helps evaluate how well your content connects with your audience. Calculated as a percentage of total visitors who engage with your content, it provides a clearer picture of content effectiveness than basic traffic numbers alone.

Evergreen content

External links

Engagement

Engagement is how people interact with a business’s content or brand. It can include actions like commenting on social media posts, sharing content, clicking links in emails, or spending time on a website. High engagement usually means people find the content interesting or useful.

Email marketing

Email marketing is the practice of sending promotional messages to people’s email inboxes. It’s used to keep in touch with customers, share news, and encourage sales. Businesses can send newsletters, special offers, or product updates to their email list. Good email marketing provides value to the reader, not just sales pitches. Success is often measured by how many people open the emails and click on the links inside.

Elementor

E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a set of factors Google uses to judge content quality. ‘Experience’ is about first-hand knowledge your content demonstrates. ‘Expertise’ means demonstrating through your content that you have skills or knowledge in a field. ‘Authoritativeness’ is about being recognised as a reliable source. ‘Trustworthiness’ refers to the accuracy and honesty of the content. Websites that demonstrate high E-E-A-T are more likely to rank well in search results.

Embedding

Embedding refers to the process of integrating external content, like videos, maps, or social media posts, directly into a web page. Instead of merely linking to an external site, embedding allows this content to be displayed and interacted with directly on your site.

This is achieved by inserting a specific code snippet, often provided by the external content host, into the HTML of a web page. Embedding enriches the user experience by offering additional relevant information or functionality without requiring users to leave the webpage.

eCommerce

eCommerce, short for electronic commerce, is the buying and selling of goods or services online. It also includes the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions. eCommerce can range from online retail and auctions to service sales and digital products. It enables businesses to sell their products to a global audience without the need for physical stores, making shopping accessible 24/7 from anywhere with internet access.

Encryption

Encryption is an important security measure that helps keep sensitive data (like user information or financial details) safe from bad actors. Web hosting providers implement encryption by converting data into an unreadable format as it’s transmitted. This means that the data is intercepted and it can’t be deciphered without the right decryption key.

This helps protect people’s privacy, prevents data breaches, and makes the internet a safer place. It also gives website visitors confidence that their information is being sent securely and can’t be easily stolen by hackers.

First Contentful Paint (FCP)

First Contentful Paint (FCP) measures the time from when a page starts loading to when any part of its content appears on screen. It’s one of Google’s Core Web Vitals metrics that helps evaluate your site’s performance. A good FCP score (under 1.8 seconds) improves user experience and positively affects your search rankings. Optimising server response times, reducing render-blocking resources, and streamlining CSS can all help improve your FCP.

First Input Delay (FID)

FID measures how long it takes for your website to respond when a user first interacts with it, like clicking a link or tapping a button. This Core Web Vital tracks the delay between the first interaction and when the browser begins processing that interaction. A good FID score means your website responds within 100 milliseconds, showing search engines that your site provides a responsive user experience.

Full website backups

A full website backup is a complete copy of everything on your website, including all files, databases, content, images, themes, plugins and settings. Unlike partial backups that save only specific parts, a full backup protects your entire website. This lets you quickly and easily restore your complete website if something goes wrong, rather than just recovering individual elements.

Font weight

Font weight refers to the thickness of letters in text, ranging from very thin to extra bold. Common weights include light, regular, medium, semibold and bold, with each weight typically assigned a numerical value from 100 to 900. Varying font weights can help create a clear visual hierarchy, draw attention to important content, and improve readability.

Favicon

A favicon is a small icon that represents your website. It appears in browser tabs, search results, bookmark lists and mobile home screens. Typically 16×16 or 32×32 pixels in size, this tiny graphic helps users quickly identify your site among multiple open tabs or saved bookmarks. A well-designed and easy to recognise favicon can strengthen brand recognition and improve click-through rates (CTR).

Fluid grids

Fluid grids are web design technique that allows content to be resized and adjusted based on columns. Essentially, fluid grids mean every element on the page occupies the same percentage of space, however large or small the screen becomes. The grid layout can also adapt based on breakpoints, allowing for a seamless and consistent user experience across different devices and screen sizes.

Footer

A footer is the section of comment at the very bottom of a website. They’re an essential element to any website as they contain vital information and a secondary form of navigating through the website. Footers normally contain:

• Privacy policy
• Company logo
• Contact information
• Social media icons
• Newsletter signup
• Links to key pages on the site

Featured snippets

Featured snippets are boxes that appear at the top of Google search results. They often show a brief answer to the searcher’s question, taken from content around the web. Featured snippets can be in the form of a paragraph, list, or table. They aim to give users quick answers without needing to click through to a website. Getting your content in a featured snippet can increase visibility and traffic to your site.

Front end

The ‘front end’ of a website refers to the part that users interact with directly in their web browsers. It includes everything they see and interact with, such as text, images, buttons, and navigation menus. The front end is created using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which combine to shape the website’s appearance, layout, and functionality.

Essentially, the visual aspects of the website are designed to provide a user-friendly experience. While users can see and engage with the front end, the back end, which involves servers and databases, operates behind the scenes to manage data and ensure the site works properly.

Firewalls

Firewalls are security measures designed to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic to and from a server. Acting as a barrier between the server and potential threats, firewalls analyse data packets to determine whether they should be allowed or blocked based on predefined security rules.

Graphic style

A graphic style is the distinctive visual approach your brand uses across all materials. It encompasses colour schemes, typography choices, illustration styles, photo treatments, and layout principles. Your graphic style sets the mood for how people experience your brand visually. A well-defined style makes your brand instantly identifiable.

Google Shop

Google Shop is Google’s product shopping service that displays relevant products when users search for items online. It shows product images, prices, and retailer information directly in search results and dedicated shopping tabs. This visual shopping platform helps businesses showcase products to potential customers actively looking to buy, making it an effective way to drive targeted traffic to your online store.

Google Display Network (GDN)

Google Display Network (GDN) is a vast collection of websites, videos, and apps where your ads can appear. It includes over two million Google partner sites, YouTube, and Gmail, reaching 90% of internet users worldwide. GDN lets you place visual advertisements in front of potential customers while they browse online, helping you build brand awareness and target audiences based on their interests and behaviours.

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a digital image format that can display both static images and simple animations. These animated GIFs show a sequence of frames on a loop. They’re often to demonstrate short processes, show product features, or add movement to web content. While GIFs can make content more engaging, they should can slow down your website so they should be used carefully.

Guest posting

Guest posting is the practice of posting on other websites in the same topic bubble in order to boost brand awareness, reach a wider audience and build up your backlink profile. It benefits both the posted and the host site: The poster gets increased reach, and the host site gets quality content.

Grey hat SEO

Grey hat SEO is a technique that sits between white hat and black hat SEO. It uses tactics that are not clearly defined by search engine guidelines as either acceptable or unacceptable. Grey hat SEO is a blend of both, often employed to achieve quicker results than white hat SEO but without the risks associated with black hat techniques.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free tool that analyses the popularity of search queries across various regions and languages. It provides insights into search trends over time, which can be invaluable for performing keyword research, understanding search intent and generating topic ideas. You can type in a keyword to explore the relative search volume, compare it to other keywords, and identify seasonal trends or emerging topics in your industry. 

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that allows you to take your site’s presence on Google Search. It provides valuable data on how Google views your site, including information on search traffic, mobile usability, and issues that might affect your site’s on-page SEO and performance in search results. GSC also offers performance tracking metrics, like the amount of traffic to your website, impressions, click-through rate, and your average search position.

You can also use GSC to submit your sitemap to Google, which helps Google understand the hierarchy of pages on your site and rank it accordingly.

Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that lets business owners create a profile for their business on Google. This profile shows up as structured data on Google Search and Maps, making it easy for potential customers to find important information like hours, location, contact details, and reviews. It’s essential for business owners because it boosts local visibility, helps attract more customers, and builds trust through customer reviews.

Google Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center (GMC) is an official Google platform that allows you to upload and manage product data so it’s visible on Google Shopping, Search, Images, and Maps. You can use GMC to create targeted ads, track product performance, and make sure your listings are accurate. If you integrate GMC with Google ads, you can run paid campaigns on Google Shopping.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a powerful tool that every website owner should use. It’s free and provides detailed information about who visits your website. You can see how many people visit, where they come from, and what they do on your site. It helps you understand your audience better and measure the impact of your SEO efforts.

Go-to-market strategy

A go-to-market Strategy is a plan for launching a new product or service. It outlines how a business will reach and sell to its target customers. This strategy includes deciding on pricing, choosing sales channels, and planning marketing activities. It also involves identifying the target audience and understanding their needs.

Grid layout

A grid layout is a design structure that divides a webpage into columns and rows. Grids help maintain consistency across different pages and make it easier to place elements in a logical, orderly way. Grid layouts are flexible and can adapt to different screen sizes, making them useful for responsive design.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the foundation of data communication on the web, defining how messages are formatted and transmitted between browsers and servers. However, this protocol is now largely outdated and insecure. Modern websites should use HTTPS instead, which adds encryption for security. Using HTTP today can trigger browser warnings, harm user trust, and negatively impact your search rankings as Google strongly prefers secure connections.

Hard-coded

Hard-coded refers to content or elements that are fixed directly in a website’s code rather than pulled from a database or content management system. When something is hard-coded, you can’t change it without editing the actual code. This makes updates more difficult as you’ll need a developer to make even small changes, unlike content that’s managed through a user-friendly interface.

Helpful Content Update (HCU)

Helpful Content Updates (HCU) are changes Google makes to its search algorithm to promote content that gives real value to readers over content created mainly for search engines. In theory, these updates reward websites that show expertise and offer original, useful information.

Headless CMS

A headless CMS separates the content back end from the frontend display. Unlike traditional systems that handle both content and presentation, a headless CMS only manages content, delivering it through APIs to any platform or device. Using a headless CMS can give developers more flexibility to build custom frontends while content teams can work independently on the back end.

Header image

A header image is a large image or graphic displayed at the top of a webpage, usually just below the navigation bar. It’s often the first thing visitors see and can set the tone for the entire set. Header images are used to grab attention, showcase a product or service, or highlight a brand. A well-chosen header image works to engage users right away.

Hyperlink

A hyperlink is a clickable element on a web page that takes you to another location when activated. It can be text, an image, or any other content. Hyperlinks are fundamental to web navigation, allowing users to move between pages or sections of a website. They’re typically highlighted or underlined to stand out from regular text, making them easy to identify and interact with.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is the standard code used to create and structure content on the web. It defines elements like text, images, links, and headings, which browsers read to display websites properly. In simple terms, HTML is the building block of web pages, telling browsers how to arrange content so users can see and interact with it online.

Heat map

A heat map is a visual tool that shows where users interact most on a website by using colours to highlight popular areas. It helps marketers and web designers understand which parts of a page grab attention, where users click, and how they scroll. This is important because it can help you gain a better understanding of user behaviour so you can optimise your website accordingly.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a protocol that secures communication and data transfer between a user’s web browser and a website. You can tell if a website uses HTTPS by the prefix ‘https://’ in the website’s URL. It’s usually accompanied by a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar, indicating that the website has an SSL certificate.

Any website that handles sensitive information, like login credentials or payment information, should have HTTPS in place to protect against malicious attacks and protect their user’s data.

Header

A header is the top section of a webpage that appears on every page of a website. It typically contains the site’s logo, main navigation menu, and sometimes a search bar or other important links. Headers help users understand what website they’re on and how to navigate it. Web designers pay close attention to header design as it’s often the first thing users see.

Hover states

A hover state is a visual change that occurs when a user moves their cursor over an interactive element on a webpage. It provides immediate feedback to users, showing them that an item is clickable or interactive. Common hover state changes include colour shifts, underlining text, or displaying additional information.

Iframe

An iframe (inline frame) is an HTML element that embeds another webpage within your current page. It creates a window that displays external content without users leaving your site. Iframes are useful for incorporating maps, videos, or forms from other sources. While convenient, they can impact page speed and sometimes present security concerns. Use iframes carefully and only when necessary to maintain optimal site performance.

Information hierarchy

Information hierarchy is the arrangement of content to show its importance and relationships. It guides visitors through your website using visual cues like size, colour, and placement to indicate what’s most important. A clear hierarchy helps users navigate your site, find information quickly, and understand how content relates to each other.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

INP measures how quickly your website responds when users interact with it, like clicking buttons or typing in forms. This Core Web Vital tracks the time between a user’s action and when the website visually updates in response. A good INP score means your website responds within 200 milliseconds, creating a smooth, responsive experience that search engines reward with better rankings.

Inbound links

Inbound links are links from other websites that point to your website. Also known as backlinks, these connections act as votes of confidence in your content’s quality and authority in the eyes of search engines. Each high-quality inbound link from a reputable website can improve your SEO and bring new visitors to your site through referral traffic.

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) outlines the type of client who gets the most value from your products or services and brings the most value to your business. It details characteristics like industry, size, budget, challenges, and goals. For example, a web design agency’s ICP might be medium-sized businesses in growth phases that need both design expertise and ongoing support. This profile guides marketing strategies and business decisions.

Internal links

Internal links are connections between pages on your website. They help search engines understand which pages are most important and how your content relates to each other. For example, if multiple pages link to your services page, search engines see it as valuable content. Internal links also guide visitors through your website, encouraging them to explore more pages.

Incremental backups

Incremental backups only save the parts of your website that have changed since your last backup. Rather than copying everything each time, this method only stores what’s new or modified. For example, if you add a new blog post, an incremental backup saves just that post rather than your whole website. This approach saves storage space while keeping your site protected.

Informational query

An informational query is a type of search where users want to learn about a specific topic rather than make a purchase or find a particular website. For example, someone searching ‘how to build a website’ or ‘what is SEO’ is making an informational query. These queries can be a valuable opportunity to build trust through helpful, educational content.

Inheritance

In website design, inheritance refers to how styles and properties flow down through elements on a page. When you apply a style to a parent element (like the body of your page), child elements automatically receive these properties unless specifically overridden.

Image compression

Image compression refers to the process of reducing image file sizes without significantly affecting their visual quality. By compressing your website’s images, you can make pages load faster and use less bandwidth. While there are two types – lossy compression which removes some image data, and lossless which preserves all data – both help improve your website’s performance and user experience.

Inbound marketing

Inbound marketing is a strategy that aims to attract customers through valuable content and tailored experiences. Instead of pushing your message out to a broad audience, you draw your target audience in by providing solutions and information they actively seek.  By creating relevant and helpful content, you build trust and credibility with your audience, ultimately encouraging them to choose your products or services on their own accord.

Impressions

Impressions are the number of times your content or advertisement is shown, whether users interact with it or not. This metric helps measure how often your social media post or web page is seen by users. It’s one of the most important metrics for marketers and SEO professionals to track. While the number of clicks is a more valuable metric for tracking business goals, you can’t get those clicks without first improving your impressions.

Image optimisation

 Image optimisation is the process of reducing the file sizes of your images so they don’t slow down your site. The goal is to reduce the image file size without losing image quality visibility – it’s a fine balance to find. While smaller images are a great way to speed up your website, you don’t want pixelated, unattractive images on your site.

Indexing

Indexing is when Google crawls a page, processes the content and stores it in its database. This is also when Google decides if a page is eligible and valuable enough to be listed in search results. While it’s unrealistic to expect every single one of your web pages to be indexed on Google, it’s important to check that your most important web pages are indexed by checking Google Search Console.

Job boards

Online job boards are digital platforms on websites where employers can post job vacancies, and job seekers can browse and apply for these positions. They serve as a great way for employers to find talent and for potential employees to easily browse industry-specific job listings.

JSON

Javascript SEO

Javascript SEO refers to optimising websites that use Javascript for search engines. Since search engines can struggle to read Javascript content, developers need to ensure their code is crawlable and indexable. This often means using techniques like server-side rendering or pre-rendering to help search engines see content that Javascript generates.

Javascript

Javascript refers to a programming language that adds interactivity to websites. While HTML structures content and CSS styles it, Javascript lets websites respond to user actions in real-time. For example, when you click a button to show more content, Javascript can display it instantly without refreshing your browser. This makes websites feel more like desktop applications, enabling features like form validation, image galleries, and dynamic menu systems.

JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)  is one of the most popular image file formats for websites. Web designers often choose JPEG for photographs and complex images with plenty of colours. This format is good for keeping file sizes small, which helps web pages load quickly.

However, compressed JPEGs can have reduced image quality. Unlike PNGs, JPEGs don’t support transparency. Web designers weigh up all these factors when choosing image formats.

Keyword cannibalisation

Keyword cannibalisation occurs when multiple pages on your website target the same search terms, forcing them to compete against each other for rankings. This confuses search engines about which page to prioritise, potentially weakening the ranking position of all competing pages. Avoiding keyword cannibalisation helps search engines properly index your content and improves your overall SEO performance.

Keyword research

Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing the terms people type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. It tells you the search volume, competitiveness, and user intent behind different searches. For example, knowing that more people search for ‘website design pricing’ than ‘website design cost’ helps you choose which terms to target in your content to reach more potential customers.

Keyword stuffing

Keyword stuffing is the practice of overusing keywords in web content in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. This includes unnecessarily repeating words or phrases, adding irrelevant keywords, or hiding keywords in the background of a page. Search engines consider keyword stuffing a spam tactic and may penalise websites that use it.

Keyword density

Keyword density is the percentage of times a keyword appears in a piece of content compared to the total number of words. It’s a way to measure how often a keyword is used in text. While using keywords is important for SEO, overdoing it can make your content seem unnatural or spammy. The sweet spot is between 1-3% keyword density.

Keyword competition

Keyword competition refers to how many other websites are trying to rank for the same keyword. High competition means lots of sites are targeting that keyword, making it harder to achieve a top ranking. Low competition suggests fewer sites are focusing on that term, potentially making it easier to rank well. Assessing keyword competition helps you pick keywords that balance search volume with your ability to rank for them.

Keyword difficulty

Keyword difficulty is a measure of how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword in search engine results. It takes into account factors like competition and the authority of websites already ranking for that keyword. A higher keyword difficulty score means it’s more challenging to achieve a top ranking for that term. Understanding keyword difficulty helps you choose which keywords to target.

Keyword

Keywords are words or phrases that people type into search engines when looking for information. In SEO, keywords help search engines understand what your content is about. By including relevant keywords in your website’s content, you can improve your chances of appearing in search results when people look for topics related to your business.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. It’s a measurable value that shows how well a company achieves its main business objectives. Tracking Key Performance Indicators is like keeping a scorecard for your business. They help you measure progress, identify areas for improvement, and optimise your content. Common KPIs are average sales prices, social media impressions, and customer retention rates.

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI)

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) is a natural language processing technique that helps search engines understand content context by identifying relationships between words and concepts. It recognises semantically related terms that appear together frequently in texts. Though often mentioned in SEO, true LSI isn’t explicitly used by modern search engines, which employ more advanced algorithms.

Logo

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

LCP is a key website speed metric that measures how quickly the largest content element becomes visible in the browser. This could be an image, video, or block of text that loads first on your screen. As part of Google’s Core Web Vitals, LCP impacts search rankings and user experience. A good LCP score means your main content loads within 2.5 seconds of opening a webpage.

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are specific, detailed search phrases that typically contain three or more words. While these searches have lower monthly search volumes, they often show higher intent to take action and face less competition. For example, instead of targeting ‘web design’, a long-tail keyword might be ‘custom WordPress website design for small business’. These specific phrases can bring more targeted traffic to your website.

Lossless compression

Lossless compression reduces file size without sacrificing image quality by storing data more efficiently. Unlike lossy compression, no information is permanently removed. PNG files use lossless compression, making them ideal for logos and text-heavy images where quality is essential.

Lossy compression

Lossy compression reduces file size by permanently removing some image data. While this makes files smaller and faster to load on websites, it also reduces image quality.

Lazy loading

Lazy loading is a technique that delays loading non-critical website elements until they’re needed. Instead of loading all images and content at once, it loads them as you scroll down the page. This approach makes your website load faster initially, saves bandwidth, and improves the user experience. It’s especially useful for long pages with lots of images or media-heavy websites.

Local queries

Local queries are search terms people use when looking for businesses or services in a specific area. These searches often include location names, ‘near me’ or ‘in [city name]’. By optimising for local queries, you can help your business appear in search results when people in your area are looking for your products or services. This is especially important for businesses with physical locations.

Local SEO

Local SEO is the art of optimising your website to appear more prominently in search queries of people near your business. Any business with a physical store or that serves a specific geographic area can benefit from local SEO. Strategies include optimising your Google My Business profile and creating locally relevant content.

Link farms

Link farms are groups of websites created to link to each other, trying to boost search engine rankings. These networks of low-quality sites attempt to manipulate search algorithms by increasing inbound links. Search engines see link farms as spam and may penalise or blacklist associated websites.

Leads

Leads are potential customers who have already shown an interest in your product or service. They’ve typically provided contact information or engaged with your business in some way – maybe by filling out a form or subscribing to a newsletter. Leads are more valuable than general website visitors because they’ve taken the first step towards becoming customers. Marketing and sales teams work to generate leads and nurture them through the sales funnel.

Landing pages

A landing page is a standalone web page designed for a specific marketing or ad campaign. It’s where a visitor ‘lands’ after clicking on a link in an email, ad, or other digital location. Unlike regular web pages, landing pages have a highly focused purpose – typically to encourage a certain action, like signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

Link building

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your website. These links are known as ‘backlinks’. Having a higher number of backlinks from reputable websites indicates to Google that your website is popular or an authority on a certain subject. This helps improve your search engine ranking and is one of the most common SEO strategies. 

Load balancing

Load balancing is a technique web hosting providers use to evenly distribute incoming web traffic across multiple servers. This prevents any one single server from becoming overwhelmed during a spike in website traffic, increases website speed, and stops the website from going down.

Malware

Malware is malicious software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorised access to computer systems without user consent. This includes viruses, ransomware, spyware, and trojans. Malware can compromise your website’s security, steal sensitive data, harm your users, and damage your reputation. Regular security scans, keeping software updated, and using strong passwords are essential to protect your website from malware attacks.

Meta tag

A meta tag is HTML code that provides information about your webpage to search engines and browsers, but isn’t visible to users viewing the page. Meta tags include details like page descriptions, keywords, author information, and viewport settings. The description meta tag is particularly important for SEO as it often appears in search results and affects click-through rates from search engine results pages.

Memnet

Memnet is a membership management system designed for associations, clubs, and organisations in Australia and New Zealand. It handles member databases, event bookings, payment processing, and communication tools. When integrated with your website, Memnet lets members access exclusive content, manage their accounts, and book events while giving administrators tools to track memberships and engagement.

Membership sites

Membership sites restrict certain content or features to registered users who log in with their account details. These websites often include different access levels, subscription options, and member-only areas with exclusive content or services. For example, a membership site might offer basic users access to standard content while paying members get extra features like downloadable resources, online courses, or community forums.

Market research

Marketing research is the act of gathering data about customers, competitors, and market conditions to inform business decisions. It includes studying target audience behaviour, tracking industry trends, and testing market response to products or services. For example, a business might survey customers about their preferences, analyse competitor strategies, or test different website designs to understand what works best.

Mission statement

A mission statement is a clear declaration of what a business does, who it serves, and what makes it different. It outlines the company’s core purpose and guides decision-making across all business activities. For example, rather than just saying ‘we make websites’, a mission statement might focus on how the business helps clients achieve specific goals online. A strong mission statement shapes brand identity and business direction.

Manual penalty

A manual penalty occurs when Google directly takes action against a website for violating its guidelines, unlike algorithmic penalties which happen automatically. This results in lower search rankings or complete removal from search results. For example, if Google’s team finds evidence of buying links or using spam tactics, they might apply a manual penalty. These penalties stay in place until you fix the issues and submit a reconsideration request.

Media queries

Media queries are rules designers can set in CSS3 to ensure their website is responsive on different devices. Media queries allow the layout, HTML blocks, font size, colours, and other design elements to change to accommodate the user.

To work with media queries, designers must choose the breakpoints and rules they want to set. They can then apply the rules when certain conditions and breakpoints are met. These conditions might include viewport width, height, device orientation, or screen resolution.

Mobile-first indexing

Mobile-first indexing means Google primarily uses your website’s mobile version for ranking and indexing. Since a large majority of people browse on phones and tablets, Google looks at how your site performs on mobile devices before desktop computers. This makes it essential to ensure your website works well on small screens, loads quickly on mobile networks, and offers a smooth experience for mobile users.

Minification

Minification is a technical process that removes unnecessary characters from website code without changing how it works. By eliminating white space, line breaks, and comments, and shortening variable names in your CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files, minification reduces file sizes. Smaller files mean faster loading times and less bandwidth use, creating a better experience for your website visitors.

Meta descriptions

Meta descriptions are short summaries of a web page’s content that appear in search engine results. They’re typically 150-160 characters long and provide a brief overview of what users can expect to find on the page. While meta descriptions don’t directly impact search rankings, they can influence click-through rates by encouraging users to visit your site.

Marketing plan

A marketing plan is a detailed document outlining a company’s advertising and marketing efforts for a specific period. It includes information about the target market, marketing goals, strategies to achieve these goals, and methods to measure success. A well-crafted marketing plan helps businesses stay focused, allocate resources effectively, and adapt to market changes.

Marketing mix

A marketing mix is a framework that companies can use to market their product or service more effectively. It serves to provide focus and direction to a marketing strategy, with four key elements serving as pillars. The key elements of a marketing mix are:

1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion

Marketing channel

Marketing channels are the different methods or platforms used to reach potential customers. These can include social media, email, websites, print media, television, radio, or in-person events. Using multiple marketing channels can help reach a wider audience and reinforce your brand message across different touchpoints.

Managed hosting

Managed hosting means the provider includes maintenance in the hosting plan. The hosting provider is responsible for tasks like server setup, configuration, security measures, routine updates, and troubleshooting. Managed hosting is ideal for website owners who aren’t tech-savvy or who just have too much on their plate to worry about updating and problem-solving on their websites.

Megamenus

A megamenu is a large, expanded dropdown menu that appears when a user hovers over or clicks a main navigation item. It displays multiple options and levels of content in a single panel, often using columns or grids.

Megamenus can help organise complex site structures by showing users lots of options at once without overwhelming them. They’re common on large websites with lots of content, like eCommerce stores. The goal is to help visitors find what they need more quickly.

No-index tag

A no-index tag is a piece of code that tells search engines not to include a specific webpage in their search results. This instruction can be useful for pages you want visitors to see but don’t want to appear in search results, like thank-you pages, login areas, or duplicate content. Once implemented, search engines will remove these pages from their index, even if they’ve been indexed before.

No-follow links

No-follow links include a special tag that tells search engines not to pass authority or ranking power to the linked website. Unlike standard links, no-follow links don’t boost the linked site’s search engine rankings. These links are often used for sponsored content, paid links, or when linking to untrusted sources while still providing useful information to readers.

Network latency

Network latency is the time it takes for data to travel from its source to its destination across a network. Think of it as the delay between when you click a link and when your browser starts receiving the webpage. Higher latency causes slower loading times – for example, a latency of 200 milliseconds means it takes one-fifth of a second for your action to reach the server. Low latency creates a faster and smoother browsing experience.

Navigation menu

A navigation menu is a collection of links on a website that helps users find and access different pages or sections. It’s typically displayed consistently across all pages, often at the top or side of the screen. A well-designed navigation menu should be intuitive, easy to use, and clearly labelled.

Outbound links

Outbound links are links from your website that point to other websites. When used strategically, these links add credibility to your content by connecting to trusted sources and useful information. Although outbound links direct visitors away from your site, using them appropriately signals to search engines that your content is well-researched and provides value to readers.

On-demand backups

On-demand backups are manual copies of your website that you create when needed, rather than waiting for scheduled automatic backups. This option lets you save your website before making major changes or updates. For example, you might create an on-demand backup before installing new plugins or changing your website’s theme, giving you a safety net if anything goes wrong.

Outbound marketing

Outbound marketing relies on actively reaching out to potential customers to promote your products or services. Instead of waiting for customers to find you, outbound marketing pushes your message to a wide audience, aiming to capture their interest and drive immediate action. This method relies on more direct and interruptive techniques to generate leads and sales. It’s interruptive in the sense that people don’t have a choice to see it or not while they’re doing something unrelated to the marketing in front of them. 

Open source

Open source refers to software whose source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. Open source platforms like WordPress allow developers to customise and improve the software. This collaborative approach often leads to robust, frequently updated systems. Open source platforms can be cost-effective and flexible, as they’re not tied to a single vendor. However, they might need more technical knowledge to implement and maintain.

On-page SEO

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO happens outside your website. The goal is to build trust and authority in the eyes of Google through external sources. Simply put, off-page SEO strategies aim to get your website discussed and linked on other websites (commonly known as link building) or on social media platforms. Various ways to achieve this goal include guest blogging, building a social media following, investing in paid advertising, or content marketing.

Organic traffic

Organic traffic refers to anyone who visits your website from unpaid sources, like non-sponsored Google search results. Organic traffic is highly valuable because it represents people who are actively searching for the keywords on your site and have a relevant and specific intent related to your business. This is the traffic that has the highest chance of conversion. The best way to increase organic traffic is through SEO.

Personas

Personas are imagined characters that represent different segments of your target audience. Based on research and real data, they include demographics, behaviours, goals, and pain points. Personas help you understand who you’re creating content for and why they might seek your products or services. By putting a human face on abstract market segments, it’s easier to develop relevant messaging and experiences that resonate with real customers.

Positioning statement

A positioning statement is a brief description that articulates what makes your brand unique and valuable to your target audience. It defines who you serve, what you offer, why you’re different from competitors, and the benefits you deliver. This internal strategic tool guides your marketing decisions and ensures consistent messaging across all channels. A strong positioning statement focuses on customer needs rather than just product features.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is an online advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Unlike organic search strategies, PPC delivers immediate visibility on search engines and social platforms. You set a budget and bid on keywords relevant to your business. PPC campaigns are highly measurable, letting you track performance down to the cost per conversion. They’re ideal for quickly testing offers or driving traffic to new content. However, relying only on PPC will get costly over time.

Pillar content

Pillar content is comprehensive, authoritative content that covers a broad topic in depth and links to related, more specific content pieces (cluster content). It forms the foundation of topic clusters in your content strategy, establishing your expertise in key subject areas. Pillar pages typically target broader keywords with higher search volume and help search engines understand your site’s structure and topical authority in your industry.

PHP

PHP is a popular server-side programming language used to build dynamic websites and web applications. It runs on the web server, processes data, and generates HTML that’s sent to users’ browsers. Unlike HTML and CSS, which handle visual elements, PHP manages functionality like form processing, database interactions, and user authentication. Many content management systems, including WordPress, are built using PHP.

Pay-for-performance SEO

Pay-for-performance SEO is a pricing model where clients only pay once the provider has delivered results. For example, a provider might offer to get your website ranking for ‘plumber canberra’ and only charge you when your site ranks on the first page. Many providers even promise specific positions, like spots 1-3, with prices varying according to each position. This SEO model differs from traditional SEO services, where you pay a monthly retainer for ongoing SEO, no matter how rankings change in the short term.

Programmatic SEO

Programmatic SEO is the process of creating large numbers of targeted web pages at scale. It uses data and templates to automatically generate multiple pages that target specific search terms. For example, a real estate agent might use programmatic SEO to create individual pages for each suburb they service, with each page featuring local property data and area-specific information. This method helps capture more specific search traffic.

Preview mode

Preview mode in WordPress lets you see how your content will look before publishing it live on your website. This feature shows you exactly what visitors will see, including formatting, images, and layout, without making the changes public. For example, if you’re writing a blog post, you can preview it to check how images align with text and how headings appear before sharing it with your audience.

Parent and child elements

In website design, ‘parent and child elements’ refer to the relationship between HTML elements. A parent element contains one or more child elements within it. The parent controls the layout and style of the child, and changes to the parent can affect the child’s appearance or behaviour. This structure helps organise content and manage how elements interact on a webpage.

Padding

In web design, padding refers to the space between the content inside an element (like text or images) and its border. It helps create breathing room around the content, making the layout cleaner and easier to read. Adjusting padding can make a big difference in how balanced and organised a web page looks. Without enough padding, all the elements would look crowded and squeezed together.

Pages per session

Pages per session is a metric that can be used to gauge how engaging your website is. It refers to the average number of pages a user visits during a single session on a website. A higher average page per session can indicate that visitors find your content interesting and are motivated to keep clicking through your site. It can also indicate to Google that your website provides a good experience to visitors.

Privacy policy

A privacy policy is a statement on a website that explains how the site collects, uses, shares, and protects visitor data. It typically covers what information is gathered, why it’s collected, and how it’s stored and secured. Privacy policies are legal requirements in many countries and help build trust with users. They should be easily accessible on the website and written in clear, understandable language to make sure there’s as much transparency as possible about data handling practices.

Plugins

Plugins are add-ons that extend the functionality of WordPress websites. They’re an easy way to introduce new features or modify existing ones, ranging from simple contact forms to complex e-commerce platforms – all without requiring code. Plugins are one of the primary reasons why WordPress is our favourite CMS. They allow a high level of customisation and flexibility on WordPress websites.

Personalisation

Personalisation in marketing involves tailoring content, products, or experiences to individual users based on their data and behaviour. This can include using a customer’s name in emails, recommending products based on past purchases, or showing location-specific content. The goal of personalisation is to make marketing campaigns more relevant to each user. This can lead to improved customer satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and increased brand loyalty.

Personas

Personas are fictional, detailed representations of your ideal customers. They’re based on market research and real data about existing customers. Personas typically include demographic information, behaviour patterns, motivations, and goals. By creating these detailed profiles, marketers can better understand their target audience and tailor their strategies accordingly.

Performance testing

Performance testing is the process of evaluating how a site functions under different conditions. This includes testing load times, responsiveness, and stability under different levels of traffic or data processing. The goal is to identify bottlenecks, capacity limits, and areas for improvement. Regular performance testing helps maintain a smooth user experience, even during peak usage times.

Pain point

Pain points are specific problems or frustrations that your potential customers experience. Identifying and addressing pain points can help you create more effective messaging. By understanding what troubles your target audience, you can position your product or service as a solution. Addressing pain points in your marketing can make your message more relevant, potentially leading to higher conversion rates.

Paid traffic

Paid traffic refers to visitors who come to your website through paid advertising channels. This includes platforms like Google Ads, social media advertising, or display networks. Unlike organic traffic, paid traffic requires you to spend money to attract website visitors. It can provide quick visibility and targeted reach, but stops when you stop paying.

Pagination

Pagination is the process of dividing content into separate pages, typically used for long lists or large sets of data. It helps manage information by breaking it into smaller, more digestible chunks. Pagination often appears as numbered links at the bottom of a page, allowing users to navigate through content. Effective pagination improves user experience, reduces page load times, and helps search engines better understand and index your content.

Page speed

Page speed is how quickly a web page loads and displays content to users. It’s a ranking factor for search engines and impacts user experience. Faster loading times can lead to better search rankings, lower bounce rates, and higher conversion rates. Factors affecting page speed include server response time, file sizes, and code efficiency.

Page Authority (PA)

Page Authority (PA) is similar to Domain Authority but focuses on the predictive ranking strength of a single page rather than the entire domain. Each page on a website can have its own PA score, influencing how well that specific page is likely to rank on SERPs. We use PA to pinpoint which pages on our clients’ websites have the most potential to draw in traffic and then optimise those pages to maximise their impact.

Portable Network Graphics (PNG)

PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. Web designers often use PNG for images that need transparency or sharp detail, like logos or graphics with text. While PNGs have great image quality, they can have larger file sizes than other formats like JPEG, which can slow your site down. It’s important to balance quality and file size to keep loading times fast while maintaining image clarity. 

Qualitative data

Qualitative data is non-numerical information that captures opinions, experiences, and attitudes. It includes customer feedback, interview responses, focus group insights, and social media comments. Unlike quantitative data, which tells you what’s happening, qualitative data helps you understand why it’s happening. This context-rich information reveals customer motivations, pain points, and emotional responses to your brand, providing deeper insights that numbers alone can’t capture.

Quantitative data

Quantitative data is numerical information that can be measured and analysed statistically. In marketing, it includes metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates, sales figures, and engagement statistics. This data helps you track performance objectively and identify trends over time. While quantitative data tells you what’s happening, it’s often most powerful when combined with qualitative data that explains why customers behave as they do.

Query

A query is the term or phrase a user types into a search engine when looking for information. In SEO, understanding common queries related to your business helps optimise content to match user intent. Search engines analyse queries to determine which web pages best answer the user’s question or need. By aligning your content with relevant queries, you can improve your chances of appearing in search results for those terms.

Rebrand

A rebrand is a complete transformation of your company’s identity. It goes beyond visual changes to reimagine how you present your business to the world. This process often includes redesigning your logo, updating colours and typography, refreshing your messaging, and sometimes changing your name. Companies typically rebrand when their current identity no longer reflects their values, to overcome negative perceptions, or to signal a major strategic shift.

Repositioning

Repositioning is the strategic process of changing how your audience perceives your brand compared to competitors. It might involve shifting your messaging, visual identity, or target market to create a new position in customers’ minds. Unlike rebranding, which overhauls your entire brand identity, repositioning typically maintains core brand elements while adjusting your market stance. This approach helps revitalise established brands or respond to changing market conditions.

Redirect chain

A redirect chain happens when a URL redirects to another URL, which then redirects to another, creating a sequence of redirects before reaching the final destination. These chains slow down page loading, waste crawl budget, and dilute link equity. Keeping redirects to a minimum (ideally just one step from original to destination URL) improves user experience and preserves SEO value.

Redirect loop

A redirect loop occurs when a webpage redirects to another page, which then redirects back to the original page or creates a chain of continuous redirects. This circular pattern prevents users from reaching any actual content and results in browser error messages. Redirect loops harm user experience and SEO by making pages inaccessible to both visitors and search engine crawlers.

React

React is a JavaScript library created by Facebook for building user interfaces. It lets developers create fast, interactive web applications by efficiently updating and rendering components when data changes. React’s component-based structure helps break complex interfaces into reusable, self-contained pieces. This approach makes websites more maintainable and provides a smoother user experience compared to traditional page-loading methods.

RSS feed

An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed is a standardised format that automatically delivers updated online content to subscribers. It allows users to receive new website posts, podcast episodes, or news items without constantly checking for updates.

Robots.txt

Robots.txt is a text file that gives search engines instructions about which parts of your website they should and shouldn’t access. Located in your website’s root directory, this file acts as a set of rules for search engine crawlers. Through robots.txt, you can block crawlers from accessing certain pages, like admin areas or duplicate content, helping search engines focus on your important pages.

Real-time backups

Real-time backups continuously save changes to your website as they happen, creating an up-to-the-minute copy of your content and data. Unlike scheduled or on-demand backups, this method captures every change right away. For example, if someone submits a form or makes a purchase on your website, that information is backed up instantly, minimising the risk of losing recent data.

Return on Ad Spend (RoAS)

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) measures how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on advertising. This metric helps evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. For example, if you spend $100 on ads and generate $500 in sales, your ROAS is 5:1 (or 500%). This calculation shows which advertising channels and campaigns deliver the best value for your marketing budget.

Redirect error

A redirect error happens when the process of automatically sending visitors from one webpage to another fails. This can occur when redirects are set up incorrectly, form a loop (page A points to B, which points back to A), or when too many redirects stack up. If a visitor clicks a link and sees ‘too many redirects’ or a loading loop, that’s a redirect error affecting their browsing experience.

Related searches

Related searches refer to the list of similar search terms Google displays at the bottom of search results pages. These suggestions show what other people searched for when looking for similar information. By taking stock of related searches in your topic bubble, you can understand user intent better, discover new keywords, and improve your content strategy to match what your target audience is actively searching for online.

Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a principle in visual composition where an image is divided into a 3×3 grid. Elements are placed along these lines or at their intersections, creating a balanced and interesting layout. In web design, this concept helps arrange content, images and calls to action. It guides the viewer’s eye to important areas of the page. While not a strict rule, it’s a useful guideline for designing web pages.

Return On Investment (R.O.I)

Return on Investment (ROI) is a metric used to evaluate how profitable an investment is compared to its cost, either in money or time. It’s calculated by dividing the benefit (return) of an investment by its cost, expressed as a percentage. ROI can be applied to a wide range of business decisions, from marketing campaigns to buying new equipment. This metric helps businesses allocate resources effectively and measure the value of different strategies.

Rich snippets

Rich snippets are search results that show extra information beyond the standard title, URL, and meta description. They can include elements like star ratings, product prices, recipe details, or event dates. Rich snippets are created by adding structured data to your web pages. They make your search listings more visually appealing and informative, potentially increasing click-through rates.

Resources page

Remarketing

Remarketing is a strategy that targets ads to people who’ve previously visited your website or used your mobile app. It allows you to show tailored ads to these potential customers as they browse other websites or use social media. The goal of remarketing is to re-engage visitors who showed interest but didn’t convert, keeping your brand in their minds. This is a great way to increase conversions, as it focuses on an audience already familiar with your business.

Referral traffic

Referral traffic comes from visitors clicking links on other websites to reach your site. This type of traffic is valuable as it can indicate that other sites find your content worth sharing and that the users on that site are interested in your content as well. In SEO, referral traffic can improve your site’s authority and visibility in search results by building up your backlink profile.

Ranking factor

Ranking factors are the criteria search engines use to evaluate and order websites in search results. These are heavily debated in the SEO community, as Google doesn’t openly disclose all its factors to prevent system manipulation. However, some elements like page speed, keyword relevance, and mobile-friendliness are universally accepted. Understanding and optimising for these can help improve a website’s visibility in search results.

Responsive design

Responsive web design means the site responds to the user and their environment, no matter what device or browser they’re using or how large their screen size is.

Web designers ensure a site is responsive by using breakpoints, fluid grids and flexible content during the design process. These design strategies make the layout expand or contract depending on the user’s viewport, creating a consistent user experience across different devices.

Site-wide signals

Site-wide signals are quality indicators that apply to your entire website rather than individual pages. These include factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, security (HTTPS), and overall site architecture. Google uses these signals to evaluate your website’s overall authority and trustworthiness. Improving site-wide signals strengthens your entire domain’s SEO performance, helping all your pages rank better in search results.

Site architecture

Site architecture is the way your website’s pages are organised and linked together. It determines how users and search engines navigate through your content. A logical site architecture makes it easy for visitors to find information and for search engines to crawl and index your pages.

Screen resolution

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed on your screen, typically expressed as width × height (such as 1920×1080). Higher resolutions show more detail and content but make everything appear smaller. Screen resolution affects how your website displays across different devices, which is why responsive design is essential to ensure your site looks good regardless of the screen size or resolution visitors use.

Submark

A submark is a simplified version of your main logo, used in smaller spaces where your full logo might lose detail or impact. It typically features a reduced element of your primary logo, like an icon or monogram, while maintaining your brand’s visual identity. Submarks work well for social media profiles, website favicons, and other applications where space is limited but brand recognition is still important.

SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that evaluates a business’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses look at internal factors like skills and resources, while opportunities and threats examine external factors like market conditions and competition. This structured approach helps businesses understand their position and make informed decisions about growth strategies.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the practice of promoting websites through paid ads on search engines. SEM involves bidding on keywords to display ads at the top of search results. Businesses pay to show their website when people search for specific terms, with costs based on how many people click the ad. This method provides immediate visibility for targeted search terms, but can be costly.

Scaled content abuse

Scaled content abuse is a violation under Google’s Spam Policy. It refers to the mass production of low-quality web pages that manipulate search rankings through automated or template-based methods. This includes creating thousands of near-identical pages with only minor variations like location names or product details. For example, generating hundreds of location pages without adding unique, valuable information for each area.

SEO audit

An SEO audit is a detailed analysis of your website to assess how it could perform better on search. Think of it as a health check for your website – it examines everything from how quickly your pages load to whether you’re targeting the right keywords.

A thorough SEO audit looks at three main areas:

• Technical performance, including website speed
• Content quality, including keyword usage and meta descriptions
• Off-site factors, like your backlink profile and social media presence 

Soft 404

A soft 404 occurs when a webpage that doesn’t exist returns a normal webpage instead of a proper 404 error page. This confuses both users and search engines because the server says the page exists when it actually doesn’t. For example, if a missing product page shows ‘Product not found’ but still returns a normal page status, that’s a soft 404. These issues can harm your website’s SEO.

Syntax

Syntax is the set of rules governing how code must be written to work properly, similar to grammar rules in written language. Just as a sentence needs correct word order to make sense, programming languages need correct syntax to function. For example, missing a single bracket or semicolon in code can prevent an entire website feature from working. Proper syntax keeps code error-free and readable.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

SQL is a standardised programming language used to manage and organise data in databases. It lets developers communicate with databases to store, retrieve, and modify information on websites. For example, when you search for a product on an online shop, SQL queries find and display matching items from the database. Think of it as a special language that helps websites quickly find and show the right information when needed.

Static content

Slug

A slug is the part of a URL that identifies a specific page on your website. Using relevant keywords in your slugs helps search engines understand your content and can improve your search rankings. For example, ‘www.example.com/blog/what-is-seo’ is better for SEO than ‘www.example.com/blog/post-123’. Good slugs use simple words separated by hyphens and reflect the main topic of your page.

Semantic SEO

Semantic SEO focuses on understanding the meaning and context behind search queries rather than just matching keywords. It connects related concepts and synonyms to provide more relevant search results. For example, if someone searches for ‘best coffee maker’, semantic SEO understands they might also want information about brewing methods, bean grinders, or specific brands. This approach creates content that answers users’ underlying questions.

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a web-friendly image format that stays sharp at any size, unlike JPEGs or PNGs, which can become pixelated at larger sizes. SVGs use mathematical equations to draw shapes, making them perfect for logos, icons and illustrations that need to look crisp across different screen sizes. An SVG will look equally sharp on both a mobile phone and a large desktop monitor while maintaining fast page speeds.

Sales funnel

A sales funnel represents the journey potential customers take from first discovering your business to making a purchase. The funnel typically has four main stages: awareness (when people learn about your business), interest (when they consider your offerings), decision (when they evaluate their options), and action (when they make a purchase). Understanding your sales funnel helps identify where customers drop off and how to improve conversion rates at each stage.

Scroll depth

Scroll depth is a website engagement metric that shows how far down a page people scroll and whether users are reading the whole page, stopping at a particular point, or just reading the start. Scroll depth can indicate how good a web page is at retaining the attention of visitors and encouraging them to keep scrolling.

It can also be used to shape your content strategy. If you only have valuable information or CTAs at the bottom of the page but your scroll depth is low, you might need to restructure your page to frontload the most important content.

Subdomain

A subdomain is an additional part of a website’s main domain that helps organise content. It appears before the main domain in the URL, like ‘blog.example.com,’ where ‘blog’ is the subdomain. Subdomains are used to separate different sections of a website, like a blog, store, or help centre, while still being part of the main site. They allow businesses to manage content separately but under the same overall brand.

Structured data

Structured data refers to adding specific HTML code, often in formats like schema.org, to a website. This code labels content clearly for search engines, defining things like product names, prices, reviews, or event details. By providing this structured format, search engines can display rich results, such as star ratings or product information, directly in search listings.

Social proof

Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to trust and follow what others are doing. It includes things like customer reviews, testimonials, star ratings, and social media likes or shares. When potential customers see that others have had positive experiences with a product or service, they feel more confident in choosing it. Social proof helps build trust and can encourage more people to make a purchase.

Shopify

Shopify is an all-in-one platform that was founded in Canada in 2006 and has since gained a reputation as one of the best eCommerce website builders around. Shopify was designed to simplify the process of creating and managing an online store by bundling everything you need into one package. This includes web hosting, security, payment processing, and even inventory management. 

Segmentation

Segmentation in marketing is the process of dividing a broad audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, like age, location, or buying habits. This helps businesses create more targeted messages and offers for each group. By understanding these segments, marketers can better meet customer needs, improve engagement, and increase sales by delivering the right content or products to the right people.

Search volume

Search volume is a metric that tells you how many people search for a particular query. You can find the search volume for particular queries by using tools like Spyfu and Google Trends. Optimising your content for queries with a high search volume means significantly more impressions – if you manage to rank in the top results. The catch of optimising for queries with a high search volume is that there’s often a lot more competition, making it harder to rank highly.

Search intent

Search intent is the reason behind a user’s online search, whether they’re looking for information, a product, or to take an action. Understanding search intent can help you create content that matches what the target audience is looking for. By aligning content with search intent, you’re more likely to rank highly on search results and attract the right audience. If you run a business, optimising your content to queries with commercial intent can be more valuable.

Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are the pages displayed by search engines in response to a user’s query. These pages list websites and other content types like images or videos that the search engine deems relevant to the user’s search. SERPs typically include both organic results and paid ads. The layout and content of SERPs vary based on the search term, user location, and search engine algorithms.

Schema Markup

Schema markup is code added to websites to help search engines understand the content better. It provides structured data that lets search engines show more informative results called ‘rich snippets’. You can use schema markup for lots of different content types, like products, events, and reviews. Adding schema markup can improve your site’s visibility in search results and give users more relevant information directly in search listings.

Sales copy

Sales copy is persuasive writing aimed at convincing readers to take a specific action, like making a purchase or signing up for a service. Sales copy focuses on highlighting the benefits of a product or service and creating a sense of urgency. Gpod sales copy understands the target audience’s needs and pain points, using language that resonates with them. It often includes clear calls to action and might use storytelling techniques to engage readers emotionally.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a model where software is licensed on a subscription basis and hosted centrally. Users access it via the internet, typically through a web browser. SaaS eliminates the need for businesses to install and run applications on their own computers or infrastructure. This approach reduces IT costs, provides automatic updates, and allows for easy scalability. Common examples include customer relationship management tools, productivity suites, and project management platforms.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Scalable hosting

Scalable hosting is a web hosting solution that adapts to changing needs and requirements at any given time. In a scalable hosting environment, resources like processing power, memory, and storage can be easily adjusted or expanded to accommodate varying levels of website traffic or increased data needs. 

Scalable hosting is particularly beneficial for websites with fluctuating traffic patterns or those experiencing growth, as it allows them to ensure optimal website performance and resource allocation at all times without breaking the bank.

Shared hosting

Shared hosting is a web hosting service where multiple websites share resources on a single server. Each website has its own allocated portion of server resources, including storage, bandwidth, and processing power. Shared hosting is one of the most popular hosting plans because it’s affordable and easy to use. However, it’s only suited for small to medium-sized websites with moderate traffic.

Server overload

Server overload occurs when a web server is overwhelmed by a higher volume of requests or demands than it can effectively handle. This excessive demand can result from a sudden surge in website traffic, often beyond the server’s capacity, leading to slow response times, unresponsiveness, or even a complete crash. 

Server overload can be caused by viral content sending an unusual amount of traffic to the website, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, or insufficient server resources.

SSL certificate

An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and security levels. It indicates to users that any sensitive information they share with your website, like personal details or payment data, is encrypted and secure from any bad actors.

SSL certificates are vital for safeguarding user privacy and building trust. You can tell if a website has an SSL certificate or not by looking for the small padlock icon in your browser’s address bar. It’s commonplace now for almost every reputable website to have an SSL certificate.

Sidebar

A sidebar is a column of content that appears alongside the main content area of a webpage. It’s typically placed on the left or right side of the page. Sidebars often contain extra information, navigation links, search functions, or calls to action. They help organise secondary content without cluttering the main area of the page. On mobile devices, sidebars are often moved below the main content or hidden in a menu to maintain usability on smaller screens.

Sitemaps

A sitemap is a structured list or visual representation of a website’s structure and page hierarchy. It outlines all pages and their relationships, showing how content is organised and connected.

Sitemaps come in two types: visual sitemaps for planning and XML sitemaps for search engines. Visual sitemaps help designers and clients understand website architecture, while XML sitemaps guide search engines through a site’s content. This helps web crawlers index pages and rank them on search engines.

Typography

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing. It includes selecting fonts, point sizes, line lengths, and spacing between characters and lines. Your typography choices can greatly impact how audiences perceive your brand’s personality. Consistent typography across all materials helps create a cohesive visual identity that’s instantly recognisable to your customers.

Topic clusters

Topic clusters are a content organisation method that groups related content around a central pillar page. The structure includes one comprehensive pillar page that broadly covers a main topic, with multiple linked cluster content pieces that explore specific aspects in detail. This approach helps establish your site’s authority on particular subjects, improves internal linking, and helps search engines understand your content’s relevance and relationships.

Top of the funnel

Top of the funnel refers to the first stage of the customer journey where potential customers are becoming aware of your business and the problems you can solve. At this stage, people are researching and learning rather than ready to buy. This phase focuses on creating educational content and building brand awareness to attract new visitors to your website and capture their interest.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your website login by requiring two different types of verification. After entering your password, you need to provide a second form of proof that you’re the rightful user. For example, you might receive a code via text message or use an authentication app on your phone. This makes it much harder for attackers to gain access to your website, even if they have your password.

Tags

Tags are labels used to organise and categorise content on your website. In WordPress, you can add multiple tags to blog posts to group related content. For example, a post about website design might have tags like ‘UX’, ‘typography’, and ‘layout’. Tags can help visitors find related content and make it easier for search engines to understand what your content is about. Unlike categories, tags are optional and more specific.

Technical copywriting

Technical copywriting refers to the skill of explaining complex topics in clear, accessible language. When writing about technical products or services, it’s important to balance accuracy with readability. Good technical copywriting helps your readers understand difficult concepts without oversimplifying them. It often involves breaking down complicated processes, defining industry terms, and presenting technical information in a way that engages your audience.

Technology stack

Technology stack refers to the combination of programming languages, frameworks, plugins, and tools used to build and run a website. It typically includes components for the frontend, backend, and database. Taking the time to choose the right technology stack and discuss it with all relevant parties is essential for a project’s performance, scalability, and future ease of maintenance. Different stacks suit different project needs and developer expertise.

Technical SEO

Target audience

Target audience refers to the specific group of people a business aims to reach through marketing. This group shares common characteristics such as age, interests, or behaviours. Identifying your target audience helps you create more relevant content, choose appropriate keywords, and tailor your SEO strategy.

Topical relevance

Topical relevance refers to how closely your website’s content aligns with specific subjects or themes. Search engines use this to determine if your content matches user queries. By creating content that thoroughly covers related topics, you can increase your site’s authority and relevance for particular keywords. This helps search engines understand your site’s focus, potentially improving your rankings for relevant searches.

Topical authority

Topical authority refers to how well a website is recognised as an expert on a specific subject. When a site consistently produces high-quality, relevant content about a specific topic, search engines see it as a trusted source and rank it higher in SERPs accordingly. To build topical authority, you need to cover a range of related topics in-depth, answer common questions, and provide valuable information that helps users find what they need.

Thin content

Thin content refers to web pages that provide little useful information or value to users. This can include pages with minimal text, duplicate content, or low-quality articles that don’t provide any answers or insights. Search engines may rank these pages lower because they don’t meet user needs. To improve SEO, it’s important to create high-quality, informative content that engages visitors and keeps them on the page longer.

Title tag

A title tag is an HTML element that defines the title of a web page. It appears at the top of your browser tab and is shown in search engine results as the clickable headline. The title tag tells both search engines and users what the page is about. A clear, relevant title tag is important for SEO because it helps improve your page’s visibility and can encourage more people to click on your link.

Top-Level Domain (TLD)

Top-level domains refer to the most authoritative suffixes of domain names. This includes domain names ending in .com, .org, or .com, as well as location-specific county code domain names like .au or .uk. Other examples of TLDs include .gov for government entities and .edu for educational institutions.

TLDs are always the best option for businesses. They establish trust and credibility, unlike less professional and commonplace domain name endings like .biz.

URL parameters

URL parameters are the parts of a web address that appear after a question mark, containing specific values that customise page content or track user behaviour. They look like ‘website.com/page?parameter=value’ and can filter products, set language preferences, or identify traffic sources. While useful for functionality, too many parameters can create duplicate content issues for search engines, potentially affecting your site’s SEO performance.

Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) explains what makes your business different from competitors and why customers should choose you. It communicates the specific benefits you offer and the problems you solve for your target market. For example, rather than just saying, ‘We build websites,’ a UVP might highlight ‘We create fast-loading, conversion-focused websites that deliver measurable business results within 30 days.’

Urchin Tracking Module (UTM)

UTM parameters are tracking codes added to URLs to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. These tags tell you exactly where your website traffic comes from, whether it’s social media, email newsletters or online ads. For example, adding ‘utm_source=newsletter’ to a link shows you how many visitors came from your email campaign.

URL redirect

A URL redirect automatically sends visitors from one web address to another. When you move or delete pages, redirects guide visitors and search engines to the correct new location, preventing broken links and maintaining user experience. For example, if you change your contact page from ‘/contact’ to ‘/get-in-touch’, a redirect makes sure visitors reach the new page even if they use the old link.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-Generated Content (UGC) is any content created and shared by users or customers rather than the brand itself. This includes social media posts, reviews, comments, photos, and videos about products or services. Businesses often encourage and share UCG as it helps build trust, provides authentic marketing material, and helps engage with customers. It’s a valuable form of social proof that can influence buying decisions.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It’s the web address that identifies a specific page or resource on the internet. A URL typically includes the protocol (like http:// or https://), the domain name, and the path to a specific page or file. URLs help users and web browsers locate and access content on websites. They’re an essential part of how the internet works, allowing people to navigate between different web pages and resources.

Uptime

Website uptime is the total time your website is fully functional and accessible to users over a specific time period. Uptime is typically expressed as a percentage, with 100% representing continuous availability. It’s a measure of how reliable your website is for users. 

User psychology

User psychology in web design is about understanding how people think, feel, and behave when using a website. It applies principles from cognitive and behavioural psychology to improve user experiences. Web designers use this knowledge to create interfaces that are intuitive and satisfying to use. They consider factors like attention spans, memory, decision-making processes, and emotional responses.

Understanding user psychology helps designers create websites that are not only functional but also enjoyable to use. It can lead to higher engagement, better conversion rates, and increased user satisfaction.

User Experience (UX) design

User experience (UX) design focuses on optimising the entire user journey throughout a website. It goes beyond how things look and instead focuses on how they work for end users.

UX designers use methods like user interviews, A/B testing, and analytics to inform decisions. They create detailed user personas, map out complex user flows, and develop information architectures. The goal is to improve the overall experience people have when using a website, from start to finish.

User Interface (UI) design

User interface design is the process of creating the visual and interactive elements of digital products. UI design focuses on the look and feel of interfaces, including buttons, menus, forms, and other elements.

Unlike web designers who work on overall website structure and functionality, UI designers specialise in the specific interactive elements users engage with directly. Web designers and UI designers normally work in collaboration with each other.

User interface

User interface refers to the visual elements and interactive components that users engage with when using a website or application. It includes buttons, menus, forms, icons, and other visual elements that allow users to interact with digital products.

The goal of user interface design is to improve user experience and make websites as easy to use as possible by presenting information and functions in a clear and intuitive way.

Viewport

A viewport is the visible area of a web page on a user’s device. It varies based on screen size, with smaller viewports on mobile phones and larger ones on desktops. When designing websites, we use responsive design to adapt content to different viewports. This ensures your site looks good and functions well on all devices.

Vanity metrics

Vanity metrics are statistics that look impressive but don’t provide meaningful insights into business performance. While numbers like total page views, social media followers, or raw website traffic might seem important, they often mask more valuable data. For example, having 10,000 followers means little if none engage with your content or convert into customers.

Virtual Private Server (VPS)

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a virtualised hosting environment created by partitioning a physical server into multiple isolated virtual servers. Each VPS operates as an independent entity with its own dedicated resources, including CPU, memory, and storage. It bridges the gap between shared hosting and dedicated servers, offering a cost-effective solution for websites that require more resources and flexibility.

VPS hosting is a good option if you have a growing or resource-intensive website that needs scalable and robust hosting without the cost of a dedicated server.

Visual hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is how design elements are arranged to show their importance on a webpage. It guides users’ attention to the most important parts first. Web designers use size, colour, contrast, and placement to create a visual hierarchy. Larger or bolder elements typically appear more important, while smaller or muted elements seem less crucial. Key information, calls to action, and important visuals are placed more prominently to create a clear pathway for users to follow.

Good visual hierarchy makes websites easier to understand and use. It helps users find information quickly and complete tasks more efficiently. This principle is key to creating clear, intuitive web designs.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are internationally recognised standards for making websites accessible to people with disabilities. They provide specific criteria across four principles: websites must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Following these guidelines helps ensure your site works for everyone, including those using screen readers or other assistive technologies. WCAG compliance also helps you avoid legal issues while expanding your potential audience.

Web development

Web development is the process of building and maintaining the technical aspects of websites. Unlike. web design. which focuses solely on visual appearance, web development involves coding, site architecture, database management, and implementing functionality. Developers write the code that makes features work, like contact forms, shopping carts, and user accounts.

WordPress dashboard

The WordPress dashboard is the control centre of your website where you manage all the aspects of your site. This behind-the-scenes area lets you create and edit content, add new pages, manage comments, update plugins, change your site’s appearance, and view analytics. Think of it as your website’s command centre – a single place to control everything without needing to touch any code.

Wordfence

Wordfence is a comprehensive WordPress security plugin. It offers a wide range of features designed to protect your site from threats and a user-friendly interface. The dashboard gives an overview of your site’s security, including notifications of potential security issues and recommended actions, so you can have more peace of mind and control of your website’s security.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a comprehensive eCommerce plugin that transforms WordPress websites so you can create custom storefronts, product pages, and optimised shopping carts. You can also track eCommerce performance metrics directly within the WooCommerce dashboard. One of the best things about WooCommerce is its vast ecosystem of themes and extensions, which allow for extensive customisation of store design and functionality. 

WebP

WebP refers to a modern image format developed by Google that provides both lossy and lossless compression. It creates smaller file sizes compared to JPEG and PNG formats while maintaining similar image quality. While WebP can speed up website load times and save bandwidth, its main drawback is limited support in older browsers. This is why websites often need to provide fallback images in traditional formats.

Webflow

Webflow is a visual web design platform that lets designers build websites without writing code. It combines development flexibility with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. As you design, Webflow converts your visual work into clean HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. Creating your site on Webflow also means you benefit from built-in hosting, content management, and eCommerce tools to manage your complete website.

White hat SEO

White hat SEO strategies follow best practices and lead to sustainable, long-term results. White Hat SEO strategies include adding keyword-rich content to your website that internet users find genuinely useful and informative, and improving the overall user experience of your website. This can be done by improving ease of use and navigation, ensuring you have a low page load time, and that your website has consistently good uptime.

While these strategies require a lot of commitment and take time to show results, they’ll benefit your business much more in the long run than dodgy tactics like keyword stuffing.

WordPress.org

WordPress.org is an open-source content management system that allows users to choose their own hosting provider or host their WordPress site. It’s often referred to as self-hosted WordPress for this reason. While the WordPress software installation is free, you will have to spend money on both hosting and a domain.

Since WordPress.org is open-source, users can use, modify, and distribute it for free. This has created a vibrant community of developers centred around WordPress.org who continuously develop new plugins, themes, and templates. This means that users have endless possibilities for customisation, making WordPress.org a highly versatile platform.

While WordPress.org is free, you will have to spend money on hosting, domain name registration, and some plugins.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a user-friendly website builder that runs on WordPress software, designed to simplify the technical aspects of creating and managing websites, especially for beginners. Through WordPress.com, users can access hosting, domain name registration, security, and backup services all in one place, saving them a lot of time and effort. 

However, WordPress.com has limitations. These include customisation options and control. WordPress.com also has a tiered pricing system, meaning you need to upgrade to more costly plans for added features.

Website maintenance

Website server

A website server is a powerful computer or a network of computers that store and deliver web content to users’ browsers upon request. When a user wants to access a website, their browser sends a request to the server, and the server responds by transmitting the necessary files, which allows the webpage to be displayed.

Servers are often managed by web hosting providers and can vary greatly in capacity and configurations. How efficient and reliable the server that hosts your website is can have a big impact on the speed and performance of your website.

Web hosting

Web hosting is a service that enables your website to be accessible online. When you pay for web hosting, you’re essentially renting space on a physical server that belongs to the web hosting provider. The web host stores all the necessary files and data to make your website functional on your behalf.

Whenever someone tries to access your website, their browser sends a request to your web host’s server, which then retrieves and displays your site on the user’s end. Without web hosting, nobody would be able to access your website.

Whitespace

Whitespace, also known as negative space, refers to intentional blank spaces between elements of a web page. Whitespace allows elements like text, images, and buttons to stand out and breathe, preventing visual clutter that can overwhelm users.

By strategically incorporating whitespace, designers create a more balanced and aesthetically pleasing layout, improving the overall user experience.

Wireframes

A wireframe is a visual blueprint that outlines the basic structure, layout and navigation of a website before the web designer adds any detailed design elements or content. A wireframe also shows the placement of key elements, like content sections and interactive features.

Wireframes play an essential role in collaboration between web designers and their clients, as they help identify any friction points early on in the design process and give the client an extra chance to have a say before any time is spent going in the wrong direction. 

Web design

XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all important pages on your website in a format that search engines can easily read. Think of it as a roadmap that helps search engines find and index your content more effectively. For example, when you add a new blog post, including it in your XML sitemap tells search engines there’s fresh content to crawl. This helps your pages appear in search results faster.

YMYL

YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life. It refers to web pages or content that could significantly impact a person’s health, happiness, safety, or financial stability. Google holds these pages to higher quality standards because incorrect information could harm users. This includes medical advice, financial information, legal guidance, and news.

Zero-click search

A zero-click search happens when Google answers a user’s query directly in the search results, removing the need to click through to any website. For example, if someone searches ‘weather in Canberra’, Google shows the forecast right at the top of the results. While these searches can reduce website traffic, appearing in these featured spots can boost brand visibility and authority.

As of March 2025, almost 60% of searches are zero-click.