Search terms explained in plain English
SEO comes with a lot of jargon. This SEO glossary explains the words you will see in reports, quotes and Google tools, using everyday language and a few Victor Harbor examples.
So reports and quotes make sense
When I send an SEO report or a quote, I try to keep the language simple. Some terms are hard to avoid though. Google’s own tools are full of them. This page is the place to look one up.
The terms are in a rough order, starting with local search and moving through content, technical setup, reporting and ads. If a word you have seen is missing, send me an email and I will add it. You will find more on how these fit together on the SEO and local SEO pages.
Around 40 common terms explained
Each definition is kept short. Where it helps, I have used a Victor Harbor example.
Your free business listing on Google Maps and in search. It shows your hours, phone number, reviews and photos. It was once called Google My Business.
The box of three businesses with a map that appears for searches like “plumber Victor Harbor”. Getting into it is a big goal of local SEO.
A business that goes to its customers, like a tradie or mobile groomer. It can hide its street address on Google and list the towns it covers instead.
Any mention of your business name, address and phone number on another website, such as a directory listing. Consistent citations help Google trust your details.
Short for name, address and phone. These details should match exactly everywhere your business appears online.
A link from another website to yours. A link from a Fleurieu tourism listing or chamber page counts as a backlink.
The clickable words in a link. “Electrician in Goolwa” tells Google more about the page than “click here” does.
A score made up by SEO tool companies to estimate how strong a website’s links are. Google does not use it, but it is a handy rough guide.
Results you do not pay for. Organic traffic is people who found you through normal search rather than an ad.
The search engine results page, meaning everything Google shows after someone searches, including ads, maps and normal results.
Short AI written answers Google shows at the top of some searches. They pull from websites that answer questions clearly, so well written pages can be quoted there.
The words you want a page to rank for, such as “cafe Port Elliot”. Each page should focus on one main keyphrase.
The page title shown as the blue headline in search results and on the browser tab. It is one of the strongest on page signals.
The short summary under the title in search results. It does not change rankings directly but a good one gets more clicks.
A short description of an image for people using screen readers. It also helps Google understand what a photo of Granite Island or your work shows.
The page someone arrives on from a search or an ad. A good landing page matches exactly what they searched for.
Code added to a page that labels details like your opening hours, prices or reviews so search engines read them correctly.
The general name for schema and similar labelling. It can help your listing show extras like star ratings or FAQs.
Short for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust. Google looks for these signs that real, knowledgeable people stand behind a website.
When Google’s robot visits your pages to read them. If a page cannot be crawled, it cannot rank.
Google’s huge library of pages. Once a page is crawled and accepted it is indexed and can show up in results.
A file that lists the pages on your website so search engines can find them all. WordPress SEO plugins create one for you.
A small file that tells search engine robots which parts of a site they may or may not visit.
A setting that asks Google to keep a page out of search results, used for pages like thank you pages or private areas.
A tag that tells Google which version of a page is the main one when similar copies exist, so ranking strength is not split.
A permanent forward from an old web address to a new one. It keeps visitors and rankings when pages move during a redesign.
The error shown when a page cannot be found. A few are normal, but broken links to important pages should be fixed or redirected.
The secure version of a web address, shown with a padlock in the browser. Google expects every site to use it.
How quickly your pages load. Slow pages lose visitors, especially on patchy mobile coverage down the coast.
Google’s set of measures for loading speed, responsiveness and how stable a page looks while it loads.
Google ranks your site based on how it looks and works on a phone, not a desktop computer.
The number of times your website appeared in search results, even if nobody clicked.
Click through rate. The share of people who clicked your result after seeing it. Better titles usually lift it.
A free Google tool that shows which searches your site appears for, how often it is clicked and any problems Google finds.
Google Analytics 4, the free tool that shows how many people visit your site, where they come from and what they do.
Any action you want a visitor to take, such as calling, sending an enquiry or making a booking.
When someone lands on a page and leaves without doing anything else. A high bounce rate can mean the page did not match what they wanted.
Pay per click advertising, where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Google Ads is the most common example.
Google’s rating of how relevant your ads, keywords and landing pages are. A higher score can lower what you pay per click.
A word that stops your ad showing for unwanted searches. A Victor Harbor plumber might add “jobs” so job seekers do not trigger the ad.
Start with these four
If you only learn four of these, make it these. They have the biggest effect on how easily locals find you.
Quick answers about the jargon
Got a question that isn’t listed? Ring or message me and you’ll hear back from me, not a call centre, within one working day.
SEO for a small business in Victor Harbor means making your website and Google listing easy to find when locals and visitors search. It covers your pages, your Google Business Profile, citations and links. The goal is more calls and enquiries without paying for every click.
SEO on the Fleurieu earns free organic rankings over time, while Google Ads pays for each click and shows results straight away. SEO builds lasting value and ads give quick visibility. Many local businesses use Google Ads while their SEO grows.
A citation in local SEO is any listing that shows a Victor Harbor business’s name, address and phone number on another website. Directories like Yellow Pages and True Local are common examples. Matching citations help Google trust your details and can lift you in the map results.
AI Overviews are short AI written answers Google shows above normal results. They matter for south coast businesses because they can quote your website. Clear pages that answer common questions plainly are more likely to be used. Good FAQs and well structured content help.
Nick at Website Design Victor Harbor explains SEO reports in plain English for businesses in Victor Harbor and across the Fleurieu. Every monthly report comes with a short summary of what changed and why. He also offers one off advice sessions for owners who want to understand their own data.
Most business owners do not need to learn every SEO term to run their business well. Knowing a handful such as Google Business Profile, citation, backlink and conversion is enough to follow a report and ask good questions. The rest can be looked up here when needed.
I can look after your SEO and send you a short plain English report each month. Plans start at $279 a month with no lock in.
