SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of improving your website so that search engines can find and recommend it more easily. A good way to think of SEO is like building a clear map. If search engines can follow your content and understand its purpose, they are more likely to guide others to it.

These are unpaid listings that show up in search engines based on content relevance. They are earned, not bought — and the foundation of SEO.

PPC refers to paid ads in search engines. Though not part of SEO, it's useful to know since paid and organic results appear side by side.

The SERP is the page that shows search results after someone types in a query. It includes both paid ads and organic listings. The closer your page is to the top, the more likely people are to visit it.

Keywords are the words or phrases people type into search engines. They connect what someone is searching for with the content on your site. If a user searches for "best study habits," and your page includes that phrase in a helpful way, your chances of showing up improve. Choosing the right keywords is about understanding your audience and speaking their language.

A title tag is the page title that appears in search results and in your browser tab. It should be short, direct, and aligned with what your page offers. A good title tag helps your content stand out and tells users exactly what to expect.

A meta description is the short paragraph that appears below a page title in search results. It does not directly affect ranking, but it can influence whether someone clicks on your link. A clear, relevant description can improve your chances of gaining traffic and helps users know what to expect from your page.

Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) organize your content into sections and make it easier for both users and search engines to understand your page structure.

Anchor text is the clickable text in a link. It tells readers and search engines what the linked page is about. Using descriptive, relevant anchor text improves navigation and can boost your page's visibility.

Alt text is a written description added to images. It helps people using screen readers and allows search engines to understand visual content. Alt text supports accessibility and can contribute to your site's overall SEO when used properly.

Links between pages on your own website. These help users navigate your site and help search engines understand your site's structure.

On-page SEO includes everything you control on your site. This means your content, layout, structure, and keyword use. It helps search engines understand what your page is about and how relevant it is to users.

Readability means how easy your content is to read and understand. Clear, simple writing helps users and can improve your SEO.

Search engines use bots called crawlers to scan websites. When a crawler visits a page, it decides whether to add that page to the index. The index is like a digital library where search engines store useful content. If your page is not indexed, it will not appear in search results. Making your site easy to crawl and providing valuable content increases your chances of being included.

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages on your website. It helps search engines find and index your content more efficiently.

The robots.txt file tells search engines which pages or sections of your site they are allowed to crawl and index.

Site speed is how quickly your web pages load. Faster sites provide a better user experience and can rank higher in search results.

Mobile responsiveness means your site looks and works well on smartphones and tablets. Google favors mobile-friendly sites in its rankings.

Bounce rate shows how many visitors leave after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate can mean people didn’t find what they expected or were not interested in what they saw. Improving bounce rate often means making your page more helpful, faster, and easier to navigate.

Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure user experience, including loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability of your site.

Schema markup is code you add to your site to help search engines understand your content and display rich results (like stars, images, or FAQs) in search.

Off-page SEO focuses on what others say about your site. It includes backlinks and other signals of trust. While on-page SEO helps search engines understand your content, off-page SEO helps prove your site is worth trusting.

A backlink is a link from another website to your own. These links act like a recommendation, signaling that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Search engines view backlinks as a vote of confidence.

Link building is the process of getting more backlinks from other websites. Quality links from trusted sites are best for SEO.

Domain Authority is a score that predicts how well your website will rank on search engines. Higher authority usually means better rankings.

Page Authority is a score that predicts how well a specific page will rank in search results. It’s similar to Domain Authority but for individual pages.

Trust signals are features that show your site is reliable, like HTTPS, privacy policies, and positive reviews. They help build credibility with users and search engines.

Brand mentions are when other sites talk about your brand, even if they don’t link to you. Search engines use these as a sign of your site’s reputation and authority.