Search Engine Optimisation: Learning The Lingo

Posted June 16th, 2009 by admin

Search Engine Optimisation: Learning The Lingo

Search Engine Optimisation is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website from search engines via ‘natural’ search results.  For example the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.  SEO can target a variation of searches such as image search, local search and industry specific vertical search engines. This is what gives a website web presence.

How does it tie in with search engines?

SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for.  Optimising a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.  Search engines love websites that are “search engine friendly” meaning the website design is clear, there a wide range of menus, content management systems and shopping carts, as well as links through keywords, pictures, etc to increase movement in, out and around the site.

What did you say?

If SEO has only just entered your vocabulary and the terms and phrases linked to it are a little cloudy in your head, then worry no more as we at Custard Media have compiled a list of SEO lingo for you to learn.That way you can navigate the SEO minefield successfully, know exactly what you are talking about and know how your business is growing closer to that Google No.1 spot.

Benefit Statement

Benefit statements express how your company’s product or service solves an immediate need and clarifies a specific sales proposition.  These statements are generally written in a “What is in it for me?” fashion where company features are immediately linked to client benefits.  Usually, benefit statements are different for different target groups, depending upon their motivations.  Typical benefit statements generally centre on motivators, something which will give your clients the urge to do something about it.  Word or phrases like; saving time, saving or making more money, helping someone to be more attractive to the opposite sex, gaining new clients Etc.

Brochureware

Brochureware is a negative term that denotes a print brochure being uploaded without revision, as Webpage text.  It is always counterproductive so you should really try and avoid this method.  It does not take into account the interactivity of Web copy, nor is it typically written in a user-centric manner.  In fact, Brochureware sites tend to see poor search engine positioning until the pages are rewritten for Web conversions.

Directory

Directories are compiled lists of sites, categorised and organised by topic. Each of the directory listing contains short, descriptive information about the site and what visitors can find.  Directories are compiled by human editors as opposed to spidering search engines (like Google) and are an excellent way for your company to increase in popularity and its Google page rank.  On the other hand, a poorly written listing that is submitted to Yahoo! and run alongside ineffective writing or keyword research can negatively influence a search marketing campaign.

Call-to-action link

Also known as a hyperlink.  These call-to-action links in Internet marketing campaign guide the reader to a new action step.  You can use them to direct visitors to a new Web page, an email form, a text section within a page or a shopping cart.  When written correctly, call-to-action-links can increase micro-conversion rates and can affect keyphrase relevancy.

Conversion Rates

Conversion rates distinctly measure and determine how many of your prospects have taken your preferred action step.  For example if visitors to your site are reading through different pages on your site or sign up for a newsletter, (also known as micro-conversions) this can lead to your main conversion step such as making a purchase or contacting you for more information.

Description Tag

The description tag is Meta data that appears if you right click your mouse and click ‘View Source’ on any Web page.  The data is generally written like a marketing statement and should clearly communicate the purpose of the page.  Description tags are usually around 170 characters (with spaces).  The description is visible on the SERP with engines that support this tag and generally some search engines such as Google use a copy snippet for the description of the Web page.

Headline
A headline is the fastest and most effective way for customers to learn your company’s main benefits.  Headlines are typically in bolded text and appear at the top of the Web page.  Headlines and sub headlines (see below) are very important to your homepage as online readers do not read, they scan and headlines that are clear and informative make the process easier.

Indexability

Sometimes known as spiderability.

Indexability refers to how easily the content of a site may be retrieved and used in search engine results.

If a site is not indexable, or if a site has reduced indexability, positioning on search engines will suffer.

Hyperlink
Generally a hyperlink is a blue, underlined word or phrase, when clicked upon, takes users to another Web page, or section within the Web page.
Hyperlinks are also known as call-to-action links.

Keyword (or keyword)

A single word (Tyres) that an Internet user would type into a search query box to find products and services, which your company can offer.

Although keyphrases contain individual keywords, optimising for keywords is not recommended.

Keywords tag
The keywords tag is Meta data that appears if you right click your mouse and click ‘View Source’ on any Web page.

This tag is generally not supported in many engines, however the keywords tag is a place to highlight your keyphrases and include misspellings.

This data is written like a marketing statement and should clearly communicate the purpose of the page.

Should be no more than 170 characters with spaces.

Keyphrase (or key phrase; also known as keyword phrase)

A two-or-more-word phrase (like Car Tyres) Internet users would type into a search query box to find products and services which your company has to offer.

Landing Page
Landing pages are pages that users would click through to from a PPC campaign or XML feed (people land on a page as a result of search marketing efforts).

For best results, these landing pages are highly targeted for the reader and specific to the PPC ad or feed description.

For example if you are advertising a big sale of all your products through a PPC ad or feed description and the link directs people to the company home page as opposed to

the sale page, customers would be left feeling frustrated and decrease conversions on the site.

An easy and efficient way for a company to increase their conversion rates is to rewrite their landing pages.

Link Exchange
A link exchange Internet marketing campaign is the process of exchanging hyperlinks with a quality site that is somehow related to a company’s product or service.

For example, a public relations agency may link to a search engine positioning firm’s article on ‘PR and SEO marketing.’

The SEO may then include a link on their site listing the public relations company.

Good link exchange vendors can increase a company’s page rank and increase the number of targeted visitors.

SERP
Search Engines Results Page.

This is the page that users see after typing their search query into an engine.

With conversions starting at the SERP, it is an important job of the search marketer to obtain strong call-to-action listings that entice the click.

Sub headline
Similar to headlines, sub headlines provide quick-scan benefits and instant information to visitors to your Web page.

Typically beginning with inner paragraphs, sub headlines highlight the following paragraphs main points and benefits.

They can also be inscribed using HTML Heading tags. Positioning for those keyphrases may be improved in the keyphrases appears in the sub headline.

Title
The Title is Meta data that appears if you right click your mouse and click ‘View Source’ on any Web page.

It is so important that every Title tag contains well-researched keyphrases and is written to entice the user to click through from the SERP.

Ideally it should be 50 characters with spaces.

More characters are acceptable but it is a crucial part of your search marketing campaign so it is important to keep it precise and relevant with no waffle.

Every page should have its own Title tag.

Trusted Feed or XML feed
Trusted feed works by allowing a ‘trusted’ third party, usually a search engine marketing company, to ‘feed’ a websites entire online inventory, in database form, directly into the search engines own database or index, bypassing the usual submission process.

Trusted feed is good for site owners because traditionally, database-driven sites such as travel, shopping, auctions and share trading are very difficult to optimise for search engines and consequently haven’t enjoyed much visibility in free listings.

With Trusted Feed, data can be resent every 24 hours to keep pace with changing inventory and the cost is not only fixed, but like all forms of paid-for-search engine marketing, based on results.

Trusted feed does not require any site changes such as rewriting the text or tweaking the code to make it more search engine friendly.

Search Engine Optimisation Writing
SEO writing is specialised copywriting that entails weaving keywords and keyphrases into marketing or informational copy.
The purpose of SEO copywriting is to gain prime positioning for the desired keyphrases, as well as increase page conversion rates.

SPAM
Spam is an Internet term for unsolicited commercial mail.

Search engines are continuously putting up their guard against overzealous search marketers who bombarded them with massive daily submissions and load their pages with keyword junk.

Known as pollution on a company’s website, search engine marketers remove and blacklist all the spam they find from their indexes.

Spidering Search Engines
Google is a prime example of a spidering search engine and is one that uses machines to fetch Websites and record its pages.

The database of over 2 billion Web pages in Google’s search index was gathered together using Google machines and GoogleBot (Google’s ‘spider’ or Web crawling technology.)

Pay for inclusion (PFI)
Designed for Webmasters that are having trouble getting pages listed in spider-based search engines.

A big advantage to PFI is its fast respidering (every 48 hours) giving site owners and Webmasters instant positioning feedback and the ability to change content frequently.

Site owners can submit deep-lined pages and be guaranteed that the URL will be included.

PFI programmes can be highly effective and potent when used in conjunction with seasonal campaign changes through the use of regular refresh cycles and click-based reporting.

Pay per Click (PPC)
Type of search marketing where advertisers pay a set amount every time their ad is clicked by a prospect (otherwise known as a click thru).

Usability
Making your site easy for your customers to find the exact information they need.

Anything that makes the process slower inhibits usability.

Intuitive navigation and strong informative text can enhance usability throughout your website.

If you need any more help and advice on SEO and how it can benefit you, visit Custard Media today.