Online Dictionary

Crawling: A term for a search engine that is actively searching the Web for more content.

Search engine: A program that indexes the content of Web sites on the World Wide Web. Search engines are also known as spiders, crawlers, or bots.

Directory: A categorical listing of sites available on the World Wide Web. Directories are compiled by humans, not by search engines.

Internet: A worldwide network of computer networks, sometimes referred to as “the Net.”

www (World Wide Web): All users and systems on the Internet that use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http). The World Wide Web is the most commonly used application of the Internet.

Primary Search Results: Results that are initially displayed after a search has been performed at a search engine or a directory

Paid search results: Search results that are paid for by an advertiser. Paid search results are usually displayed initially along with the primary search results.

Audience Reach Percentage (ARP): The percentage of the entire Internet audience reached by a particular search engine or directory over a 30-day period. An ARP of 1 percent would indicate that 1 percent of the total Internet audience utilized the search site at least once within the last 30 days.

Algorithm: A series of actions that are performed in order to complete a specific task. When dealing with search engines, an algorithm is a series of actions that are performed in order to complete a search.

Content: The main topic of your Web site.

Keyphrase: A phrase that helps a search engine to determine the general content of a Web site.

Keyword: A word that helps a search engine to determine the general content of a Web site.

Meta-search engine: A search engine that displays results from multiple search engines and/or directories.

Paid-inclusion: A specific type of search engine or directory that charges for its listings.

Primary keyphrase: The most important phrase within your keyword list.

Primary keyword: The most important keyword within your keyword list.

Spamdexing: The process of including information or false information within a Web site that creates a satisfying result for the spamdexer, but not for the users of the search engine.

URL: Uniform Resource Locator: a Web address.

Keyword list: A list of keywords that are used to describe a Web page.

Brainstorming: A method of thought meant to create and inspire ideas. In brainstorming, no idea is a bad idea, and every idea is noted.

Synonym: A word having exactly or nearly the same meaning as another word.

Online Keyword Research: A method of researching for keywords online through search engines and directories.

Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI): A numerical value that’s given to a keyword or a keyphrase.

Site or Page Analyzer: A program that analyzes your Web site or Web page. The analyzers we’ll be working with determine the effectiveness of the placement of your keywords within your HTML documents.

Presubmission Analysis: The necessary process of analyzing your Web site prior to submitting it to search engines.

HTML tag: A tag used within an HTML document that controls a certain element of a Web page. HTML tags begin with open angle brackets (<) and end with closing angle brackets (>). An example of an HTML tag is: <IMG>

Parameter: A parameter is an attribute that can be set within an HTML tag. Here’s an example of the HEIGHT and WIDTH parameters being used within an <IMG> tag:
<IMG HEIGHT=”200” WIDTH=”300”>

Closing Tag: An HTML tag that’s used to close a previously executed tag. Closing tags begin with an open angle bracket, followed by a forward slash. For example, the <TITLE> is paired up with it’s closing tag, </TITLE>.

<TITLE> tag: The <TITLE> tag controls the text seen in the blue title bar at the top of your Web browser. The tag is used with a closing tag.

<META> tag: A tag used to convey information about the content of a Web site to a third party, such as a search engine. META tags commonly specify a Web page’s description, and keywords associated with a Web site’s main topic.

<H> (heading) tag: A tag used to display larger-sized text on a Web page. Such text is often used by search engines to determine the actual content of the Web page.

ALT parameter: Used within the <IMG> tag. This parameter is primarily used to display alternate text that’s displayed when a Web surfer’s browser is unable to display an image. ALT text is often analyzed by search engines to determine the content of a Web site.

<IMG> tag: The <IMG> tag is used to display an image within a Web page.

Source Code: The HTML code that literally makes up a Web page.

Text Editor: A program that allows users to create and modify a variety of text documents, including HTML documents.

HTML document: A document created within a text editor or an authoring system that, when viewed in a Web browser, displays a Web page.

Stickiness: A term used to describe the length of time in which visitors remain at a Web site. A Web site that retains visitors for an extended period of time can be called a “sticky” site.

Content sharing: The process of sharing content with other Web sites in a cooperative effort.

Reprintable content: Content that can be freely reprinted and redistributed to others.

Dead link: A link that leads to a missing or broken page.

Keyword Density: A percentage derived from dividing the number of times your keyword appears in your Web page text by the total number of words in your Web page text.

Base URL: A Web address that does not include a filename at the end of the Web address.

Gateway page: A page that’s optimized specifically for one search engine. The page acts as an index page that leads to the rest of your Web site.

Domain name: The portion of a Web address that usually follows the www. and ends with a two- or three-letter extension, such as .com, .net, or .gov.

Filename: The portion of a Web address that ends with .htm or .html. The filename may not always be present in a Web address.

Whois database: The only authorized database of domain names and domain name registration information.

Take a look at our online dictionary for Search Engine Optimization terms.

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