Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a vital element of any digital marketing strategy in 2025, with many companies spending thousands monthly to support rankings within search engines. However, as is the case with any methodology brought into an existing business, mastering this approach requires an understanding of SEO terminology. Many common SEO terms might feel totally foreign to you if you’re just getting to grips with the concept, while there are also plenty of SEO slang terms that only experts would likely be privy to.
This article will explore a range of basic and niche SEO definitions so you can feel more confident about entering meetings with your team or doing a little research yourself.
Basic SEO terms
To start, it’s important to get your head around the most basic SEO terminology – these words and phrases will come up later as you explore the most specific slang.
- SERP. This is the search engine results page, meaning the list of results you see when you look something up on Google, Bing or your engine of choice.
- Keywords. Keyword research is the act of using SEO tools to determine which terms people are searching for in your field – keywords are your guide in SEO content.
- Ranking. A website’s keyword ranking refers to how well it performs for a certain keyword compared to competitors.
- Link-building (inbound links). This strategy is to get links to your website posted on other reputable pages, directing visitors to your content.
- Outbound linking. The opposite of link-building – linking to other websites in your content to support points, increase authority and generally benefit SEO.
- Internal links. These are links within your website leading to other areas of your website, helping to increase rank and build coherent website structure.
- SEO audit. When you start the process you’ll need an SEO audit meaning a dive into your existing SEO, from a technical and content perspective.
- Anchor text. The text or phrase in the content that links to the next page (look for them in this article).
These basic SEO terminologies should give you a pretty good idea of where to start, ensuring you can talk with an SEO team without feeling completely in the dark.
Additional SEO terminology
Beyond the essentials, there are also more specific SEO terms that are used regularly by teams in the know, some with more colourful and informal language than others.
Keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing is a black hat (unethical, penalisable) SEO strategy that’s focused on filling content with as many keywords as possible without proper regard for readability or quality. It can lead to SEO suffering rather than the intended effect of driving it.
Local SEO
This is the process of doing SEO research and applications specifically focused on keywords relating to areas of operation. Local SEO is often disregarded but it can do wonders for performance, especially in smaller, brick-and-mortar businesses.
Keyword cannibalisation
Sometimes a business can attempt to rank for the same keywords across multiple pages on its website – this is known as keyword cannibalisation. This can confuse users and search engines, resulting in lesser results.
Broken link
If someone brings up a broken link they’re referring to an internal, inbound or outbound link that leads to a malfunctioning or downed page. If you click on anchor text and it leads you to an error message, that’s a broken link.
Metadata
Metadata refers to backend elements that support SEO and organise your content. This includes elements like:
- Title tags that appear on search engines
- Meta descriptions that appear below title tags
- Keywords and tags to organise data without being used in the content
All these elements build to create a metadata profile.
With this guide, you should feel more confident in SEO-focused conversations. However, simply understanding SEO terminology doesn’t make you an expert. If you’re looking to level up on search engines, the best move is to work with or at least consult a team with experience.
