60 SEO Terms Every Business Owner Should Know

Google Business Profile & Local SEO

Google Business Profile (GBP)

Google's free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. Formerly known as Google My Business (GMB). It's the primary platform for local business visibility and includes your business name, address, phone number, hours, photos, reviews, and services.

Related: NAP, Local Pack, Google Maps

NAP (Name, Address, Phone)

The three core pieces of business information that must remain consistent across all online listings and directories. Inconsistent NAP data confuses search engines and can hurt local rankings. Even small variations like 'Street' vs 'St.' can impact visibility.

Related: Citations, Local SEO, Google Business Profile

Local Pack (Map Pack)

The box of three local business listings that appears at the top of Google search results for local queries, accompanied by a map. Also called the '3-Pack' or 'Snack Pack.' Appearing in the Local Pack significantly increases visibility and click-through rates.

Related: Local SEO, Google Business Profile, Local Finder

Local Finder

The expanded list of local businesses that appears when you click 'More places' or 'View all' in the Local Pack. It shows more than three results and provides additional filtering options.

Related: Local Pack, Google Maps

Citations

Online mentions of your business's NAP information on directories, websites, apps, and social platforms. Citations can be structured (in business directories like Yelp) or unstructured (mentions in blog posts or news articles). Quality citations from authoritative sources improve local rankings.

Related: NAP, Directory Listings, Local SEO

Primary Category

The main business category you select in your Google Business Profile that tells Google what type of business you are. This is the single most important ranking factor for local search. Choose the category that most accurately describes your core service.

Related: Secondary Categories, Google Business Profile

Secondary Categories

Additional business categories you can add to your GBP beyond your primary category. These help you appear in searches for related services. Google allows multiple secondary categories to capture different aspects of your business.

Related: Primary Category, Google Business Profile

Service Area Business (SAB)

A business type in GBP for companies that travel to customers rather than having customers visit a physical location (e.g., plumbers, mobile mechanics, house cleaners). SABs can hide their address while showing their service areas.

Related: Google Business Profile, Service Areas

Google Posts

Short updates, offers, events, or announcements you can publish directly to your Google Business Profile. Posts appear in your GBP listing and can include images, text, and call-to-action buttons. Regular posting signals activity to Google.

Related: Google Business Profile, Content Marketing

Local SEO

Search engine optimization strategies focused on improving visibility in local search results. This includes optimizing Google Business Profile, building local citations, earning reviews, creating location-specific content, and building local backlinks.

Related: SEO, Google Business Profile, Local Pack

Proximity

One of the three main local ranking factors (along with relevance and prominence). Proximity refers to how close a business is to the searcher's location or the location specified in the search query. Closer businesses often rank higher for 'near me' searches.

Related: Local Pack, Local SEO, Ranking Factors

Relevance

How well a business listing matches what someone is searching for. Google determines relevance based on category selection, business description, services listed, and website content. Complete, detailed profiles rank better.

Related: Proximity, Prominence, Local SEO

Prominence

How well-known and trusted a business is, measured through factors like review count, review score, citations, backlinks, and overall web presence. Businesses with strong prominence signals rank higher in local results.

Related: Relevance, Proximity, Local SEO

Geo-Tagging

Adding geographic metadata (latitude and longitude coordinates) to photos before uploading them to your GBP. This helps reinforce your business location to Google and can improve local relevance.

Related: Google Business Profile, Photos, Local SEO

Review Velocity

The rate at which a business receives new reviews over time. Consistent, ongoing reviews signal to Google that a business is active and trustworthy. Sudden spikes in reviews can appear suspicious.

Related: Reviews, Google Business Profile, Prominence

Technical SEO

Schema Markup (Structured Data)

Code added to your website that helps search engines understand your content better. For local businesses, LocalBusiness schema provides structured information about your NAP, hours, services, and reviews. Schema can enable rich results in search.

Related: JSON-LD, Rich Results, Technical SEO

JSON-LD

JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data—the recommended format for implementing schema markup. JSON-LD is placed in the <head> or <body> of your HTML and is easier to implement and maintain than other schema formats.

Related: Schema Markup, Structured Data

Canonical URL

An HTML element that tells search engines which version of a page is the 'master' copy when duplicate or similar content exists. This prevents duplicate content issues and consolidates ranking signals.

Related: Technical SEO, Duplicate Content

robots.txt

A text file that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of your website they can or cannot access. Blocking AI crawlers like GPTBot in robots.txt will prevent your content from appearing in AI search results.

Related: Crawling, Indexing, AI Search

Core Web Vitals

Google's metrics for measuring user experience: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) for loading performance, First Input Delay (FID) for interactivity, and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) for visual stability. These are ranking factors.

Related: Page Speed, User Experience, Technical SEO

Mobile-First Indexing

Google's practice of primarily using the mobile version of a website's content for indexing and ranking. Your mobile site experience is now more important than desktop for SEO.

Related: Technical SEO, Responsive Design

SSL Certificate (HTTPS)

Security technology that encrypts data between a website and its visitors. Google considers HTTPS a ranking factor. Sites without SSL show 'Not Secure' warnings, which can hurt trust and conversions.

Related: Technical SEO, Security

Sitemap

An XML file that lists all important pages on your website, helping search engines discover and crawl your content. Sitemaps are especially important for large sites or sites with pages that aren't well-linked internally.

Related: Crawling, Indexing, Technical SEO

AI Search & Optimization

AI Search

Search experiences powered by artificial intelligence, including ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot. AI search provides conversational answers and recommendations rather than traditional link-based results.

Related: ChatGPT, Generative AI, LLM

LLM (Large Language Model)

AI systems trained on massive text datasets to understand and generate human-like text. Examples include GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and Llama. LLMs power AI search tools and chatbots.

Related: AI Search, ChatGPT, Generative AI

AI Overviews (SGE)

Google's AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results for certain queries. Formerly called Search Generative Experience (SGE). These summaries synthesize information from multiple sources.

Related: AI Search, Google, SERP Features

GPTBot

OpenAI's web crawler that collects data to train and improve AI models like ChatGPT. Allowing GPTBot to crawl your site in robots.txt is necessary for your content to potentially appear in ChatGPT responses.

Related: robots.txt, ChatGPT, AI Search

Entity

A distinct, well-defined concept that search engines and AI can identify and understand—such as a person, place, business, or thing. Building your business as a recognized entity helps both traditional and AI search.

Related: Entity SEO, Knowledge Graph, AI Search

Entity SEO

Optimizing your online presence to help search engines and AI understand your business as a distinct entity. This includes consistent NAP, schema markup, Wikipedia/Wikidata presence, and mentions on authoritative sites.

Related: Entity, Knowledge Graph, AI Search

Knowledge Graph

Google's database of entities and their relationships. When Google recognizes your business as an entity in the Knowledge Graph, you may get a Knowledge Panel in search results and better AI visibility.

Related: Entity, Knowledge Panel, AI Search

Knowledge Panel

The information box that appears on the right side of Google search results for recognized entities. It displays key facts about businesses, people, places, and things pulled from the Knowledge Graph.

Related: Knowledge Graph, Entity, SERP Features

AI Citation

When an AI system like ChatGPT or Perplexity mentions or recommends your business in its response. AI citations are becoming increasingly important as more users turn to AI for recommendations.

Related: AI Search, ChatGPT, Visibility

Prompt Engineering

The practice of crafting inputs (prompts) to get optimal outputs from AI systems. For businesses, understanding how customers phrase questions to AI helps optimize content for AI search visibility.

Related: AI Search, Content Optimization

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google's framework for evaluating content quality. Experience was added in 2022. Content demonstrating real-world experience, subject expertise, authoritative sources, and trustworthy information ranks better in both traditional and AI search.

Related: Content Quality, Google, AI Search

Bing Index

Microsoft Bing's database of web pages. ChatGPT primarily uses Bing's index for web searches, making Bing optimization important for AI visibility. If you're not indexed on Bing, ChatGPT may not know you exist.

Related: AI Search, ChatGPT, Indexing

Reviews & Reputation

Review Signal

The collective influence of your reviews on search rankings. This includes review quantity, quality (star rating), velocity (frequency), diversity (across platforms), and keywords mentioned in review text.

Related: Reviews, Local SEO, Ranking Factors

Review Response

Replying to customer reviews on Google and other platforms. Responding to all reviews (positive and negative) signals engagement to Google and AI, and provides additional keyword-rich content about your services.

Related: Reviews, Google Business Profile, Reputation Management

Reputation Management

The practice of monitoring, influencing, and improving how your business is perceived online. This includes managing reviews, addressing negative feedback, building positive mentions, and maintaining consistent brand messaging.

Related: Reviews, Online Presence, Brand

First-Party Reviews

Reviews collected directly on your own website rather than third-party platforms. These can be marked up with Review schema to potentially appear in search results.

Related: Reviews, Schema Markup

Third-Party Reviews

Reviews on platforms you don't own, such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, and industry-specific sites. These carry significant weight for local SEO and AI recommendations.

Related: Reviews, Citations, Local SEO

Content & On-Page SEO

Local Landing Page

A webpage optimized for a specific location or service area. For multi-location businesses or service area businesses, creating unique, valuable landing pages for each location helps rank in multiple areas.

Related: Local SEO, Content, Service Areas

Title Tag

The HTML element that specifies the title of a webpage. It appears in search results as the clickable headline and in browser tabs. Optimal length is 50-60 characters including location and primary keyword.

Related: Meta Description, On-Page SEO

Meta Description

An HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a webpage's content. While not a direct ranking factor, compelling meta descriptions improve click-through rates from search results. Optimal length is 150-160 characters.

Related: Title Tag, On-Page SEO, CTR

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)

HTML elements that define headings and subheadings on a page. H1 is the main heading (use once per page), H2 for major sections, H3 for subsections. Proper heading structure helps both users and search engines understand content.

Related: On-Page SEO, Content Structure

Internal Linking

Links from one page on your website to another page on the same website. Strategic internal linking distributes page authority, helps search engines discover content, and improves user navigation.

Related: Link Building, Site Architecture, SEO

Anchor Text

The clickable text in a hyperlink. Descriptive anchor text helps search engines understand what the linked page is about. For internal links, use relevant keywords rather than generic text like 'click here.'

Related: Internal Linking, Link Building

Alt Text (Alternative Text)

A description added to images that helps search engines understand image content and assists visually impaired users. Include relevant keywords naturally, and describe what the image shows.

Related: Images, Accessibility, On-Page SEO

Long-Tail Keywords

Longer, more specific search phrases (usually 3+ words) with lower search volume but higher intent and less competition. Examples: 'emergency plumber in downtown Austin' vs. 'plumber.' Long-tail keywords often convert better.

Related: Keywords, Search Intent, SEO

Search Intent

The underlying goal behind a user's search query. Types include informational (seeking information), navigational (finding a specific site), transactional (ready to buy), and local (finding nearby businesses). Content should match intent.

Related: Keywords, Content Strategy

FAQ Schema

Structured data markup for frequently asked questions that can display as expandable Q&A in search results. FAQ schema helps your content appear in AI responses by providing clear question-answer pairs.

Related: Schema Markup, Rich Results, AI Search

Link Building & Authority

Backlink

A link from another website pointing to your website. Backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites signal trust and authority to search engines. Quality matters more than quantity.

Related: Link Building, Domain Authority, SEO

Domain Authority (DA)

A metric (created by Moz) predicting how likely a website is to rank in search results, scored 1-100. Higher DA indicates greater authority. Note: DA is not a Google metric but correlates with ranking ability.

Related: Backlinks, Authority, SEO

Domain Rating (DR)

Ahrefs' metric measuring the strength of a website's backlink profile on a 0-100 scale. Similar to Domain Authority, it's useful for comparing websites and evaluating link prospects.

Related: Backlinks, Authority, SEO

Local Link Building

Acquiring backlinks from locally relevant sources like local news sites, community organizations, chambers of commerce, local bloggers, and business associations. Local links strengthen local search signals.

Related: Backlinks, Local SEO, Authority

Referring Domain

A unique website that links to your site. Having backlinks from 100 referring domains is generally more valuable than 100 backlinks from a single domain.

Related: Backlinks, Link Building

NoFollow Link

A link with a rel='nofollow' attribute telling search engines not to pass ranking credit (link equity) to the linked page. Common on social media, comments, and paid links. Still valuable for traffic and brand visibility.

Related: Backlinks, DoFollow Link

DoFollow Link

A standard link that passes ranking credit (link equity) to the linked page. DoFollow links from authoritative sites are the most valuable type of backlink for SEO.

Related: Backlinks, NoFollow Link

Analytics & Tracking

Google Search Console

Google's free tool for monitoring your website's search performance. Shows which queries drive traffic, indexing status, technical issues, and Core Web Vitals. Essential for SEO management.

Related: Google Analytics, Technical SEO, Performance

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google's current analytics platform for measuring website traffic and user behavior. GA4 uses an event-based model and provides insights into how users interact with your site across devices.

Related: Google Search Console, Tracking, Conversions

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of people who click on your listing after seeing it in search results. CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100. Higher CTR can positively influence rankings.

Related: Impressions, Analytics, SEO

Impressions

The number of times your listing or webpage appears in search results, regardless of whether it was clicked. High impressions with low CTR may indicate your title and description need improvement.

Related: CTR, Analytics, Visibility

Conversion

When a user completes a desired action, such as making a purchase, filling out a contact form, calling your business, or booking an appointment. Conversion rate is a key performance metric.

Related: Analytics, Goals, ROI

UTM Parameters

Tags added to URLs to track the source, medium, and campaign of traffic in analytics. UTM tracking helps identify which marketing efforts drive the most valuable traffic and conversions.

Related: Analytics, Tracking, Attribution

Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. High bounce rates may indicate poor user experience, irrelevant content, or slow loading times.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the terminology, it's time to put it into action. Knowing what these terms mean is the first step - applying them consistently is what drives real results. If you're ready to start optimizing your local presence, our Local SEO Checklist for 2025 walks you through every step to rank #1 in your city. Use it alongside this glossary to build a local search strategy that actually works.