Technical and Local SEO Glossary

Technical SEO Glossary

• Crawlability — How easily search-engine bots discover and render your pages. Ex. Blocking /private/ in robots.txt prevents the folder from being indexed.
• Crawl Budget — The number of URLs Google will fetch in a session; fix duplicate or low-value pages so new content gets crawled sooner.
• robots.txt — A text file at your domain root that allows or disallows specific paths for crawlers (Disallow: /checkout/).
• XML Sitemap — A machine-readable list of canonical URLs (and optional images/video) that helps bots find new or updated pages quickly.
• URL Structure — Clean, descriptive paths such as /blog/technical-seo/robots-txt boost user trust and topical clarity.
• Duplicate Content — Substantially similar text at multiple URLs that splits ranking signals; resolve with canonical tags or 301s.
• Canonical Tag — consolidates authority when several URLs serve the same content.
• 301 Redirect — A permanent server-side redirect that preserves link equity during URL changes or HTTP→HTTPS migrations.
• Redirect Chain — Two-plus sequential redirects (A→B→C); replace with a single hop (A→C) to save crawl time and PageRank.
• 404 / Soft 404 — A hard 404 returns a proper “Not Found” code; a soft 404 shows an error page but returns 200 OK, wasting crawl budget.
• Page Speed — Faster load times drive lower bounce and higher conversion; compress images, defer render-blocking scripts.
• Core Web Vitals — Google’s UX trio: LCP (largest element loads ≤ 2.5 s), INP (smooth interaction throughout page life), CLS (layout shift ≤ 0.1).
• Mobile-Friendliness — Responsive layout and tap-friendly elements that pass Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Mobile-First Indexing — Google primarily uses the mobile version of a page for crawling and ranking—ensure parity with desktop.
• HTTPS Security — Encrypted connections are a lightweight ranking factor and build user trust (padlock icon).
• Structured Data (Schema) — JSON-LD markup (e.g., Product, FAQ) that powers rich results and clearer machine understanding.
• Web Accessibility — Alt text, ARIA labels, color contrast, and keyboard navigation that serve assistive technologies and improve UX signals.

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📍 Local SEO Glossary

• Local SEO — Tactics that help businesses appear in geo-targeted organic results and Google’s Map/Local Pack.
• Google Business Profile (GBP) — Your public Google listing; fill out NAP, hours, photos, categories, and posts for maximum visibility.
• Local Pack / Map Pack — The three-listing map block shown for “dentist near me”; prime real estate with high click-through.
• NAP Consistency — Using the identical Name, Address, Phone across GBP, website, and every citation reinforces trust.
• Local Citation — Any online mention of your NAP. Structured (directory fields) vs. unstructured (news article text).
• Reviews & Star Ratings — Volume, freshness, and positivity of Google reviews influence “prominence” and user choice.
• Proximity — Physical distance between searcher and business; accurate location data ensures Google understands where you are.
• Prominence — Offline/online popularity signals (reviews, backlinks, brand searches) that help outrank nearer but less-known competitors.
• Localized Link Building — Backlinks from area-relevant domains (local press, chambers, events) strengthen geo authority.
• Service Area Business (SAB) — A provider that travels to customers; hide the street address in GBP and specify service zones.
• Attributes (GBP) — Qualifiers like “Wheelchair-accessible” or “Outdoor seating” that surface in filters and entice clicks.
• Call Tracking — Dynamic tracking numbers that log phone leads; keep main NAP intact or use number-swapping solutions compatible with GBP.
• UTM Tracking for GBP — Add parameters (e.g., ?utmsource=GBP) to measure site visits and conversions originating from your listing.
• Local-Pack-O-Meter — A free tool tracking how often Map Packs appear across millions of queries—useful for trend spotting.
• Local Search Ranking Signals — Google weighs relevance, distance, and prominence; optimize all three for Pack success.
• Listing-Management Tools — Platforms like Yext, Moz Local, and Whitespark automate citation cleanup, distribution, and review monitoring.
• Local Brand Visibility (LBV) — A composite KPI from tools such as Chatmeter that benchmarks your location against competitors.
• Data Aggregators — Services that distribute NAP data to hundreds of directories, saving manual submission time.
• Pointy — A Google tool that syncs in-store inventory to local listings, boosting product visibility for brick-and-mortar retailers.