Digital Glossary

Content that appears on a website before the user scrolls. Google created the Page Layout Algorithm in 2012 to lower the rankings of websites featuring too many ads in this space.

AdWords is a program that allows businesses to place ads on Google and its partner websites. Ads are placed based on what the business is offering and how much they are willing to pay per click.

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is a programming that allows for a more interactive and engaging experience for users, as they are not constantly having to reload pages to see new content.

Algorithm is a set of instructions or rules followed to complete a task. In computer programming, an algorithm is a set of steps that are followed to complete a task or solve a problem.

Algorithm change is a change to the way a search engine ranks websites. These changes can be small and insignificant, or they can be major game-changers that have a significant impact on search results.

Algorithm changes usually come in three forms: updates, refreshes, and new algorithms. An update is a change to an existing algorithm, a refresh is a re-run of an existing algorithm using the same signals as last time, and a new algorithm is a brand new algorithm that improves search quality in some way.

HTML code that helps screen readers understand the contents of an image (for blind and visually-impaired people).

Also known as: Alt Text

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a HTML framework which allows desktop-first page to load easily on mobile. It is a criterion in gaining visibility in the Top Stories carousel.

Currently, AMP logo was removed from search results and are no longer a requirement in Top Stories. Core Web Vitals now give emphasis in measuring faster page loading. AMP influence is now questionable. Despite of this, AMP versions of website is still recommended as it can only improve the speed in which your pages load.

Analytics is the science of gathering data to take action based on historical work. It's a critical tool for businesses, as it can help them make decisions about everything from product development to marketing strategies.

A clickable word of a link is called the Anchor text. It provide contextual information about what the webpage is it being linked to is about. When used effectively, anchor text can help improve both your website’s usability and search engine optimization.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the science of performing tasks requiring human intelligence. It is considered as a learning digital brain. It is capable of making and caring decisions without human intervention.

Author authority refers to the reputation and credentials of the writer which can be used as a ranking factor. This was something that Google originally tested in combination with Google+. However, despite the patents that were filed, there is no evidence of author authority being a ranking factor.

Authority is one of the key factors used by search engines to assess websites and webpages for ranking purposes.

Business-to-business (B2B) SEO is more complex and much longer than in B2C. This means that businesses need to be patient and focus on building long-term relationships with their target audience.

Business-to-consumer (B2C) SEO s all about optimizing a website for customers who are ready to buy. This is for customers who wants to make purchase decisions quickly online. The main focus here is conversion rate optimization (CRO).

The back end is the part of a website that makes it run. This typically includes the server, database, and software.