users This page is a quick-reference glossary of commonly used SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and Google Search Console terms. It explains key terms in simple, non-technical language, allowing to easily understand reports, tickets, and discussions related to website performance and search visibility.
Use this as a guide whenever you come across unfamiliar terms in SEO or analytics reports.
| Term | Definition |
| Keyword | The word or phrase people type into Google to search |
| SERP (Search Engine Results Page) | The page of results you see after searching on Google. |
| Organic Traffic | Visitors who come from Google search, not paid ads. |
| CTR (Click-Through Rate) | The % of people who click your site after seeing it in search results. |
| Title Tag | The main clickable headline that shows up in Google results. |
| Meta Description | The short description under your title in search results. |
| Header Tags (H1, H2, H3) | Titles and subtitles that organise your page content. |
| Alt Text | A short description of an image for Google and accessibility. |
| Internal Link | A link from one page of your website to another page on the same site. |
| URL Structure | The format of your page’s web address (e.g., madhousemedia.co.uk/seo). |
| Backlink | A link from another website pointing to your site. |
| Domain Authority (DA) | A score showing how trusted or strong your site is online. |
| Anchor Text | The clickable words in a link (e.g., "best seo agency"). |
| Site Speed | How quickly does your website loads. |
| Mobile-Friendly | Website is easy to use on a phone. |
| Indexing | Google saving your web pages in its database. |
| Crawl | Google bots scanning your site’s content. |
| Sitemap | A file listing your important web pages for Google. |
| Robots.txt | A file that tells Google which pages not to look at. |
| Impressions | Number of times your site appears in Google search. |
| Bounce Rate | When someone visits a page and leaves quickly without action. |
| Conversion | When a visitor completes a goal (e.g., submitting a form, clicking on a phone number). |
| Session | A single visit to your website. |
| GA4 (Google Analytics 4) | Google’s tool to track how people use your website or app. |
| User | A unique visitor to your site. |
| New User | Someone visiting your site for the first time. |
| Session | A single visit to your website (may include multiple actions). |
| Average Engagement Time | The average time a visitor spends actively on your site. |
| Bounce | When someone visits a page but does not engage (click, scroll, etc.). |
| Event | Any action a visitor takes (click, scroll, video play, purchase, etc.). |
| Engagement Rate | Percentage of sessions where visitors interact with your site. |
| Pageview | Each time a page on your site is viewed. |
| Landing Page | The first page a visitor sees when they enter your site. |
| Traffic Source | Where a visitor came from (Google, social media, direct, etc.). |
| Medium | The type of traffic source (e.g., organic, paid, referral). |
| Campaign | A tagged marketing campaign that brings traffic (e.g., email promo). |
| Search Console | Google’s tool to track your site’s search performance. |
| Query | The exact search term people typed into Google. |
| Clicks | How many times people clicked your site in Google search results. |
| Average Position | Your site’s average ranking in Google for a search query. |
| Indexing Status | Shows if a page is included in Google search or not. |
| Core Web Vitals | Google’s metrics for user experience (page speed, stability, responsiveness). |