SEO Glossary

Key terms and definitions to help you understand local SEO.

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Backlinks Citations Geotargeting Google Business Profile (GBP) Google Maps Google My Business (GMB) Keywords Local Pack Local SEO Meta Description NAP On-Page SEO Organic Search Page Authority SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

Backlinks: Links from one website to another. In the context of local SEO, backlinks from relevant local websites to your site can improve your search engine visibility by indicating your website's importance and relevance.
Citations: Mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on other webpages, even if there is no link to your website. Citations from well-established and well-indexed portals help increase the degree of certainty search engines have about your business's contact information and categorization.
Geotargeting: The practice of delivering content or advertisements to a user based on their geographic location. In local SEO, geotargeting is used to target customers in a specific area.
Google Business Profile (GBP): Previously known as Google My Business (GMB), it's a free tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.
Google Maps: A web mapping service developed by Google. It provides detailed information about geographical regions and sites around the world. In local SEO, being accurately listed on Google Maps is crucial for driving foot traffic.
Google My Business (GMB): A free tool provided by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. It helps businesses provide key information like location, hours, and services.
Keywords: Words or phrases that describe the content on your page or post best. Keywords are the terms that searchers enter into search engines. Your pages will rank better for those keywords if they appear in your content in a natural and relevant way.
Local Pack: The section of Google's search results that displays a map and three local business listings (the "3-pack") when searchers use locally-oriented search terms.
Local SEO: The practice of optimizing your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. These searches take place on Google and other search engines.
Meta Description: A brief description of a web page's content that appears in search engine results below the title. While it doesn't directly affect rankings, a compelling meta description can improve click-through rates from search results.
NAP: An acronym for Name, Address, and Phone number. Consistent NAP information across all your online profiles and citations is essential for local SEO.
On-Page SEO: The practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page refers to both the content and the HTML source code of a page.
Organic Search: The unpaid search results that appear in search engines based on their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to paid advertisements.
Page Authority: A score developed by Moz that predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). Page Authority scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page): The page that a search engine returns after a user submits a search query. In addition to organic search results, SERPs usually include paid search and pay-per-click (PPC) ads.