When I started blogging, a lot of tutorials used a bunch of cool terminology like SEO, EAT, DA, CPC, and more. I had no clue what they were talking about.
I thought it would be a great time to gather all the terms and concepts you may not be familiar with.
I’m leaving out most of the obvious terms (such as “blog” or “social media”). Instead, I focus on explaining terms you may not have heard of or that are crucial for bloggers.
This is a complete list of all blogging-related terms. I hope you enjoy it!
1. 404 Error
A 404 error is a popular HTTP response code. It means the requested webpage could not be found on the server.
It often occurs when a user clicks on a broken link or mistypes a URL.
2. A/B testing
A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a method of comparing two versions of a website, landing page, or email to learn which one performs better.
By randomly showing one version to a group of users and the other version to another group, marketers can analyze user behavior and optimize the content accordingly.
3. AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)
AIDA is a marketing framework that stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It helps create effective advertisements.
The AIDA framework suggests that to persuade potential customers, marketers should:
- Grab their attention
- Create interest in the product or service
- Stimulate a desire to own or use it
- Encourage them to take action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form
4. About Page
An about page provides information about the blog owner, company, or organization.
It typically includes details including the history, mission, values, team members, or achievements of the business.
An effective About Page helps establish trust and credibility with visitors.
5. Above-the-Fold
Above-the-Fold is the portion of a webpage that is visible to the user without having to scroll down.
Above the fold is the most valuable real estate on a webpage.
Website designers and marketers often use this space to showcase the most important content, including headlines, calls to action, or product images. This helps grab the user’s attention and encourages them to engage with the site further.
6. Ad Revenue
Ad revenue is the income that a blog generates by showing ads.
Ad revenue can be a significant source of income for content creators, such as bloggers or YouTubers, who monetize their content through ads.
Although, usually there are much better monetization strategies than showing ads (e.g. affiliate marketing, email marketing, or info products).
7. Affiliate Link
An affiliate link is a special URL that contains a unique ID that associates a sale with an affiliate marketer.
Affiliate marketers use these links to promote a product or service. If a user clicks on the link and makes a purchase, the marketer earns a commission.
An affiliate link is easy to recognize. It usually has some kind of an ID or otherwise verbose query parameter. These links occur on product reviews and roundup posts.
8. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is performance-based marketing where an affiliate earns a commission for promoting a product or service.
Affiliates typically promote products through their blog, website, social media, or other channels, using special affiliate links.
These links can track clicks and sales.
When a user clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a percentage of the sale as a commission.
Affiliate marketing is a popular way for businesses to increase sales and for individuals to earn passive income by promoting products that align with their niche or interests.
9. Alt Text
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a textual description of a blog post image.
Alt text is useful for visitors that use screen readers to read the content. It’s also vital for visually impaired users to understand the image.
Alt text should be brief but descriptive, and it should accurately convey the content and purpose of the image.
10. Analytics
Analytics refers to the process of collecting, measuring, and analyzing data to gain insights and make decisions.
In blogging, analytics refers to the measurement and analysis of website or app performance, user behavior, and marketing campaigns.
Web analytics tools, including Google Analytics, provide detailed metrics on website traffic, user demographics, page views, bounce rates, and other key performance indicators.
11. Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable text in a link. It’s typically blue and usually underlined as well.
Anchor text provides context and tells the user what they can expect to see when they click the link. This also helps search engines understand what’s behind the links.
12. Archive
An archive refers to a collection of past blog posts.
On a blog, an archive page provides a chronological listing of all the past content in a single location. This allows users to easily browse and access previous posts.
Archives may also be organized by category, tag, or other metadata to make it easier to find specific content.
13. Avatar
An avatar is a graphical representation of a person in a digital platform, such as a blog or social media platform.
Avatars can be photos, illustrations, or other types of graphics, and they are often used to provide a visual identity for the user or to express their personality or interests.
14. Backlink
A backlink, also known as an inbound link or incoming link, is a hyperlink that points from one website to another.
Backlinks are important.
They signal to search engines that other websites consider the linked content to be valuable and relevant.
The more high-quality and relevant backlinks a website has, the higher it is likely to rank in search engine results pages.
To get backlinks to a blog, one needs to write quality content that people want to link to.
15. Banner Ad
Banner ads are online advertisements that display a graphic or image-based advertisement.
Banner ads are usually rectangular in shape. They come in a variety of sizes. They can be static or animated and can contain text, images, and calls to action.
16. Behavior Flow
Behavior flow describes the path that a user follows when they navigate through the website.
The behavior flow report visually represents the user’s journey, including the pages they visit, the order in which they visit them, and the paths they take to reach their goals.
Behavior helps identify the most common user paths, the pages that have high drop-off rates, and the areas of the website that need improvement.
By analyzing behavior flow data, marketers can optimize their website design and content to improve UX and get closer to goals.
17. Black Hat SEO
Black Hat SEO refers to unethical or manipulative search engine optimization techniques. These violate search engine guidelines and best practices.
Black Hat SEO tactics trick search engines and manipulate search rankings to gain an unfair advantage over competitors.
Examples of Black Hat SEO techniques include keyword stuffing, hidden text or links, cloaking, and buying links or social media followers.
Black Hat SEO can result in penalties or even a complete ban from search engine results, and it can damage a website’s reputation and credibility.
18. Bounce Rate
The bounce rate tells what percentage of visitors left after viewing only a single page or post.
A high bounce rate can indicate that the website’s content or design is not engaging or relevant to the user’s needs, or that the website’s load time is too slow.
The bounce rate can be calculated for a specific page, a section of a website, or the entire website.
A low bounce rate is ideal—it indicates that users are finding the website useful.
19. Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is the degree to which visitors can recognize a brand.
Building brand awareness helps to establish trust, credibility, and loyalty with customers. It can increase the likelihood of customers choosing the brand over competitors.
20. Branding
Branding is the process of creating and managing a unique identity for a product, service, or company.
It involves developing a set of visual, verbal, and emotional elements. These include logos, color schemes, taglines, and brand personalities.
These communicate the brand’s values, benefits, and personality to the target audience.
Effective branding differentiates a brand from its competitors, builds trust and loyalty with customers, and creates a positive reputation and perception in the marketplace.
21. Broken Link
A broken link is a link on a blog that no longer works. Usually, this is because the target page has been removed or moved to a new URL.
Broken links are also known as dead links or 404 errors.
Broken links can negatively impact UX. It also affects search engine visibility as search engines don’t want to recommend content with bad links.
22. CAPTCHA
CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether the user is a human or a computer program (bot).
23. CMS
CMS stands for Content Management System. It’s a software application that allows users to create, manage, and publish digital content, including text, images, and multimedia, on a website.
CMS software provides an intuitive interface for non-technical users.
This makes it possible to create and edit content without requiring knowledge of programming languages.
Popular CMS platforms include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, each with its own set of features and capabilities.
24. CPA (Cost per Acquisition)
CPA (Cost per Acquisition) is a digital advertising pricing model that calculates the cost of acquiring a new customer (or lead).
CPA is a performance-based pricing model that charges advertisers only when a specific action is taken, such as a sale, a form submission, or a download.
Unlike other pricing models, such as cost-per-click, CPA measures the effectiveness of an ad campaign based on actual conversions and return on investment (ROI).
CPA campaigns can be optimized to target specific audiences, devices, or geographic locations. The can also be adjusted based on performance and conversion rates.
25. CPC (Cost per Click)
CPC (Cost per Click) is a pricing model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on one of their ads.
CPC is a performance-based pricing model that charges advertisers based on the number of clicks their ads receive.
Advertisers can set a maximum bid for each click, and the actual cost per click can vary based on competition and other factors.
26. CPL (Cost per Lead)
CPL (Cost per Lead) is a pricing model that calculates the cost of acquiring a new lead or customer.
CPL is a performance-based pricing model. It charges advertisers based on the number of leads generated, such as form submissions or sign-ups.
27. CPM (Cost per Thousand Impressions)
CPM (Cost per thousand Impressions) is a pricing model that calculates the cost of displaying an ad one thousand times (also known as an impression).
CPM is a performance-based pricing model that charges advertisers based on the number of times their ads are displayed, regardless of whether users click on the ad or not.
28. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a strategy to manage and analyze interactions between a business and its customers.
A CRM system typically includes software applications and tools that capture, store, and analyze customer data, including contact information, purchasing history, and preferences.
The goal of CRM is to improve customer satisfaction and retention by providing personalized, efficient, and effective communication and service.
29. CSS
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a style sheet language that describes the presentation and formatting of HTML documents like blogs.
CSS allows web designers to control the appearance of a website, including the layout, typography, colors, and other design elements.
CSS separates the presentation and content of a webpage, making it easier to maintain and update the website design.
30.Call-to-Action (CTA)
A Call-to-Action (CTA) is a marketing term used to describe a prompt or instruction that encourages a user to take a specific action, such as clicking a button, submitting a form, or making a purchase.
31. Canonical URL
A canonical URL identifies the primary URL of a webpage or the “original source of truth”.
If multiple versions of the same blog post exist, search engines don’t know which version to index. This can result in duplicate content issues.
32. ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an AI text generation model developed by OpenAI. It’s a multi-purpose chatbot that helps bloggers write content faster.
ChatGPT generates content from basic inputs like “Create a blog post outline”. It can write blog post ideas, and outlines, or even write some of the blog content. AI tools like ChatGPT come up with unique and plagiarism-free content which makes them practical.
ChatGPT can streamline some writing workflows, such as writing blog posts, responding to emails, and more.
33. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-Through Rate (CTR) is a web analytics metric that measures the ratio of clicks to impressions.
You can calculate CTR by dividing clicks by impressions and expressing the result as a percentage.
CTR is commonly in advertising. It helps evaluate the effectiveness of ads and measure user engagement.
34. Clickbait
Clickbait is a post that uses a hacky way to drive clicks and traffic. This means misleading language, exaggerating claims, or presenting a provocative or intriguing angle without providing context.
While clickbait may be effective in attracting attention and generating page views, it can also erode trust and credibility with readers if they feel misled or disappointed by the content.
35. Competitive Analysis
Competitive analysis means identifying the strengths and weaknesses of competitors in the niche.
In blogging, a competitive analysis refers to researching other blogs in the niche. This helps them understand what they are doing well and where there may be opportunities to improve.
36. Contact Form
A contact form is a fillable form on a website. It allows readers to communicate with the blog owner. It’s not a mandatory element on a blog but can be useful to make it easier for readers to contact the author.
Typically, a contact form has fields for the reader’s name, email address, subject, and message.
Contact forms make it easy for readers to send feedback, ask questions, or make business inquiries.
37. Content Audit
A content audit is a process of evaluating and analyzing the content of a blog.
It typically involves reviewing each piece of content to identify its purpose, audience, format, and performance metrics.
The results of a content audit help identify opportunities for improvement in content strategy. These involve updating or deleting outdated content, optimizing content for search engines, or creating new content.
38. Content Marketing
Content marketing is a common marketing strategy. It involves creating and sharing valuable and relevant content to attract and retain a target audience.
The ultimate goal of content marketing is driving profitable customer action.
Content marketing is used by businesses and individuals to build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and generate leads and sales.
The content can take various forms like blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts.
Effective content marketing involves identifying the target audience, defining the goals and objectives, creating a content strategy, and measuring the results.
39. Conversion Funnel
A conversion funnel or sales funnel is a visual representation of the journey that a potential customer takes from initial awareness to final conversion or purchase.
The conversion funnel is split into different stages. Each stage represents a step in the customer journey. The common stages of a conversion funnel are:
- Awareness: The potential customer becomes aware of the product through various marketing channels like ads, social media, or referrals.
- Interest: The potential customer shows further interest in the product by exploring more information, such as visiting the website or reading product reviews.
- Consideration: The potential customer evaluates the product by comparing it with other options and weighing the benefits and drawbacks.
- Conversion: The potential customer makes a purchase or takes a desired action, including subscribing to a newsletter or filling out a form.
- Retention: This is the final stage of the conversion funnel. The customer is retained through ongoing communication, support, and engagement.
The conversion funnel helps optimize blogs’ and businesses’ sales and marketing processes to maximize conversions and revenue.
By identifying the key touchpoints in the funnel, businesses can identify areas for improvement, such as reducing friction, improving messaging and calls-to-action, and giving better support.
Conversion funnels are useful for various purposes, such as lead generation, e-commerce sales, or app downloads.
40. Conversion Rate
Conversion rate refers to the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action. This includes actions like making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter.
To calculate the conversion rate, divide the number of conversions by the number of total website visitors and multiply by 100.
For example, if a website had 1,000 visitors and 20 of them made a purchase, the conversion rate would be 2%.
Conversion rate provides valuable insights into how well a blog performs in affiliate marketing or selling products.
41. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) means improving a blog’s ability to convert visitors into customers.
CRO involves analyzing user behavior and website data to identify areas of the website that can be optimized to increase conversions. For example, CRO might involve improving the UX, simplifying the checkout process, or adjusting the messaging and CTAs on the site.
42. Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that provides a set of standardized licenses for sharing and using creative works, including images, music, and video. In the digital age, CC has become a useful and popular license type for images, videos, and other digital content.
CC licenses allow content creators to grant permissions for others to use their works, while still retaining certain rights and control over how the works are used.
Creative Commons licenses vary in their terms, ranging from allowing only non-commercial use to allowing unlimited use and modification. This is all fine as long as proper attribution is given to the original creator.
43. Curated Content
Curated content or hand-picked content is a carefully selected and organized blog post.
The goal of curated content is to provide value to the audience by saving them time and effort in finding relevant and high-quality content. Curated content also showcases the expertise and authority of the blogger.
44. DNS
DNS stands for Domain Name System.
This system translates human-readable domain names (such as example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (e.g. 93.184.216.34).
When you search for a website by using a URL (e.g. https://www.bloggersgoto.com), the DNS system looks up the IP address associated with that domain name. This way your browser can connect to the correct web server and load the website.
DNS is a critical component of the internet infrastructure. Every device that connects to the internet uses it.
45. Demographics
Demographics describe the statistical characteristics of your blog visitors.
Details like age, gender, income, education level, and geographic location are all part of the demographics of a website.
In the context of blogging, understanding the demographics can help bloggers tailor their content to better suit their audience.
An easy way to gather the demographics is by using Google Analytics.
46. Disclaimer
A disclaimer is a statement that limits or excludes the liability or legal obligations of the blogger making the statement.
Disclaimers typically inform readers that the opinions or advice presented on the blog are the blogger’s own and should not be taken as professional advice.
Disclaimers can also address potential legal or ethical issues related to the content on the blog, such as disclosing sponsored content or affiliate links.
If you have affiliate links on your blog, you have to disclose them clearly in your blog post.
47. Domain
A domain is a unique name that identifies a website or a blog on the internet. It’s the website address with which people can visit a blog.
A domain name usually consists of two parts:
- The website’s name
- A domain extension, for example, .com, .org, or .net
For example, in the domain name “example.com,” “example” is the website’s name, and “.com” is the domain extension.
48. Domain Authority (DA)
Domain Authority (DA) is a loosely defined score that correlates with how likely a blog is to rank on Google.
DA runs from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of ranking well.
Notice that the DA is just a made-up metric that doesn’t guarantee rankings. If a blog post’s content quality is bad, there’s no way to rank even with a 100 DA score.
49. Domain Name Registrar
A domain name registrar handles the reservation of domain names.
To create a blog, a blogger needs to choose and register a domain name by using a domain name registrar.
The registrar then provides the web owners with the right to use that domain for a period of time for a fee.
50. Drip Campaign
A drip campaign means sending a series of automated, targeted messages or emails to prospects (or customers) over time.
Drip campaigns are powerful tools for lead nurturing, customer onboarding, and other types of engagement campaigns.
Typically, a drip campaign involves a series of messages sent at specific intervals to keep the prospect engaged and moving through the sales funnel.
Drip campaigns can be highly effective at improving conversion rates and customer engagement. They allow bloggers to deliver targeted and personalized messages to their audience without requiring constant manual intervention.
51. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Search engines use this concept to evaluate the quality and relevance of a blog’s content.
Bloggers can improve E-A-T by:
- Providing well-researched, accurate, and trustworthy content
- Establishing themselves as experts in their field, and building a strong online reputation
52. E-Commerce
E-commerce refers to buying and selling on the internet. It includes a wide range of activities, including online retailing, electronic payments, digital marketing, supply chain management, and customer service.
E-commerce has become a popular and growing form of commerce due to its convenience. E-commerce is used by businesses of all sizes and industries.
53. Email Marketing
Email marketing means sending promotional messages to blog visitors via email.
This helps:
- Build relationships with customers
- Promote products or services
- Drive traffic to websites
- Generate leads or sales
There are many ways to implement email marketing, including newsletters, promotional emails, transactional emails, or triggered emails.
The emails need to be personalized which is possible with the help of demographics, behavior, or preferences.
54. Engagement
Engagement means the level of interaction and participation that readers have with blog content.
High levels of engagement indicate that readers are actively engaging with the content and are more likely to come back.
High engagement also helps boost visibility and reach by signaling search ranking algorithms that the content is truly valuable.
55. Evergreen Content
Evergreen content remains relevant over a long period of time, often months or years.
Evergreen content typically addresses a topic that has nothing to do with a specific time, event, or trend. It provides information that is unlikely to become outdated or irrelevant.
Evergreen content is the best type of blog content because it has the potential to bring in visitors for years to come.
Examples of evergreen content are how-to guides, resource lists, in-depth tutorials, or expert interviews.
56. Favicon
A favicon is a small icon or logo that appears next to the website or blog name in the browser tab or bookmark bar. It is typically a square image with a size of 16×16 or 32×32 pixels.
57. Featured Snippet
A featured snippet is an excerpt of content from a blog post.
It appears at the top of a Google search results page in a separate box.
Featured snippets provide quick answers to search queries, making them valuable for driving traffic to the blog.
58. Footer
The footer is the bottom section of a blog or website.
It usually has information about the site, such as copyright notices, contact information, links to important pages, or social media icons.
The footer is a consistent element across all pages of a website. It often includes navigation links to help users surf the site.
The footer may also contain additional content or design elements. This might include a newsletter signup form or some other call to action.
59. Google Adsense
Google AdSense is an ad program offered by Google. It allows bloggers to earn money by displaying ads on their sites.
Advertisers bid to display their ads on the site, and Google selects the highest bids to display.
The blogger makes money based on the number of clicks (or sometimes impressions) the ads get.
AdSense is a popular first choice to monetize blogs. But with bigger audiences, there are better and higher-earning alternatives than AdSense.
60. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free web analytics service by Google. It tracks and reports website traffic, user behavior, and other metrics like page views, bounce rates, and conversion rates.
Google Analytics helps gain insights into the performance of blog posts, traffic sources, and audience demographics/interests.
61. Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is another popular web analytics service by Google. It lets bloggers monitor and optimize their blog presence in Google search results.
Unlike Google Analytics, GSC focuses solely on Google Search visibility data and Google performance metrics.
For example, a blog owner can use GSC to see what keywords they rank for in Google.
GSC provides tools to analyze website traffic, check for indexing and crawling errors, submit sitemaps, and view search analytics data.
GSC can also help bloggers identify and fix technical issues that may be hindering search engine rankings.
62. Google Algorithm
The Google algorithm is a complex set of rules and processes that Google uses in its search engine to determine the relevance of websites in search results.
There are hundreds of ranking signals in the Google algorithm, such as keywords, content quality, backlinks, and user experience.
Google regularly updates its algorithm to improve search results and combat spam or other forms of manipulation.
Understanding all the ranking factors is irrelevant, though. It’s important to know Google prefers quality in-depth content that provides unique angles and true value for readers.
63. Gravatar
Gravatar or Globally Recognized Avatar is a free service provided by Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.
It allows users to create a profile image that they can use across websites and platforms.
Gravatar images are tied to the user’s email address. Whenever a web visitor with gravatar comments on a blog, their profile image will automatically appear next to their comment.
Bloggers can use Gravatar to help build an online identity. This makes it easier for readers to recognize and remember them on different websites.
64. Guest Post
A guest post is a blog post written by someone who is not the owner or regular contributor of a blog.
Guest posts are typically written by experts in the niche. These can provide a fresh perspective or new insights for the blog’s readers.
Guest posting is also a way for guest authors to gain exposure and build their own brand.
65. HEX Code
HEX code, also known as hexadecimal code, is a system of numerical notation used to represent colors in web design.
HEX codes consist of a pound sign (#) followed by six alphanumeric characters that represent the intensity of red, green, and blue light that make up the color.
For example:
- The HEX code #FF0000 is red
- The HEX code #0000FF is blue
66. HTML
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It’s the standard markup language used to create websites.
HTML provides a set of tags and attributes. These allow developers to define the structure, layout, and formatting of web pages. It is the foundation of most websites and blogs on the internet.
These days, content management systems like WordPress take care of building the HTML content for blogs. Thus, non-technical bloggers don’t have to worry about HTML coding in their blogs.
67. HTTPS
HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It’s a protocol that ensures secure communication over the internet.
HTTPS encrypts data transmitted between a web browser and a website. This makes it more difficult for hackers to intercept and steal sensitive information.
These days, HTTPS is the default protocol for communication. Google avoids recommending sites that don’t use HTTPS (but use HTTP instead).
68. Header
A header refers to the top section of a blog or a website.
Headers often contain branding elements such as logos or taglines, as well as navigation menus, search bars, and social media icons.
Headers can help establish the visual identity of a blog and make it easier for users to navigate and find the content they are looking for.
69. Headline
A headline is a short, attention-grabbing phrase or sentence that starts the blog post. Its purpose is to convey the main topic or message of the content and entice readers to click and read further.
A strong headline should be clear, concise, relevant, and engaging, and should accurately reflect the content that follows.
70. Hemingway App
The Hemingway App is a web-based writing tool that analyzes the content and provides suggestions for improving readability.
This free app highlights writing issues, such as long sentences, complex words, and passive voice. It also offers alternatives to make the text understandable.
71. Hosting
Hosting is the process of storing and serving website data on a server that’s accessible on the internet.
When starting a blog, a blogger needs to choose a web hosting provider. This means choosing a plan that can support the blog’s traffic, bandwidth, storage, and other needs.
Hosting is essential for making a blog accessible. With a domain only, there’s no website. There’s just an address without web content. But with web hosting, a blogger can build the blog behind that domain address.
72. Impression
In blogging, an impression describes how many times a blog post has been recommended for someone in the search results. An impression is not the same as a click/visit/page view.
When someone opens a search results page, they count as an impression for each visible page—without opening those.
For example, let’s say a blog has 100k impressions and 2k clicks. This means searchers have seen the post in search results 100k times but only 2k of them have clicked through.
In advertising, impression refers to the number of times an ad has been seen but not clicked through.
73. Inbound link
An inbound link (also known as a backlink) is a link from another blog to a target blog.
Google appreciates backlinks and favors sites with more backlinks when ranking pages.
A blogger cannot build backlinks—they must come naturally. Google is becoming better at detecting backlinks that are built and avoids showing those sites.
74. Infographic
An infographic is a visual representation of information, data, or knowledge that presents complex information in an easy-to-understand and engaging way.
Infographics use a combination of text, images, and graphics to convey information in a memorable format.
Bloggers can use infographics to help explain complex topics, illustrate statistics or trends, or provide step-by-step instructions.
Well-implemented infographics can make readers want to share them on social media channels. This can drive more traffic to blogs.
75. Internal Link
An internal link is a link that points to another page on the same domain. Typically, an internal link points from a blog post to another blog post on the same site.
Internal links can offer useful additional reads to blog visitors. This helps blog visitors stay longer on the site.
76. Keyword
A keyword (or search query) is the word or search term people type on search engines.
77. Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing means overusing keywords in a blog post. The goal of keyword stuffing is to manipulate search engine rankings. This is a bad (and punishable) strategy that hasn’t worked for years—yet many blog authors and SEOs still do it.
Example of keyword stuffing. Pay attention to the number of times it says “website” in the text.
This can result in poor-quality robot-like content that is difficult to read. It will also likely end up getting a site penalized by Google.
Back in the day, keyword stuffing was the way to go when it came to ranking blog posts high on Google.
78. Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing the words and phrases that people use to search for information, products, or services online.
Keyword research helps bloggers understand what topics and questions are popular among their target audience. This helps optimize content to rank higher and get more visitors.
79. Landing Page
A landing page is a web page that is designed to guide a visitor toward a specific action. This might include filling out a form or making a purchase.
A landing page is often part of a lead generation strategy. The goal is to capture the contact information of visitors who are interested in the content or offers.
80. Lead Generation (Lead Gen)
Lead generation means identifying (and attracting) customers for products.
This typically involves offering valuable content to visitors in exchange for their contact information.
81. Lead Magnet
A lead magnet is a valuable piece of content that a blogger offers to readers in exchange for their contact information.
The purpose of a lead magnet is to attract leads, build a list of subscribers, and eventually convert them into customers.
Examples of lead magnets include e-books, webinars, checklists, and free trials.
82. Link Bait
Link bait means creating a piece of content that attracts links from other websites.
In my opinion, links come naturally. Every piece of content you write should be something that people want to link to. In this sense, all good content is “link bait”.
Unlike clickbait, linkbait has a positive connotation to it.
The goal of link bait is to create content that is so interesting and unique (or controversial) that it will naturally generate links from other sites, without outreach or promotion.
Examples of link-bait content include infographics, blog posts with original research, quizzes, and humorous or viral videos
83. Link Building
Link building is the process of getting backlinks from other blogs and websites.
These days it’s no longer necessary to build links. Search engines are good enough to rank valuable content on their own.
This splits the blogging community in half. Some do link-building, and some don’t.
The goal of link building is to create high-quality, relevant links from other authoritative sites. The idea is to improve the blog’s visibility and credibility with search engines.
Common link-building tactics include guest posting, broken link-building, and outreach to other relevant sites or bloggers.
84. Listicle
A listicle is a common blog post type. In a listicle, the information is presented as a list.
Listicles are typically considered easy to read and visually appealing. This is thanks to the short, punchy headlines and brief, easily-digestible bullet points.
85. Long-Form Content
Long-form content refers to blog posts that are longer and more in-depth than “traditional” blog posts.
While there’s no clear-cut definition for the word count for long-form content, it usually exceeds 1,000 words. It may include in-depth analysis, research, and multiple sections or chapters.
The purpose of long-form content is to provide comprehensive information on a specific topic and establish authority and expertise.
To build a successful blog, the content must always be long-form and well-researched. Short-form content doesn’t tend to perform well.
86. Long-Tail Keyword
A long-tail keyword is a search phrase that typically consists of three or more words.
A good blogging strategy is to write posts about long-tail keywords so that there’s little to no competition.
Of course, long-tail keywords typically have lower search volume than short ones but they are usually easier to rank.
87. Meta Description
A meta description provides a brief summary of a blog post. It appears on search engine results pages and helps give users a preview of what to expect.
Meta can be no longer than 150-160 characters and should be relevant to the post.
While meta descriptions (and titles) do not directly impact search engine rankings, they can affect click-through rates and user engagement for improved search engine visibility.
88. Meta Title
A meta title is the title of a blog post that shows up on a search engine results page. The meta title should be eye-grabbing yet it should accurately describe the content.
Similar to meta description, the meta title doesn’t really impact search engine rankings but can improve CTR and user engagement.
It’s wise to spend time learning how to make meta titles and descriptions stand out in the search results.
89. Mobile Optimization
Mobile optimization means optimizing a blog for optimal performance on mobile devices. This process involves creating a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.
Mobile optimization can improve search engine rankings, user engagement, and conversion rates.
Today, most blogs are built with WordPress, Wix, Medium, or such. These systems come with themes that are mobile-optimized out of the box.
So for most bloggers, it’s enough to just activate the theme and enjoy its ready-made responsive design.
90. Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-first indexing means search engines prioritize the mobile version of a blog when indexing and ranking it.
With more visitors accessing blogs through mobile devices, mobile-first indexing ensures that search results are optimized for them.
91. Monetization
Monetization means generating revenue from a blog.
There are various methods for monetizing a blog, such as:
- Advertising
- Sponsorships
- Affiliate marketing
- Selling products or services
- Charging for access to premium content
92. Native Advertising
Native advertising is a form of advertising that blends in with the content and design of a blog or website. This makes it appear as if it is a natural part of the content.
Native ads often mimic the style and format of the surrounding content. Of course, those are labeled as sponsored content to ensure transparency.
93. Navigation
Navigation refers to the menu or system of links on a blog that enables users to move between different pages or sections.
Navigation is a crucial aspect of web design and UX—it helps users find the information they need quickly.
94. Newsletter
A newsletter is an email that contains news, updates, or other content related to a blog, website, or business.
Bloggers often use newsletters as a way to keep their subscribers informed about new blog posts, exclusive content, and promotions.
95. Niche
A niche refers to a narrowly defined topic, audience, or market.
Niche blogging involves creating content around a particular niche, with the goal of establishing authority and attracting a specific audience.
A niche can refer to anything from a specific industry or market, to a particular hobby or interest, to a specific geographic location.
96. Opt-In
Opt-in refers to a process in which a user voluntarily gives permission to receive communication or marketing materials from a blogger.
An opt-in usually involves a form on a blog, where the user provides contact information and agrees to receive future communications.
The opposite of opt-in is opt-out, where the user must actively request to be removed from a communication list.
97. Organic Traffic
Organic traffic is the number of visitors that come from search engine results, referral links, or social media.
Organic traffic originates from people that are actively searching for information. Thus, it’s the most valuable type of traffic a blog can get.
Organic traffic is not short-lived. Instead, organic traffic from search engines might come in for years to come.
To build a successful blog, one needs to focus on getting organic traffic.
98. Outbound Link
An outbound link is a link on a blog that leads to another website.
Outbound links typically provide additional information for readers, give credit to a source, or direct traffic to other sites.
99. PAA
PAA stands for “People Also Ask“.
It’s a Google search feature that presents a dropdown box of search-related questions and answers.
PAA helps users find answers to their questions quickly without visiting multiple websites or pages.
The questions in PAA are generated based on Google’s algorithms. These identify the most commonly asked questions related to a particular topic or keyword.
100. Page Speed
Page speed refers to the amount of time it takes for a webpage to load fully in a web browser.
A fast page speed is important for providing a positive user experience. Users are more likely to engage with and stay on a blog that loads quickly.
Low page speed might negatively impact blog rankings in search results.
Typical web hosting services give ready-made page speed solutions so bloggers don’t really need to worry about those that much.
101. Pageview
A page view is the number of times a webpage or blog post has been viewed.
A pageview counter goes up each time a user loads or reloads a page.
Pageviews are an important metric for bloggers to track. They indicate the popularity and engagement of blog posts.
102. Paid Traffic
Paid traffic refers to website visitors who visit a blog through paid ads or other paid promotional channels.
Examples of paid traffic sources include search engine ads, social media ads, display ads, and influencer marketing.
103. Panda
Panda is a popular search engine algorithm update by Google back in 2011. It was one of the major steps Google took to battle sites that tricked their way to the top of search engine results pages with bad content.
Panda reduces the ranking of low-quality or “thin” content sites in search engine results.
Panda uses a variety of factors, such as the uniqueness, relevance, and depth of the content, as well as the UX to determine which sites and posts to rank high.
104. Pay-per-click (PPC)
Pay-per-click is a type of online advertising model in which advertisers pay for each click on their advertisements.
PPC is a common strategy in search engine result page ads. PPC ads attract users who are actively searching for products or services related to a specific keyword or topic. This is also common in social media platforms.
The cost of a click varies depending on the competition for a keyword. Advertisers can set a budget for their PPC campaigns to control costs.
105. Payment Gateway
A payment gateway allows bloggers to accept online payments securely.
A payment gateway serves as an intermediary between the customer, the merchant, and the bank that processes the payment.
Payment gateways accept a variety of payment methods. These include credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets. They can also integrate with various e-commerce platforms and shopping carts.
Payment gateways use encryption and other security measures to protect sensitive customer data and prevent fraud.
Payment gateways typically charge a fee for each transaction, which can vary depending on the volume and value of transactions processed.
106. Penguin
Penguin is another popular search algorithm made by Google back in 2012.
The Penguin update penalizes websites that engage in spammy link-building practices and other forms of manipulative SEO techniques.
The Penguin update uses an array of factors to evaluate the quality of a blog’s backlinks, such as relevance, authority, and diversity.
Websites with natural and relevant backlinks from authoritative sources are more likely to rank higher in search engine result pages after Penguin.
On the other hand, sites with spammy or low-quality backlinks may see a drop in rankings.
107. Permalink
A permalink is a URL of a blog post.
It’s a permanent link that provides an access to a specific piece of content, like a blog post or website.
Permalinks should be short, descriptive, and easy to remember.
For example, look at the URL of this post you’re reading right now. It’s short yet it perfectly describes the content.
108. Plugin
A plugin is an external software component.
In the blogging context, a blog author can use plugins to extend their website’s functionality and add new features.
Most blogs are built with WordPress. Out of the box, WordPress comes with useful features, but there are many things that the platform lacks.
This is where plugins come in handy.
Typical blogs have 10-30 plugins for different kinds of use cases (such as newsletters, theme builders, antispam software, analytics, and more).
109. Privacy Policy
A privacy policy is a legal document that outlines how a blogger collects, uses, and protects the personal information of its visitors.
A privacy policy typically includes information like what kind of data is collected, how it is stored and protected, who has access to the data, and how the data is used.
A privacy policy is an essential component of practically every modern-day website. If a blog uses analytics software, a newsletter plugin, or even allows comments, it should have a privacy policy page.
110. Product Review
A product review is a blog post that provides an opinion of a particular product, service, or brand.
A typical product review blog post has sponsored links to the product in question. This way, if the reader decides to purchase a product based on the review, the author gets a commission.
Product reviews are one of the best ways to monetize a blog. The main types of product reviews are:
- Review posts. For example, “XYZ Review: Is It Worth It?”
- Roundup posts. For example, “Best XYZ Products of 2023 (Ranked & Reviewed)”
- Alternative posts. “Best XYZ Alternatives of 2023 (Ranked & Reviewed)”
These types of review posts are where most blogs get most of their income.
111. RSS
RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication”.
It’s a technology that makes it easy to distribute and share content online.
RSS allows users to subscribe to a website’s feed, which automatically delivers new content or updates directly to the user’s feed reader or aggregator.
112. Redirect
A redirect is a technique that sends visitors from one URL to another.
A typical use case for a redirect is when a blog post has been deleted. In this case, a blogger might redirect the visitors to the homepage or to the new version of the post.
There are several types of redirects, including 301, 302, and meta refresh redirects, each of which functions slightly differently.
Properly implemented redirects improve user experience, reduce bounce rates, and ensure search engines correctly index a website’s content.
113. Referral Traffic
Referral traffic refers to visitors who arrive at a blog through external links from other websites or online platforms. This can mean social media platforms, online directories, blogs, or other websites that link to the target site.
114. Responsive Design
Responsive design refers to a website design approach that wants to make sure the site’s layout and content adapt to the user’s device and screen size.
This means that the website will look good and function properly on all devices, whether it’s a desktop, a tablet, or a smartphone.
115. Retargeting
Retargeting is an advertisement strategy that targets users who have previously interacted with a website or brand.
When a user visits a website, a cookie is placed on their device (with their consent), allowing the website to track their activity.
If a user leaves the site without making a purchase (or completing a desired action), retargeting campaigns trigger and display ads to that user on other sites they visit.
116. Return on Investment (ROI)
Return on Investment (ROI) measures the profitability of an investment.
You can calculate ROI by dividing the return from the investment by the cost of the investment. The result is a percentage (or a ratio).
A positive ROI means that the investment has generated a profit, while a negative ROI indicates a loss.
By calculating ROI, businesses can assess the effectiveness of their investments and make data-driven decisions about where to allocate resources in the future.
117. Rich Snippet
A rich snippet is a search result that includes additional information (beyond the standard title, URL, and meta description).
Rich snippets can display a variety of content types, including images, ratings, reviews, pricing, and product availability.
They provide users with more context and information about the search result, which in turn increases click-through rates and improves UX.
Google crawls each blog post and looks for potential rich snippets. It can sometimes do this automatically but usually needs help from the blog author in the form of schema markup.
118. Robots.txt
Robots.txt is a file that website owners set up to inform web crawlers and search engines which pages and posts to include/exclude from the index.
It’s a plain text file that lives in the root directory of a website. The file contains instructions for search engine bots, such as Googlebot, on which pages or sections of the site to crawl or exclude from crawling.
By specifying robots.txt, website owners can prevent search engines from indexing specific pages, such as duplicate content or pages with sensitive information. The robots.txt file can even instruct bots to crawl only certain parts of the website.
WordPress and other CMSes offer easy ways to interact with the robots.txt file. A typical blog owner doesn’t even need to even know such a file exists—all the settings are adjustable easily in the admin view of the page.
119. SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
It’s the practice of optimizing web pages to improve their rankings on search engines.
Some SEO techniques include keyword analysis, improving title tags and meta descriptions, improving site speed, and such.
Back in the day, SEO was hard and technical because you had to understand how Google’s algorithm works.
These days, there’s not much bloggers need to worry about when it comes to SEO.
The technical aspects are taken care of by the theme builder/CMS. The bloggers’ duty is to write quality content and use common sense.
120. SSL
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer.
An SSL certificate is what enables blogs to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
SSL is a technology that encrypts data transmitted between a website and its visitors. This ensures no sensitive data is vulnerable to attacks.
SSL certificates are issued by trusted third-party certificate authorities and are installed on web servers to enable SSL encryption.
When a website has an SSL certificate installed, it is identified by a padlock icon and “HTTPS” in the URL instead of “HTTP”.
121. Schema Markup
Schema markup is structured data that helps search engines know more about blog content. It’s basically a simple piece of JSON-like code data that’s embedded into the blog’s HTML content.
Schema markup helps describe different types of content, such as products, recipes, events, or organizations.
Schema markup helps generate rich snippets. These display additional information in search results, such as ratings, reviews, and pricing.
Sometimes Google can determine this data on its own.
Common formats for schema markup include JSON-LD, RDFa, and microdata.
122. Search Intent
Search intent is the reason behind a user’s online search query. It’s the motivation or goal that drives someone to type a specific keyword or phrase into a search engine.
Understanding search intent is important for bloggers. It helps create content that matches the needs and expectations of its target audience. This means providing better value and potentially even ranking higher on search results.
123. Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
A search engine results page (SERP) is a page that a search engine shows in response to a search query.
SERP is a list of organic search results, as well as other types of content such as paid ads, featured snippets, knowledge panels, and local listings.
124. Sitemap
A sitemap is a list of pages on a website. It helps search engines like Google to find and crawl all the pages on a blog.
A blog owner can submit a sitemap to search engines to streamline the ranking process.
125. Skyscraper Technique
The Skyscraper Technique means creating high-quality, linkable content by analyzing and improving upon existing popular content in a specific niche.
The idea is to find content that is already successful, create something ten times better, and then reach out to the websites that have linked to the original content to promote the new content.
The technique is called “skyscraper” because it involves creating something bigger, better, and more impressive than what already exists—like building a taller skyscraper.
The Skyscraper Technique can help increase website traffic, improve search engine rankings, and generate backlinks to your site.
126. Slug
A slug is part of a URL that identifies a specific page or post on a website. It’s usually part of the URL that comes after the domain name and the forward slash (/).
Slugs are important because they provide a readable and descriptive URL that can help users understand what the page or post is about.
They also help search engines understand the content of the page or post and improve its visibility in search results.
A good slug should be concise, descriptive, and contain relevant keywords related to the content of the page or post.
127. Social Sharing Buttons
Social sharing buttons are small icons or buttons on a website. These buttons allow visitors to share the content they just consumed with others in their social media network.
128. Spell Checker
Spell checker is a software that checks the spelling of words in a document or text input field.
It identifies and highlights misspelled words and suggests corrections for them.
Spell check is commonly used in word processing programs, email clients, web browsers, and other applications that involve writing or text input.
One of the go-to grammar checkers is Grammarly. This tool analyzes blog content and suggests fixes while writing the post. This helps bloggers focus less on style/grammar issues and more on providing value.
129. Sponsored Post
A sponsored post is a blog post created by a publisher or influencer for a brand or advertiser, in exchange for compensation. Sponsored posts are common in influencer marketing and content marketing to promote a product or service to the influencer’s audience.
The content of a sponsored post can vary, but typically includes a mention or endorsement of the brand, product, or service being promoted.
Sponsored posts can appear on social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, and other channels. It’s important for influencers and publishers to disclose that a post is sponsored to avoid misleading their audience.
Unfortunately, these days, most sponsored post requests are illegitimate.
They offer $10-$100 for publishing a post but they ask to not disclose it as a sponsored post. This is to trick Google to think that it’s a genuine post, not a sponsored one to make their site rank higher.
130. Tag
A tag is a descriptive label that describes a blog post to help categorize and organize content on a website.
Tags typically show up on a blog post or in a tag widget. Those are usually clickable links that allow users to view other posts that have the same tag.
131. Testimonial
A testimonial is an endorsement from a satisfied customer or user of a product or service. These build credibility and trust with potential customers and visitors.
Blog testimonials can take an array of forms, including written quotes, video testimonials, case studies, and customer reviews.
It’s important for blogs to obtain truthful and genuine testimonials, though. To avoid misleading customers, a blogger must disclose any material connections between the company and the endorsers t.
132. Theme
A theme defines the overall look and style of a website or blog.
A theme includes a pre-designed layout, color scheme, typography, and other design elements. These are customizable to the full extent to meet specific blogging needs and goals.
Themes help create a visually appealing and consistent design for a website without having to start from scratch.
133. Thin Content
Thin content is content with little or no value to readers with no useful information.
Thin content refers to blog posts with duplicate content, low-quality content, scraped content or automatically generated content.
The state-of-the-art AI writing tools are notoriously good at generating thin content.
Thin content is typically no accident. Black hat SEOs write thin content to manipulate search engine rankings by targeting specific keywords to trick Google and other SEs to rank their (clients’) pages higher.
Luckily, search engines like Google penalize websites with thin content. To avoid thin content, it’s important to create original, high-quality content that provides value.
134. Traffic
Traffic refers to the number of visitors or users who access a web page within a period of time.
Traffic is a key metric for measuring the popularity, reach, and engagement of a website.
Bloggers can use traffic to analyze and improve website performance. Website traffic can come from various sources, such as organic search, social media, referrals, direct visits, or paid advertising.
135. Unique Visitor
A unique visitor is a single user who visits a site or posts within a given period of time, regardless of how many times they visit or how many pages they view.
Unique visitors metric measures the size and reach of a website. It provides an accurate number of individual users who visit a site.
Unique visitors can be identified by their IP address, browser cookies, or other tracking technologies.
Analyzing unique visitor data can provide insights into user behavior and engagement. It can help improve website design, content, and marketing strategies to better target and retain users.
136. User experience (UX)
User experience (UX) refers to the overall experience that a user has when interacting with a site or blog.
UX encompasses various aspects of user engagement, such as usability, accessibility, desirability, and utility. UX design focuses on creating digital experiences that are intuitive, efficient, enjoyable, and satisfying for users.
WordPress and other blogging tools come with built-in themes and designs made by professionals. Thus, bloggers don’t have to understand much about UX—it’s already been built for them.
137. User interface (UI)
The user interface (UI) is the graphical element of a blog that allows users to interact with it.
UI includes elements such as buttons, menus, forms, icons, and visual design elements that facilitate user navigation, interaction, and feedback.
Similar to UX, bloggers usually don’t have to focus on UI because ready-made solutions exist and are usually free.
138. Viral
Viral refers means spreading like a virus.
It’s a phenomenon where content, such as a video, image, or post, spreads rapidly and widely through social media—often through sharing or reposting.
139. Web Hosting
Web hosting is a service that provides storage space and access to websites.
Web hosting companies maintain servers and other infrastructure to store and deliver website files, data, and content to users through the internet.
Depending on the web hosting plan, it might also include other features, such as domain registration, email hosting, and website security.
140. Webinar
A webinar is a live, interactive online event.
It allows people to participate in a virtual presentation, lecture, or workshop from anywhere in the world.
Webinars typically use video conferencing or webinar software to deliver the content. They typically allow participants to ask questions, provide feedback, and interact with the presenter and other attendees in real-time.
Webinars are useful for purposes like training, education, marketing, and sales.
141. WordPress.org
WordPress.org (not WordPress.com) is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) used to create and manage websites and blogs.
WordPress is one of the most popular CMS platforms in the world. It powers a large chunk of blogs and websites on the internet.
WordPress offers a user-friendly interface, customizable themes and plugins, and a vast community of developers and users.
WordPress is capable of creating all kinds of websites, such as blogs, portfolios, e-commerce stores, and business websites.
With its flexibility, scalability, and ease of use, WordPress is a popular choice for individuals and businesses looking to establish a strong online presence.
142. XML
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a popular structured markup language, similar to HTML.
It encodes documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.
XML is reminiscent of HTML.
XML is good for creating structured data that is shareable across different systems and platforms, such as web pages, RSS feeds, and APIs.
143. YMYL
YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life. It’s a term used by Google to refer to certain types of web pages or content that can have a significant impact on a user’s well-being (health, safety, finances).
Examples of YMYL content include pages related to financial advice, medical information, legal information, news, current events, and so on.
Google applies stricter standards for ranking YMYL content, and requires such content to be written by experts, be trustworthy, and have high-quality standards.
This way Google ensures users can find accurate information related to potentially life-changing decisions.
Websites that provide YMYL content should follow best practices for content creation, such as providing clear and accurate information, citing reputable sources, and avoiding misleading or deceptive practices.
Thanks for reading. Happy blogging!