Web design, SEO & Google Ads glossary.
Plain-English definitions of the website, SEO, Google Ads and analytics terms you’ll hear from agencies, developers and Google itself, with links to where each one matters for your business.
Websites & development.
CMS (content management system)
Software that lets you edit a website’s pages without code. WordPress is the most common. Learn more.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s measurements of real-world page experience: how fast the main content loads (LCP), how quickly the page responds to taps (INP) and how much the layout shifts while loading (CLS). Learn more.
CDN (content delivery network)
A network of servers around the world that stores copies of your site’s files so pages load quickly wherever visitors are.
Responsive design
A layout that adapts to any screen size, from a phone to a wide monitor, from a single website.
Staging site
A private copy of your website used to build and test changes before they go live. Learn more.
301 redirect
A permanent forward from an old web address to a new one. It sends visitors and search engines to the right page and carries most of the old page’s ranking value with it. Learn more.
SSL certificate
The security certificate that puts the padlock and https:// on your site and encrypts data between visitors and your server. Learn more.
Managed hosting
Website hosting where the provider handles updates, backups, caching and security rather than just renting server space. Learn more.
WCAG
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the standard used to judge whether a website is usable by people with disabilities. Learn more.
Progressive web app (PWA)
A website that behaves like an app: it can be installed on a phone’s home screen, work offline and send notifications. Learn more.
MVP (minimum viable product)
The smallest version of an app or product that delivers real value, built to launch quickly and learn from real users. Learn more.
API
A defined way for two pieces of software to talk to each other, such as a website pulling inventory from a business system. Learn more.
SEO & local search.
SEO (search engine optimization)
Improving a website so it shows up higher in unpaid search results for the searches your customers make. Learn more.
Local SEO
SEO focused on searches with local intent, such as “near me” or a city name, where the map pack and your Google Business Profile matter as much as your website. Learn more.
Map pack
The map and list of (usually) three businesses Google shows for local searches, above most regular results. Learn more.
Google Business Profile
Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, formerly called Google My Business: name, hours, reviews, photos, posts and more. Learn more.
Service-area business
A business that serves customers at their location, such as a plumber or pool service. Google lets these businesses hide their address and list service areas instead. Learn more.
Citation (NAP)
Any online listing of your business name, address and phone number. Consistent citations help search engines trust your business details. Learn more.
Organic results
The unpaid search results, as opposed to ads.
Search Console
Google’s free tool that shows which searches your site appears for, average positions, clicks and indexing problems. Learn more.
Indexing
Google adding a page to its search index. A page that isn’t indexed can’t appear in search results. Learn more.
Schema markup
Structured data added to a page’s code that tells search engines exactly what the page describes: a business, a service, an FAQ or an event. Learn more.
Backlink
A link to your site from another website. Relevant links from trusted local and industry sites help rankings.
Keyword cannibalization
When several pages on the same site target the same search, so they compete with each other instead of one page ranking well.
AI search optimization (GEO)
Making your business easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews to find, understand and recommend. Learn more.
Google Ads & PPC.
PPC (pay-per-click)
Advertising where you pay when someone clicks your ad. Google Ads is the largest PPC platform. Learn more.
Google Ads (formerly AdWords)
Google’s advertising platform for search, Shopping, YouTube, display and Performance Max ads. It was renamed from Google AdWords in 2018. Learn more.
Local Services Ads
Pay-per-lead ads at the top of many local service searches, with the Google Verified badge (formerly Google Guaranteed and Google Screened). Learn more.
Performance Max
An automated Google Ads campaign type that runs across Search, Maps, YouTube, Display and Gmail from one budget. Learn more.
CPC (cost per click)
What you pay, on average, each time someone clicks your ad. Learn more.
Conversion
An action that counts as a result, such as a call, form submission, booking or purchase.
Conversion rate
The share of clicks or visits that turn into conversions.
Cost per lead (CPL)
Total ad spend divided by the number of leads it produced. The number most local businesses should manage to. Learn more.
Quality Score
Google’s 1–10 rating of how relevant your keyword, ad and landing page are. Higher scores usually mean lower costs.
Negative keyword
A word or phrase you tell Google not to show your ads for, such as “jobs” or “free.” Learn more.
Match type
The setting that controls how closely a search must match your keyword for your ad to show: broad, phrase or exact.
Search terms report
The list of actual searches that triggered your ads, used to find new keywords and wasted spend. Learn more.
Remarketing
Showing ads to people who have already visited your website.
Analytics & tracking.
GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
Google’s current analytics platform for measuring website visits, sources and conversions. Learn more.
Google Tag Manager
A tool for adding and managing tracking codes, such as Google Ads conversion tags, without editing the website’s code each time. Learn more.
Call tracking
Recording which ads, keywords or pages lead to phone calls, so calls can be counted as conversions. Learn more.
Engagement rate & bounce rate
In GA4, an engaged session lasts longer than 10 seconds, views two or more pages or includes a conversion. Engagement rate is the share of sessions that were engaged; bounce rate is the share that weren’t. Learn more.