Glossary

53 SEO, AI search, web design and lead generation terms, defined in plain English for business owners.

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301 redirect

A permanent redirect that sends visitors and search engines from an old URL to a new one and passes along most of the old page's ranking value. 301s are essential when you redesign a site, change URLs or merge pages; without them, old links and bookmarks hit error pages and rankings drop. Redirect each old URL to the closest matching new page, not everything to the home page. When we rebuilt this site we redirected about 4,700 old URLs so their links kept value.

Guide: Website Redesign Without Losing SEO: Step-by-Step Guide. Related: Canonical tag, Backlink, Indexing

A

AI Mode

A conversational search experience in Google where users ask questions and follow-ups and get AI-written answers with links, instead of a standard results page. AI Mode is separate from AI Overviews: it is its own tab or view built for longer, multi-step questions. It draws on Google's index and other Google data, so the same basics apply: be indexed, be clear, and have consistent, trusted business information. Expect it to send fewer but more informed visitors.

Guide: Google AI Mode: What It Is and What Businesses Should Do. Related: AI Overviews, Generative engine optimization (GEO), Answer engine optimization (AEO)

AI Overviews

AI-generated summaries Google shows at the top of some search results, with links to the web pages the answer draws on. AI Overviews appear mostly on question and research searches, less often on plain "near me" searches where the map pack leads. Google picks sources from its normal index, and says no special markup is required. Clear, answer-first pages with real facts give you the best chance of being cited.

Guide: Google AI Overviews: What They Are and How to Get Cited. Related: AI Mode, Generative engine optimization (GEO), Answer engine optimization (AEO)

Anchor text

The clickable words in a link, which help search engines understand what the linked page is about. Natural anchor text varies: your business name, your web address, "click here" and descriptive phrases. Many links with the exact same keyword-rich anchor look manipulative and can attract a Google penalty. On your own site, use clear, descriptive anchors in internal links.

Guide: Link Building Services for Local Businesses: What Works. Related: Backlink, Internal linking, PBN (private blog network)

Answer engine optimization (AEO)

Structuring content so search engines and AI assistants can lift a direct answer from it, for featured snippets, voice answers and AI responses. In practice AEO and GEO overlap heavily, and many people use the terms interchangeably. The core habit is simple: put a short, direct answer at the top of the page and restate the key facts at the end. Pages written for real customer questions tend to perform well in both regular and AI search.

Guide: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): A Practical Guide. Related: Generative engine optimization (GEO), FAQ schema, AI Overviews

B

Backlink

A link from another website to yours, which search engines treat as a sign that your site is trusted or useful. For local businesses the best links usually come from real relationships: suppliers, partners, sponsorships, local news and industry associations. One relevant local link can be worth more than many from unrelated sites. Buying links or joining link schemes breaks Google's spam policies.

Guide: Link Building Services for Local Businesses: What Works. Related: Anchor text, Domain authority, PBN (private blog network), Prominence

C

Call tracking

Using unique phone numbers for different ads, pages or channels so you can see which marketing produced each phone call. For service businesses most leads come by phone, so without call tracking you cannot tell which channel is working. Good systems also record calls and show missed calls. Use the tracking number carefully on your Google Business Profile, keeping your main number listed as well, so your NAP stays consistent.

Guide: Call Tracking for Small Business: How It Works and Setup. Related: Dynamic number insertion, NAP, Cost per lead (CPL), Speed to lead

Canonical tag

A tag in a page's code that tells search engines which URL is the main version when the same or similar content exists at several addresses. Canonical tags stop duplicate URLs, such as tracking-parameter versions or http and https copies, from splitting your ranking signals. Google treats the tag as a strong hint, not a command. Every indexable page should point to itself or to the one true version.

Guide: Technical SEO for Business Websites: A Plain-English Checklist. Related: 301 redirect, Indexing, Keyword cannibalization

Citation

Any online mention of your business name, address and phone number, such as a directory listing, social profile or local news mention. Citations on trusted sites help confirm to Google and AI tools that your business is real and where it operates. Consistency matters more than volume: a few accurate listings on major directories and industry sites beat hundreds of low-quality ones. Cleaning up duplicates and outdated details is often worth more than adding new listings.

Guide: What Are Citations in SEO? Local Citations and NAP Explained. Related: NAP, Google Business Profile, Prominence

Close variants

Searches Google treats as the same keyword, such as misspellings, plurals or reworded phrases like "web design Austin" and "website design Austin". Google often reports one shared search volume for a group of close variants, so adding them together double-counts demand. In Google Ads, keywords can also match close variants of the words you bid on. Build one strong page for the group rather than a separate page for each variant.

Guide: Keyword Research for Local Businesses: A Demand-First Method. Related: Search volume, Keyword cannibalization, Keyword intent

Conversion rate

The share of visitors who take the action you want, such as calling, booking or submitting a quote form. Conversion rate is often the cheapest number to improve: doubling it halves your cost per lead without buying any more traffic. Speed, a clear offer, visible phone numbers, reviews and a short form all affect it. Measure it per page and per channel, with calls counted, not just forms.

Guide: Landing Page Examples and Best Practices for Local Services. Related: Landing page, Cost per lead (CPL), Call tracking

Core Web Vitals

Google's three page-experience measurements: Largest Contentful Paint (loading), Interaction to Next Paint (responsiveness) and Cumulative Layout Shift (visual stability). Google's "good" thresholds are LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP of 200 milliseconds or less and CLS of 0.1 or less. They are a minor ranking signal, but a slow or jumpy page loses calls from people on phones. Large images, heavy page builders and too many scripts are the usual causes on small business sites.

Guide: Core Web Vitals: Website Speed for Small Business Sites. Related: Landing page, Conversion rate, Mobile-first indexing

Cost per click (CPC)

The amount an advertiser pays each time someone clicks a paid search ad; keyword data tools report the typical CPC for each search. CPC is set by an auction, so it rises with competition and how much a customer is worth. It is also a useful gauge of how valuable organic traffic for that search is. In our data an "emergency plumber" click averages $74.89 (Google search data via DataForSEO, US, November 2026).

Guide: How Much Do Google Ads Cost? Real CPC Data for 16 Trades. Related: Google Ads, Cost per lead (CPL), Keyword intent, Conversion rate

Cost per lead (CPL)

What you spend on a channel divided by the number of leads (calls, forms, messages) it produced. Cost per lead lets you compare channels that charge differently: per click, per lead, per month or per call. A cheap lead that never books is not cheap, so track cost per booked job too. Your CPL falls when either your traffic costs less or your conversion rate rises.

Guide: Pay Per Lead vs Pay Per Call: Which Should You Buy?. Related: Cost per click (CPC), Conversion rate, Exclusive lead, Pay per call

Crawl budget

The number of pages a search engine is willing and able to crawl on a site within a given time. Google says crawl budget is mainly a concern for very large sites or sites that create huge numbers of URLs, so most local business sites never hit a limit. It becomes relevant when filters, tags or auto-generated pages create thousands of near-duplicate URLs. Keeping the site lean helps Google spend its time on pages that matter.

Guide: Technical SEO for Business Websites: A Plain-English Checklist. Related: Indexing, robots.txt, XML sitemap

D

Domain authority

A score from SEO tool vendors, such as Moz's Domain Authority, that estimates how strong a site's backlink profile is; it is not a Google metric. Similar vendor scores include Ahrefs' Domain Rating and Semrush's Authority Score, and each is calculated differently. Google has said it does not use these scores. They are handy for comparing sites roughly, but chasing a higher number is not a goal; earning relevant links is.

Doorway page

A page created mainly to rank for a specific search and funnel visitors elsewhere, such as near-identical city pages with only the city name swapped. Google's spam policies name doorway pages as a violation, and mass-produced city pages can drag down a whole site. City pages are fine when each one carries real local detail and a genuine reason to exist. Fewer, more complete pages are safer than hundreds of templated ones.

Guide: Why we replaced 4,000 city pages with fewer, deeper ones. Related: Topical authority, Keyword cannibalization, Landing page

Dynamic number insertion

A call-tracking script that swaps the phone number shown on your website based on how each visitor arrived, such as from Google Ads or organic search. Dynamic number insertion lets you attribute calls to a channel, campaign or even keyword without printing different numbers everywhere. Search engines and visitors who arrive directly still see your main number, which protects NAP consistency. It needs a pool of numbers large enough for your traffic.

Guide: Call Tracking for Small Business: How It Works and Setup. Related: Call tracking, NAP, Conversion rate

E

E-E-A-T

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness: the qualities Google's search quality rater guidelines use to judge content. E-E-A-T is not a single ranking score; it describes what Google's systems aim to reward. For a local business it shows up as real photos of your work, named people with real credentials, licenses, genuine reviews and accurate, specific content. Trust matters most, especially for health, legal and money topics.

Exclusive lead

A lead sold or delivered to only one business, so you are not competing with other companies for the same customer. Exclusive leads usually cost more than shared ones but tend to close at a higher rate because the customer is only talking to you. Leads from your own website, profile and ads are exclusive by nature. When buying leads, get the exclusivity terms in writing.

Guide: Exclusive vs Shared Leads: Which Is Better for Your Business?. Related: Shared lead, Cost per lead (CPL), Pay per call

F

FAQ schema

FAQPage structured data that marks up the questions and answers on a page so search engines can read them as a Q&A list. Since 2023 Google shows FAQ rich results only for a small set of well-known, authoritative government and health sites, so most businesses will not get the expanded FAQ display. The markup is still valid and helps machines read your answers clearly. Only use it for questions and answers that appear on the page.

Guide: Schema Markup for Local Businesses: What to Add and How. Related: Schema markup, Structured data, Answer engine optimization (AEO)

G

Generative engine optimization (GEO)

Making your business and content easy for AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI features to find, understand and cite. GEO builds on regular SEO rather than replacing it. The main levers are answer-first content, clear facts about who you are and where you work, consistent listings, genuine third-party mentions, and letting AI crawlers access your site. There is no way to pay for a citation, and results are harder to measure than Google rankings.

Guide: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): A Practical Guide. Related: Answer engine optimization (AEO), AI Overviews, AI Mode, llms.txt

Google Ads

Google's advertising platform, where businesses bid to show ads in search results, Maps, YouTube and partner sites and usually pay per click. Search ads put you at the top of results right away, which makes them useful while SEO builds. The cost depends on your trade, city, competition and ad quality. Track calls and form leads, not just clicks, to know whether ads are paying for themselves.

Guide: How Much Do Google Ads Cost? Real CPC Data for 16 Trades. Related: Cost per click (CPC), Local Services Ads, Landing page, Call tracking

Google Business Profile

Google's free business listing (formerly Google My Business) that shows your business in Maps, the local pack and the knowledge panel. Your profile holds your name, categories, hours, services, service area, photos and reviews. It is the single most important asset for showing up in map results, and it is often the first thing a customer sees before calling you. Keep it accurate, choose the right primary category and keep earning genuine reviews.

Guide: Google Business Profile Optimization: Field-by-Field Guide. Related: Local pack, NAP, Service-area business, Online reviews

I

Indexing

Google storing a page in its search index after crawling it, which is required before the page can appear in any search result. A page that is not indexed cannot rank, be cited in AI Overviews or bring you calls. Common blockers are noindex tags, robots.txt rules, duplicate content and thin pages Google chooses to skip. The Page indexing report in Google Search Console shows which of your pages are in and why others are not.

Guide: Technical SEO for Business Websites: A Plain-English Checklist. Related: Crawl budget, XML sitemap, robots.txt, Canonical tag

Internal linking

Links from one page on your website to another page on the same site. Internal links help Google find your pages, understand how they relate and decide which ones matter most. They also guide visitors from a guide to the service page where they can call you. Link each service page to its related city pages and back, using descriptive anchor text.

K

Keyword cannibalization

When several pages on the same site target the same search, so they compete with each other and none ranks as well as one strong page would. It often happens when a business builds separate pages for close variants, like "roof repair Dallas" and "Dallas roof repairs". Google has to guess which page to show and may switch between them. Merge overlapping pages into one and 301 redirect the others.

Keyword intent

The goal behind a search: to learn something, find a specific site, compare options, or hire or buy now. "Emergency plumber" signals someone ready to call; "how to unclog a drain" signals someone trying to do it themselves. Matching each page to one clear intent helps it rank and convert. Advertisers usually pay more for high-intent searches, which shows up in cost per click.

Guide: Keyword Research for Local Businesses: A Demand-First Method. Related: Search volume, Cost per click (CPC), Landing page

L

Landing page

The page a visitor lands on after clicking an ad or search result, ideally built around one service and one action such as call or request a quote. A focused landing page that matches the search, shows proof and makes calling easy turns more clicks into jobs. Sending paid clicks to a generic home page usually wastes money. Keep the phone number and quote form visible without scrolling on mobile.

Guide: Landing Page Examples and Best Practices for Local Services. Related: Conversion rate, Core Web Vitals, Cost per lead (CPL), Title tag

llms.txt

A proposed plain-text file at a site's root that gives AI tools a short, curated guide to the site's most important pages. llms.txt is a community proposal, not an official standard, and no major AI search provider has confirmed that it relies on it; Google has said it does not use it. It is cheap to add and does no harm, but it will not make up for weak content. Letting AI crawlers through robots.txt matters far more.

Guide: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): A Practical Guide. Related: robots.txt, Generative engine optimization (GEO), XML sitemap

Local pack

The block of map results, usually three businesses, that Google shows near the top of the page for searches with local intent. For searches like "plumber near me", the local pack often sits above the regular organic results, so it gets a large share of calls and clicks. Google picks the businesses mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. You rank in it through your Google Business Profile, not your website alone, though a strong website helps.

Guide: Google Local Pack: How to Rank in the Map Pack. Related: Google Business Profile, Proximity (distance), Prominence, Relevance

Local SEO

The work of getting a business found in Google Maps, the local pack and local organic results when people nearby search for its services. Local SEO covers your Google Business Profile, consistent listings, reviews, and service and city pages on your website. For a business that serves a set area, it is usually the cheapest steady source of calls because you are not paying for each click. Results build over months, not days.

Guide: What Is Local SEO? How It Works in 2026. Related: Local pack, Google Business Profile, NAP, Citation

Local Services Ads

Google ads for local service businesses that appear at the top of some searches and charge per lead rather than per click. Businesses go through Google's screening and verification and can earn badges such as Google Guaranteed or Google Screened. You pay for qualifying calls or messages, and Google has a process to dispute some invalid leads. Which trades are eligible and what leads cost vary by category and area.

Guide: Google Local Services Ads: How LSAs Work and Who Qualifies. Related: Google Ads, Cost per lead (CPL), Online reviews, Pay per call

M

Meta description

A short summary of a page in its HTML code that search engines may show under the title in search results. Meta descriptions are not a ranking factor, but a clear one can earn more clicks by telling searchers what they will get and how to act. Google often replaces them with text from the page when it thinks that matches the search better. Write a unique one for each important page.

Guide: Title Tags and Meta Descriptions for Local Service Pages. Related: Title tag, Conversion rate

Mobile-first indexing

Google's practice of using the mobile version of a website's content to index and rank it. If your mobile site hides content, services or links that appear on desktop, Google may not count them. Most local searches happen on phones, so the mobile version is also the one customers judge you by. Make sure the mobile page carries the same content, structured data and a visible tap-to-call number.

Guide: Technical SEO for Business Websites: A Plain-English Checklist. Related: Indexing, Core Web Vitals, Landing page

N

NAP

Short for Name, Address, Phone number: the core business details that should match exactly everywhere your business is listed online. Google and other platforms compare your NAP across your website, Google Business Profile and directories to confirm who you are and where you operate. Mismatches, such as an old address or a different phone number on one directory, create doubt and can split your reviews and rankings across duplicate listings. Pick one exact format and use it everywhere.

Guide: What Are Citations in SEO? Local Citations and NAP Explained. Related: Citation, Google Business Profile, Call tracking

O

Online reviews

Customer ratings and written feedback about a business on platforms such as Google, Yelp, Facebook and industry sites. Reviews affect both rankings and whether a searcher picks you once they see you. Google lists review count and rating among the signals of prominence. Ask every happy customer, reply to reviews, and never buy or fake them: fake reviews break Google's policies and FTC rules.

Orphan page

A page on your website that no other page on the site links to. Search engines and visitors struggle to find orphan pages, so they often rank poorly or are not indexed at all, even if they appear in your sitemap. They are common after redesigns and on sites that auto-generate many location pages. Link every page you want to rank from at least one relevant page.

P

Pay per call

A pricing model where you pay a set fee for each inbound phone call that meets agreed rules, such as a minimum call length. Pay per call suits trades where customers call rather than fill in forms, such as emergency repairs. Check the contract for what counts as a billable call, how long the call must last, the service area and how disputes work. Record calls so you can judge quality yourself.

Guide: Pay Per Lead vs Pay Per Call: Which Should You Buy?. Related: Cost per lead (CPL), Exclusive lead, Call tracking, Local Services Ads

PBN (private blog network)

A group of websites, often built on expired domains, created mainly to link to a target site and manipulate its rankings. PBNs are a link scheme under Google's spam policies, and sites that rely on them risk manual actions or losing rankings when Google detects the pattern. Vendors selling cheap "high authority" links often use them. If a link offer cannot tell you which real site it is on and why that site exists, skip it.

Guide: Link Building Services for Local Businesses: What Works. Related: Backlink, Domain authority, Anchor text

Prominence

How well known and trusted a business is, judged from reviews, links, mentions, listings and its overall web presence. Prominence is one of Google's three main local ranking factors, alongside relevance and distance. Google has said review count and rating, links to your site and your position in regular web results all feed into it. It is the factor you can grow most over time with steady reviews, real local links and good content.

Guide: Google Local Pack: How to Rank in the Map Pack. Related: Relevance, Proximity (distance), Online reviews, Backlink

Proximity (distance)

How close a business is to the searcher or to the location named in the search, one of Google's three main local ranking factors. Google calls this factor distance. It is the one you control least: a business close to the searcher has an advantage in map results. That is why a business can rank first in the map pack on one side of town and not appear on the other. City and service pages on your website help you reach searchers beyond your immediate radius through organic results.

Guide: Google Local Pack: How to Rank in the Map Pack. Related: Relevance, Prominence, Local pack

R

Relevance

How well a business listing or page matches what the searcher is looking for, one of Google's three main local ranking factors. Relevance comes from your Business Profile categories, listed services, description and the content on your website. A roofer whose primary category is "Roofing contractor" and whose site has a clear roof repair page is more relevant to "roof repair near me" than one with vague details. Fill in categories and services accurately rather than stuffing keywords into your business name.

Guide: Google Local Pack: How to Rank in the Map Pack. Related: Prominence, Proximity (distance), Google Business Profile, Keyword intent

robots.txt

A text file at the root of a website that tells search engine and AI crawlers which parts of the site they may or may not crawl. robots.txt controls crawling, not indexing: a blocked page can still appear in results if other sites link to it. One wrong line can block your whole site from Google or from AI crawlers such as GPTBot and ClaudeBot. Check it after every site launch or redesign.

Guide: Technical SEO for Business Websites: A Plain-English Checklist. Related: XML sitemap, Indexing, Crawl budget, llms.txt

S

Schema markup

Code added to a web page, using the Schema.org vocabulary, that tells search engines exactly what the page describes: a business, service, review or FAQ. Schema markup does not guarantee higher rankings, but it helps Google and AI tools read your business details without guessing and can make pages eligible for rich results. For a local business the common types are LocalBusiness, Service, BreadcrumbList and FAQPage. Only mark up information that is actually visible on the page.

Guide: Schema Markup for Local Businesses: What to Add and How. Related: Structured data, FAQ schema, NAP

Search volume

The average number of times a keyword is searched per month in a given location, usually as reported by Google Ads data. Search volume shows where real demand is, so you build pages for services and cities people actually search. Google reports volumes in rounded ranges and groups close variants, so treat the numbers as estimates and never add variants together. In our data, for example, "plumber near me" shows 823,000 monthly US searches (Google search data via DataForSEO, US, November 2026).

Guide: Keyword Research for Local Businesses: A Demand-First Method. Related: Close variants, Keyword intent, Cost per click (CPC)

Service-area business

A business that serves customers at their location, such as a plumber or roofer, rather than having customers visit its premises. Google lets service-area businesses hide their street address on their Business Profile and list the areas they serve instead. You still need a real, eligible address to verify the profile, and Google's guidelines do not allow virtual offices or mailboxes. Listing service areas does not by itself make you rank across that whole area; distance from the searcher still matters.

Guide: Google Business Profile Optimization: Field-by-Field Guide. Related: Google Business Profile, Proximity (distance), NAP

Shared lead

A lead that a marketplace or lead seller sends to several competing businesses at the same time. Shared leads are cheaper per lead, but you are racing other companies to reach the customer first, so close rates are lower. They reward businesses that answer within minutes. Compare the cost per booked job, not just the price per lead, against exclusive options.

Guide: Exclusive vs Shared Leads: Which Is Better for Your Business?. Related: Exclusive lead, Speed to lead, Cost per lead (CPL)

Speed to lead

How quickly a business responds to a new inquiry, from the moment a call, form or message comes in to the first real reply. Customers who need a service often contact several businesses and hire the one who answers first. Simple systems help: answer calls live, text back missed calls automatically, route after-hours leads and alert staff instantly on form submissions. Measure your actual response times rather than guessing.

Guide: Speed to Lead: Why Fast Response Wins Local Jobs. Related: Shared lead, Call tracking, Conversion rate

Structured data

Information on a page organized in a standard machine-readable format, most often JSON-LD using the Schema.org vocabulary. Structured data is the general idea; schema markup is the most common way to do it. Google recommends JSON-LD, a block of code that sits in the page and does not change how it looks. You can check it with Google's Rich Results Test and the Search Console reports.

Guide: Schema Markup for Local Businesses: What to Add and How. Related: Schema markup, FAQ schema, Indexing

T

Title tag

The HTML element that sets a page's title, usually shown as the clickable headline in search results and in the browser tab. The title tag is one of the clearest signals of what a page is about and often decides whether a searcher clicks. For a service page, lead with the service and city, then the business name, and keep it short enough not to be cut off. Google sometimes rewrites titles that are vague, stuffed or misleading.

Guide: Title Tags and Meta Descriptions for Local Service Pages. Related: Meta description, Keyword intent, Landing page

Topical authority

The idea that a site that covers a subject thoroughly and well becomes a more trusted source for searches about that subject. Topical authority is a common SEO concept, not an official Google metric. For a local business it means covering your services in depth, answering real customer questions and linking related pages together. A few complete pages usually beat many thin ones.

Guide: Why we replaced 4,000 city pages with fewer, deeper ones. Related: Internal linking, E-E-A-T, Doorway page, Keyword cannibalization

X

XML sitemap

A file that lists the URLs on your site you want search engines to find, often with the date each page last changed. A sitemap helps Google discover new and updated pages faster, especially on new sites or pages with few internal links. It does not force Google to index anything. List only real, canonical pages that return a 200 status, and submit the sitemap in Google Search Console.

Guide: Technical SEO for Business Websites: A Plain-English Checklist. Related: robots.txt, Indexing, Canonical tag

In short

This glossary defines 53 terms used across our guides, from NAP and the local pack to AI Overviews, cost per click and speed to lead.