The Local SEO Glossary

Learning about SEO but feeling lost between the acronyms and terms? Don't panic.

Here is your pocket dictionary to finally understand what tutorials, your web developer, or Google are telling you.

SEO words, concepts, and acronyms explained

👀 Visibility Basics

Understanding how Google works.

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): All the techniques that help your website (or a page) appear higher in Google results, excluding ads, when someone performs a search.
• Local SEO: The same as SEO, but for local searches (e.g., "plumber London", "hairdresser near me") and therefore targeted at a specific geographic area.
• Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business): Your company's free profile on Google. It groups your key information (address, hours, phone, reviews) and appears on Google Maps and in search results.
• Local Pack (Map Pack): The display of Business Profiles in Google search results. It takes the form of a box (with or without a map) highlighting the top-ranked businesses. Being listed here is essential because these Local Pack blocks capture the majority of clicks and calls.
• SERP: Acronym for "Search Engine Results Page". It is simply the list of web pages that Google displays after a search.
• Indexing: The recording of your pages in Google's database. If a page is not indexed, it is invisible on Google, even if it is online.
• Ranking: Your position in the list of results. Being on the 1st page is good, being in the top 3 is better!
• Algorithm: Google's automated calculation system that analyzes hundreds of criteria to decide the order in which results are displayed.
• Proximity: The distance between your establishment and the customer searching. It's the #1 criterion: Google favors the closest professionals.
• Relevance: How well your business matches what the customer is asking for. If someone searches for "pizza", Google won't show a "kebab shop", even if it's next door.
• Prominence: Your popularity in Google's eyes. The more people talk about you (reviews, links, mentions), the more Google trusts you.
• "Long Tail" Keywords: Very specific searches (e.g., "Organic visagist hairdresser Los Angeles"). Fewer people type them, but those who do know exactly what they want!

🔍 Types of Search

Inside your customers' heads.

• Search Intent: The "why" behind the search. Does the user want to learn, buy, or find you specifically? Google tries to guess this intent to display the most useful answer.
• Informational Search ("I'm learning"): The user has a problem and is looking for an answer. Example: "How to unclog a sink". If you give them the solution on your blog, they will think of you when they need a plumber.
• Transactional Search ("I want to buy"): The user has decided; they have their credit card in hand or want a quote. Example: "Tire change price" or "Order pizza". This is a very valuable visit!
• Navigational Search ("I know you"): The user types your company name directly ("Patisson Bakery"). This is a sign that your word-of-mouth is working well.
• Local Search ("I'm looking here"): Often done on mobile with geolocation. The user wants a pro right away, in their city or "near me". This is where your Google Business Profile must shine.

🤝 Your Reputation and Links

What others say about you.

• Online Reputation: The global image of your company on the internet. It's a mix of your reviews, your social networks, and what is said about you in the local press.
• Customer Reviews: The ratings and comments left by your customers. They directly influence your ranking.
• Backlink: A digital citation, a clickable link on another website that directs to yours (seen as a vote of confidence by Google).
• Anchor Text: The text you click on to follow a link (often blue and underlined). Avoid "click here"; prefer "see our plumbing rates" to help Google understand.
• Mention: Any citation of your company (Name + Address + Phone) on another website, without a link.
• Citations: All the traces you leave on the web. Whether it is a clickable link (backlink) or simply your name and address (mention), each citation is additional proof for Google that your business is real and popular.
• NAP (Name, Address, Phone): Your basic contact details. They must be strictly identical everywhere on the web.
• Directory: A website listing businesses (Yellow Pages, Yelp, etc.), useful for creating citations.

💻 What's on Your website

Content and technique explained.

• Keywords: The exact terms that customers type to find you (e.g., "emergency plumber" and not "fluid craftsman").
• Responsive Website (Mobile): A website that automatically adapts to the screen size of a smartphone (indispensable today).
• Title Tag: The title of your page in blue in Google results (it's what people read first).
• Meta Description: The small gray text under the blue title, which should make people want to click.
• H1 / H2 (Headings): Like in a newspaper. The H1 is the main headline of the article, the H2s are the subheadings. A clear structure helps Google read you better. Technically, these are HTML tags that structure your content.
• URL: The exact address of your page in the browser bar. It must be simple and readable (e.g., mysite.com/menu and not mysite.com/p=123).
• Sitemap: A file that lists all the pages of your website. It helps Google robots explore and index your content more efficiently.
• Landing Page: A page designed for a single purpose: to convince the visitor to contact you, often after clicking on an ad.
• Local Landing Page: A page on your website dedicated specifically to a city (e.g., "Plumber in London"). Very effective for expanding your visibility.
• Internal Linking: The links you create between your own pages. This helps the visitor stay longer on your website and helps Google rank your different pages better.
• Duplicate Content: Having the same text on multiple pages (Google hates this!).
• Call to Action (CTA): The button or key phrase that invites the visitor to act. Examples: "Book Appointment", "Call Me", "Request a Quote".
• 404 Error: "Oops, page not found". The error code displayed when a page no longer exists or the address (URL) is incorrect.
• Loading Speed: The time your page takes to display. Every second counts: if it's too long, the customer goes to the competitor.
• HTTPS (Padlock): The small padlock next to your web address. The security protocol that encrypts data between the user's browser and your website. Google favors secure websites.
• Header: The "hat" of your website, visible on all pages. This is where your logo and menu are placed so the customer never gets lost.
• Footer: The conclusion of your website, at the very bottom. It's the ideal place to reassure one last time (legal notices, address, hours) before the visitor leaves the page.
• Structured Data (Schema.org): Small invisible labels in your website's code to help Google understand it. They tell it: "This is a local business", "This is its address". Result: your information appears better in the results!
• Canonical Tag: If two pages on your website look too similar, it designates the main page to Google to avoid confusion (and penalties).
• Noindex: A "Do Not Enter" sign for Google robots. Used on pages useless to the public (like your private login page) to keep your SEO clean and focused on the essentials.
• Robots.txt: The internal rules of your website. It is a small text file that tells Google robots: "You are allowed to visit the living room (the blog), but forbidden to enter the basement (admin files)".
• Favicon: The tiny icon (often your logo) displayed in the browser tab, next to the title. It's the final touch of your brand image.
• The Fold: The limit of what is seen on the screen without scrolling. Put your most important info (phone, button) above it!
• Alt Text (Alt Tag): A short description of your images. Useful for the visually impaired, it also helps Google "see" what your photos show.

📈 Numbers and Ads

Measuring your success.

• Search Volume: The average number of people typing a keyword each month. This helps you know if a term is worth working on.
• Google Analytics: Google's free dashboard that counts everything: how many visitors, where they come from, and how long they stay. Analytics studies your visitors (what they do on your website).
• Google Search Console: Your website's technical health record. It is the indispensable free tool for communicating with Google: it warns you of bugs and shows you exactly which keywords your website shows up for. Search Console studies your website in the search engine (how Google sees you).
• Paid Search (SEA / Ads / PPC): Advertising announcements (marked "Sponsored") where you pay for each click.
• Organic Traffic: Visitors who arrive on your website naturally, without you having paid for their click.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who take a real action (call you or ask for a quote).
• Bounce Rate: When a visitor arrives on your website and leaves immediately without looking at anything else. It is often a sign that they didn't find what they were looking for.
• Impressions: The number of times your website appeared before a user's eyes in the results, even if they didn't click.
• CTR (Click-Through Rate): The art of seduction. Out of 100 people who see your link, how many click? If this number is high, your title is appealing.
• Cost Per Click (CPC): In advertising, this is the price you pay only when a user clicks on your ad. No click = no expense.
• Leads: The ultimate goal. It's no longer a simple visitor, it's a commercial contact (a call, a filled form). It's a future customer raising their hand.
• ROI (Return on Investment): The ultimate judge. For $1 spent on time or ads, how many dollars did you earn? If it's positive, keep going!
• UTM: A small "tracker" added to the end of a link. It allows you to know exactly where a visitor comes from (from your Google profile, an email, or Facebook).

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

Your new digital assistant.

• Prompt: The instruction you give to the AI. This is the key to success: the more specific your request ("Act like an expert plumber..."), the better the answer. It is the art of knowing how to ask.
• LLM (Large Language Model): The technology behind generative AIs (like GPT). It is trained on huge volumes of text to understand and generate content.
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): The futuristic cousin of SEO. It is the art of optimizing your content so that it is cited as a reference when someone asks a question directly to ChatGPT or Google's new AI.
• SGE (AI Overviews): The new way Google answers. Instead of a list of blue links, an AI sometimes generates a complete summary of the answer at the very top of the page. Your new goal? To be the source cited in this summary!
• Hallucination: The big flaw of AI. Sometimes, it invents facts or figures with great confidence. Golden rule: always proofread before publishing!
• Chatbot: A small dialogue software on your website. It welcomes your visitors 24/7 to answer simple questions (hours, rates) while you are out in the field.

What to remember

No need to learn everything by heart! Use this list as a cheat sheet when you are in doubt. The essential thing is to understand that everything is linked: your website's technique, your reputation, and your local presence.

Move from theory to concrete results.

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