Google Ads, SEO and web design terms clearly explained.

A 301 redirect signals that a resource has permanently moved to another URL. It is a core tool for relaunches, migrations and URL changes.

In short: A permanent server-side redirect from one URL to another.

Digital accessibility covers areas such as keyboard operation, contrast, understandable structure, alternative text and support for assistive technologies.

In short: Designing digital experiences so they can be used by as many people as possible.

For each eligible search, Google Ads runs an auction that considers bids, quality, context and other signals to determine ad eligibility and position.

In short: The real-time process that determines which ads can appear and in what order.

Ad groups organise a Google Ads campaign into focused themes so that keywords, ads and landing pages can be kept closely aligned.

In short: A campaign level that groups related keywords and ads.

Ad Rank is recalculated for each auction and considers factors such as bid, quality, search context and the expected impact of assets.

In short: A value that helps determine whether and where an ad can appear.

AI Mode extends Google Search with more conversational generative answers and can break complex questions into multiple related searches.

In short: A Google search experience for more complex, conversational queries.

AI Overviews are generative answer areas in Google Search that can combine information from several sources and link to supporting web pages.

In short: A generative summary Google can show for selected searches.

A bid range helps indicate the scale of competition and possible click prices. Actual costs can differ because each ad auction is evaluated separately.

In short: An estimated range of possible bids for a keyword or position.

A bid strategy determines how Google Ads manages bids. Depending on the objective, it can focus on clicks, conversions, conversion value, target CPA or other outcomes.

In short: The logic Google Ads uses to set or automate bids.

A canonical link signals which URL search engines should treat as the preferred version when several pages contain identical or very similar content.

In short: A signal that identifies the preferred URL for duplicate or similar content.

CLS is a Core Web Vital for visual stability and measures unexpected movement of content that is already visible.

In short: Cumulative Layout Shift: a metric for unexpected visible layout movement.

Competition in Google Keyword Planner reflects the relative number of advertisers bidding on a term. It is not the same as organic SEO difficulty.

In short: A Keyword Planner indicator of advertiser demand for a keyword.

A conversion is a predefined action that matters to the business, for example an enquiry, purchase, phone call or booking.

In short: A defined action such as an enquiry, purchase or phone call.

A conversion goal defines which user action counts as success, for example a purchase, enquiry, phone call, download or booking.

In short: The specific action a campaign is intended to optimise for.

Conversion rate shows how often a visit or click produces the desired action. It helps evaluate campaign and landing-page effectiveness.

In short: The share of visits or clicks that result in a conversion.

Conversion value represents the economic value attributed to a measured conversion, such as revenue or an estimated average lead value.

In short: The business value assigned to a conversion.

Core Web Vitals are user-experience metrics focused on loading performance, responsiveness and visual stability.

In short: Google metrics for loading, responsiveness and visual stability.

CPA means cost per acquisition. It relates advertising spend to conversions and shows the average cost of generating a defined outcome.

In short: Cost per acquisition: the average cost of a conversion.

CPC means cost per click. In Google Ads it can refer to maximum, actual or average click costs depending on the context.

In short: Cost per click: the amount paid for an advertising click.

Crawling is the process in which search-engine bots visit URLs and read content and links before those pages can be processed for indexing.

In short: Automated retrieval of web pages by search-engine bots.

A CTA guides users towards a desired next step and can appear as a button, link or textual prompt. It should be clear, relevant and well placed.

In short: Call to action: a clear prompt such as “Contact” or “Request a quote”.

CTR compares clicks with impressions and can indicate how relevant and compelling an ad or search result is for the query.

In short: Click-through rate: the share of impressions that generate a click.

A forecast is a data-based projection. In Google Ads it can estimate clicks, costs, impressions or conversions, but it is not a guarantee of future performance.

In short: A data-based estimate of possible clicks, costs or results.

Geo-targeting controls where advertising is intended to reach users. Depending on the platform, location, interest in places and other signals may be considered.

In short: Geographic advertising targeting by country, region or location.

A Google Business Profile contains business details such as name, category, address, services, hours, photos and reviews and is central to local visibility.

In short: A free business listing that can appear in Google Search and Maps.

Google Keyword Planner supports keyword research and provides ideas, demand data and estimates for bids and costs.

In short: A Google Ads tool for keyword, demand and bid research.

Google Maps combines mapping, places and business profiles and is an important contact point for local searches, directions and business information.

In short: Google’s mapping service where business profiles and local results can appear.

Google reviews are user-submitted ratings and comments on business profiles. They influence trust and local purchasing decisions.

In short: A public star rating, optionally with text, on a Google Business Profile.

Google Search Console provides search-performance, indexing, sitemap and technical data. It is a core SEO data source but does not replace web analytics.

In short: A Google tool for search, indexing and technical website data.

hreflang helps search engines associate equivalent pages for different languages or regions and should only be used where genuine alternatives exist.

In short: An HTML signal connecting equivalent language or regional versions of a page.

HTTP status codes tell browsers and search engines how a URL request was handled, for example 200 for success, 301 for a permanent redirect and 404 for not found.

In short: A server response such as 200, 301 or 404 that describes a request outcome.

An impression is counted when an ad or search result is shown. Impressions indicate visibility but do not by themselves show clicks or conversions.

In short: A recorded display of an ad or search result.

Indexing means a search engine processes a page so it can potentially be included in the search index. An indexed page is not guaranteed to rank for every query.

In short: The processing and potential inclusion of a page in a search index.

INP is a Core Web Vital for responsiveness. It evaluates interaction latency and how quickly a page visibly responds to user input.

In short: Interaction to Next Paint: a responsiveness metric for user interactions.

JavaScript SEO focuses on crawling, rendering and indexing for JavaScript-driven websites so important content, links and metadata remain accessible to search engines.

In short: SEO for sites whose important content or links depend on JavaScript.

JSON-LD is a linked-data format widely used for structured data because it can be included separately from visible HTML markup.

In short: A JSON-based format commonly used to add structured data.

A keyword is a word or phrase associated with a search intent. In Google Ads, keywords help connect ads with relevant search queries.

In short: A word or phrase used to target search demand or advertising.

Keyword match types control how Google Ads relates keywords to search queries, including broad match, phrase match and exact match.

In short: Rules that control how closely a query must match a keyword.

A landing page is the destination after a click. It should match the search intent, communicate clearly and make the next action easy to understand.

In short: The destination page a user reaches after clicking an ad or result.

A language version provides content for a particular language. For international SEO, equivalent versions should be real pages and clearly linked rather than fragments created only by automatic translation.

In short: A dedicated page version created for users of a specific language.

Lazy loading can reduce initial data transfer and loading work by fetching resources later. Critical content and important images should not be delayed unnecessarily.

In short: Delaying media or content loading until it is close to being needed.

LCP is a Core Web Vital for perceived loading performance and measures when the largest relevant content element in the viewport is rendered.

In short: Largest Contentful Paint: when the largest visible content element renders.

A lead is a prospective customer who takes a relevant contact action, such as submitting a form, calling or requesting an appointment.

In short: A potential customer who submits an enquiry or contact details.

The Local Pack is a local search-results module that typically shows a map and several business profiles based on query, location and relevance.

In short: The local search-results block with a map and selected businesses.

Local visibility describes how prominently a business appears in local search results and Google Maps. Relevance, distance, prominence and profile quality can all matter.

In short: How easily a business can be found for location-related searches.

Localisation goes beyond translation by adapting search terms, examples, currencies, legal context and user expectations to a target market.

In short: Adapting language, content and an offer to a specific market.

Mobile First means designing and implementing for smaller displays and constrained conditions before progressively enhancing the experience for larger screens.

In short: An approach that prioritises mobile use and small screens first.

Negative keywords prevent ads from appearing for specified search queries and help focus budget on more relevant demand.

In short: Exclusion terms that prevent ads from serving for unwanted searches.

noindex is a robots directive in HTML or HTTP headers. When processed, it tells a search engine not to retain that URL in search results.

In short: A directive asking search engines not to keep a page in the index.

PageSpeed Insights combines Lighthouse lab data with available field data and highlights Core Web Vitals and technical optimisation opportunities.

In short: A Google tool for analysing performance and Core Web Vitals.

Performance Max is a goal-based Google Ads campaign type that can serve ads across several Google inventories including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps.

In short: A goal-based Google Ads campaign type that spans multiple Google channels.

The primary category describes the core business type in Google Business Profile and strongly influences how Google understands the business for local search contexts.

In short: The most important category assigned to a Google Business Profile.

Profile interactions show how users act on a Google Business Profile, including actions such as website clicks, calls or direction requests.

In short: A measurable action in a Google Business Profile, such as a call or website click.

Quality Score is a Google Ads diagnostic that helps compare expected CTR, ad relevance and landing-page experience.

In short: A Google Ads diagnostic for keyword, ad and landing-page quality.

Query fan-out describes decomposing a complex query into multiple subqueries whose results can be combined into a broader answer.

In short: Splitting a complex question into several related searches.

RAG stands for Retrieval-Augmented Generation. A system retrieves relevant information from external sources and uses it as context for a generated answer.

In short: Retrieval-Augmented Generation: generation supported by retrieved external information.

Remarketing describes advertising to audiences who previously visited a website or otherwise interacted with a business.

In short: Re-engaging users who have already interacted with a website or offer.

Rendering is the processing of HTML, CSS and JavaScript into a usable page. For SEO, important content and links must remain reliably available after rendering.

In short: The process of turning HTML, CSS and JavaScript into the final page.

Responsive Search Ads use several supplied headlines and descriptions. Google tests combinations to match the search query and context.

In short: A search ad that combines multiple supplied headlines and descriptions.

Responsive web design uses flexible layouts, media and breakpoints so content remains usable on phones, tablets and desktops.

In short: A layout that adapts to different screen sizes and devices.

Rich Results are enhanced search-result presentations that can be based on supported structured data and other requirements. Markup does not guarantee that they will be shown.

In short: An enhanced search result with additional visual or structured elements.

ROAS means return on ad spend. It compares attributed revenue or conversion value with advertising spend.

In short: Return on ad spend: value or revenue relative to advertising cost.

robots.txt sits at the site root and can tell bots which areas may or may not be crawled. It is not a reliable method for removing a URL from a search index.

In short: A file containing crawling rules for search-engine bots.

Schema.org defines types and properties for describing entities and content such as people, organisations, products and articles.

In short: A shared vocabulary for structured data on the web.

A Search campaign serves text ads in Google Search. Keywords, ads, bids and landing pages work together to determine when ads can appear.

In short: A Google Ads campaign that serves text ads for relevant searches.

Search intent describes what a user wants to achieve with a query, such as learning, comparing, buying or finding a provider.

In short: The underlying goal or need behind a search query.

A search term is the real query entered by a user. It can differ from the booked keyword and is important for quality control and negative-keyword work.

In short: The actual query a user entered into Google.

Search volume indicates the approximate level of demand for a term. Depending on the data source, it is an estimate rather than an exact count.

In short: An estimate of how often a term is searched over a period.

Seasonality describes predictable fluctuations in demand, such as Christmas trading, holidays or seasonal services.

In short: Recurring demand changes caused by time of year, events or holidays.

Secondary categories complement the primary category and should represent services or business types the company genuinely offers.

In short: An additional category that describes another relevant business activity.

Structured data adds explicit machine-readable meaning to web content, commonly using Schema.org vocabulary and JSON-LD.

In short: Machine-readable information that describes content and entities.

A target market is a geographic and commercial market for which an offer, messaging and campaigns are planned. Demand, competition, language and expectations should be evaluated separately.

In short: A country or region where an offer is intentionally marketed.

Tracking records defined interactions and outcomes such as enquiries, calls or purchases and provides the basis for reliable campaign analysis.

In short: The technical measurement of user actions and campaign outcomes.

URL Inspection in Google Search Console shows how Google knows a specific URL, whether it is indexed and which crawling or indexing signals are available.

In short: A Search Console tool for checking Google’s status for a specific URL.

URL mapping assigns each relevant old URL to its best new destination and forms the basis for clean redirects during a relaunch.

In short: Mapping old URLs to the most appropriate new destinations during a migration.

UX means user experience and covers clarity, navigation, interaction, speed, accessibility and other factors that affect successful use.

In short: User experience: the overall experience of using a website or application.

WCAG means Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and defines testable requirements for perceivable, operable, understandable and robust digital content.

In short: International guidelines for accessible web content.

A website relaunch can change design, technology, content, information architecture or URLs. SEO signals such as redirects, canonicals and internal links must be migrated deliberately.

In short: A substantial redesign, rebuild or re-publication of an existing website.

An XML sitemap lists relevant website URLs in a structured format so search engines can discover pages and understand updates more easily.

In short: A machine-readable list of important URLs that can support crawling.