With so much comprising the world of SEO, we often can become confused or overwhelmed at the terminology when we first see it all. A newcomer to the game will no doubt have many questions, and will expect to find simple answers for as many of them as possible. While SEO is filled with nuances and subjective opinion, the terms that guide many acts in the field are rather objective. Many people want to know what all of these terms they hear thrown about actually mean, so we want to help anyone who feels this way. Below, we’ll discuss a few of the most commonly heard and confusing SEO terms you’ll encounter as a newcomer.

Algorithms and Analytics

Many people have reported that these two words alone can be enough to scare them away from SEO forever. When pinging links or pushing content to social media, you want to be able to see what effects you are having, as well as understand how social media and search engines distribute that content. An algorithm is just a fancy term for the way in which a search engine or social media platform ranks or displays your content, and to whom it is shown. Different people may see slightly different Google results for the same search, and social media updates will often not be seen by everyone who previously engaged with the brand or business. Analytics is a way to see how many people have viewed, clicked on, interacted with or engaged in some way with you content.

CPC & CPM

These two acronyms don’t tell us much on the surface, but anyone who pinging links for more attention better learn each quickly. CPC and CPM refer to pricing methods associated with paid advertising, with CPC standing for “cost per click” and CPM standing for “cost per mille”. The former means that you’ll pay a set amount each and every time someone clicks on your paid advertising. The latter means that you’ll pay a flat rate for 1,000 impressions via search or social media. Many marketing experts argue with one another over which method is the best for brands and businesses; it really depends on your approach, message and budget, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

Whitehat and Blackhat

All too many times, the terms whitehat and blackhat get thrown around without little explanation. What these mean is fairly simple: whitehat refers to tactics that marketers and content creators use that promote their sites in search engines (and are search-engine friendly). As we mentioned above, certain algorithms look at the ways you promote content. If the algorithms view this content as being abusive or going around the guidelines for search engine optimization, then your site will be viewed as using blackhat tactics.

Conclusion

The three sets of terms we outlined above are just a few of the examples of SEO jargon that you’ll no doubt come across in the future. It isn’t difficult to learn these, but it is a good idea to pace yourself and not become overloaded with information. Most SEO-related concepts make sense once you learn about them, so don’t be afraid to dive in!