The SEO Glossary

A written description of an image that search engines read. Google can't see images - it reads the alt text instead. Without it your images are invisible to search engines and you're missing easy ranking opportunities.

The percentage of visitors who land on your site and leave without clicking anything else. A high bounce rate tells Google your site didn't answer what the visitor was looking for. Fast load times, clear headlines, and relevant content keep people on the page.

The process Google uses to discover and read your website. Google sends bots that follow links and read every page they find. If your site blocks crawlers or has broken links, Google can't index your pages - meaning they'll never appear in search results.

A score between 1 and 100 that estimates how likely your website is to rank on Google. New sites start low. It builds over time through quality content, backlinks, and technical health. You can't buy it - you earn it.

A free tool from Google that shows how your site is performing in search. It tells you which keywords you're ranking for, which pages Google has indexed, and flags any technical errors. Every broker site should have this set up from day one.

Headings are how you structure a page for both readers and Google. Your H1 is the main page title - there should only be one per page. H2s are your section headings, like chapters in a book. H3s sit underneath H2s as sub-sections. Google reads this hierarchy to understand what your page is about and how it's organised. Most broker sites either have no H1, or use it for their business name - which tells Google nothing useful.

Links within your own website that connect one page to another. Internal links help Google understand the structure of your site and spread authority between pages. They also keep visitors on your site longer - good for rankings, good for conversions.

A score from 0 to 100 that estimates how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword. A score of 30 or below means you have a realistic shot at ranking without years of authority building. Higher scores mean you're competing with established sites with large budgets.

The clickable blue headline that appears in Google search results. It's one of the most important on-page SEO elements. Most broker sites just use their business name - which wastes a prime opportunity to tell Google and borrowers exactly what you do and where you do it.

Visitors who find your website through unpaid search results. Unlike Google Ads where you pay per click, organic traffic is free once you've earned the ranking. It compounds over time - the longer you invest in SEO the more it returns.

A score out of 100 that measures how fast your website loads, tested by Google's Lighthouse tool. A score below 70 on mobile is a problem - slow sites rank lower and lose visitors before the page finishes loading. Most broker websites score under 60.

A file that tells search engine bots which pages of your site they're allowed to crawl. Most of your site should be open to crawlers. The exception is admin pages or private content you don't want appearing in search results.

A file that lists every page on your website and tells Google they exist. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console is one of the first things you should do after launching a new site. Without it Google has to find your pages on its own - which can take weeks or months.

Google's measure of how much expertise your website demonstrates on a specific subject. A mortgage broker site that publishes consistent, useful content about home loans, refinancing, and the property market builds topical authority over time. The more authority you have, the more Google trusts your site to rank for relevant searches.