CM SEO was created in 2001. We developed content, provided an SEO Directory, and offered SEO services. The Search Engine Terms page was created in 2004 and was copied all over the Internet. Here it is, a little historical perspective of the industry.
Adwords – This is the Pay Per Click advertising program offered by Google.
Adsense – Contextual advertising by Google. Website publishers earn a portion of the advertising revenue for placing Google sponsored links on their site. 2021 note – most advertising on Google is no longer contextual, it is based on browser history.
Automated Submissions – Services that use a web based tool or software to submit sites to search engines and directories. CM SEO does not recommend using these services, these submissions can be viewed by the receiving party as spam.
Bing – Microsoft renamed their search engine from Microsoft Live to bing in 2009.
Directory – A directory is a method of organizing sites by category. Typically the directory structure is created and sites are reviewed and entered into the appropriate categories by humans. The two largest directories on the Internet are The Open Directory (ODP) and the Yahoo Directory. An excellent resource for SEO companies is the SEO Directory. 2021 note – The Open Directory and Yahoo Directory are long gone. Maintaining a general directory of internet sites is not practical but niche directories do still have their place.
Dmoz – Another name for ODP, Open Directory Project. The largest human edited directory on the Internet.
Hand Submissions – A service to develop appropriate titles and descriptions for submission to directories, search engines, and advertising sites. The submission is often unique for each directory, being sure to be compliant with all guidelines.
Link Popularity – One of the early innovations by Google was the development of Page Rank, a numerical page ranking based on incoming links to a site. Further information on the original algorithm can be found at The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine. Link popularity is the process of developing incoming, outgoing, and reciprocal links for the purpose of increasing Page Rank.
Local Search Marketing – For any business with a local presence and store front it is important to be listed in the search engine maps. Besides the website listing, it is important to pay attention to reviews.
Meta Tag – Information in the body of the html including description and keywords. These tags are often used by the search engines as part of their determination of placement and the description is often displayed in the results.
ODP – Open Directory Project – The largest human edited directory on the Internet. The Open Directory provides listings for free but only for qualified sites and because editors are volunteers, wait times can be lengthy.
Page Rank – See also Link Popularity. A numerical rating of a site developed by Google as part of it’s algorithms for determining search engine listings. To view page rank requires installing the Google tool bar in your browser. Yahoo also utilizes Page Rank calculations. 2021 note – page rank may still exist but it is difficult to view and the value is questionable.
PPC – Pay Per Click. This is an advertising option in which the advertiser has typically a small textual ad, display ad or video ad on a search engine site and pays only if a user clicks on the link in the ad.
PFI – Pay for Inclusion. This is a fee charged by a search engine to be spidered on a periodic basis to be included in the search engine results. This type of service is no longer viable.
Search Engine Optimization – The process of fine tuning the content of a site along with the html and meta tags so that it is search engine friendly (and we hope people friendly at the same time).
SEM – Search Engine Marketing – The process of marketing a site for improved search engine results, often including a combination of search engine optimization and paid advertising.
SEO – Search Engine Optimizer or Search Engine Optimization.
SEO Consultant – A SEO consultant specializes in web site promotion and visibility within the search engines.
Social Media Marketing – Search engines increasingly use “social signals” to influence search engine rankings. Social media marketing involves improving social presence in Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and similar social sites.
SERP – Search Engine Results Page – This refers to the resulting listings that are shown when a keyword is searched upon.