These are the words you'll see constantly in Rank Tracker, Google Search Console, and any SEO tool. Understand these and you understand how Google works.
Position (Rank)
Where your page appears in Google search results. Position 1 = first result people see. Position 10 = bottom of page 1. Position 11 = top of page 2. Position 100 = not found. Goal: get below position 10 for any keyword.
Example: If you search "ayurvedic herbs India" on Google and your site appears as the 7th result, your position for that keyword is 7.
Keyword
The exact phrase someone types into Google. Keywords are the foundation of SEO. Every page on your website should target one specific keyword. Your ranking position is always measured per keyword, not per website.
Example: "resume builder for freshers India", "ayurvedic herbs for hair growth", "AI chatbot UPSC preparation" — these are all keywords.
Impressions
How many times your page appeared in Google search results — even if nobody clicked it. High impressions but low clicks means your title/description isn't compelling enough. You get impressions data from Google Search Console.
Example: Your page appeared in search results 500 times this week but only 10 people clicked it. That's 500 impressions, 10 clicks, 2% CTR.
Clicks
How many times people actually clicked your result in Google and visited your page. Clicks = real visitors from Google. This is the number you want to grow. More clicks = more traffic = more customers.
Example: 1,000 impressions with 50 clicks = 50 real visitors from Google for that keyword.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Percentage of people who saw your result and clicked it. CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100. A good CTR for position 1–3 is 10–30%. Position 4–10 is typically 2–10%. Under 2% means your title or description needs rewriting.
Example: 1,000 impressions, 30 clicks = 3% CTR. If you improve your title, you might get 60 clicks from the same 1,000 impressions = 6% CTR, doubling your traffic for free.
Backlink
A link from another website pointing to your website. Google treats backlinks as votes of confidence — the more quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy Google considers your site. One good backlink from a relevant site can push you from position 15 to position 8.
Example: A popular blog about Ayurveda links to your herb library page. That's a backlink. If 10 Ayurveda sites link to you, Google sees your site as an authority on the topic.
Index / Indexed
When Google has discovered and stored your page in its database. A page must be indexed before it can rank. If your page isn't indexed, it literally doesn't exist for Google. Check if a page is indexed by searching: site:yourwebsite.com/your-page-url in Google.
Example: You publish a new blog post. Google crawls it in 1–7 days and adds it to its index. After that, it can start ranking for keywords.
Crawl / Crawling
Google's bots (called "Googlebot") regularly visit websites to discover new pages and updates. This process is called crawling. After crawling, pages get indexed. You can speed this up by submitting your URL in Google Search Console → URL Inspection → Request Indexing.
Example: You update an old blog post with new information. Google's bot visits your site within days, notices the change, and updates the indexed version.
Meta Title
The blue clickable heading that appears in Google search results. It's set in your website's page settings (SEO section). Keep it under 60 characters. Include your target keyword near the start. A good meta title is the biggest factor in whether people click your result.
Example: Meta title for a resume page: "Free Resume Builder for Freshers India — ATS Friendly 2025". This is 62 chars, includes the keyword, has a benefit, and has a year.
Meta Description
The grey text that appears below the blue title in Google results. Keep it under 155 characters. Include your keyword once. Tell the searcher exactly what they'll get when they click. A compelling meta description increases CTR without affecting your ranking position.
Example: "Build your ATS-friendly resume in minutes. Free templates for freshers, engineers, and MBA graduates. No sign-up needed." — 124 chars, clear benefit, no fluff.
URL Slug
The part of your page's web address after your domain name. It should include your target keyword, use hyphens (not spaces or underscores), be all lowercase, and be short. Never change a slug after a page is indexed — it resets your ranking.
Example: Your domain is mysite.com. Your page about ayurvedic herbs for hair growth should have the slug: /ayurvedic-herbs-for-hair-growth — making the full URL: mysite.com/ayurvedic-herbs-for-hair-growth
Long-tail Keyword
A keyword with 4 or more words. Long-tail keywords have lower search volume but much lower competition. New websites can rank for long-tail keywords in 4–8 weeks. They attract highly specific visitors who are ready to act. Always start with long-tail keywords.
Example: "ayurvedic" (short, competitive, impossible for new sites) vs "ayurvedic herbs for hair growth in India" (long-tail, specific, achievable in 2 months).
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page Google shows after you search for something. It includes organic results (free), paid ads (marked "Sponsored"), featured snippets, local map results, and more. SEO is about improving your position in the organic (free) section.
Example: When you search "best ayurvedic herbs", the page Google shows is the SERP. The first 10 organic results are positions 1–10. Appearing here is free — unlike the "Sponsored" ads at the top.
Organic Traffic
Visitors who come to your website by clicking a free Google search result. Not paid ads, not social media, not direct — specifically from unpaid search. Organic traffic is the most valuable because it's free, targeted, and consistent. SEO is how you grow organic traffic.
Example: You rank #3 for "ayurvedic herbs for diabetes India" and 200 people visit your site per month from that keyword — that's 200 organic visitors per month, for free, forever.
Domain Authority (DA)
A score (0–100) measuring how trusted your website is in Google's eyes. New sites start at 0–10. Sites like Wikipedia are 90+. Higher DA means you rank more easily. DA grows as you publish more content, get more backlinks, and your site gets older. It cannot be bought — only earned.
Example: A 3-year-old site with 50 blog posts and 20 backlinks might have DA 25. A brand new site starts at DA 1. Targeting long-tail keywords lets low-DA sites rank before their DA grows.
H1, H2, H3 (Heading Tags)
HTML heading levels. H1 is the main title of your page — use it once, include your keyword. H2s are section headers. H3s are sub-sections. Google reads these to understand what your page is about. Every page should have exactly one H1 and 3–6 H2s covering the topic.
Example page structure: H1: "Ayurvedic Herbs for Hair Growth India" → H2: "Best Herbs for Hair Loss" → H2: "How to Use Ayurvedic Herbs" → H2: "Side Effects and Precautions" → H2: "Frequently Asked Questions".
Internal Link
A link from one page on your website to another page on your same website. Internal links help Google understand which pages are important and how your site is structured. Every time you publish a new page, add links to it from 2–3 existing pages.
Example: Your homepage mentions "traditional herbs" — link those words to your dedicated "Ayurvedic Herbs for Hair Growth" page. That link tells Google the herbs page is important.
Search Intent
What the person actually wants when they search a keyword. There are 4 types: Informational (learn something), Navigational (find a site), Commercial (research before buying), Transactional (ready to buy). Your page must match the intent — Google penalises mismatches regardless of keyword use.
Example: Someone searching "how to grow hair faster" wants information (tips, advice). If your page is a product listing, Google won't rank it even if it includes those words — because the intent doesn't match.