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SEO in Pittsburgh: Understanding Search Industry Jargon A-Ba

[frame_left][/frame_left]SEO in Pittsburgh is a complicated industry not only because of its relative newness, but also because it is a constantly evolving set of strategies largely based on ever-changing search engine algorithms.

As a result there is a significant amount of industry jargon associated with SEO in Pittsburgh that can make it difficult for all but the most up-to-date experts to grasp and effectively apply these strategies.

The following is a description of the most common terms used in search engine optimization, but users should take note that the meaning and usefulness of any of these terms can change in a surprisingly short amount of time.

*Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the practice of one company or individual allowing other individuals or businesses to promote their products or services in exchange for a commission or fee. This is often done through niche marketing websites where SEO strategies are used to drive traffic to the affiliate offer. This allows businesses to build vast remote sales forces, and it allows sales people to sell thousands of different products without being required to stock, handle or ship inventory.

*Analytics

This term refers to data derived from the search and traffic patterns of a particular website. In most cases search experts refer to this term in reference to Google Analytics – a proprietary traffic measurement tool. In general analytics include data such as total amount of website visitors, where those visitors came from, how long they stay on a page and where they go as they navigate. It can also include paid demographic information such as age, sex, income, and other data that can be used to hyper-target consumers.

*Anchor Text/Tag

Anchor text refers to text that is clickable as an active link. For instance: SEO in Pittsburgh. By using basic computer coding skills, even inexperienced webmasters and internet marketers can use this SEO strategy to improve the search ranking for a particular website. This is because in many cases search engines will give more weight to a link that has relevant anchor text than one that does not.

*Article Marketing

Article marketing is one of the most effective Pittsburgh SEO tactics to drive more relevant traffic to a website. This is accomplished by writing high quality articles and syndicating that content out to related article directories, online and print publications, private blog networks and media outlets.

*Backlinks

Arguably the most important part of search engine optimization in Pittsburgh, backlinks are links that point back to a website or webpage from another website. In very simple terms, search engines count these links as "votes" for the website being linked to. The more relevant the source, the more weight is given to a particular backlink. This is important to note considering that some backlinks from high authority, relevant sources can be worth more than hundreds or even thousands of backlinks from low-quality, unrelated sources.

To read more about search industry jargon, please see the next article in this series. Need to gain a more comprehensive understanding of these terms and how they can propel your business to new heights of success? Click here for a confidential consultation with a professional firm that offers powerful SEO in Pittsburgh, or anywhere in the world. Call us now at (412) 530-5027.

Chris Vendilli
About the Author
Chris is the founder and CEO of Vendilli Digital Group. In his free time, you’ll find him camping, fishing, or playing beer league ice hockey with a bunch of guys who refuse to admit they’re already over the hill.
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