Passed on 7 April, 2025
1. Key concepts
In this lesson, you’ll be introduced to the key concepts and terms used for organic search and search engine optimisation.
Get familiar
Take the time to learn about the key terms and concepts. You may recognise some of these terms from other modules and others might be entirely new.
Search
From robots to page ranks, the world of organic search is filled with intriguing mechanics.
Bot
Short for ‘robot’. Bots may also be called a ‘crawler’. It’s a program that searches the internet for content.
Search query
The words entered into a search engine.
Optimisation
The process of improving something to perform better. In this context, it means tailoring website content to match specific search queries, helping it rank higher and attract the right audience.
Algorithm
A set of instructions and criteria that a program or platform follows to complete a task, such as determining which content to display to users on social media based on factors like user preferences, behaviour, and relevance.
Rank
A webpage’s position in the search engine results page. A page’s rank is determined by an algorithm.
Relevance
How closely the content of websites, social media sites, etc., matches the search query.
Search algorithm
An automated process that helps locate information to answer a user’s query.
Search engine
A software program that helps users find information on the web. It works by crawling billions of web pages, indexing their content, and then matching that content to a user's search query.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
The process of increasing the visibility of website pages on search engines to attract more relevant traffic.
Search engine results pages (SERPs)
The results pages that appear when someone performs a search query.
Keywords
A search term that people use to find information, products, or services online.
Keyword stuffing
Adding an excessive amount of keywords to your content which may mean it reads unnaturally.
Organic search
People using search engines to find products or services through search engine results that are not paid for or sponsored.
Lesson complete
Great job!You’ve now covered the fundamental concepts of organic search.Head to the next lesson to learn more about how search engines work.
You’ve now covered the fundamental concepts of organic search.Head to the next lesson to learn more about how search engines work.
Head to the next lesson to learn more about how search engines work.
Head to the next lesson to learn more about how search engines work.