GLOSSARY
Search Marketing FAQ
Concise answers to the most common questions relevant to SEO, GEO, CRO, and PPC. Filter by discipline, platform, and topic. Cortex references its corpus of platform-published best practices to draft each answer, with citations linking back to the source documents.
Showing 121-144 of 1947 questions
What is structured data and how does it help SEO?SEOStructured Data / SchemaSERP Features+
Structured data is standardized code - typically JSON-LD - that explicitly labels page content for search engines. It helps SEO by enabling rich results like star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, and product details in SERPs, improving click-through rates. It also serves as a credibility signal for AI models sourcing content for answers.
in Technical SEO
How do I add schema markup to my website?SEOStructured Data / SchemaSERP Features+
The recommended method is JSON-LD - a JavaScript block placed in your page's HTML head or body. Use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper or Schema.org documentation to generate the code, then validate it with Google's Rich Results Test. Most CMS platforms also offer schema plugins that simplify implementation without manual coding.
in Technical SEO
What is IndexNow and should I implement it?SEOGoogleBingIndexing+
IndexNow is a protocol that lets websites instantly notify search engines when content is created, updated, or deleted. Bing and Yandex support it; Google does not currently use it. Implementing IndexNow is low-effort and ensures supporting search engines discover your changes immediately rather than waiting for their next scheduled crawl.
in Technical SEO
What is site architecture and how does it affect SEO?SEOCrawl EfficiencySite ArchitectureInternal Linking+
Site architecture is how your pages are organized and linked together. A flat, logical hierarchy where every important page is reachable within three clicks from the homepage helps crawlers discover content efficiently and distributes link equity evenly. Poor architecture creates orphan pages, wastes crawl budget, and buries important content from users.
in Technical SEO
What are orphan pages and how do I find them?SEOInternal LinkingSitemaps+
Orphan pages are pages with no internal links pointing to them, making them invisible to crawlers navigating your site's link structure. Find them by comparing your XML sitemap and URL list against a site crawl in Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. Any URL that appears in your sitemap but not the crawl is orphaned. *(50 words - counting again... let me recount) Actually let me recount: "Orphan pages are pages with no internal links pointing to them, making them invisible to crawlers navigating your site's link structure. Find them by comparing your XML sitemap and URL list against a site crawl in Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. Any URL in your sitemap but absent from the crawl is orphaned." Let me just continue.
in Technical SEO
What is faceted navigation and how do I prevent it from creating crawl issues?SEOIndexingCrawl EfficiencyCanonical TagsRobots.txt+
Faceted navigation lets users filter product listings by attributes like size, color, or price - generating unique URLs for each combination. This can create thousands of duplicate or near-duplicate pages that waste crawl budget. Prevent issues using canonical tags, robots.txt blocks, noindex directives, or AJAX-based filtering that avoids generating crawlable URLs.
in Technical SEO
How do I use log file analysis for SEO?SEOGoogleAnalytics & TrackingCrawl Efficiency+
Log file analysis examines your server's raw access logs to see exactly which pages crawlers visit, how often, and what status codes they encounter. Use tools like Screaming Frog Log Analyzer to identify wasted crawl budget, discover pages Googlebot ignores, and spot crawl errors invisible in Google Search Console reports.
in Technical SEO
What is render-blocking JavaScript and CSS and how do I fix it?SEOPage Speed / Core Web Vitals+
Render-blocking resources are JavaScript and CSS files that must fully download and execute before the browser can display page content, delaying visible rendering. Fix it by deferring non-critical JavaScript, inlining critical CSS, using async loading for third-party scripts, and removing unused code. This directly improves LCP and overall page speed.
in Technical SEO
How do I lazy load images without hurting SEO?SEOPage Speed / Core Web VitalsImage Optimization+
Use the native loading="lazy" HTML attribute on images below the fold. Never lazy load above-the-fold images - especially the LCP element - as this delays initial rendering and hurts your Core Web Vitals scores. Ensure lazy-loaded images include proper ALT text and dimensions so crawlers can still index them.
in Technical SEO
What is a CDN and does it help with SEO?SEOPage Speed / Core Web Vitals+
A CDN - content delivery network - distributes your site's static assets across servers worldwide, serving content from the location nearest each user. This reduces latency, improves page load times, and directly benefits Core Web Vitals scores. Faster load times improve both user experience and ranking potential across all device types.
in Technical SEO
How do I check if Googlebot can crawl and render my pages?SEOGoogleAnalytics & TrackingIndexingCrawl EfficiencyRobots.txt+
Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console - it shows how Googlebot sees your page after rendering, including any blocked resources. Compare the rendered HTML to your live page. Additionally, check your robots.txt to confirm you are not unintentionally blocking CSS, JavaScript, or image files Googlebot needs for rendering.
in Technical SEO
What is the difference between noindex and nofollow?SEOLink BuildingIndexingInternal Linking+
Noindex tells search engines not to include a page in their index - it will not appear in search results. Nofollow tells search engines not to pass link equity through the links on that page. They serve different purposes and can be used independently or together depending on the situation.
in Technical SEO
What is a meta robots tag and how do I use it?SEOLink BuildingIndexingRobots.txt+
A meta robots tag is an HTML element in the page head that instructs search engine crawlers how to handle the page - whether to index it, follow its links, or cache it. Common directives include noindex, nofollow, noarchive, and nosnippet. It provides page-level control beyond what robots.txt offers.
in Technical SEO
How do I find and fix crawl errors in Google Search Console?SEOGoogleAnalytics & TrackingCrawl Efficiency+
Navigate to the Pages report under Indexing in Google Search Console to see all crawl and indexing errors. Filter by error type - server errors, redirect issues, not found, and blocked pages. Prioritize fixing errors on high-traffic and high-value pages first, then work through remaining issues in order of impact.
in Technical SEO
What is an orphan page and why is it bad for SEO?SEOInternal Linking+
An orphan page has no internal links pointing to it from any other page on your site. This is problematic because search engine crawlers discover pages by following links - if no link leads to the page, crawlers may never find it. Orphan pages also receive zero internal link equity.
in Technical SEO
What causes index bloat and how do I fix it?SEOIndexingRobots.txt+
Index bloat occurs when search engines index thousands of low-value pages - parameter variations, filter combinations, tag archives, or thin content pages - that dilute your site's overall quality signals. Fix it by noindexing low-value pages, consolidating duplicates with canonicals, blocking faceted URLs in robots.txt, and pruning content that serves no purpose.
in Technical SEO
How do I handle URL parameters for SEO?SEOIndexingCanonical TagsRobots.txt+
Identify which parameters change page content (like product filters) and which are tracking parameters (like UTM codes). Set canonical tags pointing to the parameter-free version for tracking parameters. For content-changing parameters that generate duplicate or near-duplicate pages, use robots.txt blocks, noindex tags, or AJAX filtering to prevent index bloat.
in Technical SEO
What is the x-robots-tag HTTP header and when should I use it?SEOLink BuildingIndexingRobots.txt+
The x-robots-tag is an HTTP response header that provides the same directives as a meta robots tag - noindex, nofollow, noarchive - but applied at the server level. Use it for non-HTML files like PDFs, images, or API responses where you cannot embed meta tags directly in the document's HTML head.
in Technical SEO
How do I audit my site's technical SEO health?SEOGoogleLink BuildingPage Speed / Core Web VitalsAnalytics & TrackingInternal LinkingSitemapsCanonical TagsRobots.txt+
Run a full crawl using Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to identify broken links, redirect chains, missing meta tags, duplicate content, and orphan pages. Review Google Search Console for indexing errors and Core Web Vitals issues. Check robots.txt and sitemap configuration. Analyze page speed with PageSpeed Insights and log files for crawl patterns.
in Technical SEO
What is a backlink and why do backlinks matter for SEO?SEOGoogleLink Building+
A backlink is a link from an external website pointing to your site. Backlinks matter because Google treats them as votes of confidence - each quality link signals that another site considers your content authoritative and trustworthy. Sites with stronger backlink profiles consistently outrank competitors with weaker external link support.
in Off-Page SEO & Link Building
What makes a backlink high quality?SEOLink Building+
A high-quality backlink comes from a topically relevant, authoritative website, is placed within editorial content rather than footers or sidebars, uses natural anchor text, and drives real referral traffic. The linking domain's trust, the page's own authority, and contextual relevance to your content all determine a backlink's actual SEO value.
in Off-Page SEO & Link Building
Is link quality more important than link quantity?SEOLink Building+
Yes. A single backlink from a highly authoritative, topically relevant site is worth more than hundreds of links from low-quality directories or irrelevant domains. Google's algorithms evaluate link quality heavily - spammy or manipulative links can trigger penalties. Focus your link building efforts on earning fewer, stronger, more relevant links.
in Off-Page SEO & Link Building
What is Domain Authority and Domain Rating?SEOGoogleLink Building+
Domain Authority is Moz's score predicting a domain's likelihood of ranking, scaled 1 to 100. Domain Rating is Ahrefs' equivalent metric measuring the strength of a domain's backlink profile. Neither is used by Google - they are third-party estimates useful for relative comparison between sites when evaluating link building opportunities.
in Off-Page SEO & Link Building
What is anchor text and how does it affect link value?SEOLink Building+
Anchor text is the clickable text within a hyperlink. It helps search engines understand the linked page's topic and relevance. Descriptive, relevant anchor text strengthens the link's value. However, over-optimized exact-match anchor text across many links signals manipulation. A natural backlink profile contains a mix of branded, generic, and keyword-relevant anchors.
in Off-Page SEO & Link Building