Jargon Busting: SEO

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 08:25:55 +0000

SEO. It's complex stuff. Google as an example change their algorithms almost every day, tweaking the technology so that users of the service get to the pages they need without having to work hard for it. There is much to learn - we are still from masters of it.

The following glossary should at least give you a running start. It covers the most common words, acronyms, and phrases you may come across. As ever, if you have any questions please reach out.

301 Redirects

Redirection is the process of forwarding one URL to a different URL. A redirect is a way to send both users and search engines to a different URL from the one they originally requested. The three most commonly used redirects are 301, 302, and Meta Refresh.

Backlinks

Backlinks (also known as 'inbound links', 'incoming links' or 'one way links') are links from one website to a page on another website. Google and other major search engines consider backlinks 'votes' for a specific page. Pages with a high number of backlinks tend to have high organic search engine rankings.

404 Error Pages

The website hosting server will typically generate a "404 Not Found" web page when a user attempts to follow a broken or dead link; hence the 404 error is one of the most recognizable errors encountered on the World Wide Web.

Schema Markup

Schema.org (often called Schema) is a semantic vocabulary of tags (or microdata) that you can add to you the HTML of your website to improve the way search engines read and represent your page in SERPs.

Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). A Domain Authority score ranges from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank.

Page Authority

Page Authority (PA) is a score developed by Moz that predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine result pages (SERP). Page Authority scores range from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank.

Anchor Text

Anchor Text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. In modern browsers, it is often blue and/or underlined, such as this link to the Ostratto homepage.

Alt Text

Alt text (alternative text), also known as "alt attributes", “alt descriptions", or technically incorrectly as "alt tags,” are used within an HTML code to describe the appearance and function of an image on a page.

Canonical Tags

A canonical tag (aka "rel canonical") is a way of telling search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page. Using the canonical tag prevents problems caused by identical or "duplicate" content appearing on multiple URLs. Practically speaking, the canonical tag tells search engines which version of a URL you want to appear in search results.

Link Equity

Link equity, once colloquially referred to as "link juice," is a search engine ranking factor based on the idea that certain links pass value and authority from one page to another. This value is dependent on a number of factors, such as the linking page's authority, topical relevance, HTTP status, and more.

Alt Text

Canonical Tags

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Jargon Busting: VoIP

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 21:25:19 +0000

If you do look to update your communications system, you’ll be faced with a mountain of jargon. Telecoms is a technical field, and as such it has its own lexicon. You might even have spotted a few technical terms in this guide already. To make sure you know where you stand, let’s define and explain as many as we can.

The following glossary covers the most common words, acronyms, and phrases you may come across. It is related both to VoIP and to the traditional alternatives which it can replace. As ever, if you have any questions please reach out.

Bandwidth

The capacity of a network to transmit data from one point to another in a given time period. It is often measured in 1000 bits per second (kbps). The higher the amount of available bandwidth, the more VoIP calls a network can support. If your internet connection has very limited bandwidth, the quality of a call will be lower.

Codecs

Codecs can be either hardware devices or software-based processes. They’re used to compress, encode and decompress data. In the case of VoIP, codecs convert audio voice signals into digital data packets. They then compress the data for transmission and re-convert it at the ‘other end’ of a call.

DSL

DSL stands for ‘Digital Subscriber Line’. It refers to the traditional phone technology that lets a broadband connection be carried over existing phone lines. All the while still allowing analogue phone signals to travel along the same copper lines.

IVR

IVR or Interactive Voice Response is a feature of traditional telephony. It’s the interactive service that lets callers use menus and handles call transfers. Think ‘press one for the accounts department’ etc.

Latency

The time taken for the transmission of data. The higher the latency, the greater the delay between the start of a transmission and data being received at the other end. High latency can be an issue for VoIP. Voice delay is noticeable with a latency above around 150 milliseconds. Considerably more than that and a conversation will be difficult.

PBX

PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. It’s the name given to a private telephone network used within a business or organisation. It’s your PBX which lets you press a button on a desk phone to reach someone else in your office.

RTP

The Real Time Transport Protocol. An internet protocol that often transmits the data packets related to VoIP calls. It also carries audio or video streams for other forms of multimedia communication. Secure Real Time Transport Protocol – The encrypted (and so, secure) variant of the RTP.

SIP Trunking

A way of delivering voice communication over the internet. It’s in many ways an alternative to VoIP. It typically involves connecting a PBX to the internet. This gives added control to a user but does require a fair bit more equipment to get up and running than a VoIP phone system.

Softphone

The name given to software or apps used to make VoIP calls. In the case that you use your computer or tablet and not a VoIP phone. Most ‘softphones’ have an interface that looks like a phone handset when it appears on your screen. It will have a keypad, display and be workable via touchscreen or computer keyboard.

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Jargon Busting: SEO

Jargon Busting: VoIP