Robots.txt
A text file at the root of a website that instructs search engine crawlers which pages or sections to crawl or ignore. Not a security mechanism — it's a suggestion, not a directive. Misconfiguration can accidentally block entire sites.
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301 Redirect
A permanent HTTP redirect from one URL to another, passing approximately 95% of link equity to the destination. Used when pages move permanently, domains change, or URLs are consolidated. The standard for URL migrations.
404 Error
An HTTP status code indicating the requested page doesn't exist. A few 404s are normal. Mass 404s from deleted content or broken links waste crawl budget and frustrate users. Fix with 301 redirects to relevant content or proper 404 page design.
Alt Text
Alternative text describing an image's content and function for screen readers and search engines. Required for accessibility (WCAG) and image SEO. Should be descriptive and concise, not keyword-stuffed.
Anchor Text
The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. Search engines use anchor text to understand what the linked page is about. Over-optimized anchor text (exact-match keywords) can trigger penalties. Best practice: natural, varied, and descriptive.
Backlink
A link from an external website pointing to your site. The foundational currency of off-page SEO. Quality matters more than quantity — one link from a DR 80+ site outweighs hundreds from low-authority domains.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Microsoft's equivalent of Google Search Console for monitoring site performance in Bing search results. Often overlooked, but Bing accounts for 6-10% of search traffic and powers DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and AI search features in Copilot.