The English term for accessibility. It means that a website can also be used with a screen reader, keyboard, or limited vision. The benchmark is the WCAG guidelines.

The area of a page that is visible without scrolling. The term originates from newspaper printing, where only the top half of the folded front page was visible at a newsstand. On the web, this area determines in just a few seconds whether someone stays.

Motion in the interface that makes a change of state visible or explains a process. Good animation guides the user's gaze, while bad animation costs loading time without providing any value. The question is always whether the movement explains something.

An interface through which two programs exchange data. On a website, this usually involves a connection to another system, such as a CRM, into which form entries are sent.

A comparison of two versions of the same page, where traffic is split randomly. It measures which version leads to the desired action more often. In B2B, A/B tests often fail due to sample sizes that are too small: without enough visitors, the result is just a matter of chance.

An ordered list of open tasks in a project. Whatever is at the top will be implemented next. The backlog is not a wish list, but a priority decision.

The work of defining what a company stands for and how it is recognized. This includes attitude, language, and appearance. Branding determines what is said; design decides how it looks.

A screen width at which the layout changes. Breakpoints ensure that the same page works on a phone, tablet, and monitor.

The bounce rate, which is the proportion of visits with only a single page view. A high value is not automatically bad: someone who finds the number on the contact page and calls is technically a bounce, but still a success.

A condensed description of a typical decision-maker: task, pressure, selection criteria, objections. It is useful when it arises from real conversations, and worthless when it is invented at a desk.

The call to action on a page, usually in the form of a button. It describes the next action as concretely as possible. Multiple calls to action of equal importance create decision-making pressure and thus result in fewer actions, not more.

The documented presentation of a project: starting point, approach, result. It is convincing when the previous failure is named and the result has a baseline value and a measurement period.

A brand's defined selection of colors, usually consisting of a primary color, one to two secondary colors, and shades for backgrounds and text. A palette is only usable once it is determined what each color is used for and what contrast is achieved with it.

The determination of what content a company creates, for whom, in what order, and with what goal. It does not answer the question of what one could write, but rather what one consciously leaves out.

A specification in the source code that tells search engines which address is the main version of a piece of content. It prevents multiple almost identical addresses from ranking against each other and splitting their visibility.

A link that leads directly to a subpage instead of the homepage. Deep links are more valuable for search engines and visitors because they lead straight to the searched content without any detours.

A collection of reusable building blocks and rules: colors, spacing, font sizes, buttons, cards. It ensures that new pages look like the existing ones without anyone having to measure.

The system that translates a domain name into the technical address of a server. When moving a website, the DNS records are changed; it can take a few hours for the change to take effect everywhere.

The address at which a website can be reached, consisting of a name and an extension. It is one of the few decisions made for a website that can only be changed later with significant effort.

The EU General Data Protection Regulation. For websites, this primarily means: collecting data sparingly, obtaining consent before loading non-essential services, and being transparent about what happens to the data.

The sale of goods or services via a website. Technically, a shop differs from a corporate website primarily through the shopping cart, payment, shipping, and the ongoing maintenance of the items.

A evaluation framework from Google for content quality: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. In practice, this means visible authors, verifiable information, and content that originates from real-world experience.

A uniquely identifiable thing about which search engines store knowledge: a company, a person, a product, a place. Anyone recognized as an entity is more likely to appear in AI answers than a mere passage of text.

Content that remains relevant over years because it answers a fundamental question instead of commenting on an event. It needs maintenance, but not a rewrite.

A signal that detects when a visitor is about to leave the page, usually based on the movement of the mouse toward the close button. In B2B, its use is sensitive: a pop-up window appearing just before departure can easily seem intrusive.

The small icon in the browser tab, in bookmarks, and in the history. It is the smallest visible brand touchpoint of a website and is forgotten surprisingly often.

A highlighted answer box above the normal search results. It is pulled from an existing page, usually from a short paragraph, a list, or a table directly below a question used as a heading.

The conclusion of every page with mandatory information, contact details, and orientation links. It is the final stop for visitors who didn't find what they were looking for at the top.

The field through which an inquiry is generated. Every additional mandatory field costs inquiries. The art lies in asking just enough so that sales can continue working with qualified leads.

A tool used to design, build, and publish websites without the detour of a separate CMS and hosting. Strong in design, animation, and fast turnaround times, but limited with very large amounts of content and native e-commerce.

Generative Engine Optimization. The alignment of content to be cited as a source in the answers of generative AI systems. Unlike SEO, it is not about a position in a list, but about citability.

An alphabetically ordered collection of technical terms with short definitions. For search engines and AI systems, a glossary is valuable because each definition is a self-contained, quotable answer.

A company's listing in Google Maps and local search. It is also effective in B2B because decision-makers check whether the company actually exists before making initial contact.

The free tool from Google that shows which search queries a website appears for, how often it is clicked, and which pages are indexed. It shows real data from your own site, not estimates.

The invisible grid that content aligns to. It ensures consistent spacing and makes a page feel calm, without the viewer being able to tell why.

The main heading of a page in the source code. It states what the page is about in a single sentence and serves as the first content anchor for both readers and search engines. Exactly one H1 should be set per page.

A color-coded representation of where visitors click, how far they scroll, and where the mouse hovers. It reveals anomalies but does not explain them; for that, observation of real users is required.

The top section of a page, usually with a large headline, a brief value proposition, an image, and a button. It answers three questions: Where am I, what do I get, what should I do.

The provision of storage space and computing power on which a website is hosted and delivered. The provider influences loading times, accessibility, security, and, through the server location, also data protection.

An attribute that tells search engines which language version of a page is intended for which country and which language. Without it, the language versions compete against each other in the worst-case scenario.

The legally required provider identification. It must be accessible from every page with just a few clicks and must state the responsible person, address, and contact details.

The inclusion of a page in a search engine's database. Without indexing, any further SEO measures are ineffective because the page is not even considered as a search result.

The organization of a website's content: what belongs together, what goes where, and what it is called. It determines whether visitors find what they are looking for, long before design even plays a role.

Links from one of your own pages to another. They guide visitors further and show search engines which pages belong together and which are particularly important. Structure beats quantity here.

A cycle of draft, feedback, and revision. Multiple small iterations lead to better results than one large draft that is only discussed once at the end.

The loading of content by scripts in the browser instead of delivering it directly in the source code. Search engines are now able to process this, but it takes them longer. Important content should therefore be included in the delivered source code.

The recommended format for embedding structured data into a page. It stands as a separate block in the source code, does not disrupt the layout, and describes what is on the page in a machine-readable format.

The term someone enters into the search. It is not the word itself that is crucial, but the intent behind it: the same two words can mean a question, a comparison, or a purchase intent.

An estimate from SEO tools on a scale of 0 to 100 of how difficult it is to rank in the top 10 for a term. The value is calculated differently depending on the tool and is only comparable within the same tool.

A system that answers search queries with a formulated response instead of a list of hits, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overviews. Visibility here means being cited as a source.

The sequence of pages a visitor goes through before making an inquiry. The longer the path, the more points there are where someone drops out.

The brightness difference between text and background. The WCAG require a ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text. Light gray on white is the most common violation on corporate websites.

The time it takes for a page to become usable. It influences bounce rates and search rankings. The most common bottlenecks are uncompressed images, large videos, and third-party scripts.

A single page with exactly one goal, usually an inquiry or registration. It deliberately dispenses with navigation and side paths. The homepage of a website is not a landing page, even if it is often called that.

One of the Core Web Vitals. It measures when the largest visible element in the initial viewport has finished loading. This is usually the hero image or the main heading.

A contact who has shown interest and provided their information. Without qualification, the term says very little: in B2B, months can pass between a newsletter sign-up and a concrete project inquiry.

The symbol by which a brand is recognized. A good logo works in a single color, at postage stamp size, and without the company name next to it.

The sentence or three sentences that define who a brand is for, what it stands against, and why that is credible. Everything else, from color to tone of voice, follows from this.

A short descriptive text in the source code that search engines can display below the title in the search results. It is not a ranking factor, but it influences whether people click. Around 155 characters are displayed.

The small texts in the interface: button labels, field tips, error messages, confirmations. They often decide on abandonments more than the layout.

The approach of designing a layout for the small screen first and then scaling up. On a phone, what is not essential is eliminated first, and that is exactly what shows whether a section is justified.

A static design that shows a page as it will look later, but is not interactive. It sits between the gray wireframe and the clickable prototype.

Name, address, phone number of a company. For local search, it is crucial that these three details are written identically everywhere, from your own website to business directories.

The main navigation of a website. It should speak the customers' language, not reflect the internal organizational structure. More than seven items make selection tedious.

A label on a link that signals to search engines not to pass any endorsement to it. Commonly used for paid links and user-generated content.

An instruction in the source code not to include a page in the search index. Useful for thank-you pages and internal search results, fatal if it accidentally remains on the homepage after launch.

A conversation with real customers or prospects about their tasks and hurdles. Questions are asked about what they have done, not what they would do. Memories are more resilient than conjectures.

All measures outside of one's own website that influence its visibility, especially links and mentions on other sites.

A website consisting of a single long page; the navigation jumps to sections instead of subpages. Suitable for a single offer, unsuitable as soon as multiple topics need to rank.

All measures on your own website: content, structure, headings, meta tags, internal links, and technology. The part that is completely in your own hands.

Markup in the source code that determines how a link is displayed in social networks and messengers: title, description, preview image. Without it, the platform itself decides, and usually poorly.

Paid ads in the search results. They bring immediate visitors, but stop working the moment the budget runs out. SEO takes longer to work, but has a lasting effect.

How quickly and smoothly a website reacts. It is measured by loading time, response time to inputs, and visual stability. Performance is a design decision, not just a technical issue.

The permanent address of a piece of content. It should not change after publication; if it does, a redirect is required.

The central page of a topic cluster that provides an overview of the topic and links to in-depth articles. It consolidates the signals of the entire cluster.

A clickable draft that allows testing a website's workflow before it is built. It shows behavior, not just appearance.

The text from which a page in the browser is created. Much of what matters for search engines and accessibility is located there and is not visible on the page itself: title, description, alt texts, structured data.

The actual search query entered. It often differs from the keyword you optimized for, because people search in full questions. The Search Console shows the real queries.

A low-effort measure with quick impact, such as a missing title, a broken link, or an uncompressed image. Quick wins do not replace a strategy, but they often finance it.

A permanent redirect from an old to a new address. It ensures that visitors and search engines find the new address and that most of the established visibility is transferred.

The rebuild of an existing website. Rankings almost always collapse for the same reason: it was rebuilt, but not migrated.

A layout that automatically adapts to the screen size. Not to be confused with Mobile First, which describes the way of working, not the result.

Advertising that specifically targets people who have already visited the website. In B2B with long decision-making processes, this is often more effective than advertising to cold audiences.

A rich search result with additional information such as rating stars, prices, or expandable questions. It is based on structured data in the source code. There is no entitlement to its display.

A common vocabulary used to mark up content in a machine-readable way: what an organization is, what an article is, what a question is. Search engines and AI systems use it to reliably classify and map content.

The search engine results page. It has long ceased to consist of just ten blue links, but now includes ads, AI answers, map snippets, questions, and videos.

An XML file that lists all relevant addresses of a website and helps search engines find them. It does not replace good internal linking.

The final, readable part of an address after the domain name. It should be short, contain the main topic, use only lowercase letters and hyphens, and not change after publication.

A certificate that encrypts the connection between the browser and the server; the address then begins with https. Without a certificate, browsers mark the page as not secure.

The page title in the source code. It appears as the heading in search results and in the browser tab, and is one of the few elements with a direct ranking effect. Around 55 to 60 characters are displayed.

Every point at which someone comes into contact with a brand: website, offer, invoice, exhibition stand, vehicle branding. A brand is only as cohesive as its weakest touchpoint.

The collection of usage data on a website. What may be collected depends on consent; without it, only data-minimizing methods remain.

The visitors of a website. The number alone says little: a hundred visitors from the right industry are worth more than ten thousand who never make an inquiry.

The design of type: selection, size, line spacing, tracking, hierarchy. It decides whether a text is read, and carries a large part of the brand impact before the first sentence is even understood.

User interface, the visible surface: colors, buttons, spacing, states. A beautiful interface cannot save a poor experience.

Content that appears exclusively on this single page. Copied manufacturer texts or boilerplate text blocks used across multiple pages prevent a page from standing out.

The complete address of a page consisting of protocol, domain, and path. Short, descriptive URLs are easier to remember, share, and understand.

The usability of a website, meaning how easily someone can complete a specific task. It can be reliably tested with just a few test participants.

Appendices to an address that make it visible in the analysis tool where a visit originated from. Without them, newsletter and ad visits disappear into collective categories.

A graphic made from mathematically described shapes instead of pixels. It remains sharp at any size and is usually much smaller than a photo, which is why logos and icons should be vectors.

An element that proves credibility: references, customer testimonials, figures with sources, faces of the team, awards, complete legal details. In B2B, the sum of these signals decides whether an inquiry is made.

The visible area of a page within the browser window. Its size determines which breakpoint is applied and what can be seen without scrolling.

The order in which the eye perceives elements, controlled by size, contrast, position, and whitespace. If everything looks equally important, nothing is important.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the international standard for accessible websites. They are structured in three levels; level AA applies to most legal requirements.

A font that is delivered with the website. If it is loaded from a third-party server, the visitor's IP address is transferred there. Local integration avoids this problem.

The space deliberately left blank between elements. It is not a waste, but rather the means by which important things gain weight.

A deliberately minimalist page design, usually in grayscale. It clarifies structure, layout, and content volume before color and imagery are discussed, keeping discussions objective.

A brand's defined choice of words: what services are called, whether the informal 'you' or formal 'you' is used, which terms are avoided. Inconsistent wording makes a company appear larger and more uncoordinated than it actually is.

A directive for search engines that is not in the source code, but in the server header. This also allows files such as PDFs to be excluded from indexing.

The machine-readable list of all relevant addresses of a website. It is submitted in the Search Console and is especially helpful for new or extensive sites.

Your Money or Your Life. Google's term for topics concerning health, finance, or safety. Google applies stricter quality standards to such content, especially regarding authorship and verifiability.

The optimization of videos for search within YouTube and Google. Title, description, chapter markers, and transcript determine whether a video is found.

The group for whom an offer is made. It only becomes useful when it also names those for whom the offer is not intended.

The page where a visitor lands after clicking. For ads and newsletters, the match between the promise in the link and the content of the landing page determines success or bounce.

A subheading within a text, in the source code as H2 or H3. Formulated as a question, it increases the chance of being cited in answer boxes and AI responses.