Product Help

How to select the right door handles for you

It might seem a bit obvious at first, but as soon as you start looking around you will be confronted by literally thousands of different door handles and knobs to choose from. Each of these handles and knobs will come in a selection of finishes, satin stainless steel, polished stainless steel, aluminium, brass, chrome, bronze, pewter and even occasionally gold plated! So, how do we choose the right handle?
First you need a budget. Set yourself a minimum and a maximum price you are prepared to pay. Why set a minimum? I hear you say. Simple, you will probably handle your door handles dozens of times a day, hundreds of times a week, and many thousands of times a year so if you buy something that�s cheap you could find yourself having to replace it a lot sooner than you expected.
Having decided a sensible price range, think about the style of your home, or how you want it to appear. A Dickensian thatched cottage may not be the best place for polished stainless steel cutting edge door furniture and likewise a brand new, state of the art penthouse apartment would probably not benefit from black iron antique furniture.
Then consider who is going to handle the door furniture. If you have young children you may find that brass or chrome handles need to be constantly cleaned where grubby little hands have left smear marks or worse. Satin stainless steel is probably your best bet here, and if your home is near the sea/river or in open countryside then you will gain the added benefit of stainless steels resistance to weathering- have you ever noticed how brass or chrome handles lose their shine and discolour?
Again bearing children in mind, try to avoid handles with pointed or sharp edges on them, door handles are fitted at about the same height as the average 2 year-olds eyes.
Potential users with restrictive movement in the hands may find knob furniture difficult to operate and would benefit from having a lever instead. If the user has limited sight try to avoid handles that are similar in finish to the door on which they are to be fitted (i.e. don�t use aluminium handles on white doors or brass on light timbers)
So, now we have narrowed it down from a couple of thousand to perhaps 20 or so choices, much more manageable. The rest is up to you and your personal preferences

What are the different types of door handles available?

Handles which are used to operate mortice locks and latches are called lever door handles. These handles are usually, but not always, spring loaded. Lever Door Handles come with six different standard operations.
Lever Latch Door Handles. For non-locking doors. These can be on round roses or on rectangular backplates.
Lever Lock Door Handles. For use with lever keyway mortice locks.
Lever Bathroom Lock Door Handles. For use with full size bathroom locks.
Lever Privacy Door Handles. For bathroom doors fitted with latches instead of bathroom locks.
Euro Profile Lever Door Handles. For use with Euro profile locks/cylinders.
Oval Profile Lever Door Handles. For use with Oval profile locks/cylinders

What is Euro or Oval barrel/keyway and Lever keyway?

Euro or Oval profile means a type of barrel that is fitted thru the door and into the door lock body.
You will need a Euro profile door handle if your barrel is shaped like a very large keyhole and that you use a "yale" type key in.
You will need an Oval profile door handle if your lock barrel is a large oval shape that you use a "yale" type key in.
Lever keyway locks have a long key (usually about 65-75mm) with a bow at one end and a stepped or toothed portion at the other end which goes into the lock.Lever keyway locks are still the most popular type in the UK.

How to stop your door handles from sticking

The most common problem people have with door handles is when, after being operated, the door handle does not return back to the horizontal position. There are usually a few very simple reasons for this. We have put them in order of most easily rectified and would suggest trying to resolve your problem step by step.
1) Sometimes the screws used to fix the handle to the door have been over-tightened, especially if an electric screwdriver has been used. Over-tightening can cause 2 problems. First, this causes the backplate on which the door handle is mounted to pinch into the door and in turn pinch the lockcase, stopping the spring inside the lock or latch from doing its job properly. Secondly, over-tightening can create friction on the spring which is inside the handle backplate.
2) Many door handles have internal springs at the back of them which, if not properly lubricated, can grind against the inners of the handle backplate. To check if this is the cause of your problem, do the following. Remove the handle from the door. Hold the backplate in one hand and operate the lever with your other hand to see if it appears to be grinding, If it is, smear a little grease or petroleum jelly onto the spring and move the door handle a few times until the grease or jelly has worked its way into the spring mechanism. The door handle should now move freely and can be re-fitted to the door.
3) Some door handles have a long neck at the back where the square spindle bar locates. Occasionally these can bind against the door, preventing the handle from returning to its normal position. Remove the handle from the door and lay it flat on a table. It should rest flat but if it rocks, then the neck is protruding further than the handle backplate. You will need to drill a hole in each side of your door big enough and deep enough to allow the handle backplate to rest flat against the door.
4) To save money during construction, many doors are fitted with very cheap tubular door latches and it is quite possible that the spring mechanism in this has failed. Remove the handles from the door and pull out the latch. You should be able to press in the latchbolt with a finger and watch it spring back out again. If it fails to do this fully or does so slowly then you should fit a new latch of the same size, but ideally better quality
5) Sometimes, especially in new homes or on newly hung doors, doors drop after a while. If this happens, the latchbolt can bind against its keep plate. If this has happened you will probably be able to spot signs of wear or scratches on the keep plate and maybe on the latchbolt. To correct this you should remove the keep plate and reposition it slightly lower down the door frame.

Door Handles & Ironmongery Cleaning Advice

When cleaning , certain pieces of furniture sometimes get missed or overlooked, and your door handles are probably one of these missed items, but if you think about how often you use the door handles around your house they are probably in need of a good clean!
Different materials have different cleaning methods, so spend a few minutes reading this article if you want your handles to look their best.
Brass � a popular choice within homes today. Nearly all brass door handles anf furniture is coated with a clear lacquer which protects the brass and the door handle. To clean brass use a soft cloth and warm water to dust them on a regular basis. After dusting you can polish the brass with a thin coat of wax polish to give it a real shine, this can be done once a week. Never use an abrasive material or cleaner on brass.
Stainless Steel � stainless steel is a very hardy and robust material which will outlast most other materials. To clean use a soft cloth, warm water and a mild cleaning solution, if blemishes persist try adding a bit of vinegar to see if that helps.
Chrome � chrome has become a popular choice among householders and you can choose from a wide range of door handle designs in polished chrome, satin brushed chrome, or matt chrome. Chrome door handles are considered one of the easiest to maintain, however the finish can be damaged or scratched easily and simply need a soft cloth and a wax polish to keep them clean and in tip top shape. As with brass, never use abrasive cleaners to clean chrome.
Regular cleaning and maintaining of your door handles not only keeps them looking nice and shiny but also improves the life span of your door handles which means keeping the cost down to you, that�s worth a bit of polish isn�t it?

Hinges. Which Hinge Type Is Used Where?

Hinges come in all shapes and sizes to suit a variety of different applications. Various certifications and terms are used, the most common being-
BBA approved - the British Board of Agr�ment is the UKs major approval body for new construction products
BS EN 1935 is the European Standard which applies to standard hardware
BS EN 1634 standard applies to fire resistance hinges
Brassed finish means that it has been plated to look like brass, it is not solid brass so may rust unless the base material is stainless steel
Butt hinge Butt hinges are the most common type found. They are used on wooden internal and external doors, casement windows, cupboards and other pieces of furniture. The two halves need to be recessed so that they are flat with the door and frame Different finishes are available made from plain steel, brassed, brass, chrome, stainless steel, colour coated etc. Stainless steel is the most durable finish.
Security butt hinge Often an insurance requirement for outward opening doors, where the hinge pin is exposed externally. Like ordinary butt hinges, they need to be recessed into the surfaces. If an ordinary butt hinge were used in this position the hinge pin could be removed from outside and the door released. With security butt hinges the two halves of the hinge are locked together when the door is closed so removing the hinge pin wont allow access.
Rising & Falling butt hinges Rising butt hinges lift the door approx 6mm as it is opened allowing the door to rise above a carpet or high threshold. They do have a tendency to automatically close the door when let go but are not a reliable means of doing so.
Falling hinges allow the door to fall into the open position, often used on public wcs so it is obvious that a wc is unoccupied
Both rising & falling hinges are handed, either clockwise or anticlockwise. Clockwise rising butt hinges are used where the hinges are on the right of the door and the door opens towards you. Anticlockwise when the hinges are on the left. Usually the two parts separate so that, when open, the door can be lifted off for painting or maintenance
Continuous Hinge Sometimes referred to as Piano hinges because of their original common use to secure the lid of pianos. They are available in various lengths (1.8 metre is quite common) and can be cut down to the length required. They can be used where any opening requires support along an extended length.
Flush hinge A lightweight hinge which has the advantage over a butt hinge in that it fixed directly on to the surface without the need to cut a recess since the 2 leaves are shaped so that one sits inside the other in the closed position. Usually used on cupboards. Not suitable for heavy doors.
Concealed hinge Used to hinge cupboard doors so that the hinge is not externally visible. Most types require a large hole, typically 35mm dia, in the door to accomodate this.
Tee Hinges Tee hinges are generally used on timber sheds, garages etc where the long arm is fitted to the door and the narrow part to the door jamb. Usually supplied Black, Galvanised or Plain steel finish. They offer little security as the fixing screws are exposed.
Spring Hinges Double action hinges are usually found in commercial premises where a door is required to swing both ways. Very rare in domestic situations.

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). How does this affect your choices?

BS8300, The Disability Discrimination Act is a legally-backed code of practice with the intention of assisting designers, manufacturers, suppliers and installers to ensure that buildings they are working on do not in any way exclude or inhibit less-abled members of the public from using public or commercial buildings.
With regards to ironmongery the following basic principles should be considered whenever possible.
Locks and latches should be of an upright design and the minimum backset (the distance from the lock forend to the centre of the door handle follower or keyhole) should be 55mm.
The keyway or lock cylinder should either be above the door lever handle or, if below it, there should be a 72mm gap between the centre of the follower and the centre of the keyway.
Lever handles should be used in preference to knob furniture.
Lever handle design should provide for the handles returning towards the door. The handle should be a minimum 19mm in diameter, stand at least 45mm from the door to the inside face of the handle, and have a minimum inside grip of 95mm.
For bathroom or wc locks a large turn should be used
Door pull handles should ideally be D shaped, of 19mm minimum diameter and project at least 45mm from the face of the door to the inside of the handle. No minimum length of handle is specified, but as the code states that the lower fixing point should be a maximum 1000mm above the floor and the lowest fixing point for the top fixing should be at least 1300mm above the floor, this suggests a 300mm handles would be accepted provided that it was fixed in accordance with this. In practice, most specifiers are suggesting 400mm or 425mm pull handles to provide some leaway for the installers.
The regulations have been relaxed with regards to the Light Reflective Values (LRVs), and a difference of 30 points is now acceptable, meaning a wide choice of door furniture finishes is now fine so long as they are not too similar to the door finish (i.e. one still should not use white handles on a white door or some dark colours on black doors)

Is Google Personalised Search Going To Kill New Websites And Good SEO?

How Can New Sites Survive Google Personalised Search?

Google personalised search, launched at the back end of 2009, could potentially act as a barrier to any new website from ever becoming highly ranked.
This is because it retains history of past searches made by both signed in individuals and by url locations to allow it to provide users with a quicker, more efficient set of results the next time they search.
Now, that sounds all fine and well if your site is established and already ranks well and is in the early search results now, but what if you are a fledgling website with little or no history and were hoping to use good SEO techniques to work your way up the listings? No doubt unscrupulous black hat SEO companies will try and persuade you that alls fair in love and war (claiming Google have declared war on SEOs and newcomers) but there are other ways, ways that won't get your website banned forever.
Googles stated intentions that Google Personalised Search is purely to make it easier for end users to find the results they want in the quickest way may not be entirely as innocent as they appear, since this will push many new and poorly ranked sites into paid advertisement that they may not have otherwise have wanted.
Now, paid advertising is fine, if thats what you want. It could get you on the first page and may bring in the customers, and if thats what you want then go for it. However, since more and more sites will go down this route it is inevitable that keywords are going to become more expensive, and only one site can be listed at the very top for any keyword. You also could get into a vicious circle whereby you have to continue with paid listings regardless of cost because you are absolutely nowhere in the organic listings.
Black hat SEO firms will probably do quite well out of this, but we strongly advise against anything even the slightest bit shady- you could end up banned from Google for life!
Try instead stepping back in time a bit, to the days of the old printing press. Running small, localised campaigns in print can drive customers to your website and bring in sales. Dont, however, feel that you have to put your website url on the adverts. Yes, I know that sounds strange but please bear with me for a few moments. Directing people straight to your site wont help your Google organic listings, so again you will be tied into a form of advertising. Instead, find a keyword where you do have a decent listing. For example, you may sell chocolates online, a very competitive business where you are never going to get a good listing for the major keywords. So, find a phrase where you can get a good listing, say Bills luxury hand-made Belgian chocolates gets you organically listed at no.3 on Google. Put the Google search url that directs customers to this Google page on your adverts instead. Every customer who clicks onto you from this page helps bump you up the Google rankings a little, and they next time they search for chocolates you should come up as one of good old Google Personailised Searches early suggestions.
It will take time, but eventually your locally-paid adverts will result in better visibility for your website.
We hope you found this bulletin of interest. You may use it or duplicate it elsewhere provided you put this link IronmongeryShopOnline.co.uk Door Handle Specialists on your site / blog and make a reference to ourselves. You can obtain the link by viewing our source code or by emailing us at admin@ironmongeryshoponline.co.uk.
Thank you.

An A-Z of SEO

Search engine optimization & marketing industry related keyword definitions for beginners and those of us who have just plain forgotten

Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of finite steps for solving a mathematical problem. Each Search Engine, Google, Yahoo, Bing etc, uses its own proprietary algorithm set to calculate the relevance of its indexed web pages to your particular Search Query. The result of this process is a list of sites ranked in the order that the search engine deemed most relevant. Search engine algorithms are closely guarded secrets in order to prevent exploitation of algorithmic results and are also changed frequently to incorporate new data and improve relevancy.
Algorithmic Results
Algorithmic results are the ranked listings search engines provide in response to a Search Query, using the search engines algorithms. They are often referred to as Organic Listings, as opposed to Paid Listings, because their rank is based purely on relevancy according to the search engines algorithm rather than advertising revenue paid to the search engine. Paid and Sponsored listings do appear alongside algorithmic results in many search engines, provided they are relevant. Improving a websites unpaid algorithmic results is known as Natural Search Engine Optimization and should be what good SEO is designed to achieve.
Alt Tag/Alt Text
An alt tag is the HTML text that appears while an image is loading or when a cursor is positioned over an image. Alt text is useful in Search Engine Optimization because it can include, and indeed should include, keywords that a search engine looks for in response to a query, which should help your site in gaining brownie points with the search engines.
Analytics
Analytics refers to all the technology, programming, and data used in Search Engine Marketing to analyze a websites performance or the success of an Internet marketing campaign. If you havent already got an analytics program for your site, get one now they are an absolute must have for any SEO plan.
Anchor Text
Also known as link text. Anchor text is the visible, clickable text between the HTML anchor and tags. Clicking on anchor text activates a Hyperlink to another web site. Anchor text is very important in Search Engine Optimization because search engine algorithms consider the Hyperlink keywords as relevant to the Landing Page. Try to make sure your anchor text utilises keywords, dont use phrases like click here for more info if you can avoid it.
Backlinks
Also known as back links, backward link, or inbound links, backlinks are all of the links on other websites that direct the users who click on them to your site. Backlinks can significantly improve your sites search rankings since the search engines assume that if lots of sites show links to your site then your site must be useful. This is especially true if the backlinks contain Anchor Text keywords relevant to your site and are located on sites with high Page Rank.
Banned
Also known as delisted or blacklisted, a banned site is a URL that has been removed from a search engines Index, typically for engaging in Black Hat SEO. Banned sites are ignored by search engines. If you are thinking of employing an outside SEO to improve your ranking you need to check them out to ensure they do not use Black Hat or any dubious techniques as it is your site that will get banned.
Banner Ad
A banner ad is a rectangular graphic advertisement, usually placed at either the top or the bottom of a webpage. Banner ads are one of the commonest forms of online paid advertising. Most measure 468 pixels wide by 60 pixels high. Clicking on a banner ad will direct you to the advertisers website or a designated Landing Page.
Black Hat SEO
Black hat SEO is the term used for unethical or deceptive optimization techniques. This includes Spam, Cloaking, or violating search engine rules in any way. If a search engine discovers a site engaging in black hat SEO it will remove that site from its Index, even if you were totally unaware of the methods they used on your site.
Blacklisted
Also known as banned or delisted, a blacklisted site is a URL that has been removed from a search engines Index, typically for engaging in Black Hat SEO. Blacklisted sites are ignored by search engines.
Broken Link
Also known as a dead link, a broken link is a link that no longer points to an active destination or Landing Page. This often happens quite innocently, for instance if you redesign a site or individual pages. Search engines dislike broken links, and potential clients may find them frustrating. Keeping all of your sites links active is an important part of ongoing optimization.
Click Fraud
Click Fraud is the illegal practice of manipulating Cost-Per-Click (CPC) or Pay-Per-Click (PPC) revenue sharing agreements. There are many types of click fraud. Typically, the webmaster of a site that earns money from each click of the advertising links it publishes pays friends a small fee to click those links. Companies thus pay for advertising to clients who had no intention of buying from them. Some companies have filed class action lawsuits alleging that Google and Yahoo! have failed to aggressively confront click fraud because they benefit from increased CPC revenue, even if the companies dont.
Click-Through
Click-through is a single instance of a user clicking on an advertising link or site listing and moving to a Landing Page. A higher Click-Through Rate (CTR) is one of the primary goals of Search Engine Optimization.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-through rate is the % of users who click on an advertising link or search engine site listing out of the total number of people who see it, i.e. four click-throughs out of ten views is a 40% CTR, showing that 40% of viewers considered what they saw as interesting enough to warrant them looking further.
Cloaking
Cloaking is offering alternative website pages to a search engine Spider so that it will record different content for a URL than what a human browser would see. This is typically done to achieve a higher search engine position or to trick users into visiting a site. Cloaking is usually considered to be Black Hat SEO and the offending URL could be Blacklisted as the major search engines insist that all website pages should be designed to be read by humans. For example, keyword-rich text in the same colour as the background or in letters too small to be read. However, cloaking is sometimes used to deliver personalized content based on a browsers IP address and/or user-agent HTTP header. Such cloaking should only be practiced with a search engines knowledge or it could be construed as black hat cloaking.
Contextual Link Inventory (CLI)
CLI is generated based on listings of website pages with content that the ad-server deems a relevant keyword match and is used by search engines & advertising networks to match keyword-relevant text-link adverts to site content. Ad networks refine CLI relevancy by monitoring the Click-Through Rate of the displayed ads.
Conversion
Conversion is the term used for any significant action a user takes while visiting a site, i.e. making a purchase, requesting information, or registering for an account. Website owners can set their own Conversion Goals in their analytics programs.
Conversion Analytics
Conversion analytics is a branch of Analytics concerned specifically with conversion-related information from organic and/or paid search engine traffic, such as the keywords converts used in their queries, the type of conversion that resulted, landing page paths, search engine used, etc.
Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the next step up from Click-Through Rate. Its the percentage of all site visitors who convert (make a purchase, register, request information, etc
Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA)
Cost-per-acquisition (CPA) is a return on investment model in which return is measured by dividing total click/marketing costs by the number of Conversions achieved. Total acquisition costs divided by number of conversions equals CPA. CPA is also used as a synonym for Cost-Per-Action.
Cost-Per-Action (CPA)
In a cost-per-action advertising revenue system, advertisers are charged a Conversion-based fee, i.e. each time a user buys a product, opens an account, or requests a free trial. CPA is also known as cost-per-acquisition, though the term cost-per-acquisition can be confusing because it also refers to a return on investment model.
Cost-Per-Click (CPC)
Also known as pay-per-click or pay-for-performance, cost-per-click is an advertising revenue system used by search engines and ad networks in which advertising companies pay an agreed amount for each click of their ads. This Click-Through Rate-based payment structure is considered by some advertisers to be more cost-effective than the Cost-Per-Thousand payment structure, but it can at times lead to Click Fraud.
Cost-Per-Thousand (CPM)
Also known as cost-per-impression or CPM for cost-per-mille ( the Latin word for thousand), cost-per-thousand is an advertising revenue system used by search engines and ad networks in which advertising companies pay an agreed amount for every 1,000 users who see their ads, regardless of whether a click-through or conversion is achieved. CPM is typically used for Banner Ad sales, while Cost-Per-Click is typically used for text link advertising.
Crawler
Also known as a Spider or Robot, a crawler is a search engine program that crawls the web, collecting data, following links, making copies of new and updated sites, and storing URLs in the search engines Index. This allows search engines to provide faster and more up-to-date listings.
Delisted
Also known as banned or blacklisted, a delisted site is a URL that has been removed from a search engines Index. Delisted sites are ignored by search engines.
Description Tag
Also known as a meta description tag, this is a short HTML paragraph that provides search engines with a description of a pages content for search engine Index purposes. The description tag is not displayed on the website itself, and may or may not be displayed in the search engines listing for that site. Although a must-Although a must-have for SEO a while ago, search engines are now giving less importance to description tags in lieu of actual page content.
Directory
A directory is an Index of websites compiled by people rather than a Crawler. Directories can be general or divided into specific categories and subcategories. A directorys servers provide relevant lists of registered sites in response to user queries. Directory Registration is thus an important method for building inbound links and improving SEO performance. However, the decision to include a site and its directory rank or categorization is determined by directory editors rather than an Algorithm. Some directories accept free submissions while others require payment for listing. The most popular directories include Yahoo!, The Open Directory Project (DMOZ), and LookSmart.
Doorway Page
Also known as a gateway page or jump page, this is an URL with minimal content designed to rank highly for a specific keyword and redirect visitors to a homepage or designated Landing Page. Some search engines frown on doorway pages as a softer form of Cloaking or Spam. However, doorway pages may be legitimate landing pages designed to measure the success of a promotional campaign, and they are commonly allowed in Paid Listings.
Dynamic Content
Dynamic content is web content such as Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS) that are generated or changed based on database information or user activity. Web pages that remain the same for all visitors in every context contain static content. Many e-commerce sites create dynamic content based on purchase history and other factors. Search engines have a difficult time indexing dynamic content if the page includes a session ID number, and will typically ignore URLs that contain the variable ?. Search engines will punish sites that use deceptive or invasive means to create dynamic content.
Flash Optimization
Flash is a vector graphics-based animation program developed by Macromedia. Most corporate sites feature Flash movies/animation, yet because search engine Crawlers were designed to index HTML text, sites that favour Flash over text are difficult or even impossible for crawlers to read. Flash Optimization is the process of reworking the Flash movie and surrounding HTML code to be more crawlable for Search Engines.
Gateway Page
See Doorway page
Geographical Targeting
Geographical targeting is the focusing of Search Engine Marketing on states, counties, cities and neighbourhoods that are important to a companys business. One basic aspect of geographical targeting is adding the names of relevant cities or streets to a sites keywords, i.e. Hyde Street London apartments. Another important element of geo-targeting is increasing your sites presence on Local Search engines.
Geographic Segmentation
Geographic segmentation is the use of Analytics to categorize a sites web traffic by the physical locations from which it originated.
Google AdSense
Google AdSense is an ad-serving program operated by Google that provides relevant text, image, and video-based advertisements to enrolled site owners. Advertisers register via Google AdWords and pay for ads on a Pay-Per-Click, Cost-Per-Thousand or Cost-Per-Action basis. This revenue is shared with Google AdSense host sites, typically on a PPC basis (which sometimes leads to Click Fraud). Google uses its search Algorithms and Contextual Link Inventory to display the most appropriate ads based on site content, Query relevancy, ad quality scores, and other factors.
Google AdWords
Google AdWords is the Keyword Submission program that determines the advertising rates and keywords used in the Google AdSense program. Advertisers bid on the keywords that are relevant to their businesses. Ranked ads then appear as sponsored links on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS) and Google AdSense host sites.
Graphical Search Inventory (GSI)
Graphical Search Inventory is the visual equivalent of Contextual Link Inventory. GSI is non-text-based advertising such as Banner Ads, pop-up ads, browser toolbars, animation, sound, video and other media that is synchronized to relevant Keyword queries.
Gray Hat SEO
Gray hat SEO refers to Search Engine Optimization strategies that fall in between Black Hat SEO and White Hat SEO. Gray hat SEO techniques can be legitimate in some cases and illegitimate in others. Such techniques include Doorway Pages, Gateway Pages, Cloaking and duplicate content. If in doubt whether or not a Gray Hat technique could result in blacklisting, avoid using it.
Hidden Text
Hidden text is a form of Black Hat SEO in which pages are filled with a large amount of text that is the same colour as the background, rendering keywords invisible to the human eye but detectable to a search engine Crawler. Multiple Title Tags or HTML comments are alternative hidden text techniques. Hidden text is easily detectable by search engines and will result in Blacklisting or reduced Rank.
Hit
Hit is a somewhat misleading measure of traffic to a web site. One hit is recorded for each file request in a web servers access log. If a user visits a page with four images, one hit will be recorded for each graphic image file plus another for the pages HTML file. A better measure of traffic volume is the number of pages/HTML files accessed or by setting Conversion Goals in your analytics program.
HTML
The acronym HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, the authoring language used to create pages on the World Wide Web. HTML is a set of codes or HTML tags that provide a web browser with directions on how to structure a web pages information and features.
Hyperlink
Also known as link or HTML link, a hyperlink is an image or portion of text that when clicked on by a user opens another web page or jumps the browser to a different portion of the current page. Inbound Links with keyword-relevant Link Text are an important part of Search Engine Optimization Strategy.
Index
An index is a Search Engines database. It contains all of the information that a Crawler has identified, particularly copies of World Wide Web pages. When a user performs a Query, the search engine uses its indexed pages and Algorithm set to provide a ranked list of the most relevant pages. In the case of a Directory, the index consists of titles and summaries of registered sites that have been categorized by the directorys editors.
Inbound Links
See Backlinks

Impression
Also known as a page view, an impression is a single instance of an online advertisement being displayed. Search engines and ad networks use impression statistics to charge advertisers on a Cost-Per-Thousand (CPM) basis. Internet Marketing
On a fundamental level, Internet marketing is using the Internet to advertise, communicate and sell goods and services. On an advanced level, Internet marketing is known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is the use of targeted keywords, crawler-friendly site architecture, Search Engine Submissions and a well-developed link network to improve a sites Position, Page Rank and Click-Through Rate, and ultimately raise its sales and site visits.
Internet Marketing Consultant
Also known as SEO professionals or SEO specialists, Internet marketing consultants use their knowledge of Search Engine Optimization Strategy to improve their clients’ Position and Page Rank.
Internet Promotion
Also known as search engine promotion, website marketing or website promotion, Internet promotion refers to all methods employed by a company or individual to promote a website and increase its Position and Page Rank.
Keyword
Also known as search terms or query terms, keywords are the word(s) or phrase(s) a user enters into a search engines Query box. A Search Engine Results Page (SERP) ranks indexed sites according to how relevant the Search Engine deems them to the searched keywords. One of the most important SEO Strategies companies can employ is to optimize their site pages with content that contains targeted keywords relevant to their products or industry.
Keyword Marketing
Keyword marketing is the use of keyword-optimized content and keyword-specific Link Text to emphasize a sites relevancy to those terms and thereby increase Rank for related web queries. Keyword marketing can also be done through keyword-based ad programs such as Google AdSense. Keyword marketing is an essential component of Search Engine Optimization.
Keyword Submission
Keyword submission is an all-inclusive term for the keyword research/selection, bid cost assessment and budgeting that companies undertake to begin Pay-Per-Click keyword campaigns with advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Yahoo! Sponsored Search and Microsoft AdCenter.
Landing Page
The landing page is the page on which a visitor lands after clicking a search engine listing, email link, Banner Ad, Cost-Per-Click ad, or other ad/link. The landing page can be a sites homepage, but is usually a page designed to appeal to users who Click-Through a specific ad or link. Landing pages are also used to monitor site traffic and measure an advertising campaigns success. Well-designed landing pages that are relevant to a users keyword query will improve Conversion Rates and play a critical role in Search Engine Marketing.
Link
Also known as hyperlink or HTML link, a link is an image or portion of text that when clicked on by a user opens another web page or jumps the browser to a different portion of the current page. Inbound Links with keyword-relevant Link Text are an important part of Search Engine Optimization Strategy.
Link Baiting
Link baiting is the creation of content that incites users to link to your page from another website. The types of link bait vary tremendously, but they include highly informative articles or news stories, useful resources and sometimes controversial or sensationalistic content. Link baiting is a White Hat SEO technique used to help a site improve its Link Popularity and Page Rank. Some sites use link baiting as the centrepiece of a Website Marketing campaign.
Link Exchange
A link exchange is a quid pro quo arrangement or reciprocal link exchange between two sites. Reciprocal links usually lead to the home page of the associate site.
Link Farm
A link farm is a webpage or group of webpages that exist solely to increase the number of Backlinks in a sites link network. A link farm is meant to increase a sites PageRank or popularity and thus improve its search engine Position. However, link farms are considered a form of Spam and sites that rely on them are penalized by search engines. Avoid link farms at all costs.
Link Popularity
Link popularity is the measure of how popular a webpage is by the number of Backlinks it has. However, link popularity is not solely a matter of quantity. Page Rank is achieved when Backlinks are located on reputable, relevant sites rather than so-called Link Farms. Most search engines use link popularity as a factor in their Algorithmic Results.
Link Text
See Anchor text
Listings
Listings are the indexed sites that appear in ranked order on a Search Engine Results Page in response to a user Query.
Local Search
Local search refers to both the addition of geographical keywords (cities, streets, etc.) to Search Terms and the use of Yellow Pages-type Search Engines such as Google Maps, Yahoo! Local and AskCity to find business services in a particular postal area. Search Engine Placement Services use local SEO to help traditional brick and mortar businesses connect with customers in their community.
Marketing Analytics
Marketing analytics is a branch of Analytics concerned specifically with marketing-related information from organic and paid search engine traffic, such as Unique Visitors, keyword-generated sales, Cost-Per-Click advertising, Click Fraud, Search Engine Marketing, etc.
Meta Description Tag
See Description tag
Meta Keywords Tag
A meta keywords tag provides search engines with a list of keywords that are relevant to a webpage. This can improve search engine Rank for a page by ensuring its properly indexed. However, search engines are now giving less importance to meta keywords tags in lieu of actual page content.
Meta Robots Tag
A meta robots tag (named for a search engine Crawler or Robot) lets page authors prevent their webpages from being added to a search engines Index. Alternatives to a meta robots tag are Robots.txt files and password protection.
Meta Search Engine
A meta search engine derives its listings by running user queries through multiple other search engines and then summarizing the results. A meta search engine does not maintain its own Index. Listings are displayed by meta search engines either in aggregate or categorized by search engine source. An example of a meta search engine is Dogpile.com.
Meta Tag
Meta tags are HTML tags placed in a webpage that contain information for Crawlers and web browsers. Types of meta tag information include page descriptions (Description Tag), page-relevant keywords (Meta Keywords Tag), whether a page can be indexed (Meta Robots Tag), copyright, page refresh dates and redirection instructions.
Natural Listings (or Natural Optimization)
Also known as organic listings, natural listings are webpage listings that appear on a Search Engine Results Page solely because the search engine Algorithm deems them relevant to the Query. Natural listings can contain Paid Listings, but only if they fulfil the same requirements as natural listings. The best way to improve a sites natural listing Position is through Natural Search Engine Optimization using White Hat techniques only.
Natural Search Engine Optimization
Also known as natural optimization, organic search engine optimization or white hat SEO, natural search engine optimization is the use of keyword-focused copy and tags, Crawler-friendly site architecture, Search Engine Submissions and a quality Backlinks network to improve a sites Position, Page Rank and Click-Through Rate. Because about 80% of web users look at Natural Listings first, natural SEO offers a much greater chance of long-term business success than Paid Listings or Pay-Per-Click ad campaigns.
Optimization Services
See Internet promotion
Organic Listings (or Organic Optimization)
See Natural listings
Outbound Links
Outbound links are all links from a particular webpage that lead to other pages, including pages in the same domain. An excessive number of outbound links can damage a site’s Search Engine Positioning because a Spider may perceive it as a Link Farm.
Page Rang (PR)
PageRank is a link analysis algorithm developed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. A number from one (lowest) to ten (highest) is assigned to a webpage as a measure of its importance, specifically the likelihood that a user will arrive at that page by randomly clicking Links. PageRank is not the same thing as Rank.
Paid Inclusion
Paid inclusion is an advertising program offered by some search engines in which a page is guaranteed inclusion in the Index in exchange for a fee. Unlike Paid Placement, the rank of paid inclusion pages is determined solely by the search engine Algorithm. Paid inclusion sites may or may not be labelled as advertisements depending on Search Engine policy.
Paid Listings
Paid Listings, as opposed to Natural Listings or Organic Listings, are sites that appear on a Results Page because money was paid to the search engine for inclusion and/or position. Paid listings are used as an all-inclusive term for the practices of Paid Inclusion and Paid Placement.
Paid Placement
Paid placement is a program in which advertisers listings are guaranteed to appear on a Results Page when particular Keywords are searched. The ranking of paid placement listings is determined by competitive bidding. Unlike Paid Inclusion listings, paid placement listings are usually displayed separately from Natural Listings and are labelled as advertisements or sponsored links. Google and Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture) are two of the largest paid placement search networks.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
See Cost-per-click
Position
Also known as rank, position is the place a website occupies relative to the first listing on an Algorithmic Results page in response to a Keyword query. The first page displays Listings in the one through ten positions, the second page eleven through twenty, etc. Businesses trying to get their site into a top ten position will often employ a Professional Search Engine Optimization company. Consumer studies have shown that most search engine users click only on sites that occupy the top ten positions.
Position Reporting
Position reporting is the monitoring of daily changes in search engine Position for indexed URLs that have been optimized for specific keywords by a Search Engine Optimization Company. Position reporting is also used to generate a Search Engine Ranking Report.
Professional Search Engine Optimization
Professional search engine optimization is the modification of a website by an SEO company in order to increase its Position and Page Rank and improve its Click-Through Rate and Conversion Rate.
Query
A query is a question or instance of questioning. A search engine query is a users request for the information (i.e. webpages) in a search engines Index that is most relevant to a Keyword or set of Search Terms. Query is sometimes used to mean the actual keywords a user enters in a search box.
Rank
See Position
Reciprocal Link Exchange
A reciprocal link exchange is a quid pro quo arrangement or link exchange between two sites. Reciprocal links usually lead to the home page of the associate site.
Registration
Also known as search engine registration or search engine submission, registration is the submission of a URL to a Directory or Search Engine for inclusion in its Index. Registration is usually free but can also require payment. Registration is a basic but important part of Search Engine Optimization.
Results Page
Also known as search engine results page, the results page is the collection of ranked Listings displayed in response to a search engine Query.
Robot
See Crawler
Robots.txt
Also known as robots exclusion protocol, Robots.txt is a text file stored in a sites root directory that tells a search engine Crawler which site pages and sub-folders should not be included in the search engine Index. However, there is no guarantee that a Crawler will comply with this request. Robots.txt is an alternative to a Meta Robots Tag or password protection.
SEO Professional
Also known as Internet marketing consultant or SEO specialist, SEO professionals use their knowledge of Search Engine Optimization Strategy to improve their clients Position and Page Rank.
SEO Services
SEO services are all of the tools used by a Professional Search Engine Optimization company, including Analytics and Keyword Marketing.
SEO Specialist
Also known as Internet marketing consultant or SEO professional, SEO specialists use their knowledge of Search Engine Optimization Strategy to improve their clients Position and Page Rank.
SEO Strategies
SEO strategies are the techniques used in Search Engine Optimization to improve a sites Position and Page Rank and increase its Click-Through Rate. A few SEO strategies are keyword research and content writing, optimized HTML code, and improved Geographical Targeting.
Search Engine
A search engine is a website that enables users to Query an Index of stored webpages gathered by a Crawler for information relevant to specific criteria expressed via a Keyword or Search Terms. The Rank of information/websites on the corresponding Search Engine Results Pages is determined by relevancy as measured by the search engines Algorithm and/or payment made to the search engine by indexed sites. Sites ranked solely by relevancy are known as Natural Listings or Organic Listings in contrast to Paid Listings.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine marketing is an inclusive term for all techniques used to market a website via search engines, including Pay-Per-Click advertising and Natural Search Engine Optimization.
Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)
The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) is a non-profit professional association founded in 2003 to increase awareness of the benefits of search engine marketing and provide educational resources to members and consumers.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is the modification of a website for the purpose of improving its natural Rank on Search Engine Results Pages. This is done through a combination of SEO strategies such as directory and search engine Submission, website optimization, content writing and improved Link quality.
Search Engine Optimization Company (SEO Company)
A search engine optimization company employs SEO Strategies to improve a website’s Search Engine Placement.
Search Engine Optimization Consultants
Also known as SEO professionals or SEO specialists, search engine optimization consultants analyze a website’s Position and Keyword strength and offer solutions for improvement.
Search Engine Optimization Software Systems
Search engine optimization software systems enable marketers to generate site data and automatically customize Submission schedules. However, automated submissions should generally be avoided in favour of submissions catered to each search engines rules.
Search Engine Optimization Strategy
Search engine optimization strategy refers to the specific optimization plan an SEO company employs for the site promotion of an individual client.
Search Engine Placement
Search engine placement means the tactics used by Site Optimization firms to improve their clients Rank. The term search engine placement is sometimes used to mean the Position of a website on a Results Page.
Search Engine Placement Services
See Internet promotion
Search Engine Positioning
The term search engine positioning can be used in two different ways. The first is to describe the ordering process of indexed websites being ranked by a search engine Algorithm in response to a Query. The second refers to the use of Search Engine Optimization to achieve a higher search engine Position.
Search Engine Promotion
See Internet promotion
Search Engine Ranking Report
A search engine ranking report is a monthly, weekly or daily report of the Position of a companys website Listing in relation to their top Keywords. Position Reporting enables companies to monitor the success of an SEO strategy or Cost-Per-Click advertising campaign.
Search Engine Registration
Also known as search engine submission or web submission, search engine registration is the submission of a URL to a Directory or Search Engine for inclusion in its Index. Registration is usually free but can also require payment. Search engine registration is a basic but important part of Search Engine Optimization.
Search Engine Results Page (SERPs)
See Results page
Search Engine Submission
See Search engine registration
Search Terms
See Keywords
Shopping Search
Shopping search engines or search engines with a shopping feature (such as Google Product Search) allow users to comparison shop by providing lists of sellers and prices in response to a product Query. Some shopping search sites require Paid Inclusion or offer Paid Placement.
Site Optimization
See Internet promotion
Spam
Spam refers to any and all Search Engine Marketing techniques that violate search engine guidelines or attempt to gain increased Rank for a site using content that is irrelevant, deceptive or of little value to users. Types of spam include Hidden Text, content that contains nonsensical Keyword repetition, deceptive Cloaking or numerous Doorway Pages that redirect users to the same Landing Page. If a search engine detects spamming the offending site will be Blacklisted or lose Position. Spam is a Black Hat SEO technique.
Spider
See Crawler
Submission
See Ssearch engine registration
Title Tags
A title tag is an HTML tag which contains a sentence of text describing the contents of its associated webpage. Title tags are a very important part of Search Engine Optimization because they are frequently used as the text links that lead to sites from a search engines Results Page. The best title tags contain strategic keywords that will help a site be indexed properly and appeal to human search engine users.
Three-Way Link Exchange
A three-way link exchange is a Reciprocal Link Exchange established between three domains. However, unlike a two-way link exchange, not all three sites link to each other. Page A links to Page B and Page B links to Page C and Page C links to Page A. Page B does not post a reciprocal link to Page A and Page C does not post a reciprocal link to Page B. Three-way link exchanges are used by owners of multiple websites to increase the Link Popularity and Page Rank of new or smaller sites.
Unique Visitor
Unique visitor is a web traffic measuring term which means the registering of at least one hit on one page of a web site from a unique IP address during a specified report period (typically anywhere from twenty-four hours to a month). A subsequent hit(s) by the same IP address is not counted as a unique visitor during that report period. Unique visitor count can be an effective way of measuring the success of an SEO strategy.
Web Analytics
Web analytics is a branch of Analytics that uses web traffic records to study the behaviour of website visitors. Data such as Unique Visitors, Hits, page views, and the connection between Landing Pages and Conversion Rates are used to improve a website or marketing campaign.
Website Marketing
See Internet marketing
Website Optimization
See Search engine optimization
Website Promotion
Website promotion refers to the marketing aspects of Search Engine Optimization, such as Keyword Submission, Paid Inclusion, and other techniques to increase a sites exposure.
Website Promotion Services
See Search engine marketing Website Submission
See Search engine registration
White Hat SEO
Also known as natural search engine optimization or organic search engine optimization, white hat SEO is the legitimate use of keyword-focused copy and tags, Crawler-friendly site architecture, Search Engine Submissions and a quality Backlinks network to improve a sites Position, Page Rank and Click-Through Rate. White hat SEO does not involve the use of Cloaking, Spam or any other Black Hat SEO techniques.
XML
XML is an acronym for Extensible Markup Language, a simple and flexible text-based programming language used in conjunction with HTML. XML is useful for data exchange and the creation of customized tags.
XML Feed
An XML feed is a form of Paid Inclusion or Search Engine Submission in which an XML document is used to provide a search engine with information about multiple web pages. An XML feed is particularly useful for multimedia sites or database sites that draw a variety of relevant search queries.