SEO

American  

abbreviation

Digital Technology.

1. search-engine optimization: the methods used to boost the ranking or frequency of a website in results returned by a search engine, in an effort to maximize user traffic to the site.

   The first step in SEO is to generate keywords that are relevant to your site's content.

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SEO British  

abbreviation

1. computing search engine optimization

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Etymology

Origin of SEO

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

For instance, traditional SEO strategies advise users to put plenty of subheads in their content.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

For instance, with traditional SEO, getting a single link from a very authoritative site meant more for ranking purposes than hundreds of mentions on other sites.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

AI systems like ChatGPT are changing online search, shifting standards from traditional SEO rankings to a company’s visibility online, in places like review sites and forums.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

For a long time, people’s experience of the internet has been shaped by SEO and the tactics companies use to boost their rankings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The global SEO and AEO services market will grow to $171 billion by 2030 from $81.4 billion last year, partly driven by growing AI optimization efforts, according to a prediction by research firm MarkNtel Advisors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025