SEO

American

abbreviation

Digital Technology.

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.

SEO British

abbreviation

computing search engine optimization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of SEO

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Diana Baratta, an SEO and communications manager in northern New Jersey, has 28 paid days off a year.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

"It was similar to SEO, positioning yourself as an expert in these areas and making sure you're giving the LLMs everything they need to provide a thorough and conclusive answer," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 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

Evan Bailyn is chief executive of First Page Sage, which started as an SEO firm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023