Introduction

Welcome to the VBA Glossary. A plain-English reference for the terms that shape how your visuals are found, understood, and trusted online.

Here you’ll find clear explanations of concepts like alt text, WCAG 2.2, structured data, and AI visibility. Each entry is written for business leaders, not developers, so you can make confident decisions about compliance, search visibility, and return on investment.

Think of it as a quick-check guide you can come back to whenever an unfamiliar acronym or technical word appears in your audits, reports, or conversations.

VBA Glossary (Acronyms A-Z)

AI

Artificial Intelligence. Computer systems that simulate human reasoning and learning. In this context, it’s how search engines and AI tools (Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity) “see” and interpret images and content.

ALT (Alt Text)

Alternative Text. The written description of an image used by screen readers and search engines. Essential for accessibility (WCAG/EAA) and discoverability.

See how it’s applied in our Image Compliance Audit.

CDN

Content Delivery Network. A system of distributed servers that deliver images, video, and other files faster by serving them from locations close to the user.

CLS

Cumulative Layout Shift. A Core Web Vitals metric that measures unexpected page movement while loading (often caused by poorly sized or missing image dimensions).

EAA

European Accessibility Act. EU law requiring digital products and services to be accessible. It impacts websites, apps, and digital media — and applies even to UK businesses serving EU clients.

EXIF

Exchangeable Image File Format. Metadata stored inside image files (camera settings, date, location). Not always read by search engines but useful for workflows and rights management.

GEO (Geotagging / Geolocation)

Data that tags images or content with physical location info. Helps strengthen local SEO and AI relevance when used correctly.

INP

Interaction to Next Paint. A Core Web Vitals metric measuring how quickly a page responds to user input such as clicks or taps.

IPTC

International Press Telecommunications Council metadata. A standard for embedding descriptive information (captions, copyright, creator) into images.

JSON-LD

JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data. A structured data format that explains your content to machines. Commonly used for schema markup (e.g., ImageObject, Article).

LCP

Largest Contentful Paint. A Core Web Vitals metric that measures how fast the main content (often the hero image or heading) becomes visible.

LLM

Large Language Model. The AI behind tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. They rely on structured, accessible content to generate accurate answers and citations.

OG (Open Graph)

A protocol used to control how your content looks when shared on social platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, X). Defines preview image, title, and description.

OGP (Open Graph Protocol)

The full framework behind OG tags. Ensures consistent previews across different platforms.

SEO

Search Engine Optimisation. The practice of improving your site to rank higher in search results. In VBA context, it includes making images, PDFs, and visuals visible, accessible, and AI-ready.

SSL

Secure Sockets Layer. The certificate behind https://. Ensures secure data transfer, builds user trust, and is a ranking signal for Google.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a web page (e.g., https://thevisualbusinessaccelerator.co.uk).

WCAG 2.2

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The global standard for digital accessibility. Version 2.2 sets requirements for text alternatives, contrast, navigation, and more — the baseline for compliance.

👉 Learn how this applies in our Compliance Checklist page.

Bonus Terms (Non-Acronyms A-Z)

Canonical URL

A tag that tells search engines which version of a page is the “master” copy. Prevents duplicate content issues and helps consolidate ranking signals.

Caption

Visible text paired with an image. It adds meaning, context, and credibility, and can improve indexing.

Core Web Vitals

Google’s real-world metrics for user experience:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) — loading speed
• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) — visual stability
• INP (Interaction to Next Paint) — interactivity
  Images have a big impact on all three.

Hero Image

The primary image at the top of a page (above the fold). It sets the visual tone and is critical for both user impression and SEO performance.

Lazy Loading

A technique that delays loading off-screen images until the user scrolls near them. Improves page speed but the hero image should never be lazy-loaded.

Lighthouse

An open-source tool by Google that audits pages for Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO. A baseline check for compliance and visibility.

An open-source tool by Google that audits pages for Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO. It’s the benchmark we use in every Website Audit.

Metadata

Information about a web page or image (title, description, alt text, schema, tags). Helps search engines and AI understand your content.

Schema (Structured Data)

Code added to pages (often in JSON-LD) that explains meaning to search engines. Common types: Article, ImageObject, FAQPage. Essential for AI discoverability.

Sitemap (XML)

A structured file listing your site’s pages, images, and videos. Submitted to Google Search Console so crawlers can find and index your content efficiently.

Visual Compliance

The practice of ensuring digital visuals (images, PDFs, videos) meet accessibility standards (WCAG/EAA), have correct metadata, and are machine-readable for AI and search.

This glossary will continue to grow as new standards, tools, and terms emerge. If there’s a definition you’d like me to add, or if you want help applying these principles to your own website, get in touch.