I was recently updating a resource list for an upcoming talk on Search Marketing, and came across these two links. Both are good resources for people just learning about SEO and trying to grasp just how this search thing works. I am a big fan of starting with the basics – the terminology and technology here are just that.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): How to speak SEO Geek
http://www.sempo.org/glossary.php

How Google Works:
When you understand the inner workings, it starts to make more sense
http://www.googleguide.com/google_works.html