The world of digital marketing is filled with various technical terms, abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon, and it can be overwhelming for beginners and students just to learn the vocabulary.
Here, we will discuss some of the most important digital marketing terms available, sorted in alphabetical order.
1. A/B Testing:
Also often referred to as split testing. An experiment where the audience is split into two groups (A, and B), group A is shown the version A of specific marketing material (an ad, a web page, a content, etc.), and group B is shown another version. The test is conducted to determine which version performs better, and we can test more than 2 variations (A, B, C,….) with the same principle.
2. Advanced Segment
A feature in Google Analytics—with Custom Segment being the more accurate term—. A specific selection of your Google Analytics data, for example, users from a particular city is a Segment.
3. Analytics
A systematic method to analyze a set of data. Might also specifically refer to Google Analytics, an analytics tool by Google.
4. Backlink
Also called inbound link, a link from a third-party website coming to your site.
5. Blacklist
A term in email marketing, databases collecting I.P. addresses believed to distribute spam emails.
6. Blog
A dynamic website or web page that is regularly updated (as opposed to a static web page like common “about us” page )
7. Bottom of the Funnel
The stage nearing the end of a marketing funnel with awareness at the top and product/service purchase at the bottom, The purchase decision stage.
8. Bounce Rate
The percentage of website visitor who visits the site and immediately leaves or “bounces”
9. Bulk Mail
More accurately, Bulk Email, a promotional email sent by a brand to plenty (can be thousands) of recipients at one time
10. Business-to-Business (B2B)
A business that is selling products/services to other businesses (i.e. a meat supplier for a restaurant)
11. Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
A business that is selling products/services to consumers (i.e. a restaurant selling foods directly to consumers)
12. Buyer Persona
A fictional representation of our perfect client, created based on research data.
13. Call to Action (CTA)
A small content (can be a button) designed to encourage the audience to perform a specific act (i,e. “Buy Now”, “click here to get your special offer”, etc. )
14. Case Study
A research methodology adapted in marketing as an analysis of a campaign or company in relation to a specific issue, the implementation of the campaign to fix this issue, and the success/failure. (i.e. an analysis of how product A helps company B increase production growth by X%)
15. Click Fraud
The (malicious) practice of repeatedly clicking on a PPC (pay-per-click) advertisement—whether through manual clicking or via a computer-generated script— so it will drive up fraudulent charges, driving up advertising costs.
16. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
A percentage of the audience who clicks on the desired content (mainly CTA).
17. Closed-Loop Marketing
A method to collect and analyze client data from various channels, use the data insights to create highly targeted content and promotional campaign, which in turn allows us to gather more data from the same clients—creating a continuous cycle, a closed-loop—.
18. Cold Calling
The practice of making an unsolicited call (in person, by phone, via email, other means), mainly to offer your products or services.
19. Comparative Advertising
An advertising tactic where a product or service is directly compared (and presented as superior) to a competitor’s.
20. Content Audit
The process of evaluating the content published on a website, both for the non-technical (readability, grammar error, keyword usage) and technical (loading speed, mobile-responsiveness) elements.
21. Content Management System (CMS)
A software or program that is used to manage and edit digital content (i.e. to publish a blog post to a specific web page, and to edit that page anytime necessary). Typically used for web content management.
22. Content Marketing
A marketing approach focused on developing, distributing, and promoting high-quality, relevant, and valuable content to attract audiences mainly via search engine optimization (SEO).
23. Content Metrics:
Metrics used to measure the performance of specific content, including but not limited to Average Attention Time, Social Shares, Click-Through-Rate, Lead Capture Conversion, and more.
24. Conversion Path
The desired steps to be taken by a website visitor from the first time they visited a website until they make the desired conversion (i.e. purchasing a product, signing up to a newsletter, etc.)
25. Conversion Rate
The percentage of website visitors that made the desired conversion.
26. Cost Per Lead (CPL)
Online advertising pricing model, where the advertiser only pays the publisher when a user converts into a lead (mainly by filling an explicit sign-up form)
27. client Acquisition Cost
The total (sales and marketing) costs required until a single, new client purchase a product or service.
28. client Relationship Management (CRM)
Can refer to the initiative/approach of a company to manage the interaction with existing clients and prospects (potential clients), or can also refer to the software/solution used to achieve that initiative.
29. Demographics
Data/information related to the number and characteristics of people that form a specific group or segment. Including but not limited to age, occupation, income, purchase behavior, etc.
30. Digital Marketing
An umbrella term used to describe any marketing efforts using electronic mediums. It can be divided into online digital marketing and offline digital marketing (TV, Radio), but nowadays are often used exclusively for online digital marketing (online advertising, social media marketing, etc.).
31. Direct Competition
A situation where two (or more) businesses offer a similar product and/or service to the same market. The businesses are directly competing to gain the potential market.
32. Direct Marketing
A form of promotion where the company/brand presents information about the brand, company, product, or service to the target client directly, without using mediums like retailers, advertising publishers, and so on. Examples of direct marketing are direct mail order or telephone selling.
33. Distribution Plan
A systematic plan detailing the necessary processes to ensure the delivery of goods to various intermediaries (distribution centers), retailers, and end clients, while also considering which products at what quantity must be delivered to a specific location.
34. Editorial Calendar
A schedule of content to be developed, where to publish it, how to promote it.
35. Email Campaign
An effort to send a promotional—commercial— email, typically to a group of people (in bulk), but can also be for a specific individual.
36. Engagement Rate
A percentage of visitors/users who engage with specific promotional content. (i.e. like a social media post)
37. Forecasting
Using past data and insights to “predict” future outcome of a similar campaign.
38. Gated Content
Content, typically downloadable, that requires users to fill out a contact form before they can access them.
39. Geographic Segmentation
Segmenting target market based on their geographic location. (i.e. those located in New York as segment A, and those in New Jersey as segment B).
40. Geotargeting
Related to geographic segmentation, custom-tailoring a promotional message/advertisement to a specific geographic segment.
41. Google AdWords
Now called Google Ads, an online advertising platform by Google where advertisers can bid on advertising “spots” —the websites on the world wide web-based on keywords.
42. Google Analytics
Google Analytics uses a JavaScript code to collect information from websites. In this way, Analytics records a visit each time a user views a page with the Google Analytics code.
43. Inbound Link
An inbound link is a hyperlink back to your site from another Web site. The one constant and reliable strategy in search engine optimization is that sites with a variety of high-quality backlinks rank higher in the search engine results pages.
44. Inbound Marketing
See Content Marketing, technically a jargon to describe a more holistic practice of content marketing comprising content development, distribution, and promotion (mainly through SEO). The main idea is to pull the audience inbound by making our content readily available and discoverable via SEO.
45. Indexing
Google’s —and the other search engines’ — way to collect and organize information from a website that allows a web page to be seen and displayed properly on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
46. Infographic
A specific form of content utilizing visual elements like a chart or diagram to present data or information in an interesting, engaging way.
47. Internal Marketing
Conveying the company/brand’s goals, products, and/or services to employees of the organization.
48. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Measurable metrics and values to demonstrate how effective an individual or an organization is in achieving key business goals.
49. Keyword
In a digital marketing sense, a word—or phrase—we type into a search engine so the search engine can provide information that contains the specific word/phrase.
50. Landing Page
A specific, standalone web page (separated from the brand’s main website) that is designed to drive visitors into completing a single CTA. For example, a page promoting a specific ebook as Gated Content.
51. Lead Generation
Lead generation is the process of attracting clients in the hope of nurturing them throughout the buying process to help convince them about your offerings and then convert them into a paying client
52. Lead Nurturing
Any effort to engage, educate and nurture a lead until they convert into a clients.
53. Market Penetration
A measure to determine how successful the selling of a product and/or service is in a specific target market.
54. Market Research
Collecting and analyzing data from a specific market to understand more of the target audience.
55. Marketing Automation
The process (by using a software) to automate marketing activities.
56. Marketing Campaign
Organized tactic or effort to promote a specific marketing goal (i.e. building awareness, generating more qualified prospects, etc.)
57. Marketing Funnel
Often also called Buyer’s Journey, the client’s journey from the top of the funnel (awareness) until they finally made the purchase (bottom of the funnel).
58. Marketing Qualified Lead
MQL, a lead who has shown any level of interest and is qualified as more likely to become a paying client.
59. Mobile Marketing
Marketing efforts directed to users using mobile devices via mobile-specific channels.
60. Organic Distribution
Commonly used in Content Marketing, any distribution you don’t pay for (i.e. when someone shares your content on social media).
61. Organic Search
In digital marketing, it refers to unpaid search results, when people search for a keyword and your content was clicked as a result of that search.
62. Outbound Marketing
Refers to “traditional” marketing efforts as opposed to inbound marketing, where we push the promotional messages outwards through advertising and other promotional efforts. See Inbound Marketing.
63. Page Value:
A measure of a page’s value in its contribution to revenue.
64. Paid Distribution
See Organic Distribution, any content distribution that you pay for (i.e. paid social media promotion like Facebook’s Boost Post).
65. Pay Per Click (PPC)
See Cost-Per-Lead, anonline advertising pricing model where advertisers pay anytime the advertisement is clicked by a viewer.
66. Public Relations (PR)
A strategic communication between organizations/companies with the media and public.
67. Referral
The recommendation of your brand/product/service, typically by existing, happy clients or your business partners.
68. Remarketing
An advertising method where we only show the advertisement to those who have visited our website or triggered a certain action (i.e. searched for a specific keyword, visited our competitors’ sites)
69. Responsive Design
Flexible layout of a website (mainly using HTML5) that can automatically adjust itself between devices and screen sizes.
70. Return on Investment (ROI)
Percentage ratio between net profit and the total cost of the investment
71. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Commonly referring to paid search advertising on the search engines.
72. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
An effort to optimize your page, content and technical elements to the page can rank higher on the organic SERP.
73. Search Engine Results Pages (SERP)
The page(s) displayed by the search engines when we search for a query.
74. Social Media
Any websites or apps that allow users to create and share their own content.
75. Target Marketing
Breaking the market into segments, and then concentrating the marketing campaigns to one or more specific segments.
76. Thought Leader
A person or a brand that is seen by the people in the niche as the expert in that niche. Often used interchangeably with “influencer”
77. Unique Visitors per Month (UVM)
The number of people who visits the website at least once a month.
78. User
Any person who “uses” our website, app, software, or product.
79. User ID
How a computer or network identified a specific user (username).
80. UI – Short for User Interface
A series of visual elements (screens, pages, etc.) that a user can interact with within a product/service.
81. UX – Short for User Experience
How the user experiences every aspect of the product/service, commonly related to the internal experience a person has when interacting with UI.
82. Viral Content
Any piece of content that suddenly recognized and talked about by a lot of people online.
83. Webinar
Online seminar or presentation using a video conferencing software/platform.
84. Website Traffic
May refer to the number of people visiting your website in any given reporting period (i.e. per month), and may also refer to the amount of data sent and received by website visitors in a reporting period.
85. Whitelist
See Blacklist, any IP addresses that are “trustworthy”, not included in the Blacklist
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