Here’s a comprehensive list of some common online internet marketing terms you will run across most frequently in the internet marketing and blogging world. If you’re brand new to blogging or digital marketing, it may all be ‘Greek’ to you but the more you see it and hear about them the more familiar these terms will be. You may have heard a lot of them already!
Internet marketing glossary of terms
Internet Marketing Terms Glossary
1. A/B testing – Also called split testing, A/B testing is the process of comparing two versions of a web page in order to evaluate and compare the performance of both pages.
2. Affiliate – An affiliate is an entity with a relationship with other larger entities. This term is usually used in affiliate marketing, where individual publishes affiliate links that usually earn them commission from the company that is linked to.
3. Algorithm – An algorithm is a computer program used by search engines to look for clues or signals, which enable them to deliver relevant search results to the users.
4. Algorithm update – Search engines regularly update their algorithm in order to adapt it, to ensure the relevance of the search engine results and to implement new technologies to index and rank websites.
5. Application – Application is software or technology, also called an application program, which is designed to perform a certain function.
6. B2B – In internet marketing, B2B (short for business-to-business) refers to the exchange of information, products or services between businesses.
7. Back-end tool – Back-end tool is an application or program used to manage the back-end of the website. Changes done this way then reflect to the front-end of a website.
8. Benchmark – Benchmark is a point of reference against something that is measured and compared.
9. Bounce rate – This metric represents the number of people who have left the website after visiting only one page. Based on Google’s recommendations, bounce rates below 40% is acceptable.
10. Branding – Branding is one of the marketing tasks that is done in the purpose of establishing an image or an association with a product in the minds of the consumers and potential consumers through different types of marketing campaigns.
11. Call-to-action button (CTA) – It is a button posted on the website that encourages visitors to do the action promoted by the button, such as call, sign up, register, etc.
12. Code – In computing, a code is a set of instructions that are written to enable a program to perform the task assigned by the instructions.
13. Content – Content is information that conveys a story, shares relevant data and explains something to an online users. Different types of content, such as written content, images and videos, are created to attract, engage and convert website visitors, social media followers, email subscribers, etc.
14. Conversion – In online marketing, a sale is usually considered a conversion. When you achieve a conversion, it means that you have managed to convert website visitors into paying customers. Depending on the website, different action can also be considered a conversion, such as sign up for a newsletter, downloading a file, becoming a social follower, etc.
15. Convert – To convert visitors is a term usually used for the act of turning a visitor into a paying customer.
16. Cookies – Pieces of data that are sent and stored to your computer when you use a browser to visit a website are called cookies. The purpose of the cookies is to record user’s browsing activity and to adapt the website so that it matches the interests of the user.
17. Copyright – Copyright is an exclusive legal right given to the owner of content that is created.
18. CPM – CPM stands for cost-per-mile and it represents cost per thousand impressions. It is one of the advertising payment plans, where you pay the price per thousand views.
19. CRO – CRO stands for conversion rate optimization, and it represents the rate at which visitors, browsing your website, convert to customers.
20. DNS – Data sour name is a data structure containing information about a certain database. DNS allows connection to this database.
21. Email marketing – Email marketing is a type of internet marketing where the process of promoting a website is conducted through email campaign.
22. Engagement – This term refers to the possibility of connecting with customers in order to establish long-term connection and to increase the influence.
23. Entry page – An entry page is one of the pages on a website that the visitors first see once they arrive to your website. It is also called a landing page.
24. eWoM – Electronic word of mouth is the online version of traditional word of mouth marketing. In this form, marketing relies on the positive or negative statement about the company, which is provided by the customers, and shared via online media, such as social networks, email, etc.
25. Exit page – Exit page is the last page the users access, before they leave the website.
26. Google penalty – Google penalty has a negative impact on your website ranking, as Google lowers the ranking on your website due to penalty. Penalty can be unfortunate due to an algorithm update, or your website can be penalized due to the usage of manipulative and misleading techniques, which are called black hat SEO.
27. HTML page – HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and it represents the standardized system for tagging text files. HTML page is a web page that uses HTML to tag the content, which allows search engines to identify different parts of the text.
28. HTML validator – HTML validator is a program used to check markup elements of HTML in order to detect any potential errors.
29. Impression – In internet marketing, impression, also called view, is achieved each time an online visitor sees the information, without the need to click on it.
30. Inbound marketing – Inbound marketing refers to the activities done by marketers in the purpose of producing interest, and attracting the visitors to the website, where you have the opportunity to convert those visitors.
31. JavaScript – JavaScript is a scripting language used in the HTML file of a website.
32. Keyword – Keyword is a word or phrase that is used to describe the content of the web page. Keywords are used in different types of internet marketing, such as SEO, paid advertising, etc.
33. Keyword density – Keyword density is the percentage of usage of the keyword or keyword phrase on the web page.
34. Keyword research – This refers to the process of finding the most relevant keywords you should use on your website, when it comes to content optimization. Since search engine results are categorized based on the keywords, you need to use only relevant keywords in order to make sure that you attract relevant traffic.
35. Keyword stuffing – Keyword stuffing is the process of adding too many keywords to the content. The purpose of this activity is to manipulate search engine algorithm in ranking a website better, but this practice is penalized by search engines, which is why it is not recommended to apply keyword stuffing in content optimization.
36. KPI – Key performance indicator is a type of measurement used to evaluate the performance of the website.
37. Landing page – A landing page, also called a lead capture page or a lander, is a single page that appears after the user has clicked on the link in the search engine result, search engine ad, the link posted on social media, link included in the email campaign, etc.
38. Lead – In online marketing, a lead is a potential sale contact. This means that only those contacts that are most likely to become your customers, due to their interests, needs, etc. are called leads. Different strategies in internet marketing are used to generate leads.
39. Meta tag – This is the coding system used in HTML to mark the content of the website in order to allow search engines to understand the data. The meta tags provide the meta data about the HTML document.
40. Metric – Metric is a measure that is used to track and monitor a specific element of a website in order to evaluate the website performance.
41. Mobile device – A mobile device is a small portable computing device, such as a smart phone or a tablet.
42. Mobile-friendly – This term is usually used for website design. Mobile-friendly website is the website that users can access using any mobile device, without this impairing user experience.
43. Multivariate testing – Multivariate testing refers to the process of testing a web page where multiple variables are modified, in order to determine the combination of the variables that gives best results.
44. Off-page – The factors that affect ranking, which are not available on the actual website include external links.
45. Online advertising – Online advertising, also called internet advertising, is the form of marketing that uses the internet to promote a business and distribute promotional messages.
46. On-page – The factors that affect ranking, which are available on the actual website include tags, keywords, content, etc.
47. Optimization – Optimization is the process of improving different on-site and off-site elements according to SEO guidelines, in order to improve the positioning of the website in the search engine results pages.
Various aspects of a website can be optimized, such as content optimization, title optimization, image optimization, video optimization, etc.
48. Opt in/out – Signing up for or leaving a marketer’s email newsletter and list.
49. Organic reach – The total number of unique people who saw your website or post through unpaid distribution.
50. Outbound marketing – Outbound marketing refers to using external sources to spread the word of your website. Unlike inbound marketing, outbound methods use external sources, both paid and unpaid to generate leads and improve website performance.
51. Paid reach – The total number of unique people who saw your website or post through paid distribution.
52. Personalization – This refers to the process of tailoring something according to specific needs.
Personalization is an approach especially recommended in social media marketing, as well as in email marketing, as it allows you to establish a connection with social followers or email subscribers.
53. Platform – A platform is a computer system on which application is run.
54. Positioning – In internet marketing, positioning refers to the position of the website in the search engine results pages. Since pages positioned at the top of the results get more visits, positioning is an important activity of internet marketing.
55. PPC – PPC, short for pay-per-click, is a type of paid advertising used in online marketing, where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on the ad, which can be shown in the search engine result pages as sponsored results, or on social networks.
56. Proxy – A proxy or proxy server is another computer through which communication between the client and the resource is established.
57. Ranking – Ranking refers to the position of a website in search engine result pages. As search engine position websites based on different criteria that affect ranking, it is important to follow search engine guidelines in order to improve ranking and thus promote your website.
58. Reach – Reach is the total number of people who are able to see you message or internet marketing campaign.
59. Referral – This refers to the page that is linking to another page.
60. ROI – Return on investment, commonly known as profitability ratio, is the benefit the investor achieved through its investment. ROI is a comparison of the profit you were able to achieve and the initial investment.
61. Search query – Search query is a term a user types into the search engine. There are different types of search queries, depending on what kind of information users search for using search engines.
62. SEM – Search engine marketing is a type of internet marketing where the website is promoted through search engines, using both unpaid (SEO) and paid (PPC) methods.
63. SEO – Search engine optimization is a type of internet marketing where the ranking of the website is improved using unpaid methods.
64. SERP – SERP stands for search engine results page, and it is the page, which is shown to the users after they type a search query into the search engine. The search engine results page shows the results that are related to the query, including both sponsored (paid) results, as well as organic results.
65. Session – A session is a presence of specific IP address that has not visited the website within the past 30 minutes. In terms of a website, a session is occasionally defined as a visit.
66. SMM – Social media marketing is a type of online marketing that uses social media websites to promote a business, increase traffic and generate leads.
67. Strategy – Strategy is a well-developed business plan that involves the plan and the analysis of the current situation, the goals that should be achieved by implementation of the strategy, the set of actions to be performed, as well as ways to monitor and measure the efficiency of the strategy. In terms of internet marketing, internet marketing strategy involves planning and tasks to be performed as a part of internet marketing.
68. Target audience – Target audience is the group of online users you want to reach. You should optimize your internet marketing strategy in order to maximize the chances of reaching your target audience, as those users are more likely to become your customers, subscribers, followers, etc.
69. Targeting – Targeting is the process of selecting. It usually refers to the selection of potential customers, in order to establish a group, often called a target group, of those who are most likely to become your customers.
70. Trademark – Trademark is a design, which is recognizable and it represents an image of a company, business or individual.
71. Traffic – In the online world, traffic refers to the flow of data. When it comes to websites, traffic represents the amount of data insight sent and received by the visitors of that website, regardless whether or not the paid or unpaid method was used.
72. URL – Uniform Resource Locator refers to the location of the file on the internet. It is the address of the website, which you type into the browser in order to find a particular website.
73. User – In terms of online world, a user is a person who uses the internet to find information or to establish contact.
74. Visibility – Visibility is the chance of your website appearing in the search engine results pages. Internet marketing is supposed to increase the visibility of your website, and thus increase the possibility of your website appearing in the organic results.
75. Visit – Visit, also called a session, is the measurement used to signify user’s action happening in a particular period.
76. W3C – W3C stand for the World Wide Web Consortium and it represents the community working together to develop and improve web standards.
77. Web analytics tool – These tools are used as a part of web analytics, in the purpose of monitoring and analyzing the performance of the website.
78. Web browsing – Web browsing is the process of using a web browser, a software application, in order to search for information online.
79. Webmaster – Webmaster is the person who creates and manages a website.
80. Website analytics – The collection of different metrics, such as website visits, bounce rate, session duration, referrals, etc. represents website analytics. These data about the website are used to analyze and monitor the performance of the website.
81. Website directory – A website directory, also called a link directory, is a website that specializes in featuring links to other websites, which are divided based on the categories.
82. Website navigation – Website navigation represents the structure of the website that is used to direct users to different parts of the website.
83. Website saturation – This term refers to the number of web pages from a single domain, that are indexed by search engines.
84. Whois tool – This is an online tool, which allows you to type the URL you want to check and to see who owns the website. Additional information includes owner’s email, hosting company, the domain expiring date, etc…
When you register a domain, you can choose to hide this information, in which case Whois tool will not show these results when your website is analyzed.
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This article was written for Business 2 Community by Emily Standley.
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