Digital Marketing (SEO & SEM) Glossary of Terms
Always wondered what some of these industry terms meant? We've compiled a list of the commonly used SEO and SEM Glossary
This article will share the glossary of terms used for SEO, SEM and in general the Digital Marketing world. Use the list below to educate yourself on the terms or bookmark this page as a reference for the future.
- Analytics (Web Analytics Tools): The analysis of data generated by people’s activity on websites or mobile apps, for the purpose of discovering ways to improve websites and marketing campaigns.
Example: “I’m using web analytics tools to come up with ideas to redesign my website.”
- App (Application): A program designed to run on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Example: “My house needs painting, so I used a local app to find a reputable service near me.”
- Banner Ad: A form of advert found on web pages and mobile applications, usually in image format.
Example: “I’m using banner ads to bring new customers to my website.”
- Blog: A regularly updated website written by an individual, typically in a conversational style, and focused on a specific subject.
- Browser: A computer or smartphone (mobile) program used to navigate the Internet on computers, tablets and smartphones. Examples include Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari.
Example: “I’m not sure why my website looks different depending on the browser a person is using.”
- Click through Rate (CTR): The number of times people click on an item of interest, like an advert, in comparison to the number of times users are exposed to that item.
Example:: “My click-through rate on ads about external painting is 2%, but my CTR on ads about indoor murals is less than 1%.”
- Content: The digital material available to users, via text, video, audio, images, etc.
Example: “I’m adding more image and video content to my site, so it’ll be more engaging.” - Conversion (Goal): The action you want visitors to perform. Examples include Ecommerce purchases, form submissions, phone calls, and video views.
Example: “My main goal is for people to book a consultation on my website, but signing up for my email newsletter would also be a conversion.”
- Conversion Optimization: The process of increasing the percentage of visitors who complete your goals.
Example: “Once I add a new line of faux finishes to my website, I’m going to start focusing on conversion optimization.”
- Conversion Rate: The ratio of conversions to visits, often used to measure digital performance.
Example: “I’m not sure why, but my conversion rate on external painting is very low for male visitors.”
- Cost Per Click: The amount of money required to produce a single click on a digital advertisement.
Example: “Cost per click prices seem to be higher during weekends, so I’m only running my campaigns during the week.”
- Crawler (Spider): A program designed to systematically browse content on the Internet and collect information about it to help searchers find what they’re looking for.
Example: “I’m scared of spiders, but not the ones that help my website appear in search engines.”
- Desktop: A nonmobile device like a personal computer or laptop computer.
Example: “I prefer to use a desktop computer at home, but when I travel I use my tablet.”
- Ecommerce: The sale of products and services online.
- Email Marketing: The process of using email messages to share information and promote products and services.
- Home Page: The introductory or “main” page of a website.
Example: “On my home page, visitors can see examples of my most beautifully painted houses.”
- HTML: Hypertext Markup Language. A language used by web developers to create websites.
Example: “My website was written using HTML.”
- Impressions: The number of times an advert is displayed.
Example: “My new marketing campaign for kitchen painting has received thousands of impressions, but I’m not sure if I’ve booked any sales yet.”
- Index: A searchable catalog of web pages and digital content used by a search engine to provide relevant results.
Example: “Before my site appeared in the search engine’s index, people couldn’t find my website when they searched for foyer murals.”
- Keyword: A word or a phrase typed into a search engine, which businesses can target as part of their advertising campaigns.
- Landing Page: The first page on a website that a person usually sees—not necessarily the home page of that website.
Example: “I’m adding a coupon to my landing page so that my website visitors will be encouraged to buy.”
- Link: A text or image that provides a link from one web page or website to another.
Example: “When a major home decor blog linked to my website, I got a lot more visitors.”
- Mobile Device: A portable device, such as a smartphone or tablet, capable of connecting to the Internet and running applications.
Example: “Grandma got a tablet and a smartphone for her birthday, so now she’s using mobile devices just like her grandkids.” - Natural Listings (Organic Listings): Results from a search engine that are not paid adverts.
Example: “The higher my website ranks in a search engine’s natural listings, the more website traffic I’ll get.”
- Paid Listings: Advertisements that appear on search engines results pages.
Example: “I’m thinking about paying to have my website appear in the paid listings, so that I can bring more customers to my website.”
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC): An advertising system in which advertisers pay for users to click on their advertisements.
Example: “I’m going to use pay per click adverts to promote my new faux finishes.”
- Query (Search Term): The keyword or phrase a user types into a search engine in order to find what they’re looking for.
Example: “When people use the search term ‘hairdresser’ they might be looking for tips on how to do it themselves or a service to do it for them.”
- Ranking: A listing’s position on a search engine results page.
Example: “With a lot of work, I’m hoping to get my website to the #1 ranking on search engines.”
- Search Engine: A tool that indexes and returns relevant digital content in response to users’ keywords. Popular Internet search engines include Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Baidu, Yandex and more.
Example: “I use search engines to look for trends in home decor.”
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The practice of making changes to web pages, content, and the promotion of that content to improve visibility in the organic—or unpaid—search engine results.
Example: “Investing in SEO helped my website get a higher ranking in search engine results.”
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM): A form of advertising that allows you to bid for your advertisement to show along with search results for keywords that people are typing in. This lets businesses be seen by people at the very moment they’re searching for the things a business offers.
Example: “SEO is a long process, but using SEM helped me get a lot more website traffic really quickly.”
- Search Engine Results Page (SERP): A list of results appearing in a search engine in response to a user’s search query.
Example: “After I searched for ‘buy high gloss paint in bulk’ I noticed that the SERP had both natural listings and paid listings.”
- Session (Visit): A group of interactions that take place on your website within a given time frame. For example a single session can contain multiple page views and ecommerce transactions.
Example: “My website got 2,000 visits last month, but what I really care about is whether those visits resulted in sales.”
- Social Media: Content such as text, images, or videos, created by individuals and shared across the Internet.
Example: “Social media changes all the time, so I hired my niece to help me create a social media strategy.” - Social Network: A community of individuals creating and sharing content.
Example: “Social networks could be a good place for me to showcase my beautiful foyer murals and maybe get new customers.”
- Traffic Acquisition: The process of attracting visitors often referred to as traffic to websites, mobile apps and other digital assets.
Example: “My acquisition strategy focuses on targeting people who have recently bought old houses.”
- Unique Visitor: A single visitor to a website during a specific period of time.
Example: “No matter how many times Uncle Bob visits my website, he’s still just one unique visitor.”
- URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The unique address of a page or piece of digital content on the Internet.
Example: “Aunt Sue, you can access my website by typing the URL into your browser.”
Social Media Strategies – Trends and Features
Nine in 10 internet users are actively on social media. That is more than HALF of the total global population.
Social media has made an indelible mark on our society, and while specific platforms come and go, social media marketing is here to stay. The last few years have proven that companies need to stay adaptable in order to find and maintain success.
Keeping up with and implementing the latest social media strategies is a good way to make sure a large chunk of business isn’t left on the table or even better, grow your business to it’s highest potential.
So now that Social Media is an integral part of any modern company’s marketing scope and success. If we want to build a thriving business, we need to have an up-to-date multichannel strategy that encompasses influencer marketing, user-generated content (UGC) and all of the latest platforms and features.
With trends and features changing day to day, it can be a lot for anyone to keep up with. So, here are three of the most effective social media strategies I’ve seen for 2022:
1. Give Social Media Creators the ability to work as your Marketing Team
While providing creators with a creative brief is standard practice and can help guide them on what you’re looking for, many companies fall into the trap of creating overly restrictive guidelines that hamper an influencer’s true creative capabilities. In doing this, brands aren’t taking advantage of the unique talents of creators and are essentially using them for their built-in “reach.”
While this reach is undoubtedly valuable, it was created because of that influencer’s creative style, niche and understanding of their following. The relationship between a creator and their followers is fostered through consistent quality, integrity and interaction, so limiting their creative freedom can not only do a disservice to your company, but it also risks making the partnership seem forced or in-genuine to followers.
When you allow creators the freedom to act as an extension of your marketing team, you’re realizing an unspent opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with that creator and, in turn, their followers. Allowing them to craft and assist with campaigns increases the chances of its success because no one knows what it takes to grab and maintain the attention of their audience more than they do.
Although it seems like a simple concept, many brands are underutilizing creators in this way. More companies should consider filing a “creator in residence” role to take advantage of the innumerable opportunities it presents.
2. Use UGC to turn Real Customers into Brand and Product Evangelists
According to research conducted by The Harris Poll, 71% of consumers say that social media posts by friends or people that they know influence their purchasing decisions. It’s one reason why influencer marketing has been astronomically successful over the past decade.
When consumers see reviews from everyday people, they trust them more than anything the brand will ever tell them. This is what makes user-generated content such an effective marketing tactic. If you aren’t already, utilize any UGC on social media to show consumers that other everyday customers love and recommend your products.
You can also turn real users into product evangelists. The word “evangelism” comes from the Greek for “bringing the good news.” Today, evangelists are avid fans of a brand who advocate for your product and recommend it at every turn, genuinely believing that it will improve the lives of others in one way or another. This word-of-mouth marketing is highly effective in the age of social media, and it’s an incredibly cost-effective tactic—UGC is generally free to repost with permission. The biggest fans of your brand will be excited to spread the good news if given the opportunity.
3. Go all in on TikTok
Deploying and investing in a TikTok strategy has paid off in dividends for thousands of brands. With over one billion active users, TikTok is no longer skewed toward a younger demographic. In fact, Pew Research data suggests more than 40% of TikTok users are over the age of 30. Your product, no matter its target demographic, has a place on TikTok.
With its unique content-first algorithm, you have a shot at going viral by staying on top of the latest trends and tapping into what’s going on day to day. Ephemeral content is one of the best ways to capture your audience and increase your engagement.
If you’re struggling to think of organic content, TikTok has also introduced several advertising initiatives, such as TikTok Branded Mission and TikTok Pulse, to help you get your name and logo in front of some of the app’s most viral moments. No matter your product, service or target demographic, you can’t afford to miss out on TikTok as part of your omni-channel social media strategy.