Complete Comprehensive Digital Marketing Terms Glossary: Essential Terms And Acronyms You Must Know

Table of Contents

Glossary of Digital Marketing Terms

A/B testing – a marketing research method that involves testing variables in a control scenario to improve the effectiveness of the final marketing strategy.
Above the fold – the visible section of a web page without scrolling.
Ad blocking – the act of blocking web advertisements, often graphic web ads.
Ad space – the area on a web page designated for advertisements.
Add URL – (see Search Engine Submission)
AdSense – Google’s contextual advertisement service.
Advertising network – a network representing multiple websites, facilitating ad sales and broad audience reach.
Affiliate – a publisher/salesperson in an affiliate marketing relationship.
Affiliate manager – a person responsible for managing an online affiliate program.
Affiliate marketing – revenue sharing between online advertisers/merchants and publishers based on performance measures.
Affiliate merchant – the advertiser in an affiliate marketing relationship.
Affiliate network – an intermediary providing services for affiliate merchants and affiliates.
Affiliate software – software that provides tracking and reporting of commission-triggering actions from affiliate links.
ALT text – an HTML attribute providing alternative text for non-textual elements when they cannot be displayed.
Animated GIF – a GIF89a graphic that creates animation by rotating through static images.
Autoresponder – a program that sends automatic responses to incoming emails.
B2B – business that sells products or services to other businesses.
B2C – business that sells products or services to end-user consumers.
Bandwidth – the data transmission capacity of a communications channel, usually expressed in kilobits per second (kbps).
Banner ad – a graphical web advertising unit, typically 468×60 pixels.
Banner blindness – the tendency of web visitors to ignore banner ads, even when relevant to their interests.
Banner exchange – a network where participating sites display banner ads in exchange for credits.
Barter – exchanging goods or services directly without using money.
Beyond the banner – online advertising that doesn’t involve standard GIF and JPEG banner ads.
Blog – a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and web links.
Bounce rate – (1) In web analytics, the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing a single page. (2) In email marketing, the percentage of undeliverable emails in a campaign.
Browser – (see Web browser)
Button ad – a smaller graphical advertising unit compared to a banner ad.
Buzzword – a trendy word or phrase used to impress rather than explain.
Caching – storing web files for quicker access by end users.
Call to action (CTA) – the part of a marketing message that persuades a person to take a desired action.
CDN (Content Delivery Network) – a system of geographically distributed servers to accelerate web page delivery.
Click-through – the process of clicking through an online advertisement to the advertiser’s destination.
Click-through rate (CTR) – the average number of click-throughs per hundred ad impressions, expressed as a percentage.
Comment spam – irrelevant comments posted on a blog solely to drop a link to the spammer’s website.
Contextual advertising – serving ads based on the content of a web page.
Conversion rate – the percentage of visitors who take a desired action.
Cookie – information stored on a user’s computer by a website to remember preferences.
Cost per action (CPA) – an online advertising payment model based on qualifying actions like sales or registrations.
Cost per click (CPC) – the cost per click-through of an online ad.
Cost per lead (CPL) – an online advertising payment model based on the number of qualifying leads generated.
CPM – cost per thousand impressions.
Customer acquisition cost – the cost of acquiring a new customer.
Data Studio – a free tool from Google for creating custom reports using marketing data.
Data transfer – the total amount of outbound traffic from a website, measured in gigabytes (Gb).
Dedicated hosting – hosting option where a client has an entire server dedicated to their websites.
Deep linking – linking to a web page other than a site’s home page.
Deep Web – (see Invisible Web)
Description tag – an HTML tag used to provide a description for search engine listings.
Directory – (see Web directory)
Disintermediation – the elimination of intermediaries in the supply chain.
Domain name – the location of an entity on the Internet.
Doorway page – a page designed to rank well in search engines for specific keywords.
eCPM – effective cost per thousand impressions.
Email marketing – the promotion of products or services via email.
Email spam – unwanted, unsolicited email.
Exclusivity – a contract term granting sole rights to a particular business function.
Ezine – an electronic magazine, delivered via a website or email newsletter.
Facebook – a social networking site.
Favicon – a small icon used by some browsers to identify a bookmarked website.
First-mover advantage – the advantage gained by the first significant company to enter a new market.
Flash – multimedia technology for interactive web content.
Forum – an online community for discussions on common interests.
Frames – a structure that divides a web page into two or more independent parts.
Freemium – offering a free basic product with an option to upgrade to a premium version.
Frequency cap – a restriction on how often a specific visitor sees a particular ad.
Geo-targeting – detecting a visitor’s location to serve location-based content or ads.
GIF89a – (see Animated GIF)
Google Data Studio – a free tool from Google for creating custom reports using marketing data.
Guerilla marketing – unconventional marketing using minimal resources for maximum results.
Guest blogging – writing a blog post for publication on another blog as a featured author.
Heatmap – a graphical representation of data using colors to show varying degrees of a metric.
Hit – a request for a file from a web server.
House ad – a self-promotional ad a company runs on their own site/network for unsold inventory.
HTML banner – a banner ad using HTML elements, often with interactive forms.
HTML email – formatted email using Hypertext Markup Language.
Hybrid model – a combination of two or more online marketing payment models.
Impression – a single instance of an online advertisement being displayed.
Inbound link – a link from a site outside of your site.
Inbound marketing – a marketing model that relies on customers finding and purchasing a product.
Incentivized traffic – visitors who receive compensation for visiting a site.
Interactive agency – an agency offering web design, Internet advertising/marketing, or E-Business/E-Commerce consulting.
Interstitial – an ad that loads between two content pages.
Invisible Web – the portion of the Web not indexed by search engines.
JavaScript – a scripting language used for creating interactive websites.
Keyword – a word used in a search query.
Keyword density – the percentage of keywords in indexable text words.
Keyword marketing – placing your message in front of people searching with specific keywords.
Keyword research – searching for keywords related to your website for the highest return on investment (ROI).
Keyword stuffing – excessive, unnatural use of keywords for SEO purposes.
Keywords tag – a META tag to define primary keywords of a web page.
Lead magnet – a deliverable offered to prospects in exchange for contact information, typically to join an email list.
Like-gate – requiring users to “Like” a brand’s page to access certain content on Facebook.
Link building – increasing inbound links to a website to improve search engine rankings.
Link checker – a tool used to check for broken hyperlinks.
Link popularity – a measure of the quantity and quality of sites linking to your site.
Link text – the text contained in (and sometimes near) a hyperlink.
Linkbait – content created to attract inbound links.
Log file – a file that records activity on a web server.
Long domain name – domain names longer than the original 26 characters, up to a theoretical limit of 67 characters.
Managed WordPress hosting – web hosting optimized for WordPress, with routine maintenance tasks handled by the hosting company.
Manual submission – adding a URL to search engines individually by hand.
Marketing automation – using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks and connect different parts of the marketing funnel.
Marketing plan – part of the business plan outlining the marketing strategy for a product or service.
Media kit – a resource for prospective ad buyers to evaluate advertising opportunities.
Meta search engine – a search engine displaying results from multiple search engines.
META tag generator – a tool to output META tags based on input page information.
META tags – tags to describe various aspects of a web page.
Moderator – someone at a forum responsible for keeping discussions productive and within guidelines.
Mousetrapping – using browser tricks to keep a visitor captive on a site.
Multivariate testing – a marketing research method involving multiple variables in a control scenario, simultaneously testing alternate strategies to improve the final marketing strategy.
Navigation – elements that facilitate movement from one web page to another.
Netiquette – the code of conduct for acceptable online behavior.
Network effect – a phenomenon where a service becomes more valuable as more people use it.
Opt-in email – email explicitly requested by the recipient.
Opt-out – (1) A program that assumes inclusion unless stated otherwise. (2) To remove oneself from an opt-out program.
Organic search – unpaid search engine results based on content relevance to the keyword query.
Outbound link – a link to a site outside of your site.
Page view – a request to load a single HTML page.
Pagejacking – the theft of a page from the original site and publishing a copy on another site.
Pass-along rate – the percentage of people who pass on a message or file.
Pay per click (PPC) – an online advertising payment model based on qualifying click-throughs.
Pay per lead (PPL) – an online advertising payment model based on the number of qualifying leads generated.
Pay per sale (PPS) – an online advertising payment model based on qualifying sales.
Payment threshold – the minimum accumulated commission an affiliate must earn to trigger payment.
PayPal – an online payment service allowing purchases and payments via user-defined email addresses.
Permission marketing – marketing centered around getting customer consent to receive information from a company.
Podcast – a series of audio or video files syndicated over the Internet for later playback.
Pop-under ad – an ad that displays in a new browser window behind the current window.
Pop-up ad – an ad that displays in a new browser window.
Portal – a site featuring commonly used services or a niche topic.
Premium WordPress theme – a theme coded for WordPress that costs money.
Rate card – a document detailing prices for various ad placement options.
Reciprocal links – links between two sites based on an agreement to exchange links.
Rectangle ad – a large rectangular banner suggested by the IAB.
Rep firm – an ad sales partner specializing in single-site sales.
Return days – the number of days an affiliate can earn commission on a conversion from a referred visitor.
Return on investment (ROI) – the ratio of profits (or losses) to the amount invested.
Rich media – new media offering an enhanced experience relative to older formats.
Run of network (RON) – ad buying option where ad placements can appear on any pages within an ad network.
Run of site (ROS) – ad buying option where ad placements can appear on any pages of the target site.
Search engine – a program that indexes documents and matches relevant results to user search requests.
Search engine optimization (SEO) – the process of optimizing a site to improve its search engine rankings.
Search engine spam – excessive manipulation to influence search engine rankings.
Search engine submission – supplying a URL to a search engine to make it aware of a site or page.
Search retargeting – using a visitor’s search history to determine the ads they see.
Self-serve advertising – advertising that can be purchased without a sales representative.
SER_P – a page of search engine listings, typically the first page of organic results.
Shopping cart – software for online ordering and purchasing of merchandise.
Sig file – a short block of text at the end of an email identifying the sender.
Site search – search functionality specific to one site.
Skyscraper ad – an online ad much taller than a vertical banner.
Social networking – creating, building, and nurturing virtual communities and relationships online.
Spam – inappropriate commercial messages of low value.
Splash page – a branding page before a website’s home page.
Sponsorship – advertising that establishes a deeper association between an advertiser and a publisher.
Stickiness – the amount of time spent at a site over a given period.
Super affiliate – an affiliate capable of generating a significant percentage of an affiliate program’s activity.
Surround session – showing a visitor an ad multiple times per visit.
Text ad – a simple ad comprised mostly of text.
Text link – a hyperlink that includes only text.
Text-based ad – a text ad with a description and link but without a graphical banner.
Three-way link exchange – a series of three links between sites to boost rankings.
Timed pop-up – a pop-up window displayed after a set amount of time.
TinyURL – a service that creates a shorter alias for a long URL.
Top-level domain (TLD) – the last part of a domain name, such as .com or .net.
Tracking code – code placed on a page to track visitors and conversions.
Unique visitor – a single visitor to a website during a specific period.
Usability – the degree to which a site is easy to use and navigate.
User-generated content (UGC) – content created by users of a website or online service.
UX – (see User Experience)
Vertical banner – a banner ad in a vertical, rectangular shape.
Video ad – an online ad that includes video elements.
Viewable impressions – impressions that were actually seen by a user.
View-through rate (VTR) – the percentage of viewable impressions that result in a click-through.
Virtual reality – a computer-generated environment experienced through special hardware and software.
Web analytics – the collection and analysis of website usage data.
Web banner – (see Banner ad)
Web browser – software used to view web pages.
Web directory – a categorized listing of websites.
Web hosting – a service that allows individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible on the Internet.
Webinar – a web-based seminar or workshop.
Webmaster – a person responsible for maintaining and managing a website.
Website – a location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web.
White hat SEO – ethical SEO techniques that comply with search engine guidelines.
Widget – a small application with limited functionality that can be embedded into a web page.
WordPress – a popular open-source content management system for website creation.
WordPress.com – a free blog-hosting service provided by Automattic, running on WordPress software.
WordPress.org – the organization that develops the WordPress software and offers self-hosted WordPress software for website creation.
Word-of-mouth marketing – marketing that relies on individuals to spread a brand message.
World Wide Web (WWW) – an interconnected system of public webpages accessible through the Internet.
XML sitemap – a file that lists URLs for a site’s pages, used to help search engines crawl a site more effectively.
YouTube – a video-sharing platform owned by Google.