2019 Digital Marketing Glossary

How well do you know the terms used in digital marketing? Familiarize yourself or learn a new one below:

AdWords :: The pay-per-click (PPC) search-engine marketing (SEM) program used by Google.

Aggregator :: A tool/application which collects content from various websites and displays it in one central location.

Algorithm :: Mathematical rules and calculations a search engine uses to determine the rankings of the sites it has indexed. 

Anchor Text :: The non-URL text that is displayed in a hyperlink. 

Bounce Rate :: The percentage of a page’s visitors who leave without visiting another page on the same site. 

Click-Thru Rate (CTR) :: The percentage of people who actually click on a link after seeing it.

Content :: Any text, image, video, audio, app or other material published on the Internet.

CMS :: Content Management System. A backend editor that allows you to add pages and content to your website e.g. Squarespace

Conversion Rate :: The percentage of visitors to a site or ad who take a further action.

DNS :: Stands for “Domain Name Service,” “Domain Name Server,” and “Domain Name System”: the DNS is a name service which allows letters and numbers that are domain names to be used to identify computers instead of numerical IP addresses.

Facebook Pixel :: Facebook's cookie which tracks site visitors around the web. This allows you to target users with Facebook ads. 

H-Tags (H1, H2, etc.) :: Also known as “header tags,” these page elements represent different levels of headings in HTML. From the largest (H1) to the smallest (H6), these represent  the headings and sub-headings of internet copy.

Impression :: An instance of an organic search engine listing or sponsored ad being seen on a particular Web page or an image being viewed in display advertising. 

Inbound Link :: A link from another website directed to yours, also known as a "backlink.”

IP Address :: A series of numbers and periods that represents the unique address for each Internet user.

Keywords :: The terms that a user enters into a search engine. They can also define the terms a website is targeting to rank highly as part of an SEO marketing campaign.

Landing Page :: A stand-alone web page that a user lands on; can act as a temporary site while in progress. 

Meta-Tags :: Also called meta-data, the information found in HTML page headers - most common are the “title,” “description,” and “keyword” tags.

Organic Listings :: Also known as natural listings, these are search-engine results that have not been bought. They are determined only by an engine’s algorithm and are based on the caliber of the listed pages. 

Outbound Link :: Any link on a web page to another external web page.

Pay-Per-Click :: Also known as “PPC,” this type of paid search marketing involves placing ads that run above or to the side of organic search engine results. 

ROI :: Stands for “return-on-investment.” ROI is the percentage of profit from a given digital marketing activity. 

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) :: A distinction from “SEO” to describe the broad range of search-marketing activities, either paid or organic.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) :: The process of using website analysis and copy/design/structural improvements to ensure both the highest possible positioning on desired search engine results and the best experience for it's users.

Sitemap :: A page containing structured links to every other important page on a particular website grouped by topic or navigational hierarchy. 

Style Sheet :: A design template used for defining the layout of multiple pages within a site, most commonly represented by the form of “CSS” (cascading style sheets).

Title Tag :: A form of meta-data used by search engines to categorize web pages by title.