Digital marketing can feel like a maze of buzzwords and acronyms. This glossary explains the most common terms in simple, plain English so you can understand how each one fits into your online marketing strategy.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
A/B testing
Comparing two versions of a web page, advert, or email to see which performs better. It helps marketers make data-driven decisions.
Above the fold
The section of a webpage visible before scrolling. Placing key information or calls to action here can boost engagement and conversions.
Ad campaign
A series of adverts that share a common goal, budget, and theme — often run across platforms like Google Ads or Meta Ads.
Analytics
The measurement and analysis of website or campaign data to understand performance and user behaviour.
Attribution
The process of identifying which marketing touchpoint (like an ad, email, or search) led to a conversion or sale.
B
Backlink
A link from another website to yours. They help search engines see your site as trustworthy and can boost rankings.
Banner ad
A rectangular display advert that appears on websites. It can be static or animated and links to the advertiser’s site.
Bounce rate
The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can signal poor user experience or irrelevant content.
Brand awareness
How familiar people are with your brand and what it stands for. Increasing awareness helps build trust and drive future sales.
Buyer persona
A semi-fictional profile representing your ideal customer — including their goals, pain points, and behaviour patterns.
C
Call to action (CTA)
A phrase, button, or link encouraging people to take the next step — for example, “Subscribe now” or “Get your free quote”.
Click-through rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on a link, advert, or call to action. A higher CTR means your message is resonating.
Content marketing
Creating useful, valuable content like blogs, videos, and guides to attract and engage potential customers.
Conversion
When a visitor completes a desired action — such as buying a product, signing up, or filling in a form.
Cookie
A small piece of data stored in a user’s browser that tracks behaviour and preferences. It helps personalise experiences and measure results.
Cost per click (CPC)
The amount you pay each time someone clicks on your online advert.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software that helps businesses manage and analyse customer interactions, sales, and communications — for example, HubSpot or Salesforce.
D
Demographics
Basic information about your audience — such as age, gender, location, and income — used to target marketing campaigns effectively.
Display advertising
Visual adverts shown on websites or apps, including images, banners, or videos. These build awareness and drive traffic.
Domain authority
A third-party score (from tools like Moz or Ahrefs) estimating how strong a website’s backlink profile is.
Double opt-in
A two-step process for confirming email subscriptions. It improves list quality by ensuring genuine sign-ups.
E
Email marketing
Sending targeted messages or newsletters directly to subscribers’ inboxes. It remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels.
Engagement rate
The percentage of people who interact with your posts — likes, comments, shares, or clicks.
Evergreen content
Content that stays relevant and useful long after it’s published, continuing to attract visitors over time.
Exit rate
The percentage of visitors who leave your website from a specific page. It helps identify where users lose interest.
F
Funnel
A model showing the stages a customer goes through before buying — awareness, consideration, and conversion.
Frequency
The average number of times someone sees your advert during a campaign. Too high can cause ad fatigue; too low may limit awareness.
Facebook Ads
Meta’s advertising platform, which allows businesses to target specific audiences on Facebook and Instagram.
Form fill
When a user completes a form on your website, such as a contact form or download request — often tracked as a conversion.
G
Geo-targeting
Delivering adverts or content to users based on their geographic location.
Google Ads
Google’s paid advertising system, where businesses bid to appear in search results or across Google’s display network.
Google Analytics
A free tool that tracks website traffic, visitor behaviour, and conversions. It helps you understand how users find and interact with your site.
Growth hacking
Creative, low-cost strategies focused on rapid business growth — often through experimentation and testing.
H
Hashtag
A keyword or phrase preceded by the “#” symbol, used on social platforms to group and discover related content.
Heatmap
A visual representation of how users interact with a page — showing where they click, scroll, or hover the most.
Homepage
The main entry point of a website, often designed to introduce the brand and guide visitors to key areas.
Hyperlink
A clickable link that leads to another page, either on your own site or elsewhere online.
I
Impression
Each time your advert or page is displayed, it counts as one impression — whether or not it’s clicked.
Influencer marketing
Partnering with individuals who have a strong online following to promote your brand or products.
Inbound marketing
Attracting customers through helpful content and experiences rather than interruptive adverts.
Infographic
A visual design combining images, data, and text to explain information quickly and clearly.
J
Journey (customer journey)
The path someone takes from discovering your brand to becoming a loyal customer. Mapping it helps identify opportunities for improvement.
K
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A measurable goal that shows how effectively your marketing is performing — for example, leads generated or sales made.
Keyword
The words or phrases people use when searching online. Understanding them helps shape content and paid ads.
L
Landing page
A standalone page designed to convert visitors from a specific campaign, such as a paid advert or email link.
Lead
A potential customer who has shown interest in your product or service by taking some form of action, such as filling out a form.
LinkedIn Ads
Advertising platform within LinkedIn, used mainly for B2B targeting and professional audiences.
Lookalike audience
A group of users who share similar traits or behaviours to your existing customers, used for targeted advertising.
M
Marketing automation
Software that handles repetitive marketing tasks automatically, such as sending follow-up emails or posting to social media.
Meta description
A short text summary shown in search results under the page title. It influences click-through rates.
Metrics
The numbers used to measure marketing performance — impressions, clicks, conversions, and engagement.
Mobile marketing
Promoting products or services to users on mobile devices through apps, text messages, or mobile-optimised websites.
N
Native advertising
Adverts that match the look and feel of the platform they appear on — such as sponsored posts or in-feed ads.
Newsletter
A regular email sent to subscribers with news, updates, or offers.
Nuturing (lead nurturing)
Building relationships with potential customers over time using relevant content and follow-ups.
O
Omnichannel marketing
Providing a consistent experience across multiple channels — website, social media, email, and offline touchpoints.
Open rate
The percentage of email recipients who open your message. A key measure of subject line effectiveness.
Organic reach
The number of people who see your content without paid promotion, such as through followers or shares.
P
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
An advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks on your advert — used on platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads.
Persona
A detailed description of a typical customer, including demographics, motivations, and challenges.
Pixel (tracking pixel)
A small snippet of code used to track user behaviour and ad conversions, such as the Meta Pixel or Google Tag.
Podcast
Digital audio episodes that can build brand awareness, authority, and loyalty with audiences.
Post engagement
Any interaction with a social media post, including likes, shares, comments, or clicks.
Q
Quality score
A rating Google Ads gives your keywords and adverts based on their relevance and click-through rate. Higher scores often lower ad costs.
R
Reach
The total number of people who see your content or advert.
Remarketing
Showing ads to people who have already visited your website, reminding them to come back and take action.
ROI (Return on Investment)
A measure of profitability comparing what you spent versus what you earned from a campaign.
Reputation management
Monitoring and improving how your brand is perceived online, including reviews and social media mentions.
S
Segmentation
Dividing your audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics to deliver more relevant messages.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Improving your website so it appears higher in organic search results, attracting more visitors without paying for ads.
Social media marketing
Using social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok to connect with audiences and promote your business.
Subscriber
Someone who has signed up to receive your emails or updates. Subscribers are valuable leads for future marketing.
T
Tag
A snippet of code that tracks user behaviour or helps organise content — such as Google Tag Manager or blog post tags.
Target audience
The specific group of people you want to reach with your marketing — defined by interests, demographics, or location.
Tracking
Collecting data on user actions, such as clicks, conversions, or time spent on a page, to measure performance.
U
Unique visitor
A person who visits your website during a specific period, counted only once regardless of how many times they visit.
User-generated content (UGC)
Photos, reviews, or videos created by your customers and shared on your brand’s channels. It adds authenticity and trust.
Upsell
Encouraging a customer to buy a higher-end or additional product. Common in e-commerce and service upgrades.
V
Video marketing
Using videos to promote your brand or explain your products. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok make this highly effective.
Viral marketing
When content spreads rapidly online through social shares, often generating huge exposure in a short time.
Visual content
Images, graphics, and videos that attract attention and convey messages quickly. Visuals typically perform better than plain text posts.
W
Webinar
A live or recorded online seminar used to educate audiences and generate leads.
Workflow
An automated sequence of marketing actions, such as sending a series of emails after someone downloads a guide.
Word of mouth
When people share positive experiences about your brand. Digital marketing amplifies this through reviews and social media.
X
XML feed
A structured file used to share product or content data between systems — often used for Google Shopping or affiliate marketing.
Y
Yield rate
The percentage of leads or impressions that turn into actual sales or conversions. It shows how effective your funnel is.
Z
Zero-party data
Information customers willingly share with you — such as preferences or interests — often through surveys or quizzes. It’s becoming more important as privacy laws tighten.