Clear, jargon-free definitions for 31 essential marketing, SEO, and advertising terms. Updated for 2026.
31 terms
Comparing two versions of a page, email, or ad to determine which performs better.
The process of identifying which marketing touchpoints contribute to a conversion.
Hyperlinks from external websites pointing to your site — a key SEO ranking signal.
The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page.
Customer Acquisition Cost — total cost to acquire one paying customer.
Creating and distributing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience.
The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action (purchase, signup, etc.).
The systematic process of increasing the percentage of visitors who take a desired action.
Cost Per Acquisition — the average cost to acquire one customer or lead.
Cost Per Click — the amount paid each time someone clicks on a paid advertisement.
Cost Per Mille — the cost per 1,000 ad impressions.
Click-Through Rate — the percentage of people who click on a link after seeing it.
The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer over the entire relationship.
Marketing activities that create awareness and interest in a product or service.
A third-party score (1–100) predicting how likely a domain is to rank in search engines.
Data collected directly from your own customers and website visitors.
Partnering with individuals who have engaged audiences to promote products or services.
A score estimating how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword in organic search.
The process of attracting and capturing interest from potential customers.
Using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks such as emails, social posts, and lead nurturing.
A framework describing the customer journey from awareness to purchase.
Website visitors who arrive via unpaid search engine results.
Advertising where brands pay only when a specific action (click, lead, sale) occurs.
Automated buying and selling of digital ad space using algorithms and real-time bidding.
Showing ads to users who have previously visited your website or engaged with your brand.
Return On Ad Spend — revenue earned for every dollar spent on advertising.
Return on Investment — net profit divided by the cost of the investment, expressed as a percentage.
The underlying reason or goal behind a user's search query.
Search Engine Optimisation — improving a website's visibility in organic search results.
Search Engine Results Page — the page Google (or any search engine) returns in response to a query.
Data a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand.