SEO Organic Search
This section covers how websites earn unpaid visibility in search engines. These terms explain the mechanics of ranking, from keywords to crawlability, so you can understand what makes a site appear in Google results.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization improves visibility in unpaid search results. It blends keyword targeting, technical fixes, and authority signals so your site earns traffic without ads. Done well, it builds long-term visibility and lowers customer acquisition costs.
SERP
The Search Engine Results Page shows organic results, paid ads, and features like maps or answer boxes. Ranking on page one, especially above the fold, is crucial—most clicks never reach page two.
Organic Traffic
Visitors who land on your site through unpaid results. This audience tends to arrive with intent, meaning they’re actively looking for products or answers you provide. Organic traffic compounds over time, making it one of the most valuable channels.
E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. Google evaluates whether your content shows real-world knowledge, credible authorship, and trustworthy sources. Meeting E-E-A-T standards is crucial for ranking, but Google has clarified it does not directly affect your placement on search.
Keyword Research
Finding words or phrases your audience actually searches. h3 research weighs search volume, competition, and intent. These terms guide your content and campaign strategy so you attract users at the right buying stage.
Backlink
Links from other websites to yours. High-quality backlinks from trusted sources signal authority and boost rankings. Low-quality or spammy links can hurt. Earning links comes from creating content worth citing and building industry connections.
Schema Markup
Structured code that helps search engines interpret your content. Schema can generate rich results like review stars or FAQs, boosting click-through rates.
Crawl Budget
The number of pages a search engine bot will crawl in a given period. Clean site structure and fewer errors ensure important pages get discovered first.
Robots.txt
A file telling bots which areas of your site they can or can’t access. Misuse can block crucial pages, so it must be handled carefully.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s UX metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). They measure how fast, stable, and responsive a site feels to visitors.
Canonical URL
Tells search engines which version of a page to treat as primary when duplicates exist. Prevents dilution of ranking signals across multiple versions of the same content.
On-Page SEO
Optimizations on your own site: clear title tags, structured headers, descriptive alt text, and internal linking. Each element helps search engines read your site while making content clearer for human visitors.
Off-Page SEO
Work that builds your site’s reputation beyond your domain. Backlinks, reviews, and online mentions act as credibility signals. The more trusted your site appears across the web, the higher your chance to rank.
Technical SEO
Behind-the-scenes factors that impact rankings: site speed, crawlability, security (HTTPS), mobile readiness, and structured data. h3 technical SEO ensures your content is actually accessible and indexable.
Sales Funnel & Conversion Metrics
This section covers how websites earn unpaid visibility in search engines. These terms explain the mechanics of ranking, from keywords to crawlability, so you can understand what makes a site appear in Google results.
Marketing Funnel
Maps the journey from awareness to decision. Awareness content introduces, consideration helps compare, and decision pushes action. Tracking funnel stages helps businesses spot and fix drop-off points.
Lead
Any person showing interest in your product, often by sharing contact info or engaging with a resource. Leads vary in quality—some are casual browsers, others are close to buying.
MQL
A Marketing Qualified Lead has shown enough interest (downloads, repeat visits, or email sign-ups) to be nurtured further. They’re warmer than a basic lead but not yet sales-ready.
SQL
A Sales Qualified Lead is vetted for budget, fit, and intent. They’re ready for direct contact, such as a demo or quote request. SQLs are closer to closing than MQLs.
TOFU / MOFU / BOFU
Top, middle, and bottom of funnel. TOFU builds awareness, MOFU aids comparison, BOFU drives conversion. Mapping content to each stage maximizes conversions.
Lead Magnet
A resource like an ebook or checklist offered in exchange for contact info. The best magnets solve a small pain point fast, creating trust and feeding your nurture pipeline.
Nurture Sequence
An automated set of emails or messages guiding a lead closer to purchase. Good sequences mix education with light promotion, building trust while moving prospects forward.
CTA
A Call to Action tells users what to do next—buy, download, sign up. Strong CTAs use action verbs, clear benefits, and prominent design.
Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors who complete a goal, whether that’s a purchase, sign-up, or click. Low rates point to problems with messaging, targeting, or UX.
Attribution Model
Rules assigning credit for conversions to marketing touches. First-click, last-click, or multi-touch models change how ROI is measured.
Pipeline Velocity
How fast opportunities move through your funnel. Tracking velocity highlights where sales get stuck and where marketing can help unblock.
LTV
Customer Lifetime Value estimates total revenue from a single customer relationship. Guides decisions on how much you can spend to acquire and retain customers.
CAC
Customer Acquisition Cost is the total cost of winning a customer, from ads to sales team time. Keeping CAC below LTV ensures profitability.
Churn
Rate of customers leaving in a set period. Lower churn means h3er retention and higher long-term revenue.
ROAS
Return on Ad Spend is the revenue generated compared to ad costs. A $4 return on every $1 spent equals a 400% ROAS.
Paid Media & Ad Tech
Paid media includes search ads, social campaigns, and display placements. This section covers how businesses buy attention, measure spend, and keep campaigns efficient across platforms.
PPC
Pay-Per-Click ads charge only when someone clicks. They deliver fast visibility but require careful targeting and landing pages to convert clicks into revenue.
CPC
Cost Per Click is what you pay for each ad click. Costs vary by keyword competition and ad relevance. Lower CPC means more efficient spend.
CPM
Cost Per Mille (thousand impressions) charges per view, not click. Best for awareness campaigns where reach matters more than direct response.
Retargeting
Ads shown to people who visited your site but didn’t convert. Works well for abandoned carts or free trial signups but must be capped to avoid fatigue.
Programmatic Advertising
Automated buying of ad inventory via algorithms and exchanges. It targets users in real time, increasing efficiency but requiring oversight to avoid wasted spend.
DSP
A Demand-Side Platform manages programmatic ad buys. It lets advertisers set budgets, targeting, and bids across multiple ad exchanges.
Native Ads
Ads designed to match the look of the content around them. They feel less intrusive but still carry disclosure tags like “Sponsored.”
Quality Score
Google’s rating of ad relevance and expected performance. Higher scores can reduce CPC and improve placement.
Frequency Cap
Limits how often an individual sees your ad. Prevents burnout and reduces wasted impressions.
Dayparting
Scheduling ads to appear at times with the highest chance of conversion, like business hours for B2B or evenings for consumer retail.
Creative Fatigue
Performance drops when audiences see the same ad too often. Requires fresh designs and variations to maintain impact.
Lookalike Audience
A new audience that shares traits with your existing customers. Often used in Facebook Ads to scale acquisition.
UTM Parameters
Tracking tags in a URL that attribute traffic to specific campaigns, helping measure which ads and channels deliver results.
Geo Targeting
Restricts ads to specific areas. Useful for service businesses that only operate locally.
Conversion Window
The timeframe in which a conversion is credited to an ad interaction. Shorter windows fit impulse buys, longer ones fit high-consideration purchases.
Web Design & Development
Paid media includes search ads, social campaigns, and display placements. This section covers how businesses buy attention, measure spend, and keep campaigns efficient across platforms.
CMS
A Content Management System powers your site and lets non-developers manage updates. WordPress, Shopify, and Wix are common examples.Responsive Design
Layouts that adapt to device size, keeping sites usable on desktop, tablet, and phone. Google favors mobile-first sites.UX
User Experience is how smooth and satisfying your site feels to use. Poor UX drives bounces, good UX keeps customers moving.UI
User Interface is the visual layer and controls—buttons, menus, forms. Clean, intuitive UI supports stronger UX.Domain Name
Your website’s human-readable address (like yourbusiness.com). Short, relevant domains are easier to remember.
Web Hosting
The server space and service that makes your site accessible. Uptime, speed, and support directly affect UX and SEO.
SSL / HTTPS
Encryption that secures data between user and site. Modern browsers flag sites without HTTPS as “Not Secure.”
Above the Fold
The part of a page seen without scrolling.
Oftentimes prioritized by search engines, and the first things users see.
Social Media Strategy
Social platforms are where businesses meet audiences daily. These terms cover reach, engagement, content styles, and tactics that turn followers into active buyers or advocates.
Social Media Marketing
Promoting your brand through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok. Involves a mix of organic posting, engagement, and paid campaigns.
Engagement Rate
Measures active interactions like comments, likes, or shares relative to reach. A high engagement rate signals resonant content and boosts algorithm favor.
Reach
The number of unique people who saw your post. Expanding reach introduces your brand to new audiences but must pair with engagement for impact.
Impressions
Total times a post was displayed, including repeats. High impressions with low engagement may indicate ad fatigue or weak creative.
Hashtag
A discovery tool on platforms like Instagram or Twitter. Relevant hashtags can expand reach, while overly broad ones bury content in noise.
Influencer Marketing
Partnering with creators who have loyal followings. Works best when the influencer’s audience aligns closely with your target buyers.
UGC
User-generated content like photos, reviews, or testimonials created by your customers. It builds authenticity and can be repurposed across campaigns.
Content Calendar
A schedule mapping what content goes live when. Keeps social posting consistent and aligned with campaigns or seasonal events.
Community Management
Replying, moderating, and engaging with followers. Done well, it turns casual users into loyal advocates.
Social Listening
Tracking mentions, keywords, or hashtags to understand sentiment and identify trends. Provides insight for strategy shifts.
Dark Social
Traffic from private shares like DMs, chats, or email. Harder to track but often a major source of conversions.
Story Formats
Ephemeral posts on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Encourage daily engagement and behind-the-scenes content.
Creator Whitelisting
Running ads through influencer handles for better authenticity. Often performs h3er than brand ads alone.
Analytics & KPIs
Tracking is what turns marketing from guesswork into strategy. These terms explain the metrics, models, and frameworks that reveal what’s working and where budgets should shift.
KPI
A Key Performance Indicator is a metric tied to a business goal. Fewer, better-chosen KPIs keep focus clear and actionable.
Bounce Rate
Percentage of visitors who leave without interacting further. High rates suggest mismatched expectations or poor page experience.
ROI
Return on Investment measures profitability relative to costs. Positive ROI signals campaigns are paying off.
CPA
Cost Per Acquisition is the spend required to earn one customer or lead. A critical efficiency metric.
Event Tracking
Custom analytics for actions like clicks, scrolls, or video plays. Gives visibility into user behavior beyond pageviews.
Data Layer
A structured data object on your site that powers analytics, tags, and personalization reliably.
Anomaly Detection
Tools that flag unusual spikes or drops so teams can investigate quickly.
Data Governance
Policies ensuring your analytics are accurate, compliant, and secure. Critical for reliable reporting.
Segmentation
Breaking audiences into subgroups for deeper insight and more tailored campaigns.
Payback Period
How long it takes revenue from a customer to cover their acquisition cost. Shorter payback frees up cash.
North Star Metric
The single measure most aligned with long-term growth, like active users or recurring revenue. Guides strategy focus.
Cohort Analysis
Groups users by shared traits (like signup month) to reveal retention and long-term value patterns.
Funnel Analysis
Tracks where users drop out of key flows like checkout. Helps target fixes for the biggest revenue leaks.
Sampling
Analytics tools sometimes process subsets of traffic for faster reports. Can cause discrepancies in large datasets.
Multi-Touch Attribution
Shares credit across touchpoints like ads, search, and email. More realistic than last-click alone.
