Marketing Glossary

A focused marketing plan covering the next three months. Long enough to see results, short enough to stay agile. Create yours.

Comparing two versions of a webpage, email, or ad to see which performs better. You show version A to half your audience and version B to the other half, then measure which gets more clicks or conversions. Learn how to run simple tests in our guide to website experiments.

The part of a webpage visitors see without scrolling. This prime real estate should contain your most important message and a clear call-to-action. See what belongs here in our high-converting homepage guide.

Making your website usable by everyone, including people with disabilities who use screen readers or keyboard navigation. It's also a legal requirement in many cases. Start with our accessibility basics guide.

The text in your paid advertisements. Good ad copy grabs attention, highlights benefits, and tells people exactly what to do next.

The amount of money you put into paid advertising. For micro businesses, start small (£5-10/day) to test what works before scaling up. Our Google Ads guide covers budgeting for small businesses.

A company providing marketing services. Consider agency vs freelancer vs DIY.

The rules social platforms and search engines use to decide what content to show people. Algorithms change frequently, which is why focusing on genuinely helpful content matters more than trying to 'hack' them.

A text description added to images on your website. Screen readers read this aloud for visually impaired users, and search engines use it to understand your images. Learn how to write effective alt text.

Data about how people find and use your website. Google Analytics is the most common free tool. Don't get overwhelmed – focus on a handful of numbers that actually matter.

The clickable text in a hyperlink. Using descriptive anchor text (like 'read our pricing guide' instead of 'click here') helps both users and search engines understand where the link goes.

Working out which marketing channel actually led to a sale or enquiry. When someone finds you on Google, then sees a Facebook ad, then emails you – which channel gets the credit? Our attribution guide explains the basics.

The group of people you're trying to reach with your marketing. Being specific about who they are makes everything easier. Start by defining your ideal customer.

Using software to handle repetitive marketing tasks automatically, like sending welcome emails or posting to social media. Our automation guide shows what's worth automating.

An email sent automatically in response to a specific action, like signing up. Part of email automation.

Selling products or services to other businesses rather than consumers. Marketing to businesses often involves longer sales cycles, LinkedIn, and building relationships. See our B2B vs B2C guide.

Selling directly to individual consumers. Marketing tends to be more emotional and immediate than B2B.

A link from another website to yours. Search engines see these as 'votes of confidence' – the more quality sites linking to you, the more trustworthy you appear. Learn whether backlinks matter for your business.

A section of your website with regularly updated articles. Blogs help with SEO and establish expertise, but they're a commitment. Our honest guide helps you decide if blogging is right for you.

Software letting customers book appointments online. Add booking without a developer.

The constraint limiting your business growth. Find yours.

The percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate might mean your page isn't relevant to what people searched for, or it loads too slowly. Learn what metrics matter.

More than just your logo – it's how people perceive and feel about your business. Includes your visual identity, tone of voice, values, and reputation. Start with our brand basics guide.

A document defining how your brand should look and sound. Create a simple brand style guide.

The narrative about who you are, why you started, and what you stand for. A good brand story creates emotional connection with customers. Write yours with our simple guide.

A document outlining what you need when working with freelancers or agencies. A clear brief saves time and money. Use our freelancer brief template.

Your peak trading period. Plan for it with a seasonal marketing calendar.

A fictional representation of your ideal customer based on real data. Includes demographics, goals, challenges, and how they make decisions. Our ideal customer guide walks you through creating one.

A stored version of your website that loads faster than fetching everything fresh. Website caching improves speed significantly. Learn how caching works.

A prompt telling visitors what to do next – like 'Get a Quote', 'Book Now', or 'Download Guide'. Every page needs one. Learn to write CTAs that actually get clicks.

A coordinated marketing effort with a specific goal and timeframe. Could be a product launch, seasonal promotion, or awareness push.

The 'official' version of a page when the same content exists at multiple URLs. Tells search engines which version to show in results.

A detailed story of how you helped a specific customer, including the problem, solution, and results. Powerful for building trust. Learn how to create a case study page.

An automated messaging tool that can answer common questions on your website 24/7. Can save time on repetitive enquiries. See our chatbot setup guide.

The percentage of people who click your link after seeing it. If 100 people see your ad and 5 click, your CTR is 5%. Higher is generally better.

Software that lets you create and edit website content without coding. WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix are popular examples. Our platform guide compares options.

Unsolicited email to someone who hasn't heard of you. Generally less effective than warming up leads first.

A form on your website for visitors to get in touch. Why aren't people filling yours in?

Any material you create – blog posts, videos, social media posts, emails, podcasts. Good content helps people and positions you as an expert.

A schedule of what content you'll publish and when. Stops you scrambling for ideas last minute. Create one in 30 minutes with our guide.

Attracting customers by creating helpful, relevant content rather than traditional advertising. Works by building trust over time.

When a visitor takes the action you want – buying, enquiring, signing up, booking. The goal of most marketing efforts.

The percentage of visitors who convert. If 100 people visit your site and 3 enquire, your conversion rate is 3%. Our guide explains how to calculate and improve it.

The process of improving your website to get more conversions from your existing traffic. Often more cost-effective than getting more traffic. See our CRO framework.

A small file websites store on visitors' devices to remember preferences or track behaviour. UK law requires informing visitors about cookies. See our cookies guide.

The words on your website, ads, emails, and marketing materials. Good copywriting speaks directly to your customer's problems and desires.

Google's metrics for page experience – loading, interactivity, visual stability. Affect rankings. See our speed guide.

How much you spend in marketing to get one new customer. If you spend £100 on ads and get 2 customers, your CPA is £50. Calculate yours with our guide.

How much you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Varies hugely by industry and keyword – from pennies to pounds.

How much you spend in marketing to get one enquiry or lead. Important for understanding if your marketing is profitable. Calculate yours.

When search engines scan your website to understand and index your content. Crawl errors mean Google can't access some of your pages. Fix crawl errors.

Suggesting related products or services to existing customers. 'Would you like fries with that?' Learn ethical cross-selling techniques.

The total cost of getting a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses. Keep this lower than your customer lifetime value to stay profitable.

The path someone takes from first discovering your business to becoming a paying customer (and hopefully a repeat buyer). Map yours in 30 minutes.

The total revenue you can expect from a single customer over time. Understanding CLV helps you know how much you can afford to spend acquiring customers.

Keeping existing customers coming back. Usually cheaper and easier than finding new ones. See our retention strategies guide.

Any marketing that happens online – websites, social media, email, search engines, online ads. Our plain English guide covers the basics.

Visitors who type your website address directly into their browser or use a bookmark. Usually people who already know about you.

Your business listed on sites like Yell, Yelp, or industry-specific directories. Important for local SEO. Add your business to the right directories.

An initial conversation with a potential customer to understand their needs and see if you're a good fit. Structure yours for success.

Visual advertisements (banners, images) shown on websites. Different from search ads which appear in search results.

Doing your own marketing rather than hiring help. Most micro businesses start here. What can you really do yourself?

Your website address (like yourbusiness.co.uk). Choose between .co.uk and .com with our guide.

A series of automated emails sent over time to nurture leads. Our welcome email sequence templates show how to set one up.

Selling products online through your website. Includes product listings, shopping cart, and payment processing. Get started with our ecommerce basics guide.

A brief, compelling description of your business you could deliver in an elevator ride. Write yours.

Whether your emails actually reach people's inboxes instead of spam folders. Technical factors and sender reputation both matter. Learn the basics.

Your collection of email addresses from people who've agreed to hear from you. One of your most valuable marketing assets. Build yours from scratch.

Sending emails to promote your business, nurture leads, or stay in touch with customers. Still one of the most effective marketing channels. Start your newsletter.

A series of pre-written emails sent automatically, triggered by actions like signing up or making a purchase. See our welcome sequence templates.

How people interact with your content – likes, comments, shares, clicks, time spent reading. Higher engagement usually means more relevant content.

The percentage of people who engage with your content. Calculated differently on each platform.

A potential customer reaching out to learn more or request a quote. Track your enquiries.

Content that stays relevant and useful over time, rather than being tied to current events. Good for long-term SEO value.

Paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram (same advertising system). Good for reaching local audiences and retargeting website visitors. Compare to Google Ads.

A page answering frequently asked questions. Saves you time, helps customers, and can boost SEO. Create yours.

The highlighted answer box that appears at the top of some Google searches. Getting your content here can significantly increase visibility.

Contacting leads after initial enquiry. Most sales happen after multiple follow-ups, yet most businesses give up after one. Build a follow-up system.

An independent professional you can hire for specific tasks. Compare to agencies.

The journey from awareness to purchase, visualised as a funnel because fewer people make it through each stage. Also called sales funnel or marketing funnel.

The current version of Google Analytics for tracking website visitors. Replaced the older Universal Analytics. Set up basic tracking.

EU and UK law governing how businesses collect and use personal data. Affects cookies, email lists, and customer data. See our UK guide.

Showing ads or content to people in specific locations. Essential for local businesses wanting to reach nearby customers.

Google's advertising platform for appearing in search results and on partner websites. Our small budget guide gets you started.

Your free business listing on Google, appearing in Maps and local search results. Essential for local businesses. Get set up.

The old name for Google Business Profile. Same thing, rebranded.

Free tool showing how your site appears in Google search results, including clicks, rankings, and technical issues. Set it up.

Testing creative, low-cost marketing tactics to grow quickly. Often overhyped – sustainable growth usually beats hacks.

A promise about your product or service that reduces customer risk. Create yours.

Writing articles for other websites in exchange for exposure and backlinks. Can build authority if done thoughtfully.

Words or phrases preceded by # on social media, making content discoverable by topic. Use sparingly and relevantly.

HTML tags that structure your content into headings and subheadings. Important for SEO and readability. H1 is your main title, H2s are main sections.

The large, prominent area at the top of a webpage, usually containing a headline, subheadline, and call-to-action. What visitors see first.

Your website's main page and often the first impression. What to put on it and how to write it are covered in our homepage guides.

The service that stores your website files and makes them accessible online. Like renting space on a computer that's always connected. Hosting explained.

The code that structures web pages. You don't need to know it to run a website with modern platforms, but understanding basics can help.

The type of person or business you most want to work with – who you serve best and who's most profitable. Define yours.

Feeling like a fraud despite being competent. Common when self-promoting. Marketing when you hate self-promotion.

The number of times your content or ad was displayed. Different from reach (people) – one person might see something multiple times.

Attracting customers through helpful content rather than interrupting them with ads. Includes SEO, content marketing, and social media.

When search engines add your pages to their database so they can appear in search results. Submit your sitemap to speed this up.

Paying or partnering with people who have large social media followings to promote your products.

Visual social media platform owned by Meta. Good for businesses with strong visual content. Our Stories guide helps camera-shy businesses.

Links between pages on your own website. Helps visitors navigate and helps search engines understand your site structure. Set up internal linking properly.

A request for payment from a customer. Not marketing, but affects cash flow which affects marketing budget.

Words and phrases people type into search engines. Understanding what your customers search for helps you create content they'll find. Do keyword research.

How often a keyword appears in your content. Old-school SEO obsessed over this – modern SEO focuses on naturally helpful content instead.

Finding out what terms your potential customers search for. Essential for SEO and content planning. Our guide makes it simple.

The specific numbers you track to measure marketing success. Don't track everything – pick a handful that matter. Our guide helps you choose.

A standalone page designed for a specific campaign or offer, focused on one conversion goal. Create simple landing pages yourself.

A potential customer who has shown interest in your business – usually by making contact or providing their details.

Activities to attract and capture potential customers' interest and contact information.

Something valuable you offer for free in exchange for an email address – like a guide, checklist, or template. Create one for your website.

Building relationships with leads over time through helpful content and follow-up until they're ready to buy. See our email templates.

Ranking leads by how likely they are to buy, so you focus on the best opportunities. Create a simple scoring system.

Professional social network, particularly valuable for B2B businesses. Our basics guide helps you get started.

A business serving customers in a specific geographic area. Local marketing has specific tactics. Get found locally.

Optimising to appear in searches with local intent ('plumber near me'). Critical for businesses serving specific areas. Start with our local SEO guide.

Longer, more specific search phrases (like 'emergency plumber north london weekend' vs 'plumber'). Less competition and more targeted.

An ad targeting option that finds people similar to your existing customers. Useful once you have customer data.

A system rewarding repeat customers. Doesn't need fancy software. See our simple loyalty ideas.

Software that handles repetitive marketing tasks automatically – email sequences, social posting, lead scoring. Our guide covers what's worth automating.

A platform or method for reaching customers – like social media, email, SEO, or ads. Choose your primary channel first.

The stages potential customers move through: awareness, interest, consideration, purchase. Also called sales funnel.

Platforms like Etsy, Amazon, or eBay where you can sell alongside other sellers. Compare marketplace vs own website.

The snippet of text appearing under your page title in search results. Should entice clicks in under 160 characters. Learn to write them.

HTML code providing information about your page to search engines. Title tags and meta descriptions are the most important.

Measurable data points about your marketing performance. Focus on metrics that connect to business outcomes, not vanity metrics.

A business with fewer than 10 employees. The audience for all our guides – we understand your time and budget constraints.

Designing for phones first, then adapting for larger screens. Google uses mobile-first indexing. Understand mobile-first design.

Predictable monthly income from subscriptions or retainers. A goal for many service businesses.

Your business contact details. Consistency across all platforms is crucial for local SEO. Check your NAP consistency.

Paid content designed to look like the editorial content around it. Advertorials and sponsored posts are examples.

Regular emails sent to subscribers. Still one of the most effective ways to stay in touch. Plan yours with our simple monthly email guide.

A specialised segment of the market. Niching down means focusing on a specific type of customer or service. Decide if you should niche.

A link attribute telling search engines not to pass ranking credit. Often used for sponsored links or untrusted content.

A concern or hesitation a potential customer has about buying. Handle objections before they say no.

SEO factors outside your website, mainly backlinks from other sites. See our backlinks guide.

Providing a seamless experience across all channels – website, social, email, in-person. The opposite of siloed marketing.

SEO factors you control on your own website – content, title tags, internal links. Optimise your website for Google quickly.

A website with all content on a single scrolling page. Can work for simple businesses. Compare to multi-page.

The percentage of email recipients who open your email. Industry average is around 20%. Learn what email metrics matter.

When someone actively agrees to receive your marketing, usually by signing up for your email list. Required under GDPR.

Traffic or results you earn naturally, without paying for ads. Organic search means unpaid search rankings.

How many people see your social media content without paid promotion. Has declined significantly on most platforms.

Website visitors who find you through unpaid search results. Built through SEO.

Proactively reaching out to potential customers through ads, cold calls, or direct mail. Opposite of inbound.

How quickly your website loads. Crucial for user experience and SEO. Improve your website speed.

Advertising in search engine results (like Google Ads). You pay when someone clicks. Compare to organic search.

Advertising where you pay each time someone clicks. Google Ads and Facebook Ads both use this model.

Services like Stripe or PayPal that process online payments. Connect to your website.

See Buyer Persona.

Customising marketing messages for individual recipients, like using their name or recommending relevant products.

Visual discovery platform. Works well for product-based businesses and those with strong imagery. See our Pinterest guide.

A small piece of code placed on your website to track visitor behaviour for advertising platforms like Facebook.

A documented system for how you do things, so it's repeatable. Build your marketing playbook.

Add-on software that extends your website's functionality. WordPress sites often use many plugins.

Audio content distributed online. Growing in popularity but requires consistent effort. Compare podcast vs blog.

A collection of your work examples. Essential for creative and service businesses. Add a portfolio page.

See Pay-Per-Click.

When potential customers say you're too expensive. Often means you haven't communicated value. Handle objections.

A legal page explaining how you collect and use visitor data. Required for UK websites. See our UK guide.

A formal document outlining how you'd work with a potential client and at what cost. Use our quote templates.

Google Ads' rating of your ad relevance and landing page quality. Higher scores mean lower costs per click.

A search term or phrase someone types into a search engine.

Marketing improvements that are easy to implement and show fast results. Good for momentum.

A formal price proposal for potential customers. Our templates help you write professional quotes.

Where your page appears in search results. Page 1 position 1 is the top ranking. Monitor your rankings.

The number of unique people who see your content. Different from impressions (total views).

When existing customers recommend you to others. Often the best source of new business. Get more referrals without feeling awkward.

Another business that sends customers your way. Partner with nearby businesses.

A formal system for encouraging and rewarding referrals. See our simple referral ideas.

See Retargeting.

Adapting one piece of content into different formats – a blog post becomes social posts, an email, and a video. Turn one piece into five.

How quickly you reply to enquiries. Faster usually wins more business. Set your standard.

Website design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. Essential for mobile users. Fix mobile website issues.

Showing ads to people who have already visited your website or interacted with your content. Reminds them you exist.

Revenue generated divided by ad spend. ROAS of 3 means you make £3 for every £1 spent.

The profit or value generated compared to the cost. Positive ROI means your marketing is profitable.

Customer feedback on platforms like Google, Facebook, or Trustpilot. Hugely influential for local businesses. Ask for reviews.

Enhanced search results showing extra information like ratings, prices, or FAQs. Created through structured data.

A feed format that lets people subscribe to your blog. Less common than email newsletters now.

The journey from awareness to purchase. Same as marketing funnel. Map your lead flow.

Code added to your website helping search engines understand your content better. Can create rich snippets. Learn the basics.

A tool for finding information online. Google dominates in the UK, but Bing exists too.

Marketing through search engines, including both SEO (organic) and paid search ads. See the difference between SEO, SEM, and PPC.

Improving your website to rank higher in organic search results. Crucial for being found online. Do small businesses need SEO?

What someone is trying to accomplish with their search. Informational, navigational, or transactional. Research what customers search for.

Dividing your audience or email list into groups based on characteristics or behaviour. Allows more relevant messaging. Email segmentation guide.

See Search Engine Optimisation.

The page of results you see after searching. Includes organic results, ads, maps, and featured snippets.

A webpage describing one of your services. Write service pages that convert.

One visit to your website. A user might have multiple sessions over time.

A business run alongside other employment. Time constraints make efficient marketing crucial.

A file listing all pages on your website, helping search engines find and index your content. Submit yours to Google.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter where people connect and share content. Choose your primary channel.

Using social platforms to build awareness, engage audiences, and drive traffic. Our simple strategy helps you post without losing your mind.

Evidence that others trust your business – reviews, testimonials, logos of clients served. Display reviews on your website.

A business owner who works alone without employees. Similar constraints to micro businesses.

Unwanted, unsolicited messages. Avoid being marked as spam by only emailing people who've opted in.

See A/B Testing.

Security technology that encrypts data between your website and visitors. Shows as 'https' and a padlock. Essential for any website.

A popular online payment processor. Connect Stripe to your website.

The headline of an email that appears in recipients' inboxes. Crucial for getting emails opened. Write subject lines that get opened.

Someone who has signed up for your email list. Your most engaged audience.

The specific group of people you're trying to reach. Being specific makes your marketing more effective. Define your ideal customer.

The behind-the-scenes aspects of SEO – site speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability, structured data. See our technical SEO guide.

A pre-made format you can customise – for emails, social posts, or documents. We provide many templates throughout our guides.

Legal document outlining rules for using your website or services. What to include.

A customer's statement about their positive experience with your business. Powerful social proof. Collect testimonials.

Asking a happy customer to provide a testimonial. How to ask for reviews.

The page visitors see after completing a form or purchase. Great opportunity to suggest next steps.

Scheduling specific times for marketing tasks. Block marketing time in your calendar.

The clickable headline in search results. One of the most important on-page SEO elements. Write effective title tags.

How your brand 'sounds' in writing – professional, friendly, quirky, authoritative. Choose yours.

The awareness stage where people first learn about your business. Content here is educational, not salesy.

Service businesses like plumbers, electricians, builders. Have specific marketing needs. Marketing for trades.

Visitors to your website. Can come from search, social media, ads, direct visits, or referrals.

Elements that make your website look credible – reviews, certifications, security badges, guarantees. Add trust signals to your site.

What makes you different from competitors. Why should someone choose you? Create your USP.

Individual people visiting your website (as opposed to total visits/sessions). One person making 5 visits counts as 1 unique visitor.

Encouraging customers to buy a higher-value version of what they're considering. Learn ethical upselling techniques.

The address of a webpage (like yourbusiness.co.uk/services). Keep them short, descriptive, and human-readable.

How easy and pleasant it is to use your website. Good UX increases conversions.

Content created by customers – reviews, photos, social posts. Authentic and trustworthy.

Tags added to URLs to track where traffic comes from. Helps with attribution.

The unique value you offer customers – what you do, who for, and why it matters. Write your one-sentence description.

Numbers that look impressive but don't indicate business success – like followers or page views without conversions. What to ignore.

Using video to promote your business. Is it worth it? Our guide helps you decide.

Content that spreads rapidly through sharing. Nice when it happens, but impossible to manufacture reliably.

Someone who comes to your website. Tracked in analytics.

See Hosting.

A live or recorded online presentation or workshop. Good for demonstrating expertise and collecting leads.

Your online home base. Essential for most businesses. Do you need one? Our guide helps you decide.

A systematic review of your website's performance, SEO, and usability. Use our comprehensive audit guide.

Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress that let you create websites without coding. Choose your platform.

The first email new subscribers receive. Sets expectations and starts the relationship. Use our templates.

Ethical SEO practices that follow search engine guidelines. The only approach we recommend.

A small application embedded in a website – like a chat box, social feed, or booking form.

Marketing effort to re-engage lapsed customers. Re-engage inactive customers.

When customers tell others about your business. Often the most trusted form of marketing. Encourage with referrals.

The world's most popular website platform. Highly flexible but requires more management than simpler builders. We cover WordPress audits.

See Sitemap.

Video platform and the second-largest search engine. Worth considering for local businesses. Is YouTube worth it?