Last updated: 30th September 2025

Simplifying the language of digital marketing.

Marketing can feel like a different language, especially if you’re not deep in the industry. Even seasoned marketers sometimes find themselves lost in the sea of acronyms, buzzwords, and ever-evolving terminology. That’s why we’ve created this guide: to open the doors of the industry so everyone can be part of the conversation.

Introducing the Marketing Labs Digital Marketing Jargon Buster – a no-nonsense breakdown of the most common terms and phrases used across the marketing world. Whether you’re a business owner, a curious client, or a fellow marketer needing a quick refresher, this is your go-to resource for making sense of the lingo.

Let’s dive into the key terms and what they really mean – in plain English.

SEO terms or phrases

301 Redirect – A way to send users and search engines to a different URL from the one they originally requested.

Alt text – A short description of an image on your website that helps search engines understand what the image is. It’s also important for visually impaired users.

Anchor text – The clickable text in a hyperlink. This gives search engines clues about the content that the text is linked to, helping your SEO.

Backlink – When another website links to yours. It’s like getting a vote of confidence that can help your site rank higher in search engine results.

Black hat SEO – Unethical SEO practices that violate search engine guidelines in an attempt to rank higher in search results. Believe it or not, some other SEO agencies still use these techniques!

Bounce rate – The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page.

Canonical tag – A way of telling search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page. It helps prevent problems caused by identical or “duplicate” content appearing on multiple URLs.

Click-through rate (CTR) – The percentage of people who click on a link to your site after seeing it in the search results. This term also applies to PPC.

Domain authority – A score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine results pages. The higher the score, the better your chances of ranking well.

Featured snippet – A special box that appears at the top of Google’s search results, providing a quick answer to a user’s question.

Google Business Profile – A free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Maps and search results.

Hreflang – A tag that tells search engines what language your content is in, so it can show it to users in their own language.

Indexing – The process by which search engines organise information before a search to enable fast responses to queries.

Keyword density – How often a keyword appears on a web page compared to the total number of words on the page.

Keyword – A word or phrase that people use to search for something online. The main goal is to figure out which keywords your audience uses and then use those keywords on your website.

Link building – The practice of getting other websites to link to yours. Not always as easy as it sounds.

Local SEO – Optimising your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. For example, “Italian restaurants in Chiswick”.

Long-tail keyword – Longer and more specific keyword phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they’re closer to making a purchase.

Meta tags – Hidden labels on your website that tell search engines what your page is about. Think of them as secret notes that help search engines understand your content.

Mobile optimisation – Making sure your website looks good and works well on mobile devices

NoFollow link – A tag that tells search engines not to follow a certain link, meaning it won’t pass on any SEO equity.

Off-page SEO – Actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages. This mainly involves building backlinks.

On-page SEO – Tweaking the content and structure of your website to make it more search engine friendly. This includes using the right keywords, meta tags, and alt text.

PageRank – A Google algorithm that ranks web pages in its search engine results. It measures the importance of website pages by considering the quality and quantity of links to them.

Page speed – How fast your web page loads. It’s important because visitors and search engines prefer sites that load quickly and rank your website accordingly.

Robots.txt – A file that tells search engine robots which pages on your site they should, or in some cases, should not visit.

Schema mark-up – A code that you put on your website to help search engines return more informative results for users.

SEO (search engine optimisation) – The art of making your website more friendly and visible to search engines, so more people find you when they search online.

SERP (search engine results page) – The page you see after you search for something online. It’s full of results, and SEO helps you climb to the top of that page.

Search intent – The reason behind why someone is searching for a particular thing online. It’s like figuring out whether someone entering a store wants to browse, buy, or just get out of the rain.

Sitemap – A map of your website that helps search engines find, crawl, and index all of your site’s content.

User experience (UX) – How people feel when they interact with your website. Every website has UX, but good UX means your site is enjoyable and easy to use.

White hat SEO – Ethical SEO practices that comply with search engine guidelines, focusing on providing value to
the user. It’s the right way to improve your site’s ranking in a sustainable way

PPC terms or phrases

Ad campaign – A set of related ads organised around a single goal. For example, you may have a specific product range or category as the campaign, then specific ads related to products or services that sit within it.

Ad extensions – Additional information you can add to your ad, like an address, phone number, or more web page links.

Ad group – A container for your ads and keywords that are related to a specific theme. Think of it as organising your festival events into categories, like music, food, and games, to attract different types of guests.

Ad rank – Determines your ad position on the SERP, based on your bid amount and quality score.

Bid – The amount of money you’re willing to pay for someone to click on your ad.

Conversion – When someone takes the action you want after clicking your ad, like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.

Conversion rate – The percentage of people who convert (take your desired action) after clicking your ad.

CPC (cost-per-click) – The actual price you pay for each click on your ads.

CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) – The price you pay per thousand views of your ad, regardless of clicks.

Display ads – Visual ads that appear on websites that are part of the Google Display Network. Imagine your ads as posters displayed in multiple shops around town.

Geo-targeting – Showing your ads to users based on their location.

Impression share – The percentage of impressions your ads receive compared to the total number they could get.

Keyword match types – Options that determine how closely a user’s search query must match your keyword to trigger your ad.

Landing page – The web page people are taken to after they click your ad.

Negative keywords – Words or phrases you exclude from your campaigns to prevent your ad from showing to the wrong audience.

PPC (pay-per-click) – A method of advertising online where you pay a fee each time someone clicks on your ad.

Quality score – A rating given by Google that measures the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads.

Remarketing – Showing ads to people who have previously visited your website, encouraging them to return.

Search network – A group of search-related websites where your ads can appear, including Google search and
other Google sites like Maps and Shopping.

Content marketing terms or phrases

Content calendar – A schedule that outlines when and where you plan to publish upcoming content.

Content cluster – A method of organising related content around a central theme or pillar topic.

Content marketing – Creating valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. It’s a way to connect with potential customers without directly selling to them.

Content strategy – The process of planning the creation and the delivery of useful, usable content.

Evergreen content – Content that remains relevant and valuable over a long period.

Lead magnet – A free item or service provided in exchange for contact details; used to gather leads.

Native advertising – Ads that match the look, feel, and function of the media format in which they appear.

Pillar page – A web page that covers a broad topic in depth and links to related content.

User-generated content (UGC) – Content created and shared by consumers about brands or products.

Paid social terms or phrases

Ad set – A group within a Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) campaign that targets a specific audience with a particular budget and schedule.

Ad frequency – The average number of times an individual sees your ad.

Carousel ads – A type of ad format that allows multiple images or videos to be displayed in a single ad.

Conversion tracking – The process of monitoring actions taken by users after clicking on your ad, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.

Cost per engagement (CPE) – The price you pay for someone interacting with your social media post/ad.

Custom audiences – A type of audience you can create based on data you have about your existing customers, such as email addresses or phone numbers.

Dynamic ads – Ads that automatically show different content to different users based on their past interactions with your website or app.

Lookalike audiences – A way to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your business because they’re similar to your best existing customers.

Meta tag – A tag/code snippet that Meta provides to track data on your website. It also helps with retargeting.

Retargeting – Showing ads to people who have previously interacted with your brand but haven’t converted.

Sponsored content – Paid posts on social media platforms that look similar to the platform’s standard content.

General analytical/data terms or phrases

Analytics – The process of analysing data to make informed decisions.

Attribution modelling – The process of determining which touch-points or channels receive credit for a conversion.

Churn rate – The percentage of customers who stop using your product or service over a certain period.

Conversion funnel – The path a consumer takes through a digital platform or ad campaign to an end goal. For example, navigating from SERPs to an eCommerce website and converting to a purchase online.

Customer lifetime value – An estimate of the total value a business can expect from a single customer account
throughout the business relationship.

Data mining – The practice of examining large databases in order to generate new information.

Heat-mapping – A graphical representation of data where values are depicted by colour, often used to show where
users click on a web page and the process they take within its experience.

KPI (key performance indicator) – A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving
key business objectives. A great example of this is ROI (return on investment).

Segmentation analysis – The process of dividing a broad consumer or business market into sub-groups based on
some type of shared characteristics.

Ready to cut through the jargon?

If you’re tired of buzzwords and just want marketing that works, we’re here to help. At Marketing Labs, we turn complex strategies into real results- no fluff, no nonsense.

Explore our digital marketing services to see how we can simplify success for your business.