Digital marketing comes with its own language. Knowing basic marketing terms helps beginners understand reports, talk to team members, and plan better campaigns.
This glossary explains digital marketing words that pop up everywhere, like SEO, CTA, conversion rate, and more. So, anyone can start speaking the lingo and make sense of what really matters online.
A/B Test
An A/B test is a simple experiment. It splits an audience into two groups.
Each group sees a different version of a web page, email, or ad. Marketers check which version works better for a goal, like getting clicks or signups.
If one version performs better, you know what change made the difference. This helps improve results using real user data.
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate shows what percentage of visitors leave a website after only viewing one page.
A high bounce rate can mean people don’t find what they’re looking for or lose interest quickly. It points to problems like slow load times, poor design, or confusing content.
Marketers use this metric to spot weak pages and figure out what needs fixing to keep visitors around.
Call to Action (CTA)
A call to action tells people exactly what to do next on a webpage, ad, or email.
You might see “Sign Up,” “Download Now,” or “Shop the Sale.” CTAs use clear words to nudge visitors to click, buy, or fill out a form. Generally speaking, they guide users toward desired action.
Strong CTAs make the goal obvious.
Churn Rate
Churn rate tells you the percentage of customers or subscribers who stop using a product or service during a set period.
Businesses track churn to see how well they keep existing customers and spot problems in retention.
A high churn rate means people leave quickly, so businesses look for ways to lower it, like fixing issues or improving support and engagement.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-through rate, or CTR, measures the percentage of people who click a link, ad, or button after seeing it.
You get CTR by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and then multiplying by 100.
A higher CTR means the message connects and users want to learn more. A low CTR might call for better headlines, images, or targeting.
Content Marketing
Content marketing shares useful articles, videos, or guides with a target audience to bring in attention and establish credibility.
Businesses use content marketing instead of just pushing ads. They answer questions, offer solutions, and stay top-of-mind.
These days, it’s even easier to create quality material. AI tools like Stryng help brands create great content, which can turn casual readers into loyal fans or paying customers.
Conversion Rate
Conversion rate shows what percent of visitors complete a goal, like buying a product or signing up for a newsletter.
You calculate it by taking the number of conversions and dividing it by total visitors, then multiplying by 100.
Marketers use this number to judge how effective a page or campaign is at turning visitors into customers. Higher rates point to messaging or design that works.
Cost Per Click (CPC) & Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Cost Per Click (CPC) means what you pay each time someone clicks your ad.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is the bigger strategy that uses ads on platforms like Google Ads. You only pay when a user clicks.
Watching CPC helps manage your budget. A lower CPC keeps costs down while still bringing people to your website or landing page.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Customer Lifetime Value, or CLV, tells you the total revenue a business expects from one customer during their relationship.
A higher CLV means each customer brings in more value over time.
Knowing CLV helps businesses spot their most loyal customers and decide where to focus retention and marketing efforts.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, is software that helps businesses organize and track interactions with leads and customers.
Teams use a CRM to store contact info, monitor follow-ups, and see sales activity in one spot.
CRMs make it easier to manage deals, improve communications, and remember key details, so nobody slips through the cracks.
Popular tools include:
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zoho
Engagement Rate
Engagement rate tracks how users interact with content, like posts, ads, or videos. It counts actions such as likes, shares, comments, or other clicks.
Higher engagement rates mean users care about what they see.
This helps brands figure out what works, tweak their strategy, and build stronger relationships with their followers.
Four Ps of Marketing
The Four Ps of Marketing stand for Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
Product means what you sell. Price is how much you charge. Place covers where people buy your product, like online or in-store. Promotion includes all the ways you get the word out, like ads and emails.
The Four Ps are a starting point for shaping marketing strategies.
Google Tag Manager (GTM)
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tool that lets marketers add, edit, or remove tracking codes and tags on a website without touching the site’s source code.
With GTM, teams can launch pixels for tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, or remarketing.
GTM helps avoid developer bottlenecks and keeps marketing data accurate. It also allows faster test-and-learn cycles for campaigns.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A Key Performance Indicator, or KPI, shows if marketing goals get met. Teams choose KPIs that fit their main objectives, like sales, leads, or engagement.
Popular examples include:
- Conversion rate
- Customer lifetime value
- Click-through rate
Good KPIs give a clear snapshot of current performance: tracking the right KPIs helps marketers spot what’s working, measure growth, and make decisions.
Landing Page
A landing page is a standalone web page built for a single goal, like collecting emails or selling a product.
It usually removes distractions and gives visitors a clear action, such as filling out a form or clicking a button.
Marketers send traffic here from ads, emails, or social media.
Well-designed landing pages increase conversion rates by focusing attention on one offer or message.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Return on Ad Spend, or ROAS, tells you how much revenue comes in for every dollar spent on ads.
Divide total ad revenue by total ad cost to get this number. For example, if a campaign shows a $4 ROAS, it means you earn four dollars for every dollar spent.
Tracking ROAS shows which ads bring in profit and helps decide where to put budget.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Return on Investment, or ROI, checks how much profit results from marketing campaigns once you subtract costs.
To find ROI, subtract what you spent from what you earned, then divide by the cost and multiply by 100. High ROI means your effort paid off.
Professionals use ROI to see if a strategy produces money back, helping them focus on what brings real results.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, helps a website show up higher in search results like Google.
SEO tactics include updating content, choosing keywords people actually search, and making sure pages load fast.
Good SEO attracts free, organic traffic without paying for clicks.
Marketers watch rankings, inbound links, and site performance to spot areas for improvement and draw more qualified visitors over time.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
A Search Engine Results Page (SERP) appears when someone enters a query into Google, Bing, or another search engine.
It displays links to websites, ads, featured snippets, and sometimes maps or videos.
Ranking higher on the SERP means more users will find your site.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-Generated Content, or UGC, comes from real users, not brands.
You might see:
- customer reviews
- social media posts
- photos
- unboxing videos
People often trust the opinions of other shoppers more than ads. Brands will sometimes feature UGC on their websites or use it in campaigns to show real-life use and increase credibility.
