e-Marketing Glossary
e-Marketing Glossary
A
The top portion of an email that can be viewed through the preview pane. It’s important that what you most want communicated to readers appears above the fold.
An agreement between two sites in which one site - the affiliate, agrees to feature content or an advertisement designed to drive traffic to another site. In return the affiliate site receives a percentage of sales generated by traffic it sends towards this site.
Abbreviation of Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, AJAX is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications. AJAX increases usability and speed by ensuring the webpage doesn’t have to reload each time a change is made by the user.
This search engine formally known as Ask Jeeves was founded by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen. Ask Jeeves allowed users to ask questions in everyday language and became an extremely popular engine. As the bigwigs (Google, MSN and Yahoo!) began indexing pages faster, Ask Jeeves suffered. Though its user base is still significantly smaller than those of the big wigs, Ask.com is still a popular engine.
A GIF which supports animations and allows a separate palette of 256 colors for each frame.
Abbreviation of Application Service Provider, essentially a business that provides computer-based services to customers over a network.
An open source web server, Apache HTTP Server is the most popular web server in use today.
A nifty program designed to send an automated response to incoming emails.
An online community of affiliate enthusiasts where members can read or post topics on any topics linked to affiliate marketing.
The merchant fills the role of the advertiser in an affiliate marketing relationship. The merchant will implement a tracking system, provide affiliates with the campaign graphics they need, as well as pay them.
Affiliates distribute the affiliate merchant’s product. They will earn revenue for each lead they send to the merchant site.
A number indicating how popular your site is compared to other sites, based on information returned by the Alexa Toolbar and SearchStatus. The number is the index of a given site in long ordered list of popularity, the most popular site at index 1, the second most at index 2 etc.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A lot faster than ISDN, ADSL is a high speed method of accessing the Internet.
ASP - It’s the same abbreviation of Application Service Provider but definitely not the same thing. Active Server Pages are Microsoft’s server-side technology for dynamically-generated webpages. ASP of this variety is marketed as an add-on to IIS.
The general term used to describe the degree to which a system is usable by as many people as possible without modification. In one context it refers specifically to people with disabilities and their use of assistive devices such as screen-reading web browsers.
This refers to the “alt” attribute for the IMG HTML tag. It is used in HTML to attribute a text field to an image on a webpage, normally with a descriptive function, telling a user what an image is about and displaying the text in instance where the image is unable to load.
An approach to web design where different browsers and settings are taken into account. Accessibility is a must. An interesting post on accessibility.
Text and image advertisements by Google that appear on websites.
The visible, clickable text in a link.
An algorithm is a mathematical, computational or statistical method that is pre-determined to take a number of variables into account and output a single, quantifiable number that is a function of all of the variables. A good example of a commonly used algorithm is the one used by Google to determine which pages should rank more highly on the SERP’s. Another example is the algorithm used by BrandsEye to take into accounted tagged and weighted criteria, to calculate a single Reputation Score.
B
All the links on other pages that will take the user to a specific webpage. Each link to that specific page is known as an inbound/backlink. The number of backlinks influences PageRank so the more backlinks the better - get Linking!
The amount of data a connection is capable of moving, generally measured in bits per second.
An online advertisement in the form of a graphic image that appears on a webpage.
A term coined by the SEO industry to define the unethical techniques some search engine optimisers use to get their sites ranking at number 1. These practises include keyword stuffing, hidden text and duplication of content. The immediate results may be astounding but the long term results are detrimental as black hat SEO techniques are a no go with the search engines: employ these tactics at your own peril.
Also known as a web log, a blog is just that - almost like an online diary. A blog is a type of website that allows users (bloggers) to post entries on different topics and allows readers to comment on these posts. Blog types range from being personal diaries to news commentaries. Blogs are easy to update, encourage repeat visits, create fresh content and natural links. If you’re not involved in the blogosphere, you’re lost.
The world of blogs, bloggers and blog posts. The blogosphere has evolved rapidly since its inception and is destined to grow even more - start blogging! In fact visit our blog and get to it!
This is where you store all the URL’s to sites you have found useful or which you would like to return to.
Stands for Business to Business. When businesses sell products/services to other businesses and not to consumers.
Stands for Business to consumers. When businesses sell products/services to consumers.
This button, which is located at the top of a web-browser, allows you to go back to a page you were on previously in a session.
A.k.a Filtering. Sometimes emails are prevented from reaching their final destination because of a filter that has been put in place. These filters are usually put in place to block spam.
The number of emails that were unable to reach their final destination due to a hard or soft bounce.
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Blacklists are lists of IP addresses belonging to organizations that have been identified as SPAMMERS! The ISP’s then use the IP addresses to add to the filter thereby blocking these messages from reaching their final destination.
See Web Browser.
A collection of links to other blogs. It is usually found on the home page of most blogs.
A facility whereby users can remark or provide feedback on a particular post. Due to the fact that some individuals or companies have abused this system by automatically spamming blog comments with links to their websites, may comment systems are now moderated or by invitation only.
A symbiotic advertising initiative whereby businesses involved promote each other’s services and websites on an exchange rather than paid basis. Also known as link exchange.
C
The number and percentage of recipients who clicked on a particular URL included in an email, a webpage etc.
Two phase process which is made up of analysing the collaborative effect of your eMarketing efforts and optimizing their effect in turning visitors into customers.
The percentage of visitors to a website that perform a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. For example, if 30 visitors out of 100 subscribe to a newsletter for example the conversion rate is expressed as 30%.
Content Management System - A nifty script or program for maintaining websites. If you have a really hot CMS program you can almost do anything; you no longer have to depend on anyone else when it comes to maintaining your site - but be sure that you get a really good one!
No they’re not the yummy treats we have at teatime: cookies are small text files that are stored on an end-user’s computer that allow websites to identify the user, and allow the website owner to construct a profile of that user.
Abbreviation of Ctrl Alt Delete, this command will end programs and restore the warm fuzzy feeling you had before things went to hell in a hand basket.
Cost Per Action. Refers to the cost of acquiring a new customer. The advertiser only pays when a desired action is achieved (sometimes called cost per acquisition).
Cost Per Click. Refers to when an advertiser only pays when their ad is clicked upon, giving them a visitor to their site - typically from a search engine in Pay Per Click search marketing.
Cost Per Mille. Refers to Cost per 1000 ad impressions. An advertiser pays each time 1000 impressions of their ad are shown
Cascading Style Sheets. This is a language used to describe how an HTML document should be formatted. Cascading Style Sheets provide the ability to separate the layout and styles of a webpage from the data or information.
Cybersquatting occurs when a domain name that contains the name of a well-known brand/subject/trademark i.e. emarketing.com is purchased with no intent to be developed but rather sold off to the highest bidder.
A CTA is a phrase written to motivate the reader to take action. (sign up for our newsletter, book car hire today etc.).
Advertising on content based rather than on search sites.
A cache is a temporary copy of a collection of data. If accessing the original data is proving to be resource heavy (read time-consuming), then users can access the cache thereby not having to reload the original data.
A business that has both online trading capabilities and offline physical stores.
Marketing other products or services to an existing customer. Cross marketing enhances the ability for generating further sales. Also known as Cross Selling.
See Cross Marketing
The pattern of clicks, entry and exit points of a user’s interaction with a website.
The progressive steps a customer goes through when purchasing, using or considering a product or service.
CAPTCHA stands for “Completely Automated Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart” and it does pretty much what it says. It is a program that asks a user to complete a simple test to prove the user is human and not a computer. The most common test is by typing in the content of a distorted image of numbers and text that a computer is unable to read.
The act of generating invalid clicks on an advert. Deliberate invalid clicks may be generated by competitors to waste the media budget of an advertiser or by site owners hosting the advert in order to increase profits from the clicks.
This refers to online information that could be published anywhere, whether in blogs, forums, on websites and even on Twitter. Consumer generated media is highly valued among individuals looking for information about which brands or companies are trust-worthy, and which are not. It therefore plays a significant role in building and destroying online reputations. The increasing amount of consumer generated media available, and the impact that it has on the opinions of other consumers is cited in explanation of the need for an Online Reputation Monitoring and management tool.
D
A link to a page that no longer exists: spiders check these types of links and eventually eliminate them from search engine results. Also see Link Rot.
The name of a server that distinguishes it from other systems on the World Wide Web: our domain name is sensiblemarketing.biz.
Opt-in is the process by which an individual requests to receive email correspondence from a company. Double Opt-in is the act of getting subscribers to confirm their initial subscription via a follow up email asking them to validate their address and hence opt-in again.
Term for a user arriving at a site deep within its structure or where search engines index a mirrored copy of content normally inaccessible by search engine spiders.
Directory websites provide an ordered listing of registered websites in different categories. They are similar to an e-version of Yellow Pages. Yahoo! and Excite are the best known examples of directories.
These are specially assembled pages that feature keywords for particular product searches. These often redirect visitors to a home page.
An enterprise that only conducts business online. These enterprises do not have physical stores; the products/services they offer are sold online.
Don’t Believe Everything You Read! Except this - this is good stuff!
Transferring files from one computer to another. When you are online you are downloading files from a website server to your PC.
Essentially an electronic filing system. Information is organized and stored in a manner that allows you to select the exact data you require.
Content such as text, image and form fields on a webpage that change according to user interactivity
The process of analyzing large amounts of data for patterns. This process can be used to predict buying habits, credit card purchases and cross sale capabilities.
E
The process of marketing a brand using the Internet. In a world where online is everything you may as well pack it in if you don’t have a kick-ass website and an effective eMarketing strategy.
Anything online that you can’t be bothered to actually explain.
Email marketing is the most effective of all online marketing tactics. It is extremely cost effective, can be highly targeted and customized, is measurable and best of all takes advantage of the consumer’s most prolific touch point with the Internet, their inbox.
An electronic magazine. Also sometimes called an e-mag.
Also known as electronic mail, Email is essentially mail that is electronically transferred from PC to PC. Email allows you to send messages to anyone, anywhere in the world instantly! Snail mail is so last century!
Payment and receipt of payment via the Internet.
Like a traditional print newsletter but delivered to your inbox rather than to your post box.
Mathematical algorithms are used to encrypt data in order to protect it from unauthorized use.
F
Frequency caps are present to limit the number of times we are exposed to the same online ad. Essentially it preserves what little we have left of our sanity.
See RSS and RSS Reader.
A fake blog, as in the Edelman/Walmart Fiasco.
This button allows you to go forward again once you have used the back button.
Frequently Asked Questions. It’s always useful to have a section like this on your site to give users quick answers to questions they’re likely to have.
A soft olden day type of Memory Stick.
This is the interval, at which email efforts such as newsletters are repeated, (weekly/monthly etc.).
This small, nifty icon identifies a bookmarked site.
An HTML technique used to combine two or more HTML documents within a single web browser screen. Frames can often cause accessibility and usability issues and their use is largely discouraged by good designers.
File Transfer Protocol is a standardized method of moving files across the Internet.
Everything you see on your computer screen for that page. All your critical or most important information should lie above the fold in order to reduce scrolling.
G
Like real estate online is all location, location, location these days. Geographical Targeting or Geotargeting is specifically useful to location specific businesses. It allows you to see where your visitors come from and to give them specific information that is relevant to them.
The worlds best known search engine. Google offers access to billions of webpages in over 30 languages to searchers all over the world. Google began life as the research project of two graduate students, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Years later
This is what you’re doing when you enter a search query in Google.
This program allows sites to display Google ad’s and earn revenue from the hits that generate traffic. AdSense delivers relevant text ads that are targeted to the Google search results pages generated by your visitors’ search request.
Google’s PPC program allows advertisers to display their adverts on relevant search results and across Google’s content network via this program.
Grey Hat SEO is what occurs when white hats try and push the limits of what they can get away with. With the rapid evolution of search engines they don’t tend to get away with it for very long. See Black Hat.
Abbreviation of Graphics Interchange Format, a GIF is an 8-bit-per-pixel bitmap image format using a palette of up to 256 distinct colors. GIF’s allow images to be reduced without degrading their quality.
Software that compresses a website in order to speed up download times.
A term coined by AdWords advertisers mid-2006 to describe an unexpected change in Google AdWords policy, introducing a quality score for the landing pages of AdWords ads. It is gaining wider usage as a term to describe (unexpected) decisions and actions taken by Google, which negatively impact Web or search engine rankings, irrespective of whether they relate to Google AdWords or not.
H
Heading tags (H1, H2, H3 etc) are standard elements used to define headings and subheadings on a webpage. The number indicates the importance, so H1 tags are viewed by the spiders as being more important that the H3 tags. Using targeting key phrases in your H tags is essential for effective SEO.
A black hat technique where the keywords are invisible to the naked eye as they are the same colour as the page’s background. Search engines are not fooled by this unethical technique and sites will be penalized for employing it.
The abbreviation for HyperText Markup Language, read by web browsers. Certain HTML “tags” are used to structure the information and features within a webpage.
The failed delivery of email communication due to an undeviating reason like a non-existent address.
A stiff olden day type of Memory Stick.
The body of your PC, hardware comprises all the physical components of a computer (monitors, keyboards, printers, drives etc).
The first page of any website. The home page gives users a glimpse into what your site is about – very much like the index in a book, or a magazine.
A link in a document (electronic) that allows you, once you click on it, to follow the link to the relevant webpage.
A hit, though often mistaken for a measure of popularity, is a request from a user’s browser to view a particular page or image.
I
See Backlink.
A worldwide system of interconnected computer networks; the Internet connects millions of individuals from every corner of the globe. If it wasn’t for the Internet we wouldn’t be here - needless to say we LOVE it!
The number of times a webpage or ad is viewed.
Internet Service Provider – this is the company that is providing you access to the Internet e.g. MWEB, AOL, Yahoo! etc).
Internet Information Services from Microsoft.
Instant Messaging is a technology that allows its users to communicate in real-time. Essentially your IM system alerts you when a contact on your list is online; you can then initiate a chat session. IM is seriously the best thing since sliced bread (and you thought toast was). Also known as IMing
You need lots of them! Need some food for thought - keep checking those feeds!
A search function specific to one site. This awesome tool allows users to find what ever they are looking for on your site. All they do is type in the search term and hey presto if you have it on your site, they’ll find it.
The searchable catalogue of documents and pages created by a search engine. Web spiders index websites with the search engines by scanning or crawling them.
The Internet Protocol (IP) address is a exclusive number, which is used to represent every single computer in a network.
An element of WebPR, an internet press release is exactly the same as a traditional press release but is released online rather than in print and can be optimized to form part of an SEO strategy.
IE – Microsoft’s web browser.
The act of deliberately generating impressions of an advert without the intention of clicking on the advert. The result is a reduction in click through rate which can affect Quality Score in PPC advertising.
J
A programming language which allows multifaceted and graphical customer applications to be written and then accessed from a web browser.
This is what people say when you ask them a question that they can’t be bothered to answer themselves. See Search. As a related note, officially “Google” shouldn’t be used as a verb, but it’s very much a common language usage. Derivatives include, “Googling” and “Googled.”
See Spam.
A highly popular scripting language that is used in web pages to improve the design, validate forms, create cookies and control the popping up of new windows among other functions.
K
Also known as search terms, keywords are entered as search queries into a search engine. SEO’s try to optimize their sites for these search terms. See key phrases.
This relates to the number of times a keyword/key phrases appear on a webpage. This divided by the total number of words that appear on a page gives you a percentage. The higher the better - but not too high - you don’t want to be penalized for keyword stuffing.
Two or more words that are combined to form a search term/query - often referred to as keywords. It is usually better to optimize for a phrase rather than a single word as more searches will search for a phrase rather a than word as they want more specific and relevant content.
This term refers to where the keywords/phrases targeted by SEO rank amongst the search engines - if your targeted terms do not appear on the first 3 pages, start worrying.
The process of researching what searchers are searching for, copy optimization revolves around the selection of the best keywords/key phrases. There are a multitude of keyword research tools out there, which will help you discover the best possible keywords for which to optimize websites.
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Repeat after me - Keep It Seriously Simple! ALWAYS.
Keyword Effectiveness Indicator. It is designed to measure and quantify the quality and worth of search term.
The number of times a keyword or key phrase appears on a website
L
This unfortunate yet common syndrome results in sites that will not function without the WWW in the URL; it is caused by System Administrators presenting signs of severe DNS laziness.
A link is a URL imbedded on a webpage, if you click on the link you will be taken to that page.
When you click on a link and receive an error message or a notification that the website has been moved. This highly frustrating phenomenon known as link rot is detrimental to SEO as spiders cannot keep up with the changes. This could be solved by a redirect link being inserted.
The page a user reaches when clicking on a paid or organic search engine listing. The pages that have the most success are those that match up as closely as possible with the users search query.
Abbreviation for laugh out loud, kinda dorky but we use it anyway (lol).
The length of time it takes for a page to open completely in the browser window.
These tools are used to check your site for broken hyperlinks. Very useful.
A measure of the quantity and quality of other webpages that link to a website.
A file that is automatically created by a web server listing actions that have occurred. Log file analysis tools show where visitors are coming from, how often they visit, and track their path through the site. When used in conjunction with cookies they provide a much greater depth of information.
See Banner Exchange.
LAN. A network of workstations sharing a server within a relatively small geographic area, like in an office.
Software that provides information about a site’s visitors, activity statistics, accessed files, click-through paths and other analytical data based on the users behavior.
An open source operating system based on UNIX. Linux is used to run Web Servers.
A technique for providing content that attracts links from other web pages. Our recent eMarketing 101 series is a good example of Link Bait; websites use this content as a resource.
M
Duplicates of a site usually found on a different server. These sites are used to trick search engines and are usually considered a Black Hat tactic which the search engines will most often penalize by removing both the mirror and original sites from the index.
Taking a number of different options for particular elements on a page and then creating a number of pages equal to the product of those options and elements. After which each combination is tested to see which works best.
Meta tags are there to tell the spiders what exactly the webpages are about. It’s important that your Meta tags are optimised for the targeted key phrases. Meta tags are made up of meta titles, descriptions and keywords.
A short paragraph describing the page content. This summary is usually shown on the SERP’s if it contains the search term searched for. The spiders use the Meta tag description to deduce the topic of the page and the use of targeted key phrases is important here
A list of the words and phrases that are important on a webpage, the use of targeted key phrases is important here - but remember no keyword stuffing.
MSN Search was developed by Microsoft and comprised a search engine, index, and web crawler. On September 12 2006 MSN Search evolved into MSN Live Search which offers users the ability to search for specific types of information using search tabs that include Web, news, images, music, desktop, local, and Microsoft Encarta.
The four elements businesses need to consider for the success of their marketing efforts: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. The focus that is placed on each one is entirely dependant on the goals of the marketing strategy.
A blend of the words mobile and weblog. A moblog, consists of content posted to the Internet from a mobile or portable device, such as a cellular phone or PDA. Moblogs generally involve technology which allows publishing from a mobile device.
The marketing mix is made up of 4 elements: product, price, place, promotion – the correct ‘mix’ of these elements will lead to a kick ass marketing strategy.
A search tool that will allow a user to conduct a search across two or more search engines and directories. Examples of meta-search engines include Clusty and Dogpile.
In Online Reputation Management, mentions refer to the instances when your brand, company or staff members are talked about online, usually by your clients or consumers. Online Reputation Management and monitoring tools seek out mentions and alert you to them, so that your company can respond appropriately.
N
These are the listings generally found on the left hand side in search engines, and are not influenced by direct financial payments. Listings are results based on factors such as keyword relevancy within a webpage: SEO is used to boost success. Also see Organic Search.
An online discussion group.
Navigation allows users to move from page to page in your site. It is essential your navigation is user friendly. If the users can’t easily find their way, they won’t travel deeper into your site.
Like etiquette but on the net, netiquette are the social rules that govern online interactions. An example of a net no-no would be IMing someone in caps (this means you’re SHOUTING).
Aka n00b. Fresh blood – someone who is new to the wonderful online world and are often unaware of netiquette. You have to start somewhere, right?
A word derived from net and citizen. Unlike a newbie, a netizen is an experienced web user. Someone who has spent a significant (if not disproportionate) time on the web.
An online discussion group.
A group of two or more computer systems linked together in a LAN or a WAN.
O
Also known as subscribe - Requesting to receive information from a company via e-mail. All responsible email marketers ensure that only users who have opted in receive their communication. If you haven’t opted in - it’s SPAM!
Also known as unsubscribe - The act of removing oneself from a list or lists so that specified information is no longer received via e-mail.
These are the listings generally found on the left hand side in search engines, and are not influenced by direct financial payments. Listings are results based on factors such as keyword relevancy within a webpage: SEO is used to boost success. Also see Natural Search.
Online Reputation Management - the only way you can measure what is being said about your company, product and business methods online. How you are portrayed online is a vital part of any PR strategy, especially when that portrayal is negative.
These links will, once clicked on, take users to another site.
This is also referred to as the read rate. This is the number of emails that are opened in an email marketing campaign as a proportion of the total emails sent.
Abbreviation of Over the Top.
A file containing a list of RSS URLs. Often used for sharing feeds amongst users.
Press releases distributed over the Internet. It is aimed at a broader segment of reader including social media, consumers and journalists.
Free for everyone to use!
Your online reputation refers to how your company, brand or staff is perceived by the online community. It is influenced by the comments that that people make about you and your brand on blogs, in forums and discussion groups and on Twitter, and can be damaged or built on, depending on the sentiment of the mentions. Many companies choose to monitor and manage their online reputations to prevent long-term, serious damage to their brands as a result of negative consumer generated media.
P
PageRank gives a ranking or score to every webpage on the Internet based on the number and quality of the page’s backlinks, this score is a number out of 10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Anything above 5 means your site is cheese!
Placing ads for products or services on search engines (listings appear at the top of the page and on the right hand side) and on content sites across the Internet. These ads are typically small snippets of text linked to merchandise pages. See PPC
Pay per Click - Buying sponsored adverts on search engine results pages and content pages, while only paying for those ads on a performance basis. See Paid Search.
The ‘cleanliness’ of a mailing list based on previous mailings. A Purity Point of 0 is the best while 1 is the poorest. This decimal number is based on the number of bounces and their type, compared to the amount of emails sent.
Personal Computer.
Similar to Pay Per Click, PPL is an advertising payment model in which payment is made on leads not just clicks.
A criminal activity where “Phishers” attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details. Often this is done by masquerading as a party the victim is likely to trust (another person or reputable business) via some form of electronic communication like email, IM or even telephone.
A unique URL which points to the permanent location of a single blog post and its associated comments and trackbacks.
Packet Internet Groper. A utility that forwards data packets to check the quality of a link or verify the connection of a machine to the Internet.
Publishing audio programs via the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed of new files. Podcasting enables independent producers to create self-published, syndicated “radio shows”. Listeners may subscribe to feeds using “podcatching” software (a type of aggregator), which periodically checks for and downloads new content automatically.
A nifty little extension that adds on to the capabilities of a major software package.
The number of times a piece of information or content is forwarded to others. These can be friends, family or any other individual, company or organisation.
Q
Quality score is the basis for measuring the quality of keywords and determining minimum PPC bids. This score is calculated by measuring a keyword’s click-through rate, ad text relevancy, the keyword’s historical performance and the quality of the landing page.
R
This is how you read you RSS Feeds. These desktop news readers or aggregators are the best thing next to sliced bread - get one! Also known as RSS Aggregator.
Really Simple Syndication abbreviates all the bumf most websites on the World Wide Web contain in order to provide you with specific content you want. RSS allows you to receive/ syndicate this information without requiring you to constantly open new pages in your browser. Also see RSS Reader.
This is when a site agrees to link to another site providing that the other site links back to it in return.
When a user clicks on a link from one site to another site the user left is the referrer. Most browsers log the referrer’s URL in “referrer strings,” this information is vital to determining which queries are being used to find specific sites.
This stands for Return on Investment – This is what everyone is after! Essentially it is how profitable an investment is in terms of how much revenue was actually spent on the investment.
This stands for Return on Advertising Spend and indicates the amount of revenue garnered from each referrer. It is calculated by dividing the total amount of revenue garnered by the total amount of revenue spent on the advertising campaign.
The number of unique users who’ve viewed an online advertisement.
A file written and stored in the root directory of a website that restricts the search engine spiders from indexing certain pages of the website.
It is derived from an algorithm that takes into account all the relevant mentions of a brand, and the significance that the user has attached to them. This significance is ascertained through the process of tagging each mention to rank across a number of weighted criteria that include sentiment and credibility among others. This score provides a benchmark against the brand’s reputation as it fluctuates over time, and also allows comparison between a brand and its competitors.
S
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the creation or tweaking of a website to increase the amount of traffic to the website by ranking high in the search results of a search engine.
Those marvelous little gems that have made our lives so much easier, search engines are programs that allow users to search for information stored on the Internet. When you enter a search term you will find both organic and paid for listings.
Search Engine Marketing - This is the process of getting a website to achieve top rankings for its chosen key phrases on the search engines. See SEO, Organic Search, Natural Search.
Email sent to someone who has not requested to receive it - EVIL!
A program that browses the net in order to create a copy of all visited pages for processing by a search engine. This data is what the search engines turn to when you enter a search term. The more often your site is crawled and the happier the spiders are the happier you will be. Also knows as bots, crawlers and ants.
This is a page, usually animated and containing some kind of variation of the phrase ‘click here to enter this site’. These types are an absolute no go in terms of search engine optimization – repeat after me – Splash pages are BAD!
Creating hypothesis and testing by randomly sending visitors to either option in a statistically equal manner, and measuring which has the best conversion rate.
Search Engine Results Pages - the page of results you get from entering a search term into a search engine.
In terms of SEO you aim to be the number 1 result on this page.
Search engines rank webpages based on different sets of criteria: while they may attribute different values of importance to the criteria they tend to consider the same factors in general. The program which search engines use to judge these factors and rank webpages in their SERPs is called their ranking algorithm. Algorithms are regularly updated to combat spam and black hat tactics. As the algorithms change and put more or less importance on certain factors SEO’s do the same. Google’s change in algorithm is termed the Google Dance
Same as Search Term.
Search terms are the words entered by the searcher. search engines will then look for these words in their index and return matching results. Also known as Search Query
The title of the email communication. As it is the first element of the communication that will be seen, it needs to be attention grabbing and must not sound spammy. The subject line dramatically affects the open rate.
The programs on your PC, software is what makes the hardware work in the way you want it to. (word processors spreadsheets, databases etc).
The failed delivery of an email due to a deviating reason like an overloaded mail box or a server failure.
This is a signature file, which is displayed at the end of an email. It often contains the senders name and full contact details. This short message will appear at the bottom of every email sent. It’s also sometimes called a business card.
A signature quote that appears at the end of an email
Searching is the process of finding information on the net. Go to your preferred search engine type in your search query and bingo – all the info you need is displayed.
Site analytics are essential to the success of any website – they provide you with information detailing how visitors are interacting with your site as well as how successful your supporting eMarketing techniques are affecting your sites performance. Data for the analysis is mined using specialised software. Site analytics provide you with a comprehensive and insightful analysis of your website as well as an insight into what needs to be done to ensure even greater success.
Supplying a URL to the search engines to make them aware that the site/webpage actually exists, in hopes of the site/page being indexed faster.
Nifty little bit of online shopping software that allows you to add the product offerings on a site to your cart. You can add, delete and purchase the merchandise in your cart. Also known as shopping basket.
In the online sense, this refers to a type of website model where individual members become part of a broader virtual community. You’ll find that users provide personal information about themselves in a profile and reveal themselves through participation in the online community.
Aka SMO. It’s a way to optimize websites so they would be more easily connected with online communities and community websites. It can perhaps be thought of as the bastard child of SEO and social networking.
See SEO.
A high level language used to control what the user sees on a site or to manipulate the data stored on a server.
Also known as Pay Per Click (PPC).
A computer that delivers information and software to other computers linked by a network.
An abstract or concrete protocol that performs a security-related function and applies cryptographic methods.
The operating system used on Sun Systems known for its robustness and scalability.
The listing of pages in the results pages (SERP’s) of a search engine in response to a search query.
The design and planning of websites involving the technical, aesthetic and functional elements that combines to create a website.
The practice of writing content specifically designed for chosen key phrases. This enhances spider-ability and results in higher rankings on search engines.
Improving a websites design and functionality. Also see Web Standards.
A Web based service to share Internet bookmarks. Del.icio.us and Digg are examples of social bookmarking services.
User generated networks that involve online collaboration. The classic examples are MySpace and YouTube. Check out our How To… Social Media Series for more.
T
The (preferably optimized) title text you select will appear in the reverse bar of a user’s browser when they view the webpage. Title tags should be a brief and accurate description of the page’s content.
Measuring the effectiveness of a campaign by collecting and evaluating statistics.
An essential statistic traffic indicates the amount of visits a site receives in a given amount of time. Remember that traffic alone isn’t a measure of success – getting those visitors to convert is the ultimate goal. Also known as website traffic.
Some websites store information in a small text file on your computer called a cookie. A 3rd-party cookie either originates from, or is sent to, a website different from the one you are currently visiting. These third-party cookies can either be persistent, meaning they remain on the system after your session, or temporary, meaning they are removed from your system.
A mechanism used in a blog that shows a list of entries in other blogs that refer to a post on the first blog. It works by sending a ping from one blog to another which provides the alert. The blog receiving the ping typically displays the TrackBack information below a blog entry. This usually includes a summary of what has been written on the target blog, together with a URL and the name of the blog.
As with comments, although many have abused the TrackBack feature to insert spam links on some blogs, it is fantastic method of interlinking and really allows bloggers to get to know their readers and other bloggers quickly and easily. It is one of the features that has allowed blogs to spread as virally as they have.
A piece of code that tracks a user’s interaction and movement through a website.
Every instance the consumer comes into contact with a brand.
U
Your Ad Here
This refers to the number of individuals who forwarded a specific email on.
Usability is a measure of how easy it is for a user to complete a desired task. Sites with excellent usability fare far better than those that are difficult to use.
Presenting search-friendly URLs without question marks), rewriting them on the server to their standard format suitable for use in querying dynamic content.
The most common operating system for servers on the Internet.
A marketing term referred to as a Unique Selling Proposition. This is what makes a product or service different.
V
Takes your message and powerfully and quickly spreads it across the Internet, just like the age-old concept of “word-of-mouth”, but in an electronic context – what could be more powerful?
Aka specialised or niche search. A search within a particular area of interest: where the search database is highly refined for relevance to a particular subject.
Although the technology to achieve this has been available for a while, only recently has the bandwidth been available to make this a practical reality.
A virus is a destructive program that is loaded onto your PC (hopefully without your knowledge). These little programs can delete or corrupt your files so save yourself the drama and get yourself a good anti-virus software package.
W
Public relations on the web! Online press releases and article syndication promote brands as well as drive traffic to sites.
A term coined by the SEO industry to describe ethical SEO tactics – you’ll only find white hats at Sensible Marketing See Black Hat and Grey Hat.
Abbreviation of What the F*#k – this is often used in heated messenger debates. Slightly OTT but makes me LOL. (too much… thought so.)
With Regards To - possibly the most annoying marketing speak ever!
The World Wide Web is the complete collection of files written in various mark-up languages on the Internet. If you’re connecting to the Internet via a dial-up, it can also mean “World Wide Wait”.
Your web presence is determined on whether you have a webpage or site on the net. If you don’t you are an unknown force and are losing out!
See Site Analytics.
Online gossip, spread through blogs, newsgroup postings, IMing and email (come on – we’re all guilty of it).
The layout and structure of a webpage. Web design is not solely about making the page look pretty, it’s about functionality and usability.
This is what allows you to browse the World Wide Web – examples of browsers include Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox.
See Traffic.
Best practices for building websites.
(WAN). A network of computers that are relatively far apart and are connected via telephone lines or radio waves.
A remote third-party computer whose job it is to deal with requests coming from web browsers.
The network as a platform for content and functionality. This includes delivering and allowing multiple users access to dynamic web applications and content; online collaboration, generation and distribution of data and a richer interactive user-experience through website applications that enhance value and ease-of-use. Web2.0 is often considered to include RIAs (Rich Internet Applications) built in AJAX, Flash, Java applets or ActiveX.
WordTracker helps website owners and search engine marketers identify keywords and phrases that are relevant to their or their client’s business and most likely to be used as queries by search engine visitors.
A software tool that collects data on web site users based on metrics to measure its performance.
A window or a text box for user interaction.
A wiki is an online collaborative tool that allows numerous users to access and edit web page content freely and creatively. It supports links to websites, images and text and can be used for a host of functions, including project planning and document building.
Stands for wireless application protocol, which is a technical set of communication standards for the way wireless devices (like cellphones) connect with the Internet.
X
An abbreviation of Extensible Markup Language, XML is the programming language used to create custom tags.
Y
One of the most popular search engines on the net Yahoo! began its life as the bookmark lists of two graduate students, David Filo and Jerry Yang. Their bookmark list just never seemed to stop growing, and today Yahoo! serves billions of page views worldwide.
Z
In computer networking, a zone file is a database element of the domain name system (DNS) used by BIND and other DNS server software. A zone file typically contains information that defines mappings between domain names and IP addresses and can also contain reverse mappings which can resolve IP addresses into domain names.
0-9
IM speak – literally means I haven’t the foggiest idea…
IM talk for ‘get rid of’. I.e. that splash page is affecting our SEO efforts negatively, 86 it.
Your Ad Here
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