The A-Z Guide To Digital Marketing Terminology: Michelle Wright's Blog - Vocal Media

Have you ever wondered, "What exactly is digital marketing?"

Well, the answer to this question is that digital marketing is a type of marketing that uses digital technologies to get people interested in a product, service, or brand.

So, websites, blogs, social media, and emails are just some of the ways to reach people in digital marketing.

With that said, below is my official A-Z guide to digital marketing terminology, which is a list of common words and phrases that are related to digital marketing:

A is for Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of rules to be followed, when solving a problem or making a decision.

In the context of digital marketing, an algorithm is used to rank and prioritize content on search engines and social media sites (e.g. YouTube).

Why is this important?

Algorithms are not just important, they are vital for digital marketing success.

Since algorithms will help you optimize your content, by providing you with insight on what is working and what is not.

Want to learn more?

Check out Algorithmic Global's Effective Algorithmic Marketing, to learn more about algorithms.

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B is for Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who view only one page on a website and then leave.

Why is this important?

It is important for you to know the bounce rate of your website because it helps you to understand how engaged your visitors are with its content.

So, the higher the bounce rate, the less likely it is that visitors are engaging with your content.

This can also be caused by irrelevant content, unclear navigation, or unappealing web design.

Want to learn more?

Check out Backlinko's Bounce Rate, to learn more about how bounce rates work.

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C is for Call To Action

A call to action (CTA) is a type of direct marketing that uses a clear statement to get people to do something.

So, the call to action can be a button, a link, or something else that communicates what you want your visitors to do.

Why is this important?

A call to action is important because it can help businesses get more customers and increase their sales.

Therefore, a call to action should be unique and attention-grabbing enough, so that it stands out from the rest of your content.

Want to learn more?

Check out HubSpot's 50 Call-To-Action Examples, to learn more about calls to action.

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D is for Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a way to get people interested in a product, service, or brand, by using digital technologies.

So, examples of digital technologies are websites, mobile applications, social media, and so forth.

Why is this important?

Digital marketing is important because it has a direct impact on the success of most businesses today.

Since it helps with building relationships, generating leads, and increasing revenue.

Want to learn more?

Check out HubSpot's The Who, What, Why & How Of Digital Marketing, to learn more about digital marketing.

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E is for E-commerce

E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services over the internet.

With the different types of e-commerce being the following:

• B2C (Business to Consumer)
• B2B (Business to Business)
• C2C (Consumer to Consumer)
• C2B (Consumer to Business)

Why is this important?

E-commerce is important because its rise in popularity has led to many changes in the way people shop.

For example, it has made it possible for people to buy in bulk, and has allowed them to buy things from around the world without having to leave their homes.

Want to learn more?

Check out Shopify's What Is E-commerce?, to learn more about e-commerce.

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F is for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets are a type of search result that is often generated by Google for specific search queries.

They are highlighted excerpts of text that a search engine generates, based on the content that is on a web page.

Why is this important?

They are important because they help a searcher decide if they want to click through to that web page or not.

Want to learn more?

Check out Google's How Google's Featured Snippets Work, to learn more about featured snippets.

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G is for Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to manage your business's online presence across Google's services and in the following ways:

• Manage your business's information on Google Search and Maps.
• Get found on Maps with a custom icon.
• Request reviews from customers.
• Respond to reviews from customers.

Why is this important?

Google My Business is important because it can help your business get found online and drive more customers to your physical location.

Want to learn more?

Check out Wordstream's What Is Google My Business & Why Do I Need It?, to learn more about Google My Business.

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H is for Hashtag

A hashtag is a word or phrase that begins with "#" and is used on social networking sites.

They were created to make it easier for people to find content about certain subjects.

Why is this important?

Hashtags are important because they help get your message out there and increase the reach of your content.

Want to learn more?

Check out Hootsuite's How To Use Hashtags, to learn more about hashtags.

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I is for Impressions

Impressions are the number of times that content is seen but not engaged with (e.g. liking a tweet).

Why is this important?

This metric is important because it can help you gauge how well your content is performing.

It can also help you decide whether or not you need to make changes to your content.

Want to learn more?

Check out Sprout Social's Reach Vs. Impressions, to learn more about impressions.

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J is for JavaScript

The term JavaScript, sometimes abbreviated as JS, refers to a programming language that is used to make web pages more interactive.

So, an example of this would be pop-up boxes that appear on some websites.

Why is this important?

Javascript is important because it boosts user interaction by encouraging engagement.

It can also help to lower bounce rates, as it encourages more people to spend more time on your site.

Want to learn more?

Check out W3 School's JavaScript Tutorial, to learn more about JavaScript.

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K is for Keyword

Keywords are the words or phrases that search engines use to find your content.

They are also the words or phrases that people use to find your content when they search on Google, Bing, and social media sites (e.g. YouTube).

Why is this important?

Keywords are important because they are essential in content marketing.

Since your content will rank higher in Google searches and get more attention, if you use the right mix of keywords.

Which can attract more visitors to your website or blog, increase the number of people who buy from you, and make you more sales overall.

So, the keywords you choose should match the needs and interests of the people you want to reach.

Want to learn more?

Check out HubSpot's How To Do Keyword Research for SEO, to learn more about keyword research.

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L is for Landing Page

A landing page is a web page that appears when someone clicks on a link in an advertisement or search engine result.

They can also be used as a standalone website or as part of a larger website.

Why is this important?

Landing pages are an important tool for most businesses today.

Since they are designed to draw in visitors, persuade them to take the necessary steps, and turn them into clients.

Want to learn more?

Check out Unbounce's Landing Pages Explained, to learn more about landing pages.

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M is for Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is the process of getting people interested in products, services, or brands by using mobile phones.

Why is this important?

Mobile marketing is important because it is the future of marketing.

Since the number of people who have smartphones, and access the internet using them, is increasing daily.

Want to learn more?

Check out Marketo's Mobile Marketing Tips, to learn more about mobile marketing.

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N is for Niche

A niche is a subset of a market or an industry.

Why is this important?

Niches are important because they allow companies to focus on a particular type of audience, along with a particular type of product or service.

Want to learn more?

Check out Shopify's 9 Niche Market Examples, to learn more about niche markets.

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O is for Organic Search Traffic

Organic search traffic refers to website users who arrive on a website through non-paid means.

For example, through the URL of an official website.

Why is this important?

Organic search traffic is important because it is the most valuable kind of traffic.

Since it comes from people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

It is also an indicator of how popular your business is.

Want to learn more?

Check out HubSpot's What's An Organic Search?, to learn more about organic search.

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P is for Page Speed

Page speed is the time it takes for a website to load completely.

It can be measured in seconds and is usually expressed in milliseconds.

The speed of a website's pages is also affected by things like the internet connection, the time it takes for the server to respond, the size of the browser's cache, and so on.

Why is this important?

Page speed is important since a website's conversion rate and SEO ranking both benefit from a fast page speed.

Want to learn more?

Check out Moz's How To Evaluate And Improve Page Speed, to learn more about page speed.

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Q is for Quality Score

Quality score is a measure of how relevant your ad is to the person searching for it.

Additionally, ads with a higher quality score are shown more often than those with a lower quality score.

Why is this important?

Quality score is an important metric for Google Adwords campaigns because it helps advertisers monitor and evaluate the performance of their ads.

Want to learn more?

Check out Wordstream's What Is Quality Score & How Does it Affect Google Ads?, to learn more about quality scores.

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R is for Referral Traffic

Referral traffic is when people come to your website by clicking on links that are on other websites.

Why is this important?

Referral traffic is a good way to measure how well your site's content is doing.

Since it has been linked to higher rankings in Google's search results.

Not to mention higher conversion rates for websites because they often come from people who have already shown an interest in a business.

Want to learn more?

Check out Sprout Social's What Is Referral Traffic?, to learn more about referral traffic.

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S is for Search Engine

A search engine is a website that gives its visitors an index of other websites.

An example of this is Google Search.

Why is this important?

Search engines are important because they help us find what we want or need on the Internet.

This is because they give you a list of results that match your search query, so you can find what you want quickly, easily, and correctly.

Want to learn more?

Check out Search Engine Journal's 20 Great Search Engines You Can Use Instead Of Google, to learn more about search engines.

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T is for Target Audience

A target audience is a group of people that a business is trying to reach with its message.

Why is this important?

It is important to know this information because it will help you determine what kind of content to create, along with where to advertise your product or service.

Want to learn more?

Check out Hootsuite's How To Find And Target Your Social Media Audience, to learn more about target audiences.

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U is for Unique Visitor

A unique visitor is a person who visits your website at least once in a given month.

Why is this important?

Unique visitors are important because they are a key metric for measuring how well your digital marketing campaigns are doing.

Since a high number of unique monthly visitors can suggest that you have built up quite a buzz around your products or services.

Want to learn more?

Check out Popupsmart's What Are Unique Visitors?, to learn more about unique visitors.

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V is for Viral Video

A viral video is one that is shared a lot on the internet.

In other words, a video that many people have watched in a short amount of time.

Why is this important?

Some businesses rely on viral videos because they help to boost a brand's development.

They can also encourage discussion on the products or services they offer, which can be used for advertising. Since it will be seen by a large number of people.

So, the first step to making a video that goes viral is to make sure it is interesting and fun.

While the next step would be to make sure the video can be shared, so it can reach more people.

Want to learn more?

Check out Animoto's How To Make A Video Go Viral, to learn more about viral videos.

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W is for Website

A website is a central location for people to share information about themselves, their businesses, and the products or services they offer.

Why is this important?

Websites are an important part of most businesses today.

Since they are the entrance to your business and must be built in a way that attracts your target audience.

Want to learn more?

Check out HubSpot's 12 Critical Elements Every Website Homepage Must Have, to learn more about websites.

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X is for XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap is an XML file that lists all pages on a website and categorizes them according to various criteria.

Why is this important?

XML sitemaps are important for SEO because they help search engines crawl and index your site.

They also help your site rank better on Search Engine Results Pages (i.e. SERPs).

Want to learn more?

Check out Yoast's What Is An XML Sitemap And Why Should You Have One?, to learn more about sitemaps.

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Y is for YouTube

YouTube is a social media site where people can upload, watch, and share interesting videos.

Since its conception, it has been a place for many different kinds of videos, like trailers for movies, TV clips, video blogs, and more.

Why is this important?

YouTube is one of the fastest-growing platforms in the world and it has been a major player in the digital marketing industry for a long time.

It is also the second largest search engine in the world and more than 1 billion hours of video are watched on it every day.

So, YouTube is a very powerful place for businesses to share their content.

Want to learn more?

Check out Send Pulse's What Is YouTube Marketing: Guide, to learn more about YouTube.

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Z is for Zero Cost Strategy

A zero-cost strategy refers to the process of using free tools to save money on marketing costs.

This strategy can also be used in a number of different ways, such as using the free version of a marketing automation tool, as opposed to the premium version.

Why is this important?

This kind of strategy is important because it lets businesses spend their money on other things.

It can also help a lot of small businesses that are on a tight budget.

Want to learn more?

Check out Clever Tap's Zero Cost Strategy, to learn whether it's something that will work for you.

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So there you have it.

My official A-Z guide to digital marketing terminology.

Finally, do contact me, if you require additional support.

Since I'm an experienced Marketer, with over 10 years of experience, and I am willing to lend a helping hand.

Alternatively, feel free to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

*When it comes to some of the article suggestions given above, please note that I have changed some of the titles, so that they fit the overall tone of this blog post.