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Every Industry has its own jargon and Industry-specific terminology and Search Engine Marketing is no exception.
Here are some of the terms that you may encounter.
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A/B Testing
A process of presenting different versions of an advertisement, or web page, to discover which version delivers the better results. In A/B Testing only one element of the design is changed at a time. The existing design is known as the “Control” and remains that way until a better performing alternative is found. |
Above The Fold
A graphic design concept which refers to the upper section of a web page that is visible without scrolling. Also known as “Above The Scroll” or “Above The Crease”. |
Acquisition
See Conversion. |
Ad
In relation to Pay Per Click Advertising this refers to the Advertisement that a searcher may see after submitting a Search Query. Ads are usually presented in text format although other formats are available. Ads commonly appear above and to the right of the Natural Search results on Search Engine Results Pages. |
Ad Delivery
This option can be set to “Rotate” or “Optimise” to select the rate at which eligible Ads are displayed in relation to each other. If the “Optimise” option is selected, the Search Engine determines which is the better performing Ad and serves it more frequently than other Ads, while the “Rotate” option causes eligible Ads to be served more evenly over time. |
Ad Description
The body of a Text Ad, usually the second and third lines, appearing between the Ad Title and the Display URL. |
Ad Position
This is the relative position of a PPC Advertisement within the Search Engine results and is determined by Ad Rank. Ad Position is often referred to as an Average Ad Position since the actual position may vary from search to search. |
Ad Rank
This value is determined by a Search Engine and is calculated by factors which include the Maximum Cost Per Click (Bid) for the Keyword, and its Quality Score. Ad Rank determines the position of a PPC Advertisement on Search Engine Results Pages. The Ad with the highest Ad Rank appears in the first position, and so on down the page. |
Ad Title
Also known as the Ad Headline, this is the first line of a Text Ad. It is generally displayed as bold text. |
B2B
An abbreviation for Business-to-Business, which describes the commercial transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer. |
B2C
An abbreviation for Business-to-Consumer, which describes the commercial activity between businesses and consumers, such as between a retailer and a customer. |
Bid
See Maximum Cost Per Click. |
Bots
See Crawlers. |
Browser
See Web Browser. |
Click
A Click is recorded when a searcher clicks on a Paid Advertisement and is taken to the Destination URL. |
Click Through Rate (CTR)
This metric is calculated by dividing the number of Clicks that an Ad receives by the number of times that ad is displayed or served, expressed as a percentage. For example, if an Ad was displayed 1000 times and was clicked 40 times, the CTR would be 4%. Ads which are more relevant to the Search Term usually generate a higher CTR. Click Through Rate is one of the measurements used to assess the success of an online advertising campaign. |
Content Network
A network of websites that display contextually-targeted advertising on pages within the website. |
Conversion
A Conversion is an action taken by a visitor to a website that an advertiser may want to track. A Conversion could be a sale, download, enquiry, page view or any other trackable activity. Conversion tracking is enabled by placing a piece of code in the website. By tracking Conversions it is also possible to calculate Conversion Rates and Cost Per Conversion. Conversions are also known as Acquisitions. |
Conversion Rate
This is calculated by dividing the number of Conversion by the number of Clicks, expressed as a percentage. For example, if an Ad generates 3 Conversions from 150 Clicks, the Conversion Rate would be 2%. |
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
The cost of Clicks divided by the number of Acquisitions or Conversions. Each Campaign, Ad Group, Keyword and Conversion type (sale, download, enquiry, page view etc) has its own Cost Per Acquisition. If an Ad Group accrued $100 in Click costs and generated 5 Acquisitions, the average CPA would be $20 for that Ad Group. Also known as Cost Per Conversion. |
Cost Per Click (CPC)
The actual cost that an Advertiser pays a Search Engine for a single Click on an Advertisement. The actual Cost Per Click is less than or equal to the Maximum Cost Per Click. |
Cost Per Thousand (CPM)
Some Content Network advertising can be bought at Cost Per Thousand rates. These rates are charged for every 1,000 Ad Impressions, regardless of whether the Ad receives a click or not. This is different from Pay Per Click advertising where the Advertiser is only charged when a user clicks on an Ad. |
CPA
Cost Per Acquisition. |
CPC
Cost Per Click. |
CPM
Cost Per Thousand. 'M' is the Roman numeral for 1,000. |
Crawlers
Crawlers are Search Engine programs that methodically gather information from website listings. As well as reading web page text and code, Crawlers also follows links to other hyperlinked pages. Crawlers makes copies of the web pages that it finds and stores these in the Search Engine's database for the purpose of providing fast, relevant Search Results. Also known as Bots, Robots, Spiders, Indexers. |
Creative
In Text Ads, the Ad Title, Ad Description and Display URL are known collectively as the Creative. Where applicable, elements of a design such as typeface, font size, graphics, logos, animation and so forth are also part of the Creative. |
CTR
Click Through Rate. |
Daily Budget
The maximum amount an Advertiser is willing to pay each day for Clicks and/or Impressions. |
Dayparting
The practice of specifying different times of the day : and/or days of week : when eligible Advertisements may be displayed. |
Destination URL
This is the specific URL of the web page at which a searcher arrives after clicking on an Ad. |
Directory
See Web Directory. |
Dislay Network
See Content Network. Since 2010 Google refers to the Content Network as the Display Network. |
Display URL
This is the web page URL that is displayed in a Text Ad and appears below the Ad Description. This may be a shortened version of the Destination URL (which is not visible to the Searcher) although Search Engines have guidelines regarding Display URLs, including their relationship to the Destination URL. |
Distribution Network
A network of websites or Search Engines and their partner sites on which Paid Ads can be served. |
DKI
Dynamic Keyword Insertion. |
Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)
The automatic insertion of the Keywords used in the Search Query into the resultant Ad Title or Ad Description. |
E-commerce
Buying and selling goods or services over electronic systems such as the Internet. |
Editorial Review Process
A procedure conducted by Search Engines, in which Advertisements are checked for relevancy and compliance with Editorial Policy. |
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions. |
First Page Bid
The minimum amount that an Advertiser needs to bid for a Keyword to cause an Ad to appear on the First Page of the Search Results. First Page Bids are set by the Search Engines and can vary depending on the Keyword’s Quality Score and competition from other Advertisers. |
Geo-Targeting
The strategy of selecting geographical areas in which to display PPC Advertisements based on the searcher’s location. |
Google
Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the business was first incorporated as a privately held company in 1998. Google Inc. earns revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. Google’s headquarters is located in Mountain View, California. In March 2009 the company had over 20,000 full-time employees. |
Google AdSense
AdSense is Google’s advertising system for Online Publishers. The program enables website owners to display Ads by other Google Advertisers on their websites, and receive revenue for any Clicks that those Ads receive. |
Google AdWords
AdWords is Google’s advertising system for Online Advertisers. The basic process involves the Advertiser creating Ads and choosing related Keywords. In the Pay Per Click environment, when a person searches Google using one of the chosen Keywords, relevant, eligible Ads appear within the Search Results. When the searcher clicks on an Ad to be taken to the Advertiser’s website, the Advertiser is charged for that Click. The system includes a variety of options which may be used to establish and manage a successful AdWords campaign. |
Guaranteed Inclusion
See Paid Inclusion. |
GUI
Acronym for Graphical User Interface. A facility that makes it possible for a person to interact more easily with a computer’s operating system, programs, databases and so forth by means of windows, icons, menus, mouse, keyboard etc. |
Hidden Text
Text that is visible to a Search Engine but hidden to a user. The technique of hiding text is often accomplished by simply colouring the text the same or a similar colour to the background. The practice of hiding text is primarily used to include extra Keywords on a web page (in order to improve the Page's Ranking in the Search Engine results) without affecting the aesthetics of the page. Most Search Engines penalise or ignore URLs from websites that use this or any other deceitful practice. Also known as Invisible Text. |
Home Page
The main page of a website. The URL that loads when a Web Browser session starts, or when the Browser's "home" button is pressed. |
Impression
An Impression is recorded each time an Ad is served in response to a Search Query, or a content page containing the Keyword is displayed. |
Indexers
See Crawlers. |
Internet Protocol Address
See IP Address. |
IP Address
A unique set of numbers assigned to a computer when it connects to the Internet. IP Addresses are usually assigned by geographical area, so they can often be used to identify the location of the computer. This enables geo-targeting to be implemented and Search Results to be localised. |
Keyword
A word or phrase that a searcher enters into a Search Box to retrieve information from a Search Engine. In PPC advertising, the objective is to identify Keywords that are likely to be used by the target audience, and serve a relevant Advertisement alongside the Natural Search results. Also known as a Search Term. |
Keyword Density
The number of times a Keyword appears on a web page, expressed as a percentage of the total number of Keywords on the page. In the context of Search Engine Optimisation, Keyword Density can be a factor in determining whether a web page is considered to be relevant to a particular Keyword or phrase, thereby affecting Page Rank. The overuse of Keywords, a practice called Keyword Stuffing, may cause a web page to be penalised. |
Landing Page
The web page at which a searcher arrives after clicking on an Ad. |
Long Tail
This term refers to the strategy of utilising highly specific Keywords or phrases which may consist of several words. Such Keywords usually draw lower traffic volumes than broader, less specific Keywords for which there may be more competition. Clicks for Long Tail Keywords can be cheaper than those for the less specific Keywords and often have good Conversion Rates from the low number of Clicks they generate. Also known as Tail Terms. |
Maximum Cost Per Click
The maximum amount, or Bid, that an Advertiser is willing to pay for a single Click on an Advertisement. Bid prices can vary significantly depending on the popularity of the Keywords and competition from other Advertisers. Maximum Cost Per Click is a factor in determining Ad Rank. |
Minimum Bid
The minimum amount that an Advertiser needs to bid for a Keyword to be active on the Search Network. Minimum Bids are set by the Search Engines and can vary depending on the Keyword’s Quality Score and competition from other Advertisers. |
Multivariate Testing
The process of presenting different versions of an Advertisement, or web page, to determine which version delivers the better results. In Multivariate Testing two or more elements of the design are changed at the same time. |
Natural Search Results
The lists of web pages and documents that have been found, indexed, sorted and displayed by a Search Engine in response to a Search Query. Natural Search Results usually appear on the left hand side of a Search Engine Results Page. Also known as Organic Search Results. |
Negative Keyword
A Keyword or phrase which prevents an Ad from being displayed. For example, if an Advertiser only sells “used” items, the word “new” may be an appropriate Negative Keyword. Search Queries that contain the Negative Keyword will not cause an Ad to be served. |
Organic Search Results
See Natural Search Results. |
Page Rank
This is a value assigned to a web page by a Search Engine to determine the sequence in which listings are displayed in Natural Search results. Search Engines apply a number of algorithms and other factors to determine where a web page ranks in the Natural Search results. The process of actively influencing your Natural Search Page Ranking is called Search Engine Optimisation. |
Paid Inclusion
Refers to the process of paying a fee to a Search Engine to index pages from a website for the purpose of guaranteeing inclusion in that Search Engine or Directory. The process does not impact Page Rankings; it merely ensures that the web page will be included in the indexing process. These programs are typically used by websites that were not being fully crawled or were incapable of being crawled (due to dynamic URL structures, frames, etc) or by webmasters wanting to speed up the indexing process. Also known as Guaranteed Inclusion. |
Paid Search
Any advertising strategy that involves payment by an Advertiser to a Search Engine for the purpose of including the Advertiser’s website in Search Results. |
Pay Per Click (PPC)
A form of Online Advertising where the Advertiser pays each time an Ad is clicked. PPC Advertisements may generate large numbers of Impressions, but PPC Advertisers only pay for clicks on those Ads. The amount charged for each Click is influenced by the Advertiser’s Maximum Bid, competitor bids, the Keyword popularity and other factors determined by the Search Engine. |
Placement Targeting
Placement Targeting refers to the process of allowing Advertisers to display their Ads on manually-selected sites in the Search Engine’s Content Network. Also known as Site Targeting. |
Position Preference
A feature in Google AdWords that allows an Advertiser to specify a Preferred Position or range of Positions in which an Ad is to appear on a Search Engine Results Page. |
PPC
Pay Per Click. |
PPC Management
The monitoring and maintenance of Pay Per Click accounts. This type of service is likely to include adjusting bid prices, refining keyword lists, editing ad copy, testing campaign components, and providing performance reports. |
Quality Index
A metric assigned by Yahoo! to each Ad that indicates the relevance of the Ad. The Quality Index value is influenced by performance factors such as the Ad's historical performance (which is its Click Through Rate relative to its Position on the page), and the Ad's expected performance, which is determined by various relevance factors considered by Yahoo!'s ranking algorithms. |
Quality Score
A value that Google assigns to each Keyword in an Advertiser’s campaign. Factors influencing Quality Score include the relevance of the Keyword to the Ad, Click Through Rate, historical Keyword performance and other relevancy factors. Generally speaking, increasing a Keyword’s Quality Score has the effect of lowering the actual Cost Per Click. |
Relevance
In PPC Advertising, relevance refers to how closely an Ad’s Title, Description, and Landing Page relate to the Search Query and the searcher’s expectations. |
ROAS
Acronym for Return On Ad(vertising) Spend(ing). This metric can be found on the Yahoo! Search Marketing interface when Conversion and Revenue values are being recorded. Calculated by dividing Gross Ad Revenue by Ad Spend, then multiply by 100 to express as a percentage figure. For example : If Ad Revenue = $30.00 and Ad Spend = $20.00, ROAS = (30.00/20.00) x 100 = 150%. Gross Profit is apparent when ROAS is greater than 100%. |
Robots
See Crawlers. |
ROI
Acronym for Return On Investment. A popular metric used to evaluate and compare the efficiency of different types of investments or expenditure. In PPC Advertising, ROI is calculated by dividing Net Ad Revenue by Ad Spend, then multiply by 100 to express as a percentage figure. For example : If Ad Revenue = $30.00 and Ad Spend = $20.00, ROI = (30.00-20.00) / 20.00, x 100 = 50%. Gross Profit is apparent when ROI is a positive value. |
Search Directory
See Web Directory |
Search Engine
A Search Engine is a program that allows users to search and retrieve information from a database. Search Engines generally display Search Results according to sophisticated algorithms which attempt to return the results that are most relevant to the Search Query. Although the term relates to a general class of programs, the term Search Engine is often used to refer to systems like Google and Yahoo! that enable users to search and retrieve specific information available on the Internet. |
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
This is an overall advertising strategy that promotes a website by increasing it’s visibility in Search Engine Result Pages. Two of the most successful SEM activities are Pay Per Click Advertising and Search Engine Optimisation. |
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
The technique of optimising a website to improve its Ranking in the Natural Search results. |
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
The page of links to websites and documents that is displayed in response to a Search Query. The results page may include Paid Search results and Natural Search results. |
Search Network
A network of Search Engine websites on which Paid Advertisements appear alongside Natural Search results in response to a Search Query. |
Search Query
A request submitted to a Search Engine for information relating to the Keyword or phrase typed into a Search Box. |
Search Term
See Keyword. |
SEM
Search Engine Marketing. |
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation. |
SERP
Search Engine Results Page. |
Shopping Cart
An online Shopping Cart is a facility within a website that allows a visitor to select and purchase goods and services through the website. |
Site Targeting
See Placement Targeting. |
Spiders
See Crawlers. |
Splash Page
An initial website page specifically designed used to capture the user's attention before entering the site proper. A Splash Page may, for example, promote a new product; inform the user of the technical requirements of the site; or offer some form of choice regarding entry into the site. |
Sponsored Listing
A term used on Search Engine Results Pages to identify Paid Search Ads or Listings, and therefore providing a means to distinguish between such Paid Listings and Natural Search results. Also known as Sponsored Links. |
Tail Terms
See Long Tail. |
Text Ad
An Advertisement which is text-based. Text Ads consist of a Title, Description and Display URL. Search Engines have specific guidelines regarding Ad content and formatting. |
Theme
The subject matter of a web page or website as determined by analysis of its text by a Search Engine. |
Traffic
Refers to the data generated by visitors to a website and the pages they visit. Statistics can be reviewed by examination of the Web Server Log File. A Hit is recorded when any file is served. A web page is considered a file, as are images, so a page with 3 images would register 4 hits. A Page View is recorded when a visitor requests a page within the website, so a visitor will always generate at least one Page View (for the page on which they entered the site) but could generate many more Page Views in that session. |
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
The specific global address of a document or file on the Internet as well as the protocol a browser should use to access the location’s data. A simple URL may look like "http://www.mysite.com.au/products/widgets.html" where “http” specifies the protocol to use; “www.mysite.com.au” is the domain to contact; “products” is a directory within the domain; and “widgets.html” is a file within the directory. URLs may include additional elements, but they cannot have spaces or certain other characters. |
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. |
Usability
Usability refers to the overall ease with which a visitor interacts with the workings and functionality of a website. For instance, site navigation should be clear and intuitive, text should be informative, links should work correctly and shopping carts easy to use. |
Web Browser
A software program required to access websites on the Internet. Popular Web Browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer; Mozilla Firefox; Google Chrome; Apple Safari; Opera; and Netscape Navigator. |
Web Directory
A database of websites, listed by category and sub-category. Unlike a Search Engine, Web Directories do not use Crawlers to gather information. Instead, they rely on user interaction and submissions to add content to the database. Also known as a Directory or Search Directory. |
Web Hosting
The provision of space on servers for the storage of websites and connectivity to the Internet, so that the site can be viewed by others. This service is usually offered by ISPs or Web Hosting specialists. |
Yahoo!
Yahoo! was founded in 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo, Electrical Engineering graduate students at Stanford University, and was incorporated in 1995. Yahoo! Inc. is an American public corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, that provides Internet services worldwide. The company is perhaps best known for its Web Portal, Search Engine, Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, news, and social media websites and services. In January 2009 the company had over 13,000 employees. |
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