Glossary

Here you will find the description of some words and phrases that pertain to the concepts in this
course, as well as words and phrases used in the videos and readings. If you want to add
another word or expression that we missed, please suggest it in the forums. If you need to find a
description of a brand used in the videos and readings, see the Brand Descriptions page.

A
Ad fraud is concerned with theory and practice of fraudulently representing online advertisement
impressions, clicks, conversion, or data events in order to generate revenue. While ad fraud is
more generally associated with banner ads, video ads, and in-app ads, click fraud has been
associated with search marketing and conversion fraud with affiliate marketing.

Ad impression is the point at which an ad is fetched from a server to be displayed on a page.

Average page depth is a calculated metric, which is calculated as pageviews divided by

sessions.

Average session duration is a calculated metric, which is the sum of time on a page for every
pageview in the session.

B
Banner blindness is a phenomenon in web usability where visitors to a website consciously or
subconsciously ignore banner-like information, which can also be called ad blindness or banner
noise.

Basic metrics of website analytics include pageviews, sessions, users, time on page, entry, and
exit.

Big data refers to extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal
patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.

A (web) bot is a computer program that runs tasks automatically over the Internet in a way that
simulates human activity.

Business-to-business (B2B) refers to commerce transactions between businesses.

Buzz marketing refers to a viral marketing technique that use social media and other media
channels to generate a sudden surge of public attention to promote products and services.
C
Consumer privacy involves protecting sensitive personal information that consumers provide.

A conversion is a target action you wish visitors to take.

Conversion rate refers to the percentage of visitors on your site who complete a target action
that you wish visitors to take (a conversion). It is one of the most important indicators of a retail
website’s success.

Cost per acquisition (CPA), also known as “cost per action,” is an online advertising pricing
metric that measures how much an advertiser pays for a specified acquisition (e.g., a sale, click,
registration).

Cost per click (CPC), also known as “pay-per-click” (PPC), is an online advertising payment
method in which an advertiser pays for each time an ad is clicked.

Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) is an online advertising term that refers to the price of
one thousand ad impressions on one webpage.

Customer relation management (CRM) is an approach to manage a company’s interactions

with current and potential customers.

D
Data mining is the process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the
intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems.

Digital media channels, in the context of marketing, is a channel used for disseminating
information that is electronic in nature, such as the Internet, mobile networks, or social media.

Digital media content is content developed for and disseminated through digital media
channels.

Direct traffic is website traffic from visitors who directly type the website’s URL into the browser.

E
Earned media is content that is organically generated by other users and online publishers such
as product reviews, social media following and sharing, and coverage by online news outlets.
See owned media and paid media for other placement strategies.
Entrance and exit rates are calculated metrics, which are the percentage of sessions that begin
or end on a page.

An entry is the first pageview of a visit and is called the entry point, which is often not the home
page.

An exit is the last pageview of a visit, called the exit point.

E-word-of-mouth (eWoM) marketing is a form of buzz marketing that focuses on person-to-

person exchange to disseminate information.

F
Formal research is a systematic way to answer specific questions to better understand a
particular issue.

G
Granular means characterized by a higher level of detail.

H
A hit occurs any time a user accesses a page on a website (sometimes referred to as a
pageview).

I
Inbound links, also known as “back links,” are hyperlinks on other sites that bring users to your
site.

Inbound marketing is a strategy that utilizes various tools to develop content that will attract
consumers to your product or brand, rather than using strategies that invade their awareness.

Influencer marketing focuses on using influencers to promote a brand message, product, or

service to the larger market.

Informal research involves collecting market intelligence by using a variety of easily available

information from various sources. This method usually trades statistical precision for cost
effectiveness.

In-stream video ads are video ads that are placed in the video shown to the viewer.
Integrated marketing is the use of marketing strategies to optimize the communication of a
consistent message of the company’s brands to stakeholders.

Interstitial ads are full-screen ads displayed in mobile apps.

K
Key performance indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that indicates progress toward an
intended result.

L
Live streaming refers to online broadcasting of an event in real time.

M
Macro influencers are people online that have influencer potential and routinely command the
attention of millions of followers.

Many-to-many communication system refers to a system in which each person within a

system can post messages and receive messages.

Marketing automation refers to software that allows companies to automate and measure

marketing tasks and workflows.

Micro influencers are people online who have influencer potential yet garner less followers than
macro influencers. For perspective, micro influencers tend to have somewhere between 1000
and 10,000 followers.

N
Native advertising is a type of advertising, mostly online, that matches the form and function of
the platform upon which it appears. In many cases, it manifests as either an article or video
produced by an advertiser with the specific intent to promote a product, while matching the form
and style which would otherwise be seen in the work of the platform's editorial staff. The word
"native" refers to the coherence of content with other media that appear on the platform.
O
Online reputation management (ORM) is the act of reviewing what is being said about a
company or individual online so that the company or individual can engage in activities to
improve the overall public perception of a company with which they are considering doing
business online.

Online video marketing involves strategies that use video to promote a brand, product, or
service.

Overlay ads are a type of rich media advertisement that appear superimposed over the
requested website’s content.

Owned media is when you take advantage of a channel under your direct control, such as a
company’s website, blog, or social media presence. See paid media and earned media for other
placement strategies.

P
Paid media is when you pay a third party to display your message to other people. See owned
media and earned media for other placement strategies.

Pre-roll video ads are in-stream video ads that are shown before the video content.

Primary data are original data collected directly from first-hand experience.

Programmatic advertising is a strategy that allows advertisers to target particular audiences

and then purchase digital display space in real time using machines and algorithms.

Promotional marketing refers to any type of marketing communication used to inform or

persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand, or issue.

Q
Qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups typically provide nuanced insights
and in-depth knowledge.

Quantitative methods such as surveys and experiments allow researchers to precisely quantify

the magnitude, intensity, and probability of an event.

R
Reach is the quantity of people to whom an influencer is able to deliver a message.

Referral traffic is website traffic from those Internet users who clicked on a link to the site from
another site.

Return on investment (ROI) is a measure of performance used to evaluate the profit made on
an investment relative to its cost.

S
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing the visibility of a business’s
website so that it appears at the top of a search result page when a potential consumer conducts
a related search.

A search engine results page (SERP) is the web page displayed by a search engine when a
user enters a search query.

Search traffic is website traffic from users landing on your site from following the link on a
search engine results page.

Secondary data are data collected by someone other than the person using the data (e.g.,
census).

Self-identity is one’s understanding of oneself, including perceptions of one’s potential and

qualities as an individual.

Self-perception is a person’s interpretation of the meaning of their own attributes and behaviors
(i.e., your perception of self). The term is often used interchangeably with the term “self-identity.”

A session is defined as any time a user enters a website. A session may consist of one or more
pageviews.

Site bounce rate is a calculated metric, which is the percentage of all sessions that consist of
only one pageview.

Social media advertising is similar to web page advertising and search engine advertising
except that you are buying the advertising inventory on specific social media platforms instead of
from an open market or search engine.

Social media analytics is the practice of collecting data from social media websites and
evaluating those data using social media analytic tools to make decisions for your business.
Social media-based content marketing involves an organization creating and maintaining its
own informational and entertainment media content such as videos, blogs, or educational
materials, and then using social media to share and promote them.

Social media influencer is someone who carries influence over others. They include bloggers,
YouTubers and vloggers, domain experts, special talents, entrepreneurs, public figures, cultural
icons and celebrities, models, and famous athletes.

T
Time on page is the amount of time the user spends on a page before navigating to a different
page.

U
A user is someone who creates at least one session but may make multiple visits or sessions.

V
Video ads are paid advertisements that are filmed and formatted for online use.

Video content is one of the two broad categories of online marketing videos. These videos do
not contain explicit marketing messages or mention specific brands. They are made for
entertainment and information purposes. They are meant to be shared and to provide value to
the user.

Viral marketing is a marketing technique that uses social networks to encourage consumers to
spread information about a business’s brand, product, or services.