Online marketing, like any specialization, has its own language. There are terms, acronyms and phrases that may confuse those new to the industry. With the world becoming digitally focused and more and more people finding their information online, it’s important for business owners and consumers alike to understand more about online marketing. With this blog post, we hope to give a brief definition of some common terms related to online marketing in hopes of providing some basic knowledge and understanding of this increasingly popular topic.
Search Engines – these are the places you go to search the World Wide Web. The largest and most common search engines include Google, Yahoo and Bing.
Search Results include the following:
- Local – shows businesses and websites within a specific (local) geographic area. These are usually listed with a map.
- Organic – nonpaid listings by search engines. Where a site is listed in the organic rankings depends on many factors and varies by each search engine.
- Paid – listings that search engines sell to advertisers. These listings will typically have “Ad” written next to the website, and most of them follow a Pay-Per-Click cost structure.
Algorithm –the formula search engines use to determine their organic rankings. These can be very complicated and are often updated/changed based on what the search engine feels is important. Search engines closely guard their algorithms as trade secrets.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – the process of preparing your website to be found by search engines. This onsite optimization includes many aspects from the content on your site, links to and from your site, website structure and more. SEO is ever-changing based on the search engines and the factors they use for ranking.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – all forms of marketing involving search engines to help a website rank better and be found online. This can include organic search as well as paid search.
Social Media Marketing (SMM) – getting your business presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, among others. This allows you to be more personable with customers and gain more presence online.
Online Reputation Management (ORM) – managing your business or individual image online. This involves developing a plan for a positive image, monitoring conversations and reviews, dealing with negative reviews or online complaints, and building positive reviews. It can also involve working to move negative content down in search engine rankings.
Landing Page – the first page someone goes to on your site. Landing pages can be created to go with an online advertisement or for specific key terms and/or locations. It provides the exact information someone is looking for in their search while also allowing them to get additional information from your website.
Blog – what you are reading! A blog is basically an online journal on your website. It allows you to share information, news and tips with your readers in order to build credibility for your business and also provide relevant information.
These are just a handful of the many terms used for online marketing. We will try to cover more terms in future blog posts, so stay tuned for that! If you have questions or would like to have our professional team help your business online by using SEM, SEO, SMM and other practices listed above, feel free to Contact Us.
