Jargon-Busting Marketing Glossary Part 2: N-Z
In part two of our marketing glossary, we round up and define the most common marketing terms from N-Z. Click here to catch up on part one.
N
Nofollow Link
A nofollow tag informs search engine crawlers not to pass authority to another webpage. In practice, this means that a nofollow tag prevents search engines from counting a link to another page as a “vote” in favour of that content.
Nofollow tags help to prevent association with spammy websites and it stops search engines from thinking that you may be involved in black hat link-building schemes. Check out this useful blog post for more information on nofollow links.
O
On-Page Optimisation
Is a form of SEO that focuses on a webpage and its HTML elements. On-page optimisation ensures that essential components of the page, like the URL, content title and image tags, include the selected keyword to help the page rank for that phrase.
Off-Page Optimisation
Off-page optimisation is a long term SEO strategy that helps to improve your website’s rankings on the search engine results pages (for more information scroll down to ‘S’). Off-page optimisation uses factors like backlinks, social media and content marketing to boost search rankings.
P
PPC
PPC is the abbreviation for pay-per-click advertising. PPC refers to a type of online marketing in which businesses pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.
As you would expect, the major search engines like Google and Bing are popular PPC advertising channels. In addition to the large social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to run a successful PPC campaign, click here.
Q:
QR Code
You might be surprised to learn that QR codes have been around for a lot longer than the Government’s track and trace system. Throughout last summer, we all became familiar with the practice of scanning a matrix barcode to reveal our locations.
But in truth, businesses have been using QR codes to engage with their customers for a long time. Thanks to the speed and relative ease of using QR codes, marketers are able to efficiently share product offers, coupons and event details with their target audience.
R:
Responsive Web Design
Responsive web design describes the process of developing a website that automatically adapts to the device it’s being used on. Rather than having to build a separate site for each specific device (desktop, tablet, mobile etc), responsive design ensures that your website is optimised to fit any screen dimension.
Return On Investment
When it comes to measuring the success of your marketing efforts, return on investment (ROI), is arguably the most important KPI that you need to track. ROI measures the efficiency and profitability of an investment and is often displayed as a percentage.
S:
SaaS
SaaS, also known as software-as-a-service, is a type of software which is accessed online using a subscription. With a SaaS application, the days of installing software by a CD or floppy disk are long gone. Instead, you can simply log in to your online account and you’re good to go.
For further peace of mind, SaaS apps safely store all of your personal details in the cloud. Popular platforms like Zoho, Notion and Canva are all examples of SaaS tools.
SEO
Is one of the most important marketing strategies available. SEO is the abbreviation for search engine optimisation which refers to the tactics used to improve where a webpage appears in search engine results.
As mentioned above in section ‘O’, both on-page and off-page SEO factors influence where your website appears in organic search engine results.
Unfortunately, with SEO there is “no one size fits all” approach that you can adopt. Instead, you can choose from a wide range of techniques to incrementally improve your site’s rankings. This includes title tags, keywords, inbound links and image tags.
T:
Target Audience
Your target audience is the individuals or businesses who are most likely to be interested in your products and services.
TikTok
TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms available. At first glance, TikTok is a fun video-sharing app that allows users to shoot and post short video clips with funny filters and memorable music.
For businesses, TikTok presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase your brand personality and grow awareness.
Tone Of Voice
Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s not what you said, it’s how you said it”? This simple saying effectively describes how tone of voice can influence the perception of your business.
Tone of voice personifies your brand and describes how others view your business. But it goes far beyond your company newsletter or the way you answer the phone. In fact, tone of voice is shaped by all variations of written and verbal communications, including website copy, social media posts, product brochures, pitch presentations and more.
Traffic
Marketers use the term traffic to describe the number of visits a website receives. It’s a useful KPI that helps to measure basic website performance. To find out your website traffic, head over to Google Analytics and click the acquisition tab.
U:
URL
URLs describe the location of your online content. Typically, URLs contain your website domain name, along with detailed information to create a complete web address. For best practice, ensure that your site’s URLs accurately describe the page they’re referring to - for example, www.applieddigital.co.uk/contact-us.
User Interface
User interface, abbreviated to UI, refers to the controls individuals use when interacting with a website or app - examples include buttons, gesture controls and speech recognition. An intuitive UI delivers a user-friendly experience that allows visitors to seamlessly navigate your site.
User Experience
User experience, also known as UX, is a key aspect of web design. As its name suggests, UX describes the experience that your website visitors receive when interacting with your site.
V:
Vlog
Vlogs are a type of blog that is primarily video content. Most commonly, vlog content is uploaded directly to a streaming platform - like YouTube or Twitch - or embedded within a traditional text-based blog post.
W:
Word Of Mouth
Word of mouth is a type of referral marketing and quite literally describes the process of passing information from one person to another.
Word of mouth is a powerful marketing technique which sees customers become advocates for your brand as they recommend your products and services to family, friends and colleagues.
X:
XML Sitemap
Is a file of code that lists the relevant URLs in your website structure. A sitemap lists all of your important pages which enables search engines to easily find and crawl your site.
Y:
YouTube
YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing service. Users can create their own profile, upload content, watch, like and share videos.
Z:
Zero Moment Of Truth
Zero moment of truth (ZMOT) refers to the discovery and awareness stage of the buying process. In practice, ZMOT describes the process of your customers researching your products or services before buying from you.
And that brings our two-part glossary series to an end! Whether you're new to the industry or just wanted to brush up on your knowledge, we hope that you found this series useful.
Have any other terms that you’d like us to cover off? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram.