Glossary

Digital marketing glossary

Clear definitions of the digital marketing terms that matter for your business, from Social Influence.

A/B Testing
An experimentation method that compares two versions of a web page, email, or ad to determine which one performs better. Visitors are randomly split between the two variants and results are measured statistically. Google Ads →
Call to Action (CTA)
A visual or text element that prompts a visitor to take a specific action: sign up, buy, request a quote, call, etc. An effective CTA uses an action verb and creates a sense of urgency or value. Web Design →
SEO Audit
A comprehensive analysis of a website to identify technical issues, content gaps, and optimization opportunities that affect its ranking in search engines. An SEO audit covers site structure, page speed, meta tags, internal links, and the backlink profile. SEO Montreal →
Marketing Automation
The use of software and intelligent workflows to automatically execute repetitive marketing tasks: sending emails, qualifying leads, posting on social media, tracking leads, and personalizing content. Automation saves time while improving campaign efficiency and consistency. Marketing Automation →
Title Tag
An HTML element (<title>) that defines the title of a web page as it appears in Google search results and in the browser tab. An optimized title tag contains the primary keyword, is between 50 and 60 characters, and encourages clicks. SEO Montreal →
Branding (Brand Identity)
The set of visual, textual, and emotional elements that define a company's identity: logo, colors, typography, tone of voice, values, and positioning. Strong branding helps differentiate from competitors and build a lasting connection with customers. Web Design →
CMS (Content Management System)
Software that allows you to create, edit, and manage website content without programming knowledge. WordPress is the world's most popular CMS, used by more than 40% of websites. A CMS makes it easy to update content, manage pages, and add features via plugins. Web Design →
Duplicate Content
Content that is identical or very similar appearing on multiple URLs, whether on the same site or on different sites. Duplicate content can harm SEO by diluting page authority and creating confusion for search engines about which version to index. SEO Montreal →
Conversion
A desired action a visitor takes on a website: purchase, newsletter sign-up, quote request, document download, phone call, etc. The conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors who complete this action relative to the total number of visitors. Google Ads →
Core Web Vitals
A set of three key metrics defined by Google to measure the user experience of a web page: LCP (loading time of the largest visible element), INP (responsiveness to interactions), and CLS (visual stability). These metrics are an official Google ranking factor. SEO Montreal →
CPC (Cost Per Click)
An advertising pricing model where the advertiser pays only when a user clicks on their ad. CPC varies depending on keyword competitiveness, ad quality, and industry. It is the model used by Google Ads and often by Facebook Ads. Google Ads →
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A software system that centralizes all interactions with customers and prospects: contact details, communication history, stage in the buying journey, notes, and upcoming actions. A well-used CRM improves sales follow-up, customer retention, and communication personalization. Marketing Automation →
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The ratio between the number of clicks on a link or ad and the number of times it was displayed (impressions). A high CTR indicates that your headline, description, or ad is relevant and appealing to your target audience. In SEO, an above-average CTR can improve your ranking. Google Ads →
E-Commerce (Electronic Commerce)
The buying and selling of products or services online. E-commerce encompasses online stores, marketplaces, digital subscriptions, and paid services. An effective e-commerce strategy combines an optimized website, targeted digital marketing, and a seamless shopping experience. E-Commerce Marketing →
Conversion Funnel
A model representing the successive stages a prospect moves through before becoming a customer: awareness, interest, consideration, decision, and action. Each stage requires tailored content and marketing strategy to guide the prospect toward conversion. Marketing Automation →
Facebook Ads
Meta's advertising platform that allows targeted ads to be delivered on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Ads offers advanced targeting options based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and lookalike audiences. Ideal for brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation. Facebook & Instagram Ads →
Workflow
An automated sequence of actions triggered by a specific event. For example: a new prospect fills out a form, a welcome email is sent, after 3 days with no reply a follow-up email is triggered, then a notification goes to the sales team. Workflows eliminate manual tasks and ensure consistent follow-up. Marketing Automation →
Google Business Profile
A free Google tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence in Google Search and Google Maps. An optimized profile displays contact details, hours, photos, customer reviews, and lets you post updates. Essential for local SEO and visibility in Google's "local pack." SEO Montreal →
AI Marketing (Artificial Intelligence)
The application of artificial intelligence to marketing strategies: predictive analytics, content personalization, intelligent chatbots, automatic optimization of ad campaigns, and advanced audience segmentation. AI makes it possible to process large volumes of data to make faster, more informed marketing decisions. AI Integrations →
Inbound Marketing
A marketing strategy that attracts potential customers to your business through valuable content, rather than reaching out to them directly. Inbound marketing rests on four pillars: attract (SEO, blog), convert (forms, CTA), close (CRM, automation), and delight (emails, customer service). SEO Montreal →
Indexing
The process by which search engines discover, analyze, and store web pages in their database. An indexed page can appear in search results. Indexing issues (blocked pages, 404 errors, duplicate content) prevent organic search ranking. SEO Montreal →
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A measurable metric used to evaluate the success of a marketing action against a defined objective. Examples of KPIs: conversion rate, cost per acquisition, return on ad spend (ROAS), organic traffic, number of qualified leads. KPIs guide strategic decisions.
Landing Page
A web page specifically designed to receive traffic from a marketing campaign (ads, email, social media) and convert visitors into leads or customers. An effective landing page has a single objective, a clear message, a short form, and a compelling call to action. Web Design →
Lead (Prospect)
A person or company that has expressed interest in your products or services by providing their contact information. A lead can come from a web form, a phone call, a social media message, or an in-person interaction. The quality and quantity of leads are key indicators of marketing success. Google Ads →
Lead Scoring
A scoring system that assigns a score to each prospect based on predefined criteria: online behavior (pages visited, emails opened), demographics (industry, company size), and level of engagement. Lead scoring helps prioritize the prospects most likely to convert. Marketing Automation →
Long-Tail Keywords
An SEO strategy that targets longer, more specific keywords (3 or more words) rather than highly competitive generic terms. Long-tail keywords generally have lower search volume but a higher conversion rate. Example: "digital marketing agency SMB Montreal" vs. "marketing." SEO Montreal →
Content Marketing
A strategy that involves creating and distributing valuable content (blog articles, videos, infographics, guides) to attract and retain a target audience. Content marketing aims to educate, inform, or entertain rather than sell directly, which builds brand trust and authority. Our Blog →
Digital Marketing
The full set of marketing strategies and tactics that use digital channels: search engines, social media, email, websites, mobile apps, and online advertising. Digital marketing differs from traditional marketing in its ability to precisely measure results and target audiences with accuracy. Our Services →
Meta Description
An HTML tag that provides a 150 to 160 character summary of a web page's content. The meta description appears below the title in Google search results and influences the click-through rate (CTR). While not a direct ranking factor, a compelling meta description increases organic traffic. SEO Montreal →
Keyword
A term or phrase that internet users type into a search engine to find information, products, or services. Identifying and strategically using the right keywords is at the core of SEO and paid search marketing (Google Ads). SEO Montreal →
Lead Nurturing
The process of guiding prospects throughout their buying journey through personalized, automated communications. Nurturing uses emails, targeted content, and social media interactions to maintain prospect interest until they are ready to buy. Marketing Automation →
Customer Journey
The full set of steps and touchpoints a customer goes through from becoming aware of a need to making a purchase and beyond. Understanding the customer journey allows you to optimize every interaction and deliver the right message at the right time on the right channel. Marketing Automation →
Persona (Buyer Persona)
A semi-fictional portrait of your ideal customer based on real data and informed assumptions. A persona includes demographic information, motivations, challenges, media consumption habits, and decision criteria. Personas guide content creation and ad targeting.
Facebook Pixel (Meta Pixel)
A JavaScript code snippet installed on a website that tracks the actions of visitors coming from Facebook and Instagram. The pixel collects conversion data, optimizes ad campaigns, creates retargeting audiences, and measures the return on investment of Meta ads. Facebook & Instagram Ads →
Quality Score
A score from 1 to 10 assigned by Google Ads to each keyword, based on three factors: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page quality. A high Quality Score reduces cost per click and improves ad position. Google Ads Montreal →
Remarketing (Retargeting)
An advertising strategy that targets people who have already visited your website or interacted with your content. Remarketing shows personalized ads to these visitors on other websites, on social media, or in search results, increasing the chances of conversion. Google Ads Montreal →
Responsive Design
A web design approach that ensures optimal display of a site across all devices and screen sizes: desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. Responsive design has been a Google ranking factor since the mobile-first index and is essential for user experience. Web Design →
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
A metric that measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. Formula: ROAS = Ad Revenue divided by Ad Spend. A ROAS of 4x means every dollar invested in advertising generates 4 dollars in revenue. ROAS is the primary indicator for evaluating the profitability of paid campaigns. Google Ads Montreal →
ROI (Return on Investment)
A measure of the profitability of a marketing investment. Formula: ROI = (Revenue minus Costs) divided by Costs, multiplied by 100. A positive ROI indicates that the marketing strategy is profitable. ROI accounts for all costs (advertising, tools, human resources), unlike ROAS which only measures ad spend. Our Results →
Segmentation
The division of an audience or customer database into homogeneous groups based on specific criteria: demographic, geographic, behavioral, or psychographic. Segmentation allows marketing messages to be personalized and improves the relevance of campaigns for each target group. Marketing Automation →
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
A set of techniques aimed at improving a website's visibility in the organic (unpaid) results of search engines. SEO has three pillars: technical optimization (speed, structure), content optimization (keywords, quality), and authority (backlinks, domain authority). SEO Montreal →
Local SEO
Search engine optimization for queries with local intent. Local SEO aims to position a business in Google's "local pack" (the 3 results with a map) and in Google Maps. It relies on optimizing the Google Business Profile, customer reviews, local citations, and geo-targeted content. SEO Montreal →
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query. The SERP includes organic results, paid ads, featured snippets, local results (local pack), images, videos, and other elements. The goal of SEO is to appear in the top organic results of the SERP. SEO Montreal →
Conversion Rate
The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action (purchase, sign-up, quote request) relative to the total number of visitors. Formula: Conversion Rate = (Number of Conversions divided by Number of Visitors) multiplied by 100. It is a key indicator for measuring the effectiveness of a website or marketing campaign. Our Results →
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page, with no interaction. A high bounce rate may indicate that the content does not match the visitor's expectations, that the page loads too slowly, or that the design is not engaging. Web Design →
UX (User Experience)
The overall quality of the experience a user has when interacting with a website or application. UX encompasses ease of navigation, content clarity, page load speed, accessibility, and overall satisfaction. Good UX increases conversions and reduces bounce rate. Web Design →
WordPress
The world's most popular open-source content management system (CMS), used by more than 40% of websites. WordPress offers great flexibility through its themes and plugins, an active community, and an intuitive interface. It is suited for brochure sites, blogs, e-commerce stores, and web applications. Web Design →