Marketing terms explained in plain English.

Finding you online

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The work of helping your website appear higher in search results such as Google, so more people find you without paying for ads.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

Writing and organising your content so search tools can pick it as the direct answer to a question, for example in a featured snippet or a voice assistant reply.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

Making your business easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to find, understand and mention when people ask them questions.

Keyword

A word or phrase people type into a search box, such as "dent repair near me".

Indexing

When a search engine adds your page to its list of pages it can show. A page that is not indexed cannot appear in search results.

Organic traffic

Visitors who find your website through unpaid search results.

Structured data (schema)

Hidden labels in a web page that tell search engines and AI tools what the page is about, such as a business address or a list of questions and answers.

Reading the numbers

Impression

One time your page or ad is shown to someone.

Click-through rate (CTR)

The share of people who clicked after seeing your page or ad. If 100 people see it and 3 click, the click-through rate is 3%.

Average position

Where your page typically appears in search results. Position 1 is the top, and positions 11 to 20 are usually on the second page.

Conversion

A valuable action a visitor takes, such as sending a form, calling you or booking a meeting.

Conversion rate

The share of visitors who convert. If 200 people visit and 10 send a form, the conversion rate is 5%.

Advertising

Cost per click (CPC)

What you pay each time someone clicks your ad.

Cost per conversion

Your total ad spend divided by the number of conversions. It tells you what each enquiry or sale costs you.

Landing page

The page a person arrives on after clicking an ad or link, built to get them to take one action.

Funnel

The steps a person goes through from first seeing your business to becoming a customer.

Performance marketing

Paid advertising that is measured by results, such as leads or sales, instead of views.

Tools and ways of working

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Software that keeps your customers, enquiries and follow-ups in one place so nothing is forgotten.

Automation

Setting software to do routine tasks for you, such as sending a reply or reminding you to follow up.

AI assistant or chatbot

A program that answers questions in everyday language, on a website, in WhatsApp or on the phone.

White-label

Work done by one company and delivered under another company's brand name.