Digital Marketing Terms Everyone Should Know

Digital Marketing Terms Everyone Should Know

Medical assistants are vital members of the healthcare team. They support doctors and nurses by performing both administrative and clinical tasks, making sure everything runs smoothly in medical offices, hospitals, and clinics.

Digital marketing is one of the most dynamic fields today, and whether you're a small business owner, an aspiring marketer, or someone curious about online promotion, understanding the key terms can make a huge difference. It helps you communicate more clearly, understand strategies, and evaluate results.

This guide covers the most common and important digital marketing terms, explained in plain English.

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO is the practice of improving your website’s visibility in search engines like Google. When someone searches for something related to your business, good SEO helps your site show up higher in the results.

Key aspects of SEO:

  • Keywords: Words people type into search engines.
  • On-page SEO: Optimizing titles, headings, images, and content.
  • Off-page SEO: Building backlinks from other websites.
  • Technical SEO: Improving website speed, mobile usability, and site structure.

2. SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

This is the page that shows up after you search something on Google. It includes organic results, paid ads, featured snippets, and more.

Understanding SERPs helps marketers identify how to appear in different spots like:

  • Top results (organic)
  • Sponsored ads
  • “People Also Ask” sections
  • Local map packs

3. PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

PPC is a form of online advertising where you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. Google Ads is the most common PPC platform.

Common PPC platforms:

  • Google Ads
  • Microsoft Ads
  • Facebook Ads
  • Instagram Ads

This model lets you control your budget and target specific audiences.

4. CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR measures how often people click your ad or link after seeing it.

Formula: CTR = (Clicks / Impressions) × 100

A high CTR usually means your headline, offer, or image is relevant and attractive.

5. Impressions

Impressions count how many times your ad or post is shown to users. It doesn't mean someone clicked or engaged — just that it was displayed on their screen.

Useful for brand awareness campaigns where visibility is the main goal.

6. Conversions

A conversion happens when someone completes a desired action, such as:

  • Signing up for a newsletter
  • Making a purchase
  • Downloading a file
  • Filling out a form

Tracking conversions helps you measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

7. Conversion Rate (CVR)

This is the percentage of users who take a desired action out of the total visitors.

Formula: Conversion Rate = (Conversions / Visitors) × 100

A higher conversion rate means your website or ad is doing a good job persuading users.

8. Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone web page created specifically for a marketing campaign. Its goal is to get users to take one specific action (like sign up or buy).

Characteristics of good landing pages:

  • Clear headline
  • Concise message
  • Strong call-to-action (CTA)
  • Minimal distractions

9. Call to Action (CTA)

A CTA is a prompt that tells users what you want them to do next.

Examples include:

  • "Sign up now"
  • "Get a quote"
  • "Download the guide"
  • "Start your trial"

Good CTAs are clear, visible, and action-oriented.

10. Bounce Rate

Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.

A high bounce rate may indicate:

  • The page didn’t match their expectations
  • Slow load times
  • Poor user experience

Lowering bounce rate usually improves conversions.

11. A/B Testing

A/B testing is when you compare two versions of something (like an ad or web page) to see which one performs better.

You might test:

  • Different headlines
  • CTA button colors
  • Images or layouts

This method helps improve performance over time using real user data.

12. Organic Traffic

Organic traffic comes from unpaid search engine results. It’s driven by SEO and content marketing.

It’s different from:

  • Paid traffic (ads)
  • Direct traffic (typing the URL directly)
  • Referral traffic (coming from other websites)

Organic traffic is valuable because it’s consistent and doesn’t require ongoing ad spending.

13. Email Marketing

Email marketing involves sending targeted messages to a list of subscribers. It’s a powerful way to build relationships, nurture leads, and drive repeat business.

Common email types:

  • Newsletters
  • Promotions
  • Abandoned cart reminders
  • Welcome series

Key terms:

  • Open rate: % of people who opened the email
  • Click rate: % of recipients who clicked a link

14. Remarketing / Retargeting

This strategy shows ads to people who’ve already interacted with your website or app. For example, someone visits your site but doesn’t buy — later they see an ad reminding them of the product.

It helps bring back potential customers who didn’t convert.