AAffiliateA related site often linked to your own, to form a "partnership" in the broadest sense.
Affiliate LinkingThe provision of reciprocal links between affiliates.
AlgorithmsThe rules by which search engines rank sites.
AcquisitionThe point of acquiring a client, i.e. where a site fulfils its role. Usually a sale, but sometimes a subscription or similar will count.
Automated Spider EnginesEngines which deploy an automated programme to visit and retrieve data from your site.
BBid CappingThe technique of setting a limit for maximum bid for use by a bid-listing monitoring service, such as that offered by BMM.
Bidding EngineSearch engines that operate a bid-listing model, such as Overture of Espotting.
Bid ListingThe use of PPC models by search engines in a dynamic, real time auction for search listings. As the auction is never-ending and real time, your listings will change as the bidding level changes. Bids drop of as budgets run dry, or are cancelled, and new bids are added. This makes monitoring and changing of bids essential.
Bid-Listing MonitoringThe act of monitoring activity in bid engines in order to keep a bid listing campaign as competitive as possible.
BookmarkingThe action of marking a webpage in your browser, to make it easy to return to later. Most statistics packages will measure this a new visitor, even though a loyalty relationship has been established.
Brand InfringementThe act of using another company's brand in a non-ethical way, such as inclusion in meta tags, claiming to be that company, or making false statements about that company.
Brand IntelligenceBigmouthmedia's brand infringement detection and investigation service.
CCascading Style Sheets (CSS)Files that instruct browsers on how to format a document (which fonts to use, how links should behave etc.) Some browsers treat CSS in different ways.
ClickTerm used to describe when a user selects a link or search engine listing by pressing the mouse button while holding the pointer over the link
Client-SideWeb-coding that instructs the browser to undertake a task. Opposite to server-side
CloakingSee IP Delivery
CPACost per Acquisition
CPCCost per Click - The actual average cost incurred by the advertiser by the action of a potential customer following a link found on, for instance, a SERP.
CPMCost Per Impression (1,000 page views)
CreativesTitles and Descriptions as they are submitted to directory editors
Crawler-based search enginesEngines that use automated software to index the billions of files online.
Character setAn encoding scheme in which each character is represented by a different binary value. For example, ISO8859-1 is an extended Latin character set that supports more than 40 Western European languages.
DData gatheringThe process of building profiles of customers by collecting data by their activity. Knowing your customers better will allow you to provide better products and customer service.
Database Presence The inclusion of database driven content within a site
Design Technology Technology used in the design process
Directory CreativesText written by BMM and submitted to editors
Directory SearchA search made by clicking through directory categories without use of keywords or phrases
DomainAll devices connected to the internet are referenced by their IP address. To make using the internet easier, most will have IP addresses have names associated with them - for instance .com. a domain can have any number of sub-domains prefixed before it, to create a complete domain name
Domain Mapping The server administration required to 'point' a domain at a specific location or "IP Address"
Data processingOperations performed on data to provide useful information to users.
EE-CommerceThe processes of selling online, via a website
Editorial Search Engine Engines that rank sites using human editors and not by reading meta tags
Emergency AlertsTo signal that an event that is being monitored has occurred, for instance, by email or SMS.
FFeatured SiteThe term used by many portals and other search properties that incorporate some element of bid-listing results in their normal search results.
FlashMacromedia Flash Technology
GGeneric Keywords General terms relating to subject matter, e.g. marketing (generic) search engine optimization (specific)
Google PageRankGoogle's own system for ranking web pages
GooglebotThe agent name of Google’s search engine spider which crawls the web to create its searchable index.
HHitAn often mis-used word that refers to any file download from a website, including one hit for the HTML page, and one for each embedded file such as graphics, Flash movies, WAV files etc. Consequently, one page view can generate several hits. Often, the word hit is mis-used where the phrase "visitor session" would be more appropriate.
HTML Coding Hyper Text Markup Language is a coding Language used to make HyperText documents for use on the Web.
HyperlinkA link in a document to information within that document or another document. These links are usually represented by highlighted words or images. When a reader selects a hyperlink, the computer display switches to the document or portion of the document referenced by the hyperlink.
IIP AddressA four-byte numeral (bytes have a value between 0 and 255), which represents an exact address of an internet location, e.g. 255.0.192.47. There are almost 4,300 million unique IP addresses, however this is currently not enough for global use, and often users share IP addresses through a proxy server.
IP Delivery (Cloaking)A technique whereby false content is presented to search engine spiders in an attempt to gain ranking points. Search engine spiders are recognized by their IP Address.
ITInformation Technology
JJavaScriptA web coding language with different capabilities to HTML. Not recognized by Search Engine Spiders. Can be client-side, and sometimes server-side.
JHTMLNormal HTML that includes "server-side" JavaScript instructions.
KKeyword SearchA search made by keying a keyword, or combination of words into a search box on a search engine, directory or portal.
Key Phrases Combinations of keywords, also called "search terms"
Keyword Search Frequency Number of search requests for particular keyword
KeywordsThe actual words used to describe the site in meta tags and creatives and to find the site using "searches"
Keyword DensityThe ratio of the number of occurrences of a particular keyword or phrase to the total number of words in a page. One element of search engine optimization.
Keyword ProximityKeyword proximity measures the closeness between two keywords.
LLinksAn electronic connection between two Web sites (also called "hyper-link").
Link FarmWeb pages deliberately created to increase the number of links between sites and therefore link popularity. A dangerous technique, unpopular with the search engines.
Link PopularityA method used by search engines to determine the importance of a listed site. Based on the idea that sites with many inbound links is more credible than one without
LogarithmicA mathematical term for the ratio of values expressed by the base 10 or e. If the base is 10, the logarithm is called common. If the base is e, the logarithm is called natural.
MMessage BoardsWebsites that allow visitors to post messages, and for others to reply to them. Unlike email, all discussions take place in public, any anyone can join in. Usually, such discussions are themed by subject matter.
Meta Search EngineA search Engine that simultaneously refers to several other search properties to retrieve search results. Copernic and Vivisimo are examples.
Meta Tag HTML coding embedded in the site, to provide spiders with keyword information
NNewsletter MarketingThe process of building relationships with existing customers and gaining new ones by publishing and mass distributing an email containing features and articles of interest to them.
OObfuscationUsing IP Delivery with intent to provide excellent SEO-content to search engine spiders, and deliberately poor SEO-content to users so that any content theft by competitors results in poor search engine listings. Uses IP delivery.
PPaid LinkingThe act of paying for another site to link to your own.
Page View (Impression)One view of a web page (or banner ad) by a user.
Partner Sites (Bid Engines Terminology)Relates to bid engines. Partner sites are sites that also display some or all of the bid listing results from that bid engine.
Pay Per ClickA charging model for search engine listings based on a set charge for users clicking on that search engine listing. This model is used by Overture and Espotting in the UK, in a bidding fashion (see bid listing)
Permission Based EmailSince late 2003, to email individuals in Europe as part of a mass distribution, the express, unequivocal permission of the recipient must be obtained first, and this should form basis of an ethical, permission based campaign.
PortalsWeb sites which offer some or all of the following: search, email, news, weather, shopping
PPCSee Pay per Click
PRPublic Relations - the process of maintaining and controlling your relationship with the public and your public persona.
Proxy ServerAn internet server that allows several users to share one internet connection, reducing the number of IP addresses required. Users are assigned IP Addresses from a limited range, as and when they are required.
Parallel processingWhen an array of processors or segments of the CPU work at the same time to speed processing or multi-task.
QRRankThe position attained on the Search Engines, Directories and Searchable Portals
RebrandThe process of changing the form of an established brand and managing that change effectively to avoid losing brand recognition.
Reciprocal LinkingThe act of two sites linking to each other, for mutual benefit, and with no cost incurred by either site.
RobotsProgramme which meta search engines send out to read the metas and/or body html of a submitted site
Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP)Text file placed under e.g. www.example.com/robots.txt. Used to prevent spider trawls of private or sensitive areas and image folders/stats files etc
ROIReturn On Investment - A measure of the success of a marketing campaign in comparison to the money spent on that campaign.
SSearch EngineA website that provides a list of useful links (SERP's) in response to a text query. Many Search engines have gradually evolved from pure search engines, such as Google, into portals, such as Yahoo!
Search Engine OptimizationA crucial element of search engine marketing - the process of adapting web pages to maximize their effectiveness at matching (and occurring highly in the results pages for) common search phrases on search engines.
Search Engine Log Data Actual search engine logs, from which BMM retrieve data on search frequency of particular keywords
Search Engine Results PageThe page on which search results are displayed in response to a query submitted by the user
Search Term Evolution New words or phrases which are relevant to your industry
SEOSearch Engine Optimization - the process of maximizing search property driven traffic to a site by analytical means
SERP'sSearch engine results pages
Server-SideWeb coding that instructs a server to undertake a task. Opposite to client-side
SHTMLNormal HTML that includes "server-side" instructions
SlangThe use of alternative or colloquial phrases. In terms of SEM, slang is important to take into consideration when formulating an optimization strategy.
Spam/Spammed General term relating to practices not approved by the engines and editors
SpidersSee Robots
Style Sheet Errors Incompatibilities between Cascading Style Sheets designed for one browser, when viewed through another.
SubmissionThe act of making search engines aware of new web pages and sites. Each search engine will have it's own individual process for doing this.
ServerA process that runs on a host that relays information to a client upon the client sending it a request
TTop ListingsListings which rank in the top 30 of results
Targeted TrafficThe concept of directing traffic to a website based on the requirements of that traffic (i.e. matching user "wants" with site provisions.
Traffic IntelligenceBigmouth media's web-traffic stats analysis service.
UUnique UserOne individual user to a site. This user may visit once or return often, but will still count as one unique user.
URLUniversal Resource Locator (address e.g. http://www.google.com)
User Agent DeliverySimilar to IP Delivery, except that Search Engine Spiders are recognized by their name (user agent) rather than by their IP address. This technique is spam.
VViral MarketingA form of marketing that is self sustaining and self promoting. Usually, the core idea is so appealing that the public take on the role of 'spreading the message' themselves. In its favor is that it is incredibly effective, but control - and even 'ownership' - of the campaign is relinquished.
Visitor SessionA full and complete visit by a user to a website from start to finish of that visit. This is usually considered complete if a user is inactive for a set length of time, most commonly 30 minutes.
WWeb TrawlerSee Robots
Web CrawlingA web crawler (also known as a web spider or ant) is a program which browses the World Wide Web in a methodical, automated manner. Web crawlers are mainly used to create a copy of all the visited pages for later processing by a search engine that will index the downloaded pages to provide fast searches.
W3CWorld Wide Web Consortium, the governing body for web standards.
WebmasterThe person responsible for maintaining and updating a Web site
XXML Trusted Feed Campaign ManagementInstead of relying on spiders (robots) to create an index of your website, you can use a XML feed to take control of the process yourself by submitting a feed of your content in a particular format (XML) to participating search engines. It is particularly useful to web-sites whose content changes very quickly of cannot be accessed with conventional spidering technology.
YZ