A/B-Test
A comparison of two variants (A vs. B) under real conditions to find the more effective one. It makes optimization measurable instead of a matter of opinion.
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Glossary Marketing terms,
Marketing terms,
explained to the point.
ROAS, CPA, GEO, attribution: the key acronyms and metrics from performance marketing, SEO and eCommerce – short, correct and without buzzwords.
102 terms
Ad Fatigue
An ad's loss of impact because the audience has seen it too often (high frequency). The remedies are fresh creatives and audience rotation.
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Ad Rank
The value that decides a Google ad's position and whether it shows. It results from bid, Quality Score and the expected impact of ad extensions.
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AOV Average Order Value
Average order value: revenue divided by number of orders. A higher AOV (e.g. via bundles) directly improves ad efficiency.
Metrics & Finance
Attribution
Assigning a conversion to the channels and touchpoints involved. The model (first/last click, data-driven) decides which channel gets credit for the success.
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Backlink
A link from another website to yours. It counts as an endorsement and is one of the strongest ranking factors – quality beats quantity.
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Bidding
Bid management in ad auctions. Modern strategies are mostly algorithmic (smart bidding), automatically optimizing toward a target CPA or target ROAS.
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Blended ROAS
Total revenue divided by total ad spend across all channels – without platform attribution. An honest overall view, closely related to MER.
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Bounce Rate Absprungrate
The share of visits where users leave without interaction. It must be read in context – a high rate can, but need not, signal a problem.
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CAC Customer Acquisition Cost
The total cost of winning one new customer, including ads, tools and staff. Ideally compared against CLV.
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Canonical Canonical Tag
An HTML hint that marks the authoritative version among several similar URLs. It prevents duplicate content and consolidates ranking signals.
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CDP Customer Data Platform
A system that unifies customer data from all sources into a single profile. The basis for precise targeting, personalization and first-party strategies.
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Churn Abwanderungsrate
The share of customers who leave within a period. The counterpart to retention; every percentage point less churn noticeably raises customer value (CLV).
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CLV Customer Lifetime Value
The profit a customer generates over the entire relationship. It defines how much acquisition (CAC) may cost. Also CLTV or LTV.
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Consent Mode
Google's mechanism that ties tag behavior to cookie consent. Without consent, only anonymous, modeled signals are collected (GDPR-compliant).
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Conversion
Any desired, measurable user action – purchase, lead, call, signup. The core unit of success against which campaigns and pages are measured and optimized.
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Conversion Rate CVR / CR
The share of visitors who complete a desired action (purchase, lead). Conversions divided by visits. Small gains compound across the whole funnel.
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Conversion Window
The time window after a click or view in which a conversion is still credited to a campaign. It influences how 'well' a platform reports on itself.
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Core Web Vitals
Google's performance metrics for user experience: LCP (load), INP (responsiveness) and CLS (visual stability). They count as a ranking signal.
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CPA Cost per Acquisition
Cost per conversion (purchase, lead, signup). Ad spend divided by the number of conversions. A core control metric in performance marketing.
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CPC Cost per Click
Cost per click on an ad. On Google Ads and Meta it is set via auction; it drops with higher ad relevance.
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CPL Cost per Lead
Cost per generated inquiry (lead). The key efficiency metric in lead generation, e.g. for B2B, services and care.
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CPM Cost per Mille
Cost per 1,000 impressions. The standard pricing for reach and branding campaigns where visibility matters more than clicks.
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Crawling
The automatic fetching of web pages by search engine bots. A prerequisite for a page to be indexed and ranked at all.
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CRM Customer Relationship Management
The system and strategy for managing customer relationships across all touchpoints. The basis for segmentation, automation and predictable repeat purchases.
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CRO Conversion Rate Optimization
The systematic optimization of turning existing visitors into more conversions – via A/B testing, UX and funnel analysis. It lifts revenue without more ad budget.
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Cross-Selling
Selling complementary products alongside the main purchase ('frequently bought together'). It raises cart value and customer value without extra acquisition cost.
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CTR Click-Through Rate
Click-through rate: clicks divided by impressions, as a percentage. An indicator of ad or snippet relevance – a high CTR often lowers click costs.
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Customer Journey
A customer's entire path from first contact to purchase and beyond. Rarely linear – modern marketing thinks in touchpoints, not channels.
Fundamentals
Deckungsbeitrag Contribution Margin
Revenue minus variable costs (goods, shipping, fees). The amount left to cover fixed costs and advertising – the honest basis for every budget decision.
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Deliverability Zustellbarkeit
The ability to land in the inbox instead of spam. It depends on sender reputation, authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) and list hygiene.
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Domain Authority
A third-party score (e.g. by Moz) estimating a domain's strength. Not an official Google factor, but a useful comparative value for backlink profiles.
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Double Opt-in
A signup process that verifies the email via a confirmation link. Legally sound (GDPR) and good for deliverability and list quality.
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DPA Dynamic Product Ads
Ads that automatically pull the right product from a feed for each user. The backbone of eCommerce retargeting on Meta and Google.
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E-E-A-T Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust
Google's quality framework for evaluating content: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust. Especially relevant for YMYL topics (money/health).
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Featured Snippet
A highlighted answer box at the very top of Google's results (position zero). It delivers maximum visibility and is a key goal of GEO and FAQ content.
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First-Party Data
Data a company collects directly from its users (purchases, emails, behavior). The most valuable, privacy-compliant raw material for targeting and personalization.
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Flow E-Mail-Flow / Automation
An automated email or SMS sequence triggered by behavior (e.g. welcome, cart abandonment). In tools like Klaviyo it often drives the largest share of revenue.
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Frequency
The average number of times a user sees a campaign. Too high a frequency leads to ad fatigue and declining impact.
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Funnel
A model of the customer journey from awareness to purchase, often split into TOFU/MOFU/BOFU (top/middle/bottom). It shows where prospects drop off.
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GA4 Google Analytics 4
The current version of Google Analytics, event-based and cross-platform. The standard tool for web and app analytics, focused on privacy and modeling.
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GEO Generative Engine Optimization
Optimization for AI search systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. The goal: to appear as a cited source in generated answers.
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GMV Gross Merchandise Value
The total gross value of all sales in a period, before deductions like returns and fees. A scale metric that alone says nothing about profitability.
Metrics & Finance
GTM Google Tag Manager
A tool for managing tracking tags centrally without code changes. It enables a clean, maintainable tracking setup and server-side configuration.
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hreflang
An HTML attribute that tells Google a page's language and region version. It ensures users are served the correct language variant.
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Impression
A single display of an ad or search result. It counts views, not users – the basis for reach and CPM calculations.
Fundamentals
Impression Share
The share of impressions received out of all that were available. It shows how much market potential is still untapped due to budget or ad rank.
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Incrementality Inkrementalität
The real incremental revenue an activity creates, compared to what would have happened anyway. Measured via holdout tests, it is more honest than click attribution.
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Indexierung Indexing
Adding a page to the search index. Only indexed pages can appear in results – controlled via robots, noindex and the sitemap.
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ITP Intelligent Tracking Prevention
Apple's protection mechanism in Safari that heavily restricts third-party cookies. The main reason for the shift to server-side and first-party tracking.
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Keyword
A search term a page aims to rank for. Long-tail keywords (longer, more specific) have lower volume but higher purchase intent and less competition.
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Kohorte Cohort
A group of users sharing a start point (e.g. first purchase in January). Cohort analysis shows how repeat purchase and value develop over time.
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KPI Key Performance Indicator
A measurable metric used to judge the success of an activity (e.g. ROAS, CPL, conversion rate). Good KPIs are unambiguous, actionable and tied to a business goal.
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Last-Click Last-Click Attribution
An attribution model that credits the entire conversion to the last click before it. Simple, but it underrates early touchpoints like SEO and awareness.
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Lead
A qualified prospect who left contact details. From raw lead to MQL/SQL: the more qualified, the closer to a deal.
Fundamentals
Lead Magnet
Free value (guide, checklist, discount) in exchange for contact details. It fills the upper funnel with qualified, consent-based leads.
Email & CRM
Lookalike Audience
An audience generated by Meta and others that statistically resembles an existing customer list. It scales winning audiences to new, similar users.
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Marketing Automation
Automated, behavior-based messaging across email, SMS and push. It delivers relevant messages at the right moment – without manual effort per contact.
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Match Types Broad / Phrase / Exact
Keyword options in Google Ads that control how closely a query must match a keyword. They set the balance between reach and wasted spend.
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MER Marketing Efficiency Ratio
Total revenue divided by total ad spend across all channels (blended). It shows real efficiency, independent of attribution disputes between platforms.
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Micro-Conversion
A small step on the way to purchase (e.g. newsletter, add-to-cart, configurator). It helps spot funnel leaks early and optimize campaigns more effectively.
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MMM Marketing Mix Modeling
A statistical method that estimates each channel's revenue contribution from aggregated data – without individual tracking. It is gaining importance as cookies disappear.
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MQL / SQL Marketing/Sales Qualified Lead
An MQL meets marketing's criteria as promising; an SQL is confirmed by sales as ready to buy. Clean lead scoring saves sales time.
Fundamentals
Negative Keywords
Exclusion terms an ad should not show for. One of the most effective tools against wasted spend and expensive mis-clicks.
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North Star Metric
The single metric that best captures sustainable value for customers and the business. It aligns teams on one goal instead of vanity metrics.
Fundamentals
Offpage-SEO
Measures outside your own site, primarily building high-quality backlinks and mentions. It strengthens a domain's authority and trust.
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Omnichannel
Seamless, consistent engagement across all channels and devices. The customer experiences one brand, not separate silos.
Fundamentals
Onpage-SEO
Optimization directly on your own site: content, structure, title and meta, internal linking, load time. Everything you control yourself.
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Open Rate Öffnungsrate
The share of recipients who open an email. An indicator of subject line and sender reputation – though less precise today due to Apple Mail Privacy.
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Owned / Earned / Paid Media
The three media types: owned (website, list), earned (mentions, PR) and paid (ads). A strong system uses all three in concert.
Fundamentals
Payback Period
The time it takes for a new customer to earn back their acquisition cost (CAC). Shorter payback enables faster, more capital-efficient growth.
Metrics & Finance
PDP / PLP Product / Product List Page
The product detail page (PDP) and category/list page (PLP) – a shop's most important conversion points. Optimizing them directly affects revenue and ad efficiency.
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Performance Marketing
Data-driven marketing that ties every activity to measurable results (revenue, leads, ROAS). Budget follows what demonstrably pays off.
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Performance Max PMax
A fully automated Google campaign type that optimizes toward one goal across every channel (Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail). Powerful with clean data, opaque without control.
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Pixel Tracking Pixel
A snippet of code (e.g. the Meta Pixel) that reports user actions to an ad platform. The basis for conversion measurement, retargeting and algorithm training.
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POAS Profit on Ad Spend
The ratio of profit (instead of revenue) to ad spend. More meaningful than ROAS because it factors in margin and costs – it optimizes for profit, not turnover.
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PPC Pay per Click
A pricing model where you pay only per click – the basic principle of search advertising (SEA) such as Google Ads.
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Product Feed Produktdatenfeed
A structured product file (title, price, image, availability) that powers Shopping and dynamic ads. Feed quality often decides campaign performance.
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Programmatic Programmatic Advertising
The automated buying and selling of ad inventory in real time via platforms (DSP/SSP). It enables precise, data-driven delivery of display and video ads.
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Quality Score
Google Ads' quality factor (1–10) from expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience. A higher score lowers CPC and improves ad position.
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Reichweite Reach
The number of unique users who saw a campaign at least once. Unlike impressions, without double-counting.
Fundamentals
Retargeting
Re-engaging users who already interacted with a site or shop. Also remarketing. Highly efficient because the audience has already shown interest.
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Retention
The ability to keep existing customers and drive repeat purchases. Cheaper than acquisition and the lever for sustainable, profitable growth.
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ROAS Return on Ad Spend
The ratio of revenue to ad spend. A ROAS of 5 means 5 € in revenue for every 1 € spent. It measures campaign efficiency but says nothing about profit.
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ROI Return on Investment
The ratio of profit to invested capital, as a percentage. It shows how profitable an investment was overall, beyond a single campaign.
Metrics & Finance
ROMI Return on Marketing Investment
ROI applied specifically to marketing spend. It relates the incremental revenue generated by marketing to the budget invested.
Metrics & Finance
SEA Search Engine Advertising
Paid ads in search engines shown above the organic results. It captures demand exactly at the moment of search intent.
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Search Intent Suchintention
The actual goal behind a query – informational, navigational or transactional. Content only ranks when it matches the intent, not just the keyword.
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Segmentierung Segmentation
Splitting contacts into groups by behavior, value or interest. It enables relevant messaging – targeted sending almost always beats mass sending.
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SEM Search Engine Marketing
An umbrella term for all search engine activities – covering both paid ads (SEA) and organic optimization (SEO).
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SEO Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization: measures to rank higher in the organic (unpaid) results of Google and others. It covers technology, content and backlinks.
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SERP Search Engine Results Page
The search results page. It contains organic results, ads, featured snippets, AI overviews and local results – the battleground for visibility.
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SERP-Snippet
A result's preview in the search results, made of title and meta description. It strongly affects click-through rate but is not a direct ranking factor.
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Server-Side Tracking
Collecting tracking data via your own server instead of only in the browser. More robust against ad blockers and ITP, with more control over data quality and privacy.
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Sitemap
A structured XML list of a site's important URLs for search engines. It speeds up the discovery and indexing of new and updated pages.
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SOV Share of Voice
A brand's share of total market presence (ads, search, mentions). A higher SOV correlates with growing market share over the long run.
Fundamentals
Structured Data Schema.org / Strukturierte Daten
Machine-readable markup (usually JSON-LD) that makes content unambiguous for search engines. The basis for rich results, FAQ snippets and better AI visibility.
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Topic Cluster Themen-Cluster
A content strategy of one central pillar page and many linked detail articles. It signals topical authority to Google and strengthens the money pages.
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Upselling
Selling a higher-value variant than originally intended. It raises the average order value (AOV) and thus ad efficiency.
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UTM Urchin Tracking Module
Parameters on a URL (e.g. utm_source) that label the source and campaign of a visit. The basis for clean campaign tracking in analytics.
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UX User Experience
The overall experience of using a website or app. Good UX (clear, fast, trustworthy) is a direct prerequisite for high conversion rates.
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Warenkorbabbruch Cart Abandonment
Abandoning a purchase after adding to cart. One of the biggest revenue leaks in eCommerce – usually driven by shipping costs, forced registration or trust.
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