A/B Testing

The process of testing two variables against each other to determine the highest-performing outcome. This testing could include website design & copy, email subject lines, ad creative, and more.

Ad Fraud

Ads that are sold with no actual intention of being viewed by humans. Instead, they are served to robots, causing fraudulent ad rates and charges.

Ad Inventory

The number of ads a publisher has available for purchase by an advertiser (in both traditional and digital formats). Ad inventory is commonly calculated by the month.

Ad Network

A company that manages ad buying for publishers and advertisers in
aggregate online.

Ad Server

Ad servers place and monitor digital ads on the web automatically.

AdWords

Google's Search Advertising Product. AdWords ads appear in search
results on the top and right-hand side based on search term keywords. Placement and price are determined by an instant auction that occurs after every Google search.

Agency Trading Desk

Internal ad buying, management, and reporting platforms for digital
advertising agencies.

Attribution

The combination of customer events, touches, interactions that result in
conversion.

Audience Extension

Technology that allows advertisers to reach a publisher's audience on

other properties as they browse the web.

Behavioral Targeting

The practice of targeting customers based on their behavior, or,
specifically, the websites they visit and how they interact with them.

Cookie

A piece of code linked to each individual browser that tracks user data. Cookies can be used to retarget or serve ads based on behavioral data.

Cost Per Action or Acquisition (CPA)

Advertising performance indicator: Cost per action OR Cost per
acquisition.

Cost Per Click (CPC)

Advertising performance indicator: Cost per click or Cost per conversion
(also known as PPC - Pay per click)

Cost Per Engagement (CPE)

Advertising performance indicator. Cost over engagement.

CPM

Advertising performance indicator: Cost per every thousand qualifying
impressions. For example, if an ad ran at $20 CPM, each ad would cost the
advertiser $0.02 to run.

Call to Action (CTA)

Call to Action used to prompt a user to take an action on an ad,
website, email, or other marketing message. For example, an ad could include a CTA that says, "Sign Up Now!"

Click-through-rate (CTR)

Advertising performance indicator. Number of clicks over impressions.

Data Management Platform (DMP)

DMPs house detailed user information, including cookies, to inform audience segmentation and targeting across ad buying platforms of all kinds.

Deal ID

Advertisers access a publisher's inventory with the Deal ID, a piece of code that includes the details of the agreement between advertiser and publisher to automatically allow inventory to be purchased under those terms.

Demand Side Platform (DSP)

DSPs allows advertisers to purchase and place ads on an automated (and
often real-time) basis.

DoubleClick Ad Exchange

Google's exchange for advertisers to purchase ads across the Google
Display Network.

Facebook Atlas

Facebook's newer ad exchange that tracks users across devices and is better poised for the future of adtech. Its system is based on ID management and is supported by Instagram as well.

Facebook Exchange (FBX)

Facebook's original ad exchange; desktop-focused and powered by cookies.

First-Party Data

Data that an advertiser has collected first-hand.

Geotargeting

Location-based advertising; targeting a user based on their location.

Google Display Network

A network of over one million online properties (sites, apps, videos, etc.) where ads can appear if purchased through Google.

Hashing

The method through which private data sets are combined without compromising secure data.

Influencer Marketing

The practice of partnering with well-known industry leaders to reach a
new audience or cross-promote content.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

Metric used to calculate the success of a goal, campaign, or ad.

Last Interaction (or Click) Attribution

100% of the conversion credit is given to the last touch a customer had
with your brand before converting.

Lifetime Value/Customer Lifetime Value (LTV/CLTV)

Net profit for the entire length of relationship with a customer. This metric
is often used to calculate the ROI of customer acquisition costs.

Marketing Automation

Technologies that help marketing teams automate marketing strategies
online including email, social media, websites, and more, and increase
efficiency in reaching and categorizing leads.

Marketing Technology Stack

Group of marketing technologies that work together to create a single,
actionable view of your marketing data (these can include a CRM, CMS,
automation system, analytics and more).

Monthly Active Users (MAU)

The number of users that actively use a site or an app each month.

Multi-Touch Attribution

This attribution model gives credit for each conversion to activities
across the customer journey instead of first or last touch.

Multivariate Testing

The process of testing more than two variables against each other to determine the highest-performing outcome. This testing could include ad creative, copy, and audience segment, for example.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

Digital advertising model where advertisers pay publishers based on the
clicks their ads receive (also known as CPC - Cost per click).

Pixel

Code that deciphers which cookies have previously been activated on a browser.

Real-Time Marketing/Newsroom Marketing

Publishing content or marketing messaging in real-time as a reaction to current news events or trends.

Real-Time Bidding (RTB)

Ad bidding and purchasing made through DSPs and completed in real time.

Retargeting/Remarketing

Tracking users and serving them ads across the internet based on their previous behavior and expressions of intent.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Conducting keyword research, paid advertising, and organic SEO in order
to appear higher in search results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Optimizing a website's content and structure in order to appear higher
in search results (organically).

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

The page on which search results are displayed. Marketers often vie for a top spot on a SERP.

Single Source Attribution

Attributing a conversion or action to one event or action.

Supply Side Platform (SSP)

Automated software for publishers to sell ad time or space to marketers and agencies.

Third-Party Data

Data that an advertiser obtains from an outside source, such as a purchased email list.

View-through Rate (VTR)

The number of completed video views over the number of total impressions.