53 terms
Marketing terms, in plain English.
Agencies love jargon. Here is what the words actually mean, and why they matter for a construction business.
- A/B test
- Running two versions of an ad, page or email at the same time to see which one gets better results.
- Above the fold
- The part of a web page visible without scrolling. On a phone, this is where your phone number and main message need to be.
- Ad spend
- The money paid directly to an ad platform like Google or Facebook, separate from any management fees.
- Bounce rate
- The share of visitors who leave after viewing one page without doing anything else. High bounce rates on service pages often point to slow load times or unclear content.
- Call tracking
- Using unique phone numbers for different marketing sources so you can see which ones make the phone ring. Learn more
- Call to action (CTA)
- The specific next step you ask a visitor to take, such as “Call for a free estimate” or “Book an inspection.”
- Citation
- Any online listing of your business name, address and phone number, such as a directory, map app or trade association listing.
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- The percentage of people who click an ad or search result after seeing it.
- Close rate
- The percentage of leads or estimates that turn into signed jobs.
- Conversion
- Any action you want a visitor to take, such as calling, filling out a form or booking an appointment.
- Conversion rate
- The percentage of visitors who convert. A small improvement can be worth more than extra traffic.
- Core Web Vitals
- Google’s measurements of how fast and stable a page feels to real visitors, especially on phones.
- Cost per click (CPC)
- What you pay each time someone clicks your ad.
- Cost per job
- Total marketing cost for a source divided by the number of jobs it produced. The number that matters most.
- Cost per lead (CPL)
- Total marketing cost for a source divided by the number of leads it produced. Learn more
- CRM
- Customer relationship management software. Keeps track of leads, customers, estimates and follow-ups in one place.
- Domain
- Your web address, such as yourcompany.com. You should always own it in your own name.
- Door hanger
- A printed card left on doorknobs, usually around an active job site, to reach neighbors who can see your crew working.
- Doorway page
- One of many near-identical pages, such as one per town with only the name changed, built to rank in search rather than to help anyone. Google treats them as spam. Learn more
- Geo-targeting
- Showing ads only to people in specific areas, such as the towns you serve.
- Google Analytics (GA4)
- Google’s free tool for measuring website visitors, where they come from and what they do.
- Google Business Profile
- Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, with your hours, photos, reviews and call button. Formerly called Google My Business. Learn more
- Google Search Console
- Google’s free tool that shows which searches your website appears for, how often people click, and technical problems Google finds.
- Impressions
- The number of times your ad or listing was shown, whether or not anyone clicked.
- Keyword
- A word or phrase people type into a search engine, such as “roof replacement near me.”
- Landing page
- The page someone lands on after clicking an ad. The best ones match the ad exactly and make the next step obvious.
- Lead
- A potential customer who has contacted you or shared their information.
- Lifetime value
- The total revenue a customer brings over the whole relationship, including repeat work and referrals.
- Local pack (map pack)
- The group of businesses shown with a map near the top of local search results. Learn more
- Local SEO
- The work of improving how often and how high your business appears in local search and map results. Learn more
- Local Services Ads
- Google ads for local service businesses that appear at the top of search results and charge per lead instead of per click. Learn more
- Long-tail keyword
- A longer, more specific search, like “stamped concrete patio cost in [town].” Fewer searches, but often more ready to hire.
- Meta description
- The short summary of a page that often appears under its title in search results.
- Mobile-first
- Designing for phones first, because that is how most people find and contact local contractors.
- NAP
- Name, address, phone. Keeping these the same everywhere online helps local rankings.
- Negative keyword
- A word you tell Google not to show your ads for, like “jobs,” “DIY” or “free,” to avoid paying for useless clicks.
- Organic traffic
- Visitors who find your website through regular search results rather than ads.
- Page speed
- How quickly a page loads. Slow pages lose visitors, especially on phones.
- Pay per click (PPC)
- Advertising where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Google search ads work this way. Learn more
- Remarketing (retargeting)
- Showing ads to people who already visited your website, to stay in front of them while they decide.
- Responsive design
- A website layout that adjusts to fit any screen, from a phone to a desktop.
- Return on ad spend (ROAS)
- Revenue from ads divided by what you spent on them.
- Review gating
- Screening customers first and asking only the happy ones for a review. Google does not allow it. Ask every customer instead. Learn more
- Review velocity
- How steadily new reviews come in. A steady flow looks more trustworthy than a burst followed by silence. Learn more
- Schema markup
- Code added to a web page that tells search engines exactly what the page is about, such as your business details, services or FAQs.
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Improving your website and online presence so search engines show it more often for relevant searches.
- Service-area business
- A business that goes to its customers instead of having them visit. Google lets these businesses hide their address and show a service area.
- Service-area page
- A page on your website about your work in a specific town or area. The best ones show real local projects. Learn more
- Speed to lead
- How fast you respond to a new inquiry. Faster replies tend to win more jobs.
- Title tag
- The clickable headline of a page in search results. One of the most important on-page SEO elements.
- UTM parameters
- Tags added to a link so analytics can tell which campaign, ad or email brought a visitor.
- Web hosting
- The service that stores your website files and serves them to visitors.
- Yard sign
- A sign placed at an active job site, with permission, so neighbors know who is doing the work. Learn more
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