Web Analytics Glossary
Behavioral targeting: The practice of serving ads to groups of people who exhibit similarities not in their location, gender, or age, but in how they act and react in their online environment.
Clickstream analysis:
The process of collecting, analyzing, and reporting data about which pages visitors visit in what order. “Clickstream” represents the succession of mouse clicks each visitor makes.
Collaborative filtering:
The method and process used to match data for one user with data for similar users, based on purchase and browsing patterns. Collaborative filtering allows merchants to provide customers with future purchase recommendations.
Competitive analysis:
The practice of assessing and analyzing strengths and weaknesses of competing Web sites, including identifying traffic patterns, major traffic sources, and keyword selection.
Cost per click (CPC):
The amount search engines charge advertisers at auction for every click that sends a searcher to the advertiser’s Web site. For an advertiser, CPC is the total cost for each click-through received when its ad is clicked on.
Cost per sale:
Cost analysis based on the number of sales transactions your ad generates.
On-site search analysis:
Examining data from searches that visitors conduct on your Web site to develop insights regarding the visitors’ intent as well as how easy or difficult it is to find items or pages on the site.
Pay per call:
A paid advertising model similar to pay per click, except advertisers pay for every phone call that comes to them from an ad, rather than for every click-through to their Web site landing page from the ad. More costly than pay per click but often more valued by advertisers for higher conversion rates.
Pay per click:
A model in which advertisers pay only for each click on their ads that directs searchers to a specified landing page on the advertiser’s Web site.
Search engine optimization (SEO):
The process of editing a Web site’s content and code in order to improve visibility within one or more search engines.
Search marketing:
Advertising on search engines by purchasing keywords that relate to your product or service. When Internet users type in your keywords, your ad displays on the same page as their search results.
Sources: Web Analytics Association, SearchCRM.com, Webopedia, Google, Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO).
