Web Analytics Glossary
Web analytics and online marketing are vast topics with a wide range of technical terms. Check out the glossary for the most important terminology and definitions.
403 Forbidden Error
A status code indicating that the server understood the request but refuses to authorize it.
404 Not Found Error
A status code indicating that the server cannot find the requested resource.
500 Internal Server Error
A status code indicating that the server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
A/B Testing
A method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app against each other to determine which one performs better.
Accelerated Mobile Page (AMP)
A web page designed to load quickly and perform well on mobile devices.
Adblocker
Software designed to prevent advertisements from appearing on a webpage or in an app.
Assisted Conversion
A conversion that was influenced by multiple interactions with a website or advertising campaign.
Attribution Model
A set of rules or methodologies used to determine how credit for conversions and sales is assigned to touchpoints in the conversion path.
Average Session Duration
The average amount of time users spend on a website during a single session.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who navigate away from a website after viewing only one page.
Call to Action (CTA)
A prompt to encourage a user to take a specific action, such as clicking a button or completing a form.
CCPA
California Consumer Privacy Act, a state statute intended to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection for residents of California.
Click-through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of users who click on a specific link out of the total number of users who view a page, email, or advertisement.
Conversion
The completion of a desired action by a user, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of website visitors who complete a desired goal, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
The process of improving the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired goal.
Cookie
A small piece of data stored on a user's device by a website, typically used to remember preferences and track user behavior.
Cookie Consent Banner
A banner or pop-up message displayed on a website informing users about the use of cookies and requesting their consent.
Cost per Click (CPC)
The amount an advertiser pays for each click on their advertisement.
Data Processing Agreement (DPA)
A contract that outlines the responsibilities of a data controller and data processor regarding the processing of personal data.
Device
A physical or virtual device, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet, used to access the internet.
Direct Traffic
Visitors who arrive at a website by typing the URL directly into their browser or through a bookmark.
Duplicate Page Content
Content that appears on multiple pages of a website or across different websites, which can negatively impact search engine rankings.
ePrivacy
A European Union directive that regulates the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in electronic communications.
Engagement Rate
A measure of how actively involved users are with a piece of content, typically expressed as a percentage of total interactions.
First Interaction Model
An attribution model that gives credit for conversions to the first touchpoint a user had with a website or advertising campaign.
First Party Cookie
A cookie set by the domain of the website being visited, used to remember user preferences and track user behavior within that website.
Funnel
A series of steps or stages that a user goes through before completing a desired action, such as making a purchase.
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation, a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individual citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area.
GDPR Consent
Consent obtained from individuals in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the processing of their personal data.
Google Analytics 4
The latest version of Google Analytics, offering advanced analytics features such as cross-platform tracking, enhanced reporting, and machine learning insights.
IP Address
A numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
Keyword
A word or phrase that describes the content of a webpage and is used by search engines to match search queries to relevant pages.
Landing Page
A webpage that users arrive at after clicking on a link in an advertisement, search engine results page, or other external source.
Live Visitor
A user who is currently active on a website.
Location
The physical or geographic location of a user accessing a website or app, typically determined by their IP address or GPS coordinates.
Operating System
Software that manages computer hardware and provides common services for computer programs, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Organic Search
Traffic that comes to a website as a result of unpaid search results, also known as natural or organic search.
Paid Search Analysis
The process of analyzing and evaluating the performance of paid search campaigns, including ad performance, keyword effectiveness, and return on investment (ROI).
Paid Search Analysis
The process of analyzing and evaluating the performance of paid search campaigns, including ad performance, keyword effectiveness, and return on investment (ROI).
Page Speed
The time it takes for a webpage to load and become interactive for users.
Page Title
The title of a webpage that appears at the top of a browser window and is displayed in search engine results pages.
Page View
A single instance of a user viewing a webpage on a website.
PECR
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, a set of regulations in the UK that govern the use of electronic communications.
Personal Data
Any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual, such as their name, email address, or IP address.
Personal Identifiable Information (PII)
Any information that can be used to identify an individual, such as their name, email address, or phone number.
Privacy Shield
A framework for regulating transatlantic exchanges of personal data between the European Union and the United States.
Protected Health Information (PHI)
Any information about health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare that can be linked to an individual, as defined by HIPAA.
Referral Traffic
Visitors who arrive at a website by clicking on a link from another website.
Referrer
The source through which a user arrived at a website, typically another website or search engine.
Return on Investment (ROI)
A measure of the profitability of an investment, typically calculated as the ratio of net profit to the initial investment.
Robots.txt
A text file placed in the root directory of a website to instruct web crawlers which pages or files they can or cannot request from the site.
RSS Feed
A web feed that allows users to access updates to online content in a standardized, computer-readable format.
Scrolled Percentage
The percentage of a webpage that a user has scrolled through.
Search Analytics
The analysis of search engine data to identify trends, patterns, and insights related to search queries and user behavior.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The practice of optimizing a website to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results.
Segmentation
The process of dividing a target audience into smaller, more homogeneous groups based on shared characteristics or behaviors.
Sensitive Data
Any data that, if compromised, could cause harm to an individual or organization, such as financial information or medical records.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
The page displayed by a search engine in response to a user's query, containing a list of relevant web pages.
Server Log Analysis
The process of analyzing server log files to gain insights into website traffic, user behavior, and system performance.
Session
A period of time during which a user interacts with a website.
Session Duration
The average amount of time users spend on a website during a single session.
Subdomain
A subdivision of a domain, used to organize and navigate to different sections or functionalities of a website.
Third Party Cookie
A cookie set by a domain other than the one being visited, typically used for cross-site tracking and advertising.
Time On Page
The amount of time a user spends on a single webpage before navigating to another page or leaving the site.
Traffic Channel Attribution
Traffic Channel Attribution is a method of identifying and crediting the specific marketing channels (such as organic search, paid ads, social media, email, or direct traffic) that ultimately lead a user to convert or take a desired action on a website.
Traffic Rank
A measure of a website's popularity compared to all other sites on the internet, typically based on factors such as the number of visitors and pageviews.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
A string of characters used to identify a resource on the internet, such as a webpage, image, or file.
Unique Visitor
A single user who visits a website within a specified time period, regardless of how many times they visit.
User Agent
A string of information transmitted by a web browser or other client application to identify itself to a server.
UTM Code
Urchin Tracking Module code, a tracking parameter appended to URLs to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns.
