Bank of Terminology

An AI model trained on huge amounts of text that predicts the next word, which lets it understand questions and write fluent answers. LLMs power chatbots and AI search engines.

Where it is used

AI search engines, chat assistants, writing tools, coding assistants

Example

ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are all built on LLMs that answer search-style questions in full sentences.

Related to

Token, Context Window, Training Data, Hallucination, Generative AI

A search system that answers a question with a written, summarized response instead of only a list of links. It combines retrieval of web sources with an LLM that writes the answer.

Where it is used

Perplexity, ChatGPT search, Google AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot

Example

A user asks "best patch cable for a data center" and gets a written comparison with source links.

Related to

LLM, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Citation, Zero-Click Search

The broad shift from ranking documents to generating answers. The engine reads several sources and writes a new response that blends them.

Where it is used

Search strategy, industry reporting, SEO and GEO planning

Example

Google moving from ten blue links to AI-written summaries above the results.

Related to

AI Search Engine, Synthesized Answer, Generative Engine Optimization

The small unit of text an AI model reads and writes, often a word or part of a word. Usage limits and pricing of AI models are measured in tokens.

Where it is used

AI model pricing, prompt length limits, technical documentation

Example

"Patchkabel" may be split into two or three tokens by the model.

Related to

Context Window, LLM, API Pricing

The maximum amount of text (in tokens) an AI model can consider at one time, including the conversation, documents and its own answer.

Where it is used

Choosing AI models, long document analysis, chat sessions

Example

A model with a large context window can read a full 200-page report in one go.

Related to

Token, Multi-Turn Query, Retrieval-Augmented Generation

The large collection of text, images and other content used to teach an AI model. What is in it shapes what the model knows about brands and topics.

Where it is used

Model development, brand visibility in AI, legal debates

Example

A brand that was widely discussed online before training is more likely to be known by the model.

Related to

Knowledge Cutoff, LLM, Copyright and AI

The date after which an AI model has no built-in knowledge. Newer facts only reach the answer if the system searches the web.

Where it is used

AI assistants, AI search accuracy, content freshness planning

Example

A model with a cutoff last year will not know your new product unless it can browse.

Related to

Training Data, Grounding, Retrieval-Augmented Generation

Google's AI-generated summary shown at the top of many search results. It answers the query in a few paragraphs and links to the pages it used.

Where it is used

Google Search results pages in many countries and languages

Example

Searching "how does fiber optic cable work" shows a short AI explanation with three cited pages.

Related to

Generative Search, Zero-Click Search, Citation, SERP

A separate, chat-style search mode in Google where users ask longer questions and follow-ups, and receive in-depth AI answers built from many searches at once.

Where it is used

Google Search (dedicated tab), mainly for complex or comparative questions

Example

A user plans a home network in AI Mode and keeps asking follow-up questions in the same thread.

Related to

AI Overviews, Query Fan-Out, Conversational Search

Searching through a back-and-forth dialogue in natural language, where the system remembers earlier questions in the session and refines its answers.

Where it is used

Chat assistants, AI search tabs, voice assistants

Example

"Which cable for 10 Gbit?" followed by "and for 50 meters?" without repeating the first question.

Related to

Multi-Turn Query, AI Mode, Context Window

A question that depends on previous messages in the same conversation. The AI uses earlier context to understand what the new question refers to.

Where it is used

Chat assistants and AI search engines

Example

After asking about Cat6a, the user types "is it cheaper than Cat7?" and the AI knows what "it" means.

Related to

Conversational Search, Context Window, Session Memory

A search where the user gets the answer directly on the results page or in the AI answer and does not click through to any website.

Where it is used

Search analytics, traffic forecasting, content strategy

Example

A user reads the AI Overview about cable categories and leaves without visiting a site.

Related to

AI Overviews, Featured Snippet, AI Referral Traffic

Searching with a mix of text, images, voice or video, such as photographing an object and asking a question about it.

Where it is used

Google Lens, ChatGPT, Gemini, mobile apps

Example

Taking a photo of a connector and asking "what type of plug is this?"

Related to

Visual Search, Voice Search, Multimodal Model

Searching with an image instead of words, so the system identifies the object and finds similar products or information.

Where it is used

Google Lens, Pinterest Lens, e-commerce apps

Example

A shopper photographs a patch panel and finds where to buy the same model.

Related to

Multimodal Search, Alt Text, Image SEO

Searching by speaking to a device or assistant. Queries tend to be longer and phrased as natural questions.

Where it is used

Smart speakers, phones, cars, voice assistants

Example

"Hey Google, which network cable do I need for a gaming PC?"

Related to

Conversational Search, Long-Tail Keyword, Featured Snippet

AI answers that change based on the user's history, location, saved preferences or connected accounts, so two people can see different answers.

Where it is used

Google AI Mode, ChatGPT with memory, Gemini

Example

Two users ask for "a good supplier" and get different recommendations based on their past chats.

Related to

Conversational Search, Session Memory, Prompt Tracking

A technique where the AI splits one question into many smaller searches, runs them in parallel, and combines the results into one answer.

Where it is used

Google AI Mode, Perplexity Pro, ChatGPT search

Example

"Best laptop for video editing under 1500 euro" becomes searches on GPUs, screens, reviews and prices.

Related to

AI Mode, Retrieval, Deep Research, Long-Tail Keyword

An AI search mode that works for several minutes, reading dozens of sources, and returns a long, structured report with citations instead of a quick answer.

Where it is used

ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude research features

Example

A marketer asks for a market overview of Dutch network installers and receives a 10-page sourced report.

Related to

Query Fan-Out, AI Agent, Citation

A method where the AI first searches a set of documents or the web, then writes an answer based on what it found. It makes answers more current and accurate.

Where it is used

AI search engines, company chatbots, internal knowledge assistants

Example

A support bot looks up the product manual before answering a question about installation.

Related to

Vector Database, Embedding, Grounding, Hallucination

Linking an AI answer to real, verifiable sources so it is based on facts rather than only the model's memory. Grounded answers usually show citations.

Where it is used

AI search, enterprise AI tools, fact-checking workflows

Example

Gemini grounded in Google Search shows which web pages support each claim.

Related to

Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Citation, Hallucination

A list of numbers that represents the meaning of a piece of text, so the computer can measure how similar two texts are in meaning.

Where it is used

AI search, recommendation engines, internal search tools

Example

"Network cable" and "ethernet lead" get similar embeddings because they mean almost the same.

Related to

Vector Database, Semantic Search, Retrieval-Augmented Generation

A database that stores embeddings and quickly finds the pieces of content closest in meaning to a question. It is the memory behind many RAG systems.

Where it is used

AI chatbots, enterprise search, product search

Example

A knowledge base of 5,000 support articles stored as vectors so the bot can find the right one.

Related to

Embedding, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Semantic Search

Search that matches the meaning and intent of a query instead of only exact keywords, so different wording can still find the right content.

Where it is used

Google, site search, AI search engines, e-commerce search

Example

Searching "cable for long distance internet" finds pages about fiber optic cables.

Related to

Embedding, Search Intent, Entity

A second step that reorders retrieved results so the most relevant sources are passed to the AI model first.

Where it is used

AI search pipelines, enterprise RAG systems

Example

Out of 50 retrieved pages, the reranker selects the 5 best to use in the answer.

Related to

Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Semantic Search, Passage Retrieval

Retrieving specific sections or paragraphs of a page instead of the whole page. AI systems often cite one passage from a long article.

Where it is used

AI search engines, Google passage ranking, RAG systems

Example

An AI quotes only the FAQ paragraph about bend radius from a long cable guide.

Related to

Chunking, Reranking, Answer-First Content

Splitting long documents into smaller pieces so they can be stored, searched and retrieved efficiently by AI systems.

Where it is used

RAG system setup, knowledge base preparation

Example

A 40-page manual split into 300-word chunks before adding it to a chatbot.

Related to

Passage Retrieval, Embedding, Vector Database

A link or reference in an AI answer that shows which source a statement came from. Being cited is the main way brands get visibility and clicks from AI search.

Where it is used

AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT search, Copilot

Example

A numbered footnote [2] in a Perplexity answer that links to a supplier's product guide.

Related to

AI Overviews, Citation Rate, Grounding, AI Referral Traffic

An answer the AI writes by combining information from several sources into one new text, rather than copying a single page.

Where it is used

All AI search engines and assistants

Example

An answer that mixes specs from a manufacturer site, a review and a forum into one paragraph.

Related to

Generative Search, Citation, Grounding

When an AI states something false, invented or unsupported as if it were true, such as fake facts, products or sources.

Where it is used

AI search, chatbots, content creation, legal and brand risk discussions

Example

An assistant claims a product has a lifetime warranty that the company never offered.

Related to

Grounding, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Brand Misrepresentation

The ability of an AI assistant to remember details from earlier in a chat, or across chats, and use them in later answers.

Where it is used

Chat assistants, AI search, customer service bots

Example

An assistant remembers the user works in B2B and tailors later answers to that.

Related to

Multi-Turn Query, Personalized AI Results, Context Window

An automated bot that visits websites to collect content for training AI models or for fetching live answers. Each AI company runs its own crawlers.

Where it is used

Server logs, robots.txt rules, GEO audits

Example

GPTBot, ClaudeBot and PerplexityBot appear in the server logs of a website.

Related to

Robots.txt, AI Crawler Access, Crawling

The collection of pages an AI search engine can search when answering. Some use Google's or Bing's index; others build their own.

Where it is used

AI visibility analysis, technical SEO

Example

Content not indexed by Bing may be missing from answers in tools that rely on Bing results.

Related to

Indexing, AI Crawler, Bing Webmaster Tools

Paid placements that appear inside or next to AI-generated answers, such as sponsored products or follow-up suggestions.

Where it is used

Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot, other AI search engines

Example

A sponsored product block shown under an AI answer about home routers.

Related to

AI Overviews, Pay-Per-Click, Retail Media

The practice of improving how often and how well a brand, product or page appears and is cited in AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews.

Where it is used

Marketing strategy, content planning, agency services

Example

A company rewrites product guides with clear facts and sources so AI tools cite them more often.

Related to

AI Visibility, Citation Rate, Answer Engine Optimization, Search Engine Optimization

Optimizing content so it is selected as the direct answer by answer engines, voice assistants and featured snippets. Often used as a close cousin of GEO.

Where it is used

SEO teams, voice search strategy, FAQ content

Example

Writing a 40-word definition at the top of a page so it can be read out by a voice assistant.

Related to

Generative Engine Optimization, Featured Snippet, Answer-First Content

An umbrella term for making a brand understood, trusted and recommended by large language models, both in their training knowledge and in live answers.

Where it is used

Industry articles, agency service names, strategy decks

Example

Ensuring the brand is described the same way on its site, Wikipedia, LinkedIn and review platforms.

Related to

Generative Engine Optimization, Training Data, Brand Entity Consistency

How often and how prominently a brand appears in AI answers for relevant questions. It is the GEO version of search ranking.

Where it is used

GEO reports, management dashboards, competitor analysis

Example

A brand appears in 34% of tracked AI answers about "fiber patch cables supplier Netherlands".

Related to

Share of Model, Prompt Tracking, Citation Rate

The percentage of AI answers in a topic that mention your brand compared with competitors. It shows your competitive position inside AI tools.

Where it is used

Brand tracking, competitive benchmarking, GEO reporting

Example

Brand A is named in 50 of 100 AI answers, Brand B in 20, so Brand A has a 50% share of model.

Related to

AI Visibility, Share of Voice, Prompt Tracking

How often your website is linked or cited as a source in AI answers for the questions you track, compared with how often it is merely mentioned.

Where it is used

GEO dashboards, content performance analysis

Example

Your guide is cited in 12 of 50 AI answers about cable categories, a 24% citation rate.

Related to

Citation, AI Visibility, AI Referral Traffic

When an AI answer names your brand without linking to your site. Mentions build awareness and trust even without a click.

Where it is used

AI brand monitoring, PR measurement

Example

ChatGPT lists your company among three recommended distributors, with no link.

Related to

Share of Model, Citation Rate, Co-Occurrence

Whether AI answers describe your brand in a positive, neutral or negative way, and which qualities they connect to it.

Where it is used

Brand health tracking, reputation management

Example

AI tools often describe a brand as "reliable but expensive", showing a price perception issue.

Related to

Brand Mention (AI), Sentiment Analysis, Brand Misrepresentation

Regularly running a fixed set of questions through AI tools and recording whether and how your brand appears, to measure changes over time.

Where it is used

GEO tools, weekly or monthly visibility reports

Example

Tracking 200 buyer questions across ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity every week.

Related to

AI Visibility, Prompt Set, Share of Model

The selected list of realistic user questions a brand monitors in AI tools, grouped by topic, funnel stage or product line.

Where it is used

GEO strategy and measurement setup

Example

A list of 50 questions installers ask before choosing a cable supplier.

Related to

Prompt Tracking, Search Intent, Buyer Persona

An estimate of how often people ask AI tools about a topic. It is the AI-era counterpart of keyword search volume, though data is still limited.

Where it is used

GEO research, topic prioritization

Example

Estimating that questions about Wi-Fi 7 routers are growing fast in AI assistants.

Related to

Search Volume, Prompt Set, Keyword Research

Website visits that come from clicks in AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Copilot. It is tracked as a separate source in analytics.

Where it is used

Web analytics, GEO ROI reporting

Example

Analytics shows 800 monthly sessions from chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai.

Related to

Citation, Zero-Click Search, Referral Traffic

Content that AI systems are likely to quote because it is clear, factual, specific, well-sourced and easy to extract.

Where it is used

Content writing, product guides, knowledge hubs

Example

A guide stating "OS2 single-mode fiber supports distances up to 10 km at 10 Gbit/s" with a source.

Related to

Fact Density, Answer-First Content, Original Research

Writing that gives the direct answer in the first one or two sentences of a section, then adds detail. It helps AI tools and readers find the answer fast.

Where it is used

Blog posts, FAQ pages, product and category pages

Example

"Yes, Cat6a supports 10 Gbit/s up to 100 meters." followed by the explanation.

Related to

Passage Retrieval, Featured Snippet, Citation-Worthy Content

How many specific, checkable facts, numbers and details a text contains per section. Higher fact density makes content more useful to AI systems.

Where it is used

Content audits, writing guidelines

Example

Replacing "very fast" with "up to 40 Gbit/s over 30 meters".

Related to

Citation-Worthy Content, Statistics Addition, Information Gain

Adding relevant numbers and data points with sources to content. Research on GEO shows this increases the chance of being cited.

Where it is used

Content optimization, thought leadership, product content

Example

Adding "70% of network failures start at the physical layer (Source: …)" to an article.

Related to

Fact Density, Original Research, Quotation Addition

Including quotes from named experts or authorities in content to add credibility and make the text more likely to be used by AI systems.

Where it is used

Articles, whitepapers, case studies

Example

A cable guide quoting a certified data center engineer on installation mistakes.

Related to

Statistics Addition, E-E-A-T, Source Authority

New information a page adds that other pages on the same topic do not offer, such as original data, tests or first-hand experience.

Where it is used

Content strategy, SEO and GEO planning

Example

Publishing your own test results on how many bends a patch cable survives.

Related to

Original Research, Fact Density, Helpful Content

Surveys, studies, benchmarks or datasets a brand creates itself. Unique data is frequently cited by AI tools and earns links.

Where it is used

Reports, whitepapers, press releases, blog content

Example

An annual "State of Network Installation in the Benelux" survey of 500 installers.

Related to

Information Gain, Statistics Addition, Digital PR

Organizing a page into short, self-contained sections with clear headings, so each part makes sense when an AI pulls it out on its own.

Where it is used

Long-form content, documentation, product pages

Example

Each H2 section of a guide answers one question fully without relying on earlier sections.

Related to

Passage Retrieval, Chunking, Heading Structure

Describing your brand, products and key facts in the same way across your website and third-party sources, so AI models form one clear picture.

Where it is used

Website, social profiles, directories, Wikipedia, press

Example

Using the same company description, founding year and specialism on the site, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile.

Related to

Entity, Knowledge Graph, LLM Optimization

How often your brand appears close to specific topics or keywords across the web. Strong co-occurrence teaches AI models to link you with that topic.

Where it is used

PR strategy, content distribution, GEO strategy

Example

Your brand often appears next to "fiber optic patch cables" in trade media and forums.

Related to

Brand Mention (AI), Digital PR, Entity

Mentions, reviews, rankings and comparisons about your brand on independent sites. AI tools rely heavily on these sources when recommending brands.

Where it is used

PR, review management, partnerships

Example

Being included in an independent "best suppliers" article that AI tools often cite.

Related to

Digital PR, Review Platforms, Co-Occurrence

Genuine participation of a brand or its experts in forums and communities such as Reddit, Quora or niche boards, which AI tools often use as sources.

Where it is used

Community marketing, social listening, GEO strategy

Example

A product expert answers installer questions on a networking subreddit.

Related to

Third-Party Validation, User-Generated Content, Co-Occurrence

Having accurate, neutral and well-sourced entries about a notable brand on Wikipedia or Wikidata, which are strong sources for AI models.

Where it is used

Brand authority work for notable organizations

Example

A company's Wikidata entry lists its industry, headquarters and founding date.

Related to

Knowledge Graph, Entity, Brand Entity Consistency

A proposed text file at the root of a website that gives AI tools a clean summary and list of the most important pages. Support from AI companies is still limited and evolving.

Where it is used

Technical GEO experiments, documentation sites

Example

A file at example.com/llms.txt linking to key product guides in Markdown.

Related to

Robots.txt, XML Sitemap, AI Crawler

Deciding which AI bots may visit and use your site, set in robots.txt or server rules. Blocking them can protect content but reduces AI visibility.

Where it is used

Technical SEO, legal and content policy decisions

Example

Allowing search bots used for live answers while blocking some bots that collect training data.

Related to

AI Crawler, Robots.txt, Training Data

Content AI systems can access and understand easily: text in HTML (not only in images or scripts), clear structure, tables and structured data.

Where it is used

Technical audits, web development, product data feeds

Example

Showing product specs in an HTML table instead of inside a product image.

Related to

Structured Data, JavaScript SEO, Chunk-Friendly Structure

Incorrect or outdated statements AI tools make about a brand, such as wrong prices, discontinued products or false claims.

Where it is used

Brand monitoring, reputation management, legal

Example

An AI says your company only sells in Germany, while you also serve the Netherlands and Belgium.

Related to

Hallucination, AI Sentiment, Prompt Tracking

Actions to fix wrong AI statements about a brand: updating your own pages, correcting third-party sources and sending feedback to the AI platform.

Where it is used

Brand management, PR, GEO workflows

Example

Updating an old directory listing and the About page so AI tools stop naming a closed location.

Related to

Brand Misrepresentation, Brand Entity Consistency, Third-Party Validation

Adapting GEO tactics to each AI platform, because they use different indexes, sources and answer styles.

Where it is used

GEO strategy, multi-platform reporting

Example

Focusing on Bing visibility for one tool and on Google signals for AI Overviews.

Related to

AI Visibility, Search Index (AI), Prompt Tracking

Improving a website so it ranks higher in organic (unpaid) search results and attracts more relevant visitors.

Where it is used

Websites, e-commerce, content marketing, agencies

Example

Optimizing category pages so they rank for "fiber patch cable" in Google.

Related to

Technical SEO, On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, Generative Engine Optimization

The page a search engine shows after a query, including organic results, ads, AI Overviews, snippets, images and other features.

Where it is used

Keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis

Example

The SERP for "cat6 cable" shows shopping ads, People Also Ask and ten organic results.

Related to

SERP Feature, Organic Result, AI Overviews

A non-paid listing in search results that earns its position through relevance and quality.

Where it is used

SEO reporting, traffic analysis

Example

Your blog post ranks as the third organic result below two ads.

Related to

SERP, Ranking Factor, Pay-Per-Click

Any special element on a results page beyond a standard link, such as featured snippets, People Also Ask, image packs, video carousels or local packs.

Where it is used

Keyword research, content formatting

Example

Adding a how-to video to win the video carousel on a query.

Related to

Featured Snippet, People Also Ask, Rich Result

A highlighted box at the top of Google results that shows a short answer pulled from one web page.

Where it is used

Content formatting, definitions, how-to pages

Example

A 45-word answer to "what is a patch panel" shown above all other results.

Related to

Answer-First Content, SERP Feature, Zero-Click Search

An expandable box of related questions in Google results. Each question opens a short answer from a web page.

Where it is used

Content planning, FAQ writing, topic research

Example

Questions like "Is Cat6 better than Cat5e?" appear under your main keyword.

Related to

Featured Snippet, FAQ Content, Search Intent

A search listing enhanced with extra information such as star ratings, prices, availability or FAQs, usually enabled by structured data.

Where it is used

E-commerce, recipes, events, product pages

Example

A product result showing "€12.95 · In stock · 4.7 stars".

Related to

Structured Data, Schema Markup, Click-Through Rate

The process in which search engine bots visit web pages and follow links to discover content.

Where it is used

Technical audits, server log analysis

Example

Googlebot follows a link from your homepage to a new product page.

Related to

Indexing, Crawl Budget, Robots.txt, Googlebot

Storing and organizing crawled pages in the search engine's database so they can be shown in results.

Where it is used

Technical SEO, launch checks, troubleshooting

Example

A new page appears as "Indexed" in Google Search Console after a few days.

Related to

Crawling, Noindex, Google Search Console

The number of pages a search engine will crawl on a site in a given period. It matters most for large sites with many URLs.

Where it is used

Large e-commerce and publisher sites

Example

Filter pages waste crawl budget so new products are found more slowly.

Related to

Crawling, Faceted Navigation, Log File Analysis

A text file in the root of a website that tells crawlers which parts of the site they may or may not visit.

Where it is used

Technical SEO, site launches, AI bot management

Example

Blocking /checkout/ from crawlers in robots.txt.

Related to

Crawling, AI Crawler Access, Noindex

An instruction in a page's code that tells search engines not to show that page in results.

Where it is used

Thank-you pages, internal search pages, staging sites

Example

Adding noindex to a "thank you for your order" page.

Related to

Indexing, Robots.txt, Thin Content

A file listing the important URLs of a site to help search engines find and crawl them.

Where it is used

Technical SEO, site launches, large sites

Example

Submitting sitemap.xml with all product and category URLs in Search Console.

Related to

Crawling, Indexing, Google Search Console

A code tag that tells search engines which URL is the main version when several pages have the same or very similar content.

Where it is used

E-commerce variants, parameter URLs, syndicated content

Example

Color variants of one cable point to the main product URL as canonical.

Related to

Duplicate Content, Keyword Cannibalization, Faceted Navigation

The same or very similar content on several URLs, which makes it hard for search engines to choose which page to rank.

Where it is used

E-commerce, multilingual sites, content audits

Example

The same product description copied across 20 length variants.

Related to

Canonical Tag, Thin Content, Keyword Cannibalization

A server instruction that sends users and search engines from an old URL to a new one permanently, passing most ranking value.

Where it is used

Site migrations, URL changes, merging pages

Example

Redirecting /old-cables/ to /network-cables/ after a site redesign.

Related to

404 Error, Site Migration, Link Equity

A response showing that a requested page does not exist. Many 404s from internal links hurt user experience.

Where it is used

Site audits, maintenance

Example

A removed product page shows "Page not found" to visitors from old links.

Related to

301 Redirect, Broken Link, Crawling

Major changes to a site's domain, platform, structure or URLs that carry a high risk of losing rankings if not planned carefully.

Where it is used

Replatforming, rebranding, domain changes

Example

Moving from one e-commerce platform to Magento 2 with a full redirect map.

Related to

301 Redirect, XML Sitemap, Crawling

Making sure content and links generated by JavaScript can be crawled, rendered and indexed by search engines and AI crawlers.

Where it is used

Single-page apps, modern frameworks, e-commerce

Example

Product reviews loaded only by JavaScript are not seen by some crawlers.

Related to

Rendering, Crawling, Machine-Readable Content

Filters on category pages (size, color, length, brand) that can create thousands of URL combinations and SEO problems.

Where it is used

E-commerce category pages

Example

Filtering cables by length and color creates URLs like ?length=2m&color=blue.

Related to

Crawl Budget, Canonical Tag, Duplicate Content

Reviewing server logs to see exactly which pages bots crawl, how often and with what result.

Where it is used

Large sites, technical audits, AI bot monitoring

Example

Logs show Googlebot visits filter pages more than new product pages.

Related to

Crawl Budget, AI Crawler, Crawling

A protocol that lets websites instantly notify participating search engines (such as Bing and Yandex) when pages are added, changed or deleted.

Where it is used

E-commerce, news sites, CMS plugins

Example

A price change is pushed to Bing right away through IndexNow.

Related to

Indexing, Bing Webmaster Tools, XML Sitemap

Google's set of user experience metrics for loading speed (LCP), responsiveness (INP) and visual stability (CLS).

Where it is used

Technical SEO, web development, performance audits

Example

A site improves Core Web Vitals by compressing images and removing heavy scripts.

Related to

Largest Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint, Cumulative Layout Shift, Page Speed

The time until the largest visible element (usually a main image or headline) has loaded. Under 2.5 seconds is considered good.

Where it is used

Performance testing, PageSpeed Insights

Example

The hero image loads in 1.9 seconds, so LCP is good.

Related to

Core Web Vitals, Page Speed, Image Optimization

How quickly a page visually responds after a user clicks, taps or types. Under 200 milliseconds is considered good.

Where it is used

Performance testing, front-end development

Example

A filter button that takes 600 ms to respond gives a poor INP score.

Related to

Core Web Vitals, JavaScript SEO, Page Speed

A score for how much page elements jump around while loading. A score under 0.1 is considered good.

Where it is used

Front-end development, ad placement, image sizing

Example

A banner that loads late pushes the text down, causing a high CLS.

Related to

Core Web Vitals, Page Speed

How fast a page loads and becomes usable. It affects rankings, conversions and user satisfaction.

Where it is used

Web development, SEO and CRO audits

Example

Reducing load time from 5 to 2 seconds increases conversions.

Related to

Core Web Vitals, Bounce Rate, Conversion Rate

Google mainly uses the mobile version of a page for ranking and indexing, so the mobile site must contain the full content.

Where it is used

Web design, technical SEO

Example

Hiding product specs on mobile means Google may not use them for ranking.

Related to

Responsive Design, Indexing, Page Speed

A code attribute telling search engines which language and country each version of a page is for.

Where it is used

Multilingual and multi-country sites

Example

Linking the Dutch (nl-NL), Belgian Dutch (nl-BE) and German (de-DE) versions of a page.

Related to

International SEO, Duplicate Content, Localization

Optimizing a website to rank in several countries and languages, including structure, hreflang and localized content.

Where it is used

Companies selling across borders

Example

Separate Dutch and German sections, each with locally researched keywords.

Related to

Hreflang, Localization, Keyword Research

Finding the words and phrases people use to search, along with their volume, difficulty and intent, to guide content and optimization.

Where it is used

Content planning, SEO strategy, PPC

Example

Finding that "lc lc fiber patch cable" has steady monthly demand.

Related to

Search Volume, Keyword Difficulty, Search Intent, Long-Tail Keyword

The purpose behind a search: informational (learn), navigational (find a site), commercial (compare) or transactional (buy).

Where it is used

Content planning, landing pages, PPC

Example

"Buy cat6a cable 5m" has transactional intent; "what is cat6a" is informational.

Related to

Keyword Research, Content Mapping, Conversion Rate

The estimated average number of times a keyword is searched per month in a given area.

Where it is used

Keyword prioritization, forecasting

Example

"patchkabel" has an estimated 2,400 monthly searches in the Netherlands.

Related to

Keyword Research, Prompt Volume, Keyword Difficulty

A score estimating how hard it is to rank on page one for a keyword, mostly based on the strength of competing pages.

Where it is used

SEO tools, keyword prioritization

Example

A keyword with KD 70 needs strong content and many quality links.

Related to

Keyword Research, Backlink, Domain Authority

A longer, more specific search phrase with lower volume but often clearer intent and higher conversion.

Where it is used

Product pages, blog posts, niche targeting

Example

"OS2 armoured fiber patch cable LC-LC 20 m" instead of "fiber cable".

Related to

Keyword Research, Search Intent, Voice Search

When several pages on the same site target the same keyword and intent, so they compete with each other and weaken rankings.

Where it is used

Content audits, e-commerce, blog strategy

Example

A blog post and a category page both target "fiber patch cables".

Related to

Content Mapping, Canonical Tag, Duplicate Content

Assigning each target keyword and intent to one specific page, so every page has a clear focus and no overlap.

Where it is used

SEO planning, site architecture

Example

A spreadsheet linking each keyword group to exactly one URL.

Related to

Keyword Cannibalization, Topic Cluster, Search Intent

A group of related pages built around one main pillar page, all linked together to show depth and authority on a topic.

Where it is used

Content strategy, blog structure

Example

A pillar page on fiber optics linked to articles on connectors, OS2 vs OM4 and installation.

Related to

Pillar Page, Internal Linking, Topical Authority

A broad, comprehensive page covering a main topic and linking to more detailed cluster pages.

Where it is used

Content hubs, knowledge centers

Example

A "Complete guide to network cabling" page linking to 15 detailed articles.

Related to

Topic Cluster, Internal Linking, Topical Authority

How much a site is seen as an expert on a specific subject, built by covering the topic thoroughly and consistently.

Where it is used

Content strategy, niche websites

Example

A site covering every aspect of structured cabling ranks well for new cabling topics.

Related to

Topic Cluster, E-E-A-T, Information Gain

Creating many pages automatically from a template and a database to target many similar long-tail searches.

Where it is used

Marketplaces, travel sites, large catalogs

Example

Generating a page for every combination of connector type and cable length.

Related to

Long-Tail Keyword, Thin Content, Template

The gradual drop in traffic and rankings of older content as it becomes outdated or competitors publish better pages.

Where it is used

Content audits, update calendars

Example

Refreshing a 2022 guide with current standards to restore lost traffic.

Related to

Helpful Content, Rank Tracking, Freshness

The quality concept Google uses to assess content: first-hand experience, expertise, authority and trust, with trust the most important.

Where it is used

Content guidelines, YMYL topics, author pages

Example

Showing that a guide was written by a certified installer with 15 years of experience.

Related to

Helpful Content, Author Bio, Third-Party Validation

Google's principle that content should be made mainly to help people, not mainly to rank, with real value and original insight.

Where it is used

Content creation, quality audits

Example

Rewriting short, generic product texts into practical buying advice.

Related to

E-E-A-T, Information Gain, Thin Content

Pages with little useful content, such as short copied text or auto-generated pages, which can drag down a site's quality.

Where it is used

Content audits, e-commerce

Example

Hundreds of product pages with only a title and price.

Related to

Helpful Content, Duplicate Content, Programmatic SEO

Topics that can affect people's health, finances, safety or wellbeing, where search engines apply stricter quality standards.

Where it is used

Finance, health, legal and safety content

Example

An article on electrical safety needs clear expertise and sources.

Related to

E-E-A-T, Helpful Content

A broad change to Google's ranking systems, announced several times a year, that can shift rankings across many sites.

Where it is used

SEO monitoring, traffic analysis

Example

Traffic drops 20% after a core update, prompting a content quality review.

Related to

Ranking Factor, Helpful Content, E-E-A-T

Any element search engines use to decide the order of results, such as relevance, content quality, links and page experience.

Where it is used

SEO strategy and audits

Example

Relevance of the content to the query is one of the strongest ranking factors.

Related to

Core Update, Backlink, Core Web Vitals

The HTML title of a page, shown as the clickable headline in search results and in the browser tab.

Where it is used

Every web page, SEO audits

Example

"OS2 Fiber Patch Cable LC-LC Armoured – Grayle" as the title tag.

Related to

Meta Description, Click-Through Rate, Keyword Research

A short summary in a page's HTML, often shown under the title in search results. It influences clicks, not rankings directly.

Where it is used

Every web page, SEO copywriting

Example

A 150-character description inviting users to compare cable lengths and order online.

Related to

Title Tag, Click-Through Rate, SERP

The readable part of a web address that identifies a specific page. Short, clear slugs help users and search engines.

Where it is used

CMS settings, product and blog pages

Example

/os2-armoured-fiber-patch-cable-lc-lc/

Related to

Title Tag, Site Architecture, 301 Redirect

The hierarchy of headings on a page, with one main H1 and subheadings H2 and H3, which helps readers and search engines understand the content.

Where it is used

Content writing, page templates

Example

H1 for the product name, H2 for specifications, H2 for frequently asked questions.

Related to

Chunk-Friendly Structure, Title Tag, Accessibility

Links between pages on the same website. They help users navigate, spread ranking value and show how topics connect.

Where it is used

Content, navigation, category pages

Example

Linking from a cable guide to the matching product category.

Related to

Anchor Text, Topic Cluster, Site Architecture

The clickable words of a link. It tells users and search engines what the linked page is about.

Where it is used

Content writing, link building

Example

"Compare fiber patch cables" instead of "click here".

Related to

Internal Linking, Backlink, Over-Optimization

A short written description of an image in the HTML. It helps visually impaired users and lets search engines understand images.

Where it is used

Product images, blogs, accessibility compliance

Example

alt="Yellow OS2 LC-LC armoured fiber patch cable, 10 meters"

Related to

Image SEO, Visual Search, Accessibility

Optimizing images through file names, alt text, size, format and structured data so they load fast and rank in image and visual search.

Where it is used

E-commerce, blogs, image-heavy sites

Example

Converting product photos to WebP and naming files descriptively.

Related to

Alt Text, Visual Search, Page Speed

Code added to a page in a standard vocabulary (Schema.org, often JSON-LD) that describes content like products, reviews or FAQs to machines.

Where it is used

Product pages, articles, local business pages

Example

Product schema listing name, SKU, price, availability and brand.

Related to

Rich Result, Machine-Readable Content, Entity

The format Google recommends for adding structured data, placed in a script block separate from the visible content.

Where it is used

Web development, CMS plugins

Example

A JSON-LD block with "@type": "Product" in the page head.

Related to

Structured Data, Rich Result

A clearly defined thing such as a person, company, product, place or concept that search engines and AI models can recognize and connect.

Where it is used

Semantic SEO, brand authority, structured data

Example

Search engines understand "Grayle" as a company related to network components.

Related to

Knowledge Graph, Brand Entity Consistency, Semantic Search

A large database of entities and their relationships used by search engines to understand facts and show knowledge panels.

Where it is used

Brand search results, semantic SEO

Example

Google links a company to its founders, location and industry.

Related to

Entity, Knowledge Panel, Wikipedia and Wikidata Presence

An information box in search results that shows key facts about an entity, such as a company, person or place.

Where it is used

Brand searches, notable people and organizations

Example

Searching a brand shows its logo, website, social profiles and founding year.

Related to

Knowledge Graph, Entity, Google Business Profile

A link from another website to yours. Quality backlinks are a strong signal of authority and trust.

Where it is used

Link building, PR, competitor analysis

Example

A trade magazine links to your installation guide.

Related to

Link Building, Anchor Text, Domain Authority, Link Equity

Activities to earn quality backlinks from relevant, trusted websites, such as outreach, digital PR and useful resources.

Where it is used

SEO campaigns, PR, partnerships

Example

Offering a free cabling checklist that installers' associations link to.

Related to

Backlink, Digital PR, Original Research

The ranking value a link passes from one page to another, influenced by the linking page's authority and relevance.

Where it is used

Link strategy, site architecture, redirects

Example

A strong homepage passes link equity to key category pages through internal links.

Related to

Backlink, Internal Linking, 301 Redirect

A third-party score (from tools like Moz, Ahrefs or Semrush) predicting how strong a site's backlink profile is. It is not a Google metric.

Where it is used

Competitor analysis, link prospecting

Example

Comparing your Domain Rating of 35 with a competitor's 52.

Related to

Backlink, Keyword Difficulty, Link Building

Link attributes telling search engines not to pass ranking value, or that a link is paid (sponsored) or user-generated (ugc).

Where it is used

Paid links, affiliate links, comments

Example

Sponsored product links in a blog review use rel="sponsored".

Related to

Backlink, Link Equity, Influencer Marketing

Earning media coverage, mentions and links online through newsworthy stories, data and expert commentary.

Where it is used

PR, SEO and GEO campaigns

Example

A survey on network outages gets covered by tech news sites with links.

Related to

Link Building, Original Research, Third-Party Validation

Optimizing a business to appear in local searches and maps, such as "near me" queries.

Where it is used

Shops, service businesses, branches

Example

An installer appears in the map results for "network installer Utrecht".

Related to

Google Business Profile, NAP Consistency, Local Pack

Google's free business listing that shows a company's location, hours, reviews and photos in Maps and local search.

Where it is used

Local businesses, multi-location companies

Example

Updating opening hours and adding photos of the showroom.

Related to

Local SEO, Local Pack, Online Reviews

Keeping a business's name, address and phone number identical across all online listings to build local trust.

Where it is used

Directories, Google Business Profile, website

Example

Using the exact same address format on the website, Google and trade directories.

Related to

Local SEO, Brand Entity Consistency, Citation (Local)

The block of usually three local businesses with a map shown for location-based searches.

Where it is used

Local search results

Example

Three cable shops shown with ratings and directions for "kabelwinkel Amersfoort".

Related to

Google Business Profile, Local SEO, SERP Feature

The share of people who click your result after seeing it in search results.

Where it is used

Search Console reports, title testing

Example

1,000 impressions and 50 clicks give an organic CTR of 5%.

Related to

Title Tag, Meta Description, Rich Result

Google's free tool showing how a site performs in search: queries, clicks, impressions, indexing and technical issues.

Where it is used

SEO monitoring, troubleshooting, reporting

Example

Finding which queries bring impressions but few clicks.

Related to

Indexing, Click-Through Rate (Organic), XML Sitemap

Monitoring where your pages rank for chosen keywords over time and across locations and devices.

Where it is used

SEO tools, client reporting

Example

Tracking 300 keywords weekly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Related to

Keyword Research, Prompt Tracking, SERP

Microsoft's free tool for monitoring how a site performs in Bing search. Important because several AI tools use Bing's index.

Where it is used

SEO and GEO monitoring

Example

Submitting a sitemap to Bing so new pages are found faster.

Related to

Google Search Console, Search Index (AI), IndexNow

An AI system that can plan steps, use tools and take actions on its own to reach a goal, instead of only answering one question.

Where it is used

Marketing automation, research, customer service, operations

Example

An agent that researches 20 competitors, fills a spreadsheet and drafts a summary email.

Related to

Agentic AI, Tool Use, Orchestration, Human-in-the-Loop

The broader approach of building AI that acts with some independence: setting sub-goals, deciding next steps and checking its own results.

Where it is used

Strategy discussions, software products, automation design

Example

Moving from a chatbot that suggests ad copy to a system that also launches and monitors the test.

Related to

AI Agent, Multi-Agent System, Planning

An AI that works alongside a person inside a tool, suggesting or drafting work, while the person stays in control of every decision.

Where it is used

Office software, CRM, design tools, code editors

Example

An assistant in the CRM that drafts a follow-up email the sales rep then edits and sends.

Related to

AI Agent, Human-in-the-Loop, Augmentation

Using software to run repeated sequences of tasks automatically, reducing manual work and errors.

Where it is used

Marketing operations, sales, finance, HR

Example

Every new webinar registration is added to the CRM, tagged and sent a reminder automatically.

Related to

Trigger, Action, Robotic Process Automation, AI Workflow

An automated workflow that includes AI steps, such as classifying, summarizing, writing or deciding, alongside regular rule-based steps.

Where it is used

Content production, lead handling, support

Example

Incoming emails are summarized by AI, labeled by topic and routed to the right team.

Related to

Workflow Automation, AI Agent, Prompt Chaining

Software bots that copy human clicks and typing in user interfaces to automate repetitive rule-based tasks, often in older systems without APIs.

Where it is used

Finance, back office, legacy systems

Example

A bot copies order data from emails into an old ERP screen every hour.

Related to

Workflow Automation, Computer Use, Application Programming Interface

The ability of an AI model to call external tools, such as search, a calculator, a database or an API, to get information or perform actions.

Where it is used

Agent building, chat assistants, integrations

Example

The AI calls the CRM API to look up a customer's last order before answering.

Related to

Application Programming Interface, Model Context Protocol, AI Agent

An open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and data sources (such as CRM, email or files) in a consistent way.

Where it is used

AI assistants, agent platforms, enterprise integrations

Example

Connecting an AI assistant to HubSpot and Microsoft 365 through MCP connectors.

Related to

Tool Use, Connector, Application Programming Interface

A ready-made link that lets an AI tool or automation platform read from or act in another app.

Where it is used

AI assistants, automation tools, MarTech stacks

Example

A connector that lets the assistant search your shared drive.

Related to

Model Context Protocol, Integration Platform as a Service, Application Programming Interface

A defined way for software systems to talk to each other and exchange data or trigger actions automatically.

Where it is used

Integrations, automation, data pipelines, AI apps

Example

The webshop sends new orders to the email platform through its API.

Related to

Webhook, Tool Use, Integration

An automatic message one app sends to another the moment a specific event happens, so the second app can react instantly.

Where it is used

Forms, payments, CRM updates, automation tools

Example

A form submission sends a webhook that creates a lead and starts a welcome email.

Related to

Trigger, Application Programming Interface, Event-Driven Automation

An AI ability to operate a computer or web browser like a person: clicking, typing, scrolling and filling in forms.

Where it is used

Web research, form filling, testing, data entry

Example

An agent logs into a supplier portal and downloads the monthly invoice.

Related to

Robotic Process Automation, AI Agent, Tool Use

The maximum number of requests a system accepts in a set period. Automations must stay within it to avoid errors.

Where it is used

Integrations, bulk processing, AI APIs

Example

Spreading 10,000 contact updates over an hour to stay within the CRM's rate limit.

Related to

Application Programming Interface, Scheduled Automation

An agent that runs tasks on its own in the background or on a schedule, without someone actively chatting with it.

Where it is used

Monitoring, reporting, research digests

Example

A daily agent checks competitor prices and sends a summary each morning.

Related to

Scheduled Automation, AI Agent, Agent Observability

The event that starts an automated workflow, such as a form submission, a purchase, a date or a change in a record.

Where it is used

Automation platforms, email tools, CRM

Example

"New lead created" is the trigger that starts a lead assignment workflow.

Related to

Webhook, Action, Workflow Automation, Behavioral Trigger

A task an automation performs after the trigger, such as sending an email, updating a record or posting a message.

Where it is used

Automation platforms, CRM workflows

Example

After the trigger, the action "send Slack message to the sales team" runs.

Related to

Trigger, Workflow Automation, Conditional Logic

Rules in a workflow that send items down different paths depending on conditions, such as country, deal value or lead score.

Where it is used

Automation design, email flows, routing

Example

If the company is in Germany, assign it to the German account manager; otherwise to Benelux.

Related to

Trigger, Action, Lead Scoring

Automation that reacts instantly to events as they happen, instead of running on a fixed schedule.

Where it is used

Real-time personalization, alerts, order flows

Example

A cart abandonment message is sent 30 minutes after the cart event.

Related to

Webhook, Trigger, Scheduled Automation

An automation that runs at fixed times, such as every night or every Monday morning.

Where it is used

Reports, data syncs, recurring tasks

Example

A weekly performance report is generated and emailed every Monday at 8:00.

Related to

Event-Driven Automation, Trigger, Reporting Automation

Linking several AI prompts in a sequence, where the output of one step becomes the input of the next.

Where it is used

Content pipelines, analysis workflows

Example

Step 1 outlines an article, step 2 writes each section, step 3 checks the tone.

Related to

AI Workflow, Prompt, Task Decomposition

What an automation does when a step fails, such as retrying, alerting a person or taking an alternative route.

Where it is used

Automation design, reliability

Example

If the CRM is unreachable, the workflow retries three times and then alerts the admin.

Related to

Conditional Logic, Agent Observability, Rate Limit

A cloud platform for connecting apps and building automations between them, usually with a visual editor.

Where it is used

MarTech integration, operations

Example

Using an iPaaS to sync form leads, the CRM and the email tool.

Related to

Connector, No-Code Automation, Application Programming Interface

Building automations and apps through visual editors and drag-and-drop steps instead of writing code.

Where it is used

Marketing teams, small businesses, prototyping

Example

A marketer builds a lead alert workflow without help from developers.

Related to

Integration Platform as a Service, Citizen Developer, Workflow Automation

A non-IT employee who builds automations or simple apps with no-code tools to solve their team's problems.

Where it is used

Marketing, operations, HR teams

Example

A campaign manager builds her own reporting automation.

Related to

No-Code Automation, Shadow AI, AI Literacy

How an agent breaks a large goal into smaller, manageable steps that it can complete one by one.

Where it is used

Agent design, complex projects

Example

"Launch a newsletter" is split into audience research, template, content and scheduling.

Related to

AI Agent, Reasoning Loop, Prompt Chaining

The cycle an agent repeats: think about the next step, act (often by using a tool), observe the result, then decide what to do next.

Where it is used

Agent frameworks, technical design

Example

An agent searches, sees that the result is outdated, and searches again with a new query.

Related to

AI Agent, Tool Use, Task Decomposition

Information an agent stores and retrieves between steps or sessions, such as user preferences, past results or project context.

Where it is used

Agent platforms, personal assistants

Example

An agent remembers the brand's tone of voice rules across all future tasks.

Related to

Session Memory, Vector Database, Context Window

A setup where several specialized AI agents work together, each handling part of the task and passing work to one another.

Where it is used

Complex automation, research, content production

Example

A research agent, a writer agent and an editor agent jointly produce a report.

Related to

Orchestration, Sub-Agent, Agent Handoff

Coordinating several agents, tools and steps so they run in the right order, share information and reach the goal.

Where it is used

Agent platforms, enterprise AI

Example

An orchestrator decides which specialist agent handles each step of a campaign launch.

Related to

Multi-Agent System, Sub-Agent, Workflow Automation

A specialized agent that receives a specific task from a main agent and reports back the result.

Where it is used

Agent frameworks, coding and research tools

Example

The main agent sends a sub-agent to analyze competitor pricing.

Related to

Orchestration, Multi-Agent System, Task Decomposition

Passing a task, with its context, from one agent to another agent or to a human when the first cannot or should not continue.

Where it is used

Multi-agent systems, customer service

Example

A sales agent hands a billing question to a finance agent with the full conversation.

Related to

Multi-Agent System, Human Escalation, Human-in-the-Loop

A design where a person reviews, approves or corrects AI decisions at key points before they take effect.

Where it is used

Publishing, ad spend, customer messages, legal content

Example

AI drafts social posts, but nothing is published until a marketer approves it.

Related to

Human Oversight, Approval Workflow, AI Copilot

A rule or technical limit that keeps an AI system within safe and allowed behavior, such as blocked topics, spending caps or required approvals.

Where it is used

Agent design, chatbots, AI governance

Example

An agent may adjust bids but never raise a daily budget above €500.

Related to

Human-in-the-Loop, AI Acceptable Use Policy, Prompt Injection

The exact systems, data and actions an agent is allowed to access or perform, ideally limited to what it truly needs.

Where it is used

Security setup, agent platforms, IT governance

Example

An agent can read the CRM but cannot delete records or send invoices.

Related to

Guardrail, Least Privilege, Data Leakage

How much an AI system can decide and act without human approval, from only suggesting, to acting with approval, to acting fully independently.

Where it is used

AI strategy, risk assessment, process design

Example

Level 1: AI suggests ad copy. Level 3: AI tests and replaces ads by itself within rules.

Related to

Human-in-the-Loop, AI Copilot, AI Agent

Systematically testing whether an AI agent or workflow gives correct, safe and useful results, using test cases and scoring.

Where it is used

Agent development, vendor selection, quality control

Example

Running 100 sample support questions to check how many the agent answers correctly.

Related to

Agent Observability, Quality Assurance, Hallucination

Recording and reviewing what an agent did at each step (prompts, tool calls, results, costs) to find errors and improve performance.

Where it is used

Agent operations, debugging, compliance

Example

A trace shows the agent used an outdated price list in step 3.

Related to

Agent Evaluation, Audit Trail, Guardrail

AI that creates new content such as text, images, audio, video or code based on patterns learned from training data.

Where it is used

Content creation, design, advertising, product development

Example

Creating ten blog intros and three product images in minutes.

Related to

Large Language Model, Diffusion Model, Multimodal Model

An AI model that can understand and produce several types of content, such as text, images, audio and video, in one system.

Where it is used

Image analysis, video creation, assistants

Example

Uploading a product photo and asking the model to write a product description.

Related to

Generative AI, Multimodal Search, Image-to-Text

An AI model designed to "think" longer internally before answering, which improves performance on complex logic, maths and planning.

Where it is used

Strategy analysis, data work, coding

Example

Using a reasoning model to analyze a pricing structure across 300 products.

Related to

Chain-of-Thought Prompting, Large Language Model

Any images, video, audio or text created or heavily altered by AI rather than captured or written by people.

Where it is used

Media, advertising, legal discussions

Example

An ad using an AI-generated spokesperson is synthetic media.

Related to

Deepfake, Content Credentials, AI Disclosure Label

The instruction or question given to an AI model. Its clarity, context and detail strongly affect the quality of the output.

Where it is used

Every AI tool

Example

"Write a 100-word product description for a 5 m Cat6a cable for IT installers."

Related to

Prompt Engineering, System Prompt, Few-Shot Prompting

The skill of writing and structuring prompts (role, context, task, format, examples) to get reliable, high-quality AI output.

Where it is used

Content teams, AI workflows, agent design

Example

Adding the target audience, tone and output format raises the quality of every draft.

Related to

Prompt, Few-Shot Prompting, Prompt Template

Background instructions that set an AI's role, rules and style for a whole conversation or application, usually hidden from end users.

Where it is used

Custom assistants, chatbots, AI apps

Example

"You are Grayle's product expert. Always answer in Dutch, use 'je', keep answers short."

Related to

Prompt, Brand Voice Guidelines, Guardrail

A saved prompt with fixed structure and blanks to fill in, so a team gets consistent results for recurring tasks.

Where it is used

Content operations, team libraries

Example

A template for product descriptions with fields for name, specs and audience.

Related to

Prompt Engineering, Content Brief, Brand Voice Guidelines

Asking the AI to do a task with instructions only and no examples.

Where it is used

Quick tasks, general questions

Example

"Classify this review as positive, neutral or negative."

Related to

Few-Shot Prompting, Prompt

Including a few examples of the desired input and output in the prompt so the AI copies the pattern and style.

Where it is used

Copywriting, classification, data formatting

Example

Showing three approved product titles before asking for twenty new ones.

Related to

Zero-Shot Prompting, Prompt Template, Brand Voice Guidelines

Asking the AI to reason through a problem step by step before answering, which often improves accuracy on complex tasks.

Where it is used

Analysis, calculations, planning

Example

"Think step by step: which budget split gives the best expected ROAS?"

Related to

Prompt Engineering, Reasoning Model

A setting that controls how random or predictable AI output is. Low values give consistent answers; high values give more varied, creative ones.

Where it is used

AI APIs, creative tools, chatbots

Example

Temperature 0.2 for product specs, 0.9 for slogan brainstorming.

Related to

Prompt, Top-P

Training an existing AI model further on your own examples so it learns a specific style, format or domain.

Where it is used

Large brands, specialized AI apps

Example

Fine-tuning a model on 2,000 approved product texts to match house style.

Related to

LoRA, Brand Voice Guidelines, Retrieval-Augmented Generation

A lightweight way to customize an AI model, often used in image generation to teach a specific product, style or character.

Where it is used

Product imagery, brand illustration styles

Example

Training a LoRA on 30 product photos so new images show the real product.

Related to

Fine-Tuning, Diffusion Model, Brand Asset Consistency

A documented description of how a brand sounds (word choice, tone, do's and don'ts), used to guide both writers and AI tools.

Where it is used

Content creation, AI setup, agency briefings

Example

"Direct, technical, friendly. Use 'je'. No exclamation marks in product copy."

Related to

System Prompt, Style Guide, Few-Shot Prompting

Rules for spelling, grammar, formatting, terminology and units that keep all content consistent.

Where it is used

Publishing, product content, translation

Example

Always write "Cat6a" (not CAT 6A) and use metric units.

Related to

Brand Voice Guidelines, Content QA, Glossary

Making sure AI-generated visuals respect the brand's colors, fonts, logo usage, product accuracy and visual style.

Where it is used

Social media, ads, websites

Example

All AI images use the brand blue and show the real connector type.

Related to

LoRA, Brand Kit, Image Generation

A collage of images, colors, fonts and textures that sets the visual direction for a project.

Where it is used

Campaign concepts, branding, design

Example

An AI-generated moodboard explores three styles for a new campaign.

Related to

Storyboard, Brand Asset Consistency

Creating images from a written description using an AI model.

Where it is used

Ad visuals, blog images, concept art, mock-ups

Example

"Clean server room with blue fiber cables, soft light, photographic style."

Related to

Diffusion Model, Negative Prompt, Image-to-Image

The type of AI model behind most image and video generators. It creates pictures by gradually turning random noise into a detailed image.

Where it is used

Image and video generation tools

Example

Image tools such as Midjourney and Firefly rely on diffusion-style models.

Related to

Text-to-Image, Seed, LoRA

Generating a new image based on an existing image plus instructions, keeping its layout or subject while changing style or details.

Where it is used

Product variations, redesigns, moodboards

Example

Turning a phone photo of a product into a clean studio-style image.

Related to

Text-to-Image, Inpainting, Style Transfer

Instructions that tell an image model what to avoid, such as extra fingers, text, blur or a specific color.

Where it is used

Image generation tools

Example

Negative prompt: "text, watermark, people, blurry".

Related to

Text-to-Image, Prompt

A number that sets the starting point of image generation. Reusing the same seed and prompt gives similar results.

Where it is used

Image generation, consistent series

Example

Keeping seed 4521 to make a matching set of four images.

Related to

Diffusion Model, Text-to-Image

Adjusting visuals to the width-to-height ratios needed by each channel, often with AI to extend or recompose.

Where it is used

Social media, display ads, video

Example

One visual adapted to 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 and 16:9.

Related to

Outpainting, Creative Variation, Ad Format

Replacing or adding something in a selected part of an image using AI, while the rest of the image stays the same.

Where it is used

Photo editing, product images, ad adaptation

Example

Removing a wrong cable from a photo and filling the gap naturally.

Related to

Outpainting, Image-to-Image, Background Removal

Extending an image beyond its original edges with AI-generated content that matches the scene.

Where it is used

Resizing visuals for different ad formats

Example

Expanding a square product photo into a wide website banner.

Related to

Inpainting, Aspect Ratio Adaptation

Automatically separating the main subject of an image from its background.

Where it is used

E-commerce photos, ads, presentations

Example

Placing a product on a pure white background for a webshop.

Related to

Inpainting, Product Photography

Increasing image size and sharpness with AI, adding realistic detail instead of just stretching pixels.

Where it is used

Print, old images, large banners

Example

Turning a small 800-pixel photo into a sharp 4,000-pixel print image.

Related to

Image-to-Image, Image SEO

Creating video clips from a written description or a still image using an AI model.

Where it is used

Social videos, ads, explainers, concepts

Example

Generating a 10-second clip of cables being installed in a data center.

Related to

Image-to-Video, Diffusion Model, Storyboard

Turning a still image into a moving video clip with AI, such as adding camera movement or motion.

Where it is used

Product animations, social posts

Example

Animating a product photo with a slow 360-degree rotation.

Related to

Text-to-Video, Product Photography

A realistic or stylized AI-generated person who presents content on video, speaking a written script.

Where it is used

Training videos, explainers, multilingual video

Example

An avatar presents the same onboarding video in Dutch, English and German.

Related to

Text-to-Speech, Lip Sync, Synthetic Media

Matching mouth movements in a video to new audio, often used to translate video while keeping it natural.

Where it is used

Video translation, ads, training

Example

A CEO video translated to German with matching lip movements.

Related to

AI Avatar, Voice Cloning, Localization

A sequence of sketches or frames that plans the shots of a video before production. AI can generate them quickly.

Where it is used

Video production, ads, explainers

Example

AI creates an eight-frame storyboard for a 30-second product ad.

Related to

Text-to-Video, Moodboard

Turning written text into natural-sounding spoken audio with AI voices.

Where it is used

Voice-overs, podcasts, accessibility, IVR

Example

Creating a voice-over for a product video in five languages.

Related to

Voice Cloning, AI Avatar, Speech-to-Text

Converting spoken audio into written text automatically.

Where it is used

Meeting notes, subtitles, podcasts, call analysis

Example

Transcribing a webinar to create a blog post and subtitles.

Related to

Text-to-Speech, Content Repurposing, Speech Analytics

Creating an AI copy of a specific person's voice from recordings. It requires that person's clear consent.

Where it is used

Voice-overs, accessibility, localization

Example

A founder approves a cloned voice for product videos.

Related to

Text-to-Speech, Deepfake, Consent

Creating music or jingles from a text description with AI.

Where it is used

Social videos, ads, background music

Example

"Upbeat corporate background music, 30 seconds, no vocals."

Related to

Generative AI, Copyright and AI

Using AI to draft, rewrite or vary marketing texts such as ads, emails, product descriptions and posts.

Where it is used

Ads, email, e-commerce, social media

Example

AI writes 15 headline options; the copywriter chooses and refines three.

Related to

Prompt Template, Brand Voice Guidelines, Human Editing

A document describing a piece of content's goal, audience, key messages, keywords, structure and requirements before creation.

Where it is used

Content production, agencies, AI workflows

Example

A brief for a category page listing target keyword, FAQs and internal links.

Related to

Prompt Template, Content Mapping, Search Intent

The step where people check, correct and improve AI-generated content for accuracy, tone, originality and brand fit.

Where it is used

All AI content workflows

Example

An editor fixes two wrong specifications in an AI-written product guide.

Related to

Human-in-the-Loop, Content QA, Hallucination

Systematic checks of content before publishing: facts, spelling, links, tone, SEO elements, legal claims and accessibility.

Where it is used

Publishing workflows, e-commerce, regulated industries

Example

A checklist checks title length, alt text and claim sources on every page.

Related to

Human Editing, Style Guide, Approval Workflow

Tools that estimate whether a text or image was produced by AI. Their accuracy is limited and results should not be treated as proof.

Where it is used

Education, publishing, content audits

Example

A detector flags an article, but an editor reviews the actual quality instead.

Related to

Watermarking, Content Credentials, Human Editing

Turning one piece of content into several formats for different channels.

Where it is used

Social media, email, blogs, video

Example

One webinar becomes a blog, five posts, a newsletter section and short clips.

Related to

Speech-to-Text, Content Atomization, Content Calendar

Breaking a large content asset into many small, standalone pieces that each work on their own.

Where it is used

Social media, email, ads

Example

A 30-page report becomes 20 statistics graphics.

Related to

Content Repurposing, Pillar Page

Producing large volumes of content efficiently with AI and templates while keeping quality and consistency.

Where it is used

E-commerce catalogs, localization, ad variations

Example

Writing unique descriptions for 3,000 products in four languages.

Related to

Programmatic SEO, Prompt Template, Thin Content

Creating many versions of a creative (different headlines, images, colors, calls to action) to test what performs best.

Where it is used

Paid social, display, email

Example

Twelve versions of one ad, varying image and headline.

Related to

Dynamic Creative Optimization, Creative Testing, Aspect Ratio Adaptation

Content made with AI to look like casual user-generated videos or reviews. It needs clear disclosure to avoid misleading people.

Where it is used

Paid social, product testing

Example

An AI avatar presents a product in a selfie-style video, clearly labeled as AI.

Related to

User-Generated Content, AI Avatar, AI Disclosure Label

Content created by customers or users, such as reviews, photos, videos and forum posts, rather than by the brand.

Where it is used

Social media, product pages, ads

Example

Customers share photos of their installed cable setups.

Related to

Community Presence, Online Reviews, AI UGC

Data a company collects directly from its own customers and channels, such as website behavior, purchases and CRM records.

Where it is used

Personalization, targeting, analytics

Example

Order history and newsletter clicks stored in your own systems.

Related to

Zero-Party Data, Third-Party Data, Customer Data Platform

Data customers deliberately share, such as preferences, interests and intentions, through quizzes, forms or preference centers.

Where it is used

Onboarding, quizzes, preference centers

Example

A customer tells you they are interested in fiber optics and work in data centers.

Related to

First-Party Data, Preference Center, Personalization

Another company's first-party data shared directly with you through a partnership.

Where it is used

Partnerships, co-marketing

Example

A partner shares audience insights from its own customers.

Related to

First-Party Data, Data Clean Room

Data collected by external providers that do not have a direct relationship with the people involved, often sold for targeting.

Where it is used

Programmatic advertising, data enrichment

Example

Buying an audience segment of "IT decision makers" from a data provider.

Related to

First-Party Data, Third-Party Cookie, Data Broker

Data organized in a fixed format of rows and columns, such as spreadsheets and databases, which is easy to analyze.

Where it is used

Reporting, CRM, sales data

Example

An order table with customer ID, date, product and amount.

Related to

Unstructured Data, Data Warehouse

Data without a fixed format, such as emails, reviews, chats, images and recordings. AI makes it much easier to analyze.

Where it is used

Customer feedback, social listening, support

Example

Analyzing 10,000 open-text survey answers with AI.

Related to

Structured Data (Analytics), Sentiment Analysis, Natural Language Processing

A central database that stores cleaned, structured data from many sources for reporting and analysis.

Where it is used

Reporting, analytics teams, BI

Example

Combining webshop, CRM and ad data in one warehouse.

Related to

Data Lake, ETL, Business Intelligence

A storage system that holds large amounts of raw data in any format until it is needed for analysis.

Where it is used

Big data, data science

Example

Storing raw web logs and images for future analysis.

Related to

Data Warehouse, Unstructured Data

The process of pulling data from sources, cleaning and converting it, and loading it into a warehouse (ELT transforms after loading).

Where it is used

Data engineering, reporting

Example

Every night, ad and sales data is extracted, cleaned and loaded into the warehouse.

Related to

Data Warehouse, Data Pipeline, Data Quality

An automated flow that moves and processes data from one system to another on a regular basis.

Where it is used

Data engineering, analytics

Example

A pipeline that refreshes the sales dashboard every hour.

Related to

ETL / ELT, Application Programming Interface, Scheduled Automation

The standard language used to ask questions of and manage data in relational databases.

Where it is used

Analytics, reporting, data teams

Example

A query that counts orders per country in the last 30 days.

Related to

Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence

Tools and practices for turning data into reports, dashboards and insights that support business decisions.

Where it is used

Management reporting, performance tracking

Example

A BI tool shows revenue by region and product group.

Related to

Dashboard, Data Visualization, Data Warehouse

A visual overview of key metrics and charts, usually updated automatically, for monitoring performance at a glance.

Where it is used

Marketing reporting, management meetings

Example

A weekly dashboard with traffic, leads, revenue and ROAS.

Related to

Business Intelligence, Key Performance Indicator, Data Visualization

Presenting data in charts, graphs and maps so patterns and trends are easy to see.

Where it is used

Reports, presentations, dashboards

Example

A line chart showing organic traffic over 12 months.

Related to

Dashboard, Business Intelligence

Comparing a metric with the same period in the previous year to remove seasonal effects.

Where it is used

Reporting, management updates

Example

October leads are up 18% YoY.

Related to

Seasonality, Month-over-Month

A reference value, such as an industry average or past result, used to judge whether performance is good.

Where it is used

Reporting, goal setting

Example

An email open rate compared with the B2B industry average.

Related to

Key Performance Indicator, Year-over-Year Comparison

A measurable value that shows how well a company or team is achieving a key goal.

Where it is used

Every department, goal setting, reporting

Example

Number of qualified leads per month is the main KPI of a B2B campaign.

Related to

North Star Metric, Objectives and Key Results, Vanity Metric

The single most important metric that best reflects the value a company delivers to customers and drives long-term growth.

Where it is used

Growth strategy, product teams

Example

Monthly repeat orders from installers as a distributor's North Star.

Related to

Key Performance Indicator, Objectives and Key Results

A number that looks impressive but does not show real business impact or guide decisions.

Where it is used

Reporting discussions, social media

Example

Total page views without knowing if any led to sales.

Related to

Key Performance Indicator, Actionable Metric

A valuable action you want a visitor to take, such as a purchase, sign-up, quote request or download.

Where it is used

Analytics, ads, CRO

Example

A quote request on a B2B site counts as a conversion.

Related to

Conversion Rate, Micro-Conversion, Goal

The percentage of visitors or users who complete a conversion.

Where it is used

Web analytics, ads, email

Example

50 orders from 2,000 visits is a 2.5% conversion rate.

Related to

Conversion, Conversion Rate Optimization, Funnel Analysis

A small step that shows interest and often leads to a main conversion later.

Where it is used

Analytics, B2B journeys

Example

Downloading a spec sheet or adding a product to the cart.

Related to

Conversion, Funnel Analysis

Improving a website or app so a higher share of visitors convert, through research, testing and better user experience.

Where it is used

Websites, landing pages, checkout flows

Example

Simplifying the checkout from five steps to three increases orders.

Related to

A/B Testing, Conversion Rate, Heatmap

Comparing two versions of a page, email or ad by showing them to similar groups and measuring which performs better.

Where it is used

Websites, email, ads, product

Example

Testing two subject lines, each sent to 5,000 contacts.

Related to

Statistical Significance, Multivariate Testing, Conversion Rate Optimization

Testing several elements and their combinations at the same time to find the best-performing mix. It needs a lot of traffic.

Where it is used

High-traffic websites

Example

Testing three headlines and two images, six combinations in total.

Related to

A/B Testing, Statistical Significance

How confident you can be that a test result is real and not caused by chance, usually aiming for 95% confidence.

Where it is used

Testing, research, analytics

Example

Version B wins with 97% confidence, so the result is significant.

Related to

A/B Testing, Sample Size, Confidence Interval

The number of users or observations needed in a test to detect a real difference reliably.

Where it is used

Test planning, surveys

Example

A test needs 8,000 visitors per variant to detect a 10% uplift.

Related to

Statistical Significance, A/B Testing

A group that does not receive the campaign or change, used as a baseline to measure true impact.

Where it is used

Experiments, email, ads, loyalty programs

Example

10% of customers do not get the promotion email, to measure its real effect.

Related to

Incrementality, A/B Testing, Lift Test

A visual showing where users click, move and scroll on a page, with colors for high and low activity.

Where it is used

UX research, CRO

Example

A heatmap shows nobody scrolls down to the specifications.

Related to

Session Recording, Conversion Rate Optimization

Anonymous video-like replays of how real users move through a website.

Where it is used

UX research, bug finding

Example

Replays show users repeatedly clicking an image that is not a link.

Related to

Heatmap, Conversion Rate Optimization, Privacy by Design

Measuring how many users move through each step toward a conversion and where they drop off.

Where it is used

E-commerce, lead generation, apps

Example

60% leave between the cart and payment page.

Related to

Conversion Rate, Customer Journey, Micro-Conversion

Comparing groups of users who share a starting point (such as sign-up month) to see how their behavior changes over time.

Where it is used

Retention, subscriptions, repeat purchases

Example

Customers acquired in January reorder more often than those from March.

Related to

Retention Rate, Customer Lifetime Value

Collecting and analyzing data about website visitors and their behavior to improve performance.

Where it is used

Websites, e-commerce, marketing reporting

Example

Seeing which channels bring visitors who request quotes.

Related to

Event Tracking, Google Analytics 4, Session

Recording specific user actions as events, such as clicks, downloads, video plays or form submissions.

Where it is used

Analytics setup, GA4, product analytics

Example

Tracking each click on "Download datasheet" as an event.

Related to

Web Analytics, Tag Management System, Conversion

A group of user interactions on a website within a given time frame, usually ending after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Where it is used

Analytics reports

Example

One user visiting twice in a day creates two sessions.

Related to

Web Analytics, Engagement Rate, Bounce Rate

The share of sessions where a user leaves without meaningful interaction. In GA4 it is the opposite of engagement rate.

Where it is used

Analytics, landing page review

Example

A landing page with a 75% bounce rate may not match the ad's promise.

Related to

Engagement Rate, Session, Landing Page

The share of sessions or views where users meaningfully interact. Definitions differ by platform (web analytics versus social media).

Where it is used

Web analytics, social media reporting

Example

An engagement rate of 62% on a blog post in GA4.

Related to

Bounce Rate, Session, Engagement

Tags added to a URL (source, medium, campaign, term, content) that show in analytics where a visit came from.

Where it is used

Email, social, ads, partner links

Example

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=october_fiber

Related to

Campaign Tracking, Naming Convention, Web Analytics

A tool to add and manage tracking codes (tags) on a website without editing the site's code each time.

Where it is used

Analytics and ad tracking setup

Example

Adding a new ad pixel through the tag manager in five minutes.

Related to

Event Tracking, Google Tag Manager, Server-Side Tagging

Sending tracking data through your own server before it goes to analytics and ad platforms, which gives more control, privacy and accuracy.

Where it is used

Advanced tracking setups, privacy compliance

Example

Moving tracking to a server container to reduce data loss from blockers.

Related to

Tag Management System, Conversions API, Consent Mode

A small file stored in the browser that remembers information such as login status, preferences or tracking IDs.

Where it is used

Websites, analytics, advertising

Example

A cookie remembers the language a visitor selected.

Related to

Third-Party Cookie, Consent Management Platform, Cookieless Tracking

A cookie set by a domain other than the website being visited, mainly used for cross-site tracking and advertising. Browsers increasingly restrict it.

Where it is used

Programmatic advertising, retargeting

Example

An ad network's cookie that follows a user across many news sites.

Related to

Cookie, Cookieless Tracking, Third-Party Data

Measurement methods that work without third-party cookies, such as first-party data, server-side tagging, modeling and aggregated reporting.

Where it is used

Analytics and advertising strategy

Example

Using modelled conversions and first-party IDs instead of cross-site cookies.

Related to

Third-Party Cookie, Server-Side Tagging, Consent Mode

A Google feature that adjusts how tags behave based on a visitor's cookie consent and fills gaps with modeling when consent is refused.

Where it is used

Websites using Google tags in the EU

Example

Visitors who refuse cookies are not tracked, but conversions are estimated.

Related to

Consent Management Platform, Cookieless Tracking, GDPR

How accurate, complete, consistent and up to date data is. Poor data quality leads to wrong decisions and failed automations.

Where it is used

CRM, reporting, AI projects

Example

Removing 1,200 duplicate contacts improves email reporting.

Related to

Data Governance, Deduplication, Golden Record

Finding and merging or removing duplicate records in a database.

Where it is used

CRM clean-ups, list imports

Example

Merging "J. de Vries" and "Jan de Vries" with the same email.

Related to

Data Quality, Identity Resolution, Golden Record

Adding extra information to existing records, such as company size, industry or job title, from internal or external sources.

Where it is used

B2B marketing, sales, CRM

Example

Adding employee count and sector to new leads automatically.

Related to

Third-Party Data, Lead Scoring, Ideal Customer Profile

A secure environment where two parties can analyze combined data without sharing raw personal data with each other.

Where it is used

Retail media, partnerships, advertising measurement

Example

A brand and a retailer measure campaign impact on sales without exchanging customer lists.

Related to

Second-Party Data, Privacy by Design, Retail Media

Assigning credit for a conversion to the marketing touchpoints that contributed to it.

Where it is used

Performance marketing, budget decisions

Example

Deciding how much credit an order gives to search, email and social.

Related to

Attribution Model, Multi-Touch Attribution, Marketing Mix Modeling

The rule set used to split conversion credit across touchpoints, such as last-click, first-click, linear, time-decay or data-driven.

Where it is used

Analytics and ad platforms

Example

Comparing results under last-click and data-driven models.

Related to

Attribution, Last-Click Attribution, Data-Driven Attribution

A model giving 100% of the credit to the final touchpoint before conversion. Simple, but it undervalues early-stage channels.

Where it is used

Basic reporting, older setups

Example

Brand search gets all credit, though a webinar started the journey.

Related to

Attribution Model, First-Click Attribution

A model giving 100% of the credit to the first touchpoint that brought the customer in.

Where it is used

Awareness channel evaluation

Example

A LinkedIn ad that first introduced the brand gets all credit.

Related to

Attribution Model, Last-Click Attribution

Spreading conversion credit across several touchpoints in the customer journey based on a chosen model.

Where it is used

Performance marketing, B2B journeys

Example

Search, email and a webinar each get a share of the credit for one deal.

Related to

Attribution Model, Data-Driven Attribution, Customer Journey

An algorithmic model that uses actual conversion paths to estimate how much each touchpoint contributed.

Where it is used

GA4, Google Ads, advanced analytics

Example

The model learns that display ads assist many later search conversions.

Related to

Multi-Touch Attribution, Machine Learning

A statistical method using historical data to estimate how each channel and external factor (season, price) affects sales, without tracking individuals.

Where it is used

Budget planning, large advertisers, privacy-safe measurement

Example

MMM shows TV and search together drive 40% of sales.

Related to

Attribution, Incrementality, Regression Analysis

The extra result a marketing activity truly caused, compared with what would have happened without it.

Where it is used

Ad measurement, retention campaigns

Example

Retargeting shows 500 conversions, but only 120 are incremental.

Related to

Lift Test, Marketing Mix Modeling, Control Group

A statistical method to estimate how one or more factors influence an outcome.

Where it is used

Forecasting, pricing, MMM

Example

Estimating how much ad spend and season affect monthly orders.

Related to

Marketing Mix Modeling, Predictive Analytics

Using historical data, statistics and machine learning to predict future outcomes, such as sales, churn or lead quality.

Where it is used

Forecasting, CRM, budgeting

Example

Predicting which customers are likely to reorder next month.

Related to

Machine Learning, Predictive Lead Scoring, Churn Prediction

A branch of AI where systems learn patterns from data to make predictions or decisions without being programd with fixed rules.

Where it is used

Bidding, recommendations, fraud detection, forecasting

Example

An ML model learns which visitor behaviors predict a purchase.

Related to

Predictive Analytics, Large Language Model, Smart Bidding

Automatically spotting unusual changes in data, such as sudden traffic drops or cost spikes, so teams can react quickly.

Where it is used

Monitoring, analytics, ad accounts

Example

An alert fires when ad costs double overnight.

Related to

Machine Learning, Dashboard, Alerting

Estimating future values such as traffic, leads or revenue based on historical data and trends.

Where it is used

Budget planning, targets, inventory

Example

Forecasting Q4 organic traffic based on the last three years.

Related to

Predictive Analytics, Seasonality

Regular, repeating patterns in data linked to times of the year, month or week.

Where it is used

Planning, reporting, bidding

Example

B2B demand drops every August and late December.

Related to

Forecasting, Year-over-Year Comparison

The field of AI that helps computers understand, interpret and generate human language.

Where it is used

Text analysis, chatbots, search

Example

Automatically grouping 5,000 reviews by topic.

Related to

Large Language Model, Sentiment Analysis, Natural Language Understanding

Using AI to classify text as positive, negative or neutral, and often to find the emotions and topics behind it.

Where it is used

Reviews, social media, surveys, support tickets

Example

30% of reviews mention delivery with negative sentiment.

Related to

Natural Language Processing, Social Listening, Voice of the Customer

Monitoring online conversations about a brand, competitors and topics to find insights, trends and risks.

Where it is used

Brand management, PR, product development

Example

Spotting a rising complaint about a competitor's delivery times.

Related to

Sentiment Analysis, Brand Mention (AI), Community Presence

An advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad.

Where it is used

Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, social ads

Example

Paying €1.20 each time someone clicks your ad for "fiber patch cable".

Related to

Cost per Click, Search Advertising, Quality Score

Text and shopping ads shown in search engine results, triggered by the keywords people search for.

Where it is used

Google Ads, Microsoft Ads

Example

An ad at the top of Google for "cat6a kabel kopen".

Related to

Pay-Per-Click, Keyword Match Type, Shopping Ads

Ads showing a product image, price and store name, created from a product data feed.

Where it is used

E-commerce, Google Merchant Center

Example

A carousel of cable products with photos and prices above search results.

Related to

Product Feed, Search Advertising, Performance Max

A structured file listing all products with attributes such as title, price, image and availability, used to create shopping ads and listings.

Where it is used

E-commerce advertising, marketplaces, comparison sites

Example

A feed sending 4,000 products with prices and stock to Google Merchant Center.

Related to

Shopping Ads, Feed Optimization, Structured Data

Paid advertising on social media platforms, targeted by audience, interests, behavior or job information.

Where it is used

Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, X

Example

A LinkedIn ad targeting IT managers in the Benelux.

Related to

Lookalike Audience, Creative Testing, Advantage+

Visual ads (banners, images, rich media) shown on websites and apps across ad networks.

Where it is used

Google Display Network, programmatic, publisher sites

Example

A banner ad on a tech news site.

Related to

Programmatic Advertising, Viewability, Cost per Mille

Advertising on streaming content watched on internet-connected TVs, smart TVs and streaming devices.

Where it is used

Brand campaigns, streaming services

Example

A 15-second ad shown during a streamed series on a smart TV.

Related to

Programmatic Advertising, Video Advertising

Ads in video format on platforms like YouTube, social media, websites and streaming services.

Where it is used

YouTube, TikTok, Meta, programmatic

Example

A 6-second bumper ad on YouTube.

Related to

Connected TV, View-Through Rate, Paid Social

Advertising sold by retailers and marketplaces on their own sites and apps, using their shopper data.

Where it is used

Amazon, Bol, retailer sites, marketplaces

Example

A sponsored product at the top of a marketplace's search results.

Related to

Data Clean Room, Sponsored Products, First-Party Data

A performance model where partners promote your products and earn a commission for each sale or lead they generate.

Where it is used

E-commerce, comparison sites, blogs

Example

A tech blog earns 8% commission on each router sold through its link.

Related to

Cost per Acquisition, Nofollow, Attribution

Working with creators who have engaged audiences to promote products or messages.

Where it is used

Social media, YouTube, podcasts

Example

A tech YouTuber reviews a home networking kit in a paid partnership.

Related to

User-Generated Content, AI Disclosure Label, Paid Social

Improving the titles, descriptions, categories and attributes in a product feed so ads show for the right searches and get more clicks.

Where it is used

E-commerce advertising

Example

Rewriting feed titles to start with type, length and connector.

Related to

Product Feed, Shopping Ads, Title Tag

A limit on how often the same person sees an ad in a period, to avoid annoyance and waste.

Where it is used

Display, video, retargeting

Example

Maximum three impressions per person per day.

Related to

Frequency, Ad Fatigue, Retargeting