According to a study by Vouchercloud, an online provider of coupons and discount codes, Americans appear to be more confused than comfortable with technology – or at least its terminology.
For instance, the study reported that 11% of respondents thought HTML was a sexually transmitted virus. 23% believed an MP3 was a robot from “Star Wars” and 27% assumed a gigabyte was a South American insect.
The findings were reported with great amusement in the national media such as The L.A. Times and “Today,” and why not? It’s likely that their audience found humor in their collective ignorance that the terms above refer to a website coding language, an encoding format for a digital audio file, and a multiple of the unit byte for digital information respectively.
That’s all well and good when the jargon doesn’t impact you. But what do you do when unknown words or phrases arise in in your professional or personal life? Do you nod your head in agreement and go along for the ride? Do you run from the unknown and reject the idea? Or, do you bravely raise your hand and ask for clarification?
In my work, I see it all the time. As keenly aware as I am that industry-specific jargon is communication killer, I often find myself unintentionally using jargon. Thank goodness that I have the clients’ glassy-eyed stares and the occasional rivulets of drool to alert me of my error. So without further ado, here is just a brief explanation of some terms that may elude you.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving a website’s visibility, or ranking, as a result of a search engine query.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is the listing of possible websites the search engine returns as a result of a search engine query.
NAP (Name, Address and Phone Number) is a critical influencer of local search results and therefore, this information must appear accurately on reputable online directories.
RWD (responsive Web Design) is a web design approach focused on ensuring an optimum viewing experience complete with effortless navigation and easy reading whether the website is viewed on a desktop, tablet or smartphone.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is a form of internet marketing that displays online advertising content based when a query is conducted for a pre-determined list of keywords and phrases selected by the advertiser in hopes of taking visitors to their website.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) refers to SEM where the advertiser pays a certain amount each time their ad is clicked rather than each time it is displayed.
CTR (Click-Through Rate) determines the success of a PPC campaign by dividing the number of clicks an ad receives by the number of impressions it receives.
SMO (Social Media Optimization) is the practice of leveraging social media platforms to boost a brand or product’s visibility or reputation.
TMI (Too Much Information) is when some geek unloads all this knowledge on you so TTFN.*
To ensure that your brand messaging is clear and effective, contact the branding experts at Electrum Branding.
*Ta Ta For Now