Ultimate Glossary of Affiliate Terms

Introduction

Attention Affiliates, are you feeling lost and overwhelmed by the sea of unfamiliar jargon in the world of affiliate marketing?

Fear not, it all looks a bit odd and complicated but it’s easy to get to the bottom of all this verbiage with the

Ultimate Glossary of Affiliate Terms the Jargon Buster.

The need to understand all this stuff is perfectly reasonable, when you start a new project or business there are always things to learn and Affiliate Marketing Terms are no different.

So, whether you’re a seasoned affiliate marketer or starting out on your Affiliate Journey, this glossary will help you understand all the key terms you need to know about.

What is All This Jargon Then?

A fine question! Like any other industry over time, they all seem to generate their own language and subsequently abbreviations and acronyms.

I sometimes think this is the experts just getting lazy or smart about extolling the virtues of their work, but sometimes it really is just easier to shorten specific phrases and words.

The Reason to Know These Things

Simple, it makes things a shed load easier for you, especially when you are just starting out, so having a glossary like this one is another tool for you to have in your arsenal. Glossaries help because they:

• • Make Things Less Confusing
  • Speed Up Your Learning
  • Help You Read New Content

So, whether you are new to all this or a more experienced affiliate the following A-Z will help you unscramble all the noise.

So, Let’s Get At It!

How to Navigate the Glossary

Below you will find an A – Z of letters, you can click each one to go to an individual letter and browse to find what you are looking for.

Or if you want to find a specific term then use these.

If you are using a Mac then hit Command + F and you can search for a keyword, they should all be highlighted to make them easier to spot.

If you are on a PC you can hit Control + F and again search for your keyword.

A | B | C | D |  E |  F |  G |  H |  I |  J |  K |  L |  M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Above The Fold

When a webpage opens, everything you see without having to scroll down is known as ‘above the fold’.Frequently referred to for landing pages. i.e. make sure your call to action is above the fold. Mobile views will of course be different.

A/B Testing

This refers to the idea of simultaneously running two or more versions of an advert (for instance on separate landing pages) that have different variations of the ad content or design elements.

The intent is to see which one performs the best by tracking key metrics and thus see which one is the most effective at achieving the intended goal, be it clicks, conversion, sales or subscription.

Ad Blockers

A technology that prevents online ads from displaying on a website and which is increasingly prevalent mainly to combat programmatic ads. Most affiliate publisher sites employ strategies to overcome these.

AD Copy

This is the combination of headline, main text, and CTA (call to action)that is compiled to form an ad.

AD Exchange

An ad exchange is a technology platform DSP, (demand side platform) that facilitates the buying and selling of media advertising inventory from multiple ad networks. Prices for the inventory are determined through real-time bidding (RTB).

AD Network

An online advertising network or ad network is a company that connects advertisers to websites that want to host advertisements.

The key function of an ad network is an aggregation of ad supply from publishers and matching it with the advertiser’s demand.

Ad Networks are used by media buyers (affiliates) to drive traffic to different affiliate offers.

Adult Dating

Adult dating is allowed to use nude creatives and nude images on landing pages.

Usually, the funnel is very aggressive and adult dating offers are allowed for promotion only on porn sites.

Advertiser

The advertiser is the owner of the product or service that is going to be sold through affiliate marketing.

When a traffic network speaks about “Advertisers”, they refer to people who buy traffic from their inventory.

Adware

Adware, often called advertising-supported software(or spyware), is software that generates revenue for its developer by automatically generating online advertisements to the user during the installation process.

Adware is usually forbidden in every AD Network, so avoid it.

AdSense

A Google ad network for publishers that determines payments for affiliates based on clicks and advertiser’s bids.

Ad Tag

This is an HTML element that is used to display ads it does this by dynamically fetching them from an ad server. Also referred to as an ad snippet or container tag.

Affiliate

An affiliate, or publisher, is a person who promotes the products of the advertisers (the owner of the product) using his or her own advertising efforts.

Affiliates, by advertising, push website visitors to the advertiser using different forms of advertising materials.

When, as a result of this advertising a sale or action takes place in an advertiser’s webshop or website, the affiliate will receive the predetermined fee for this. (The Affiliate Commission)

Affiliate Agreement

The affiliate agreement is the terms of service the advertiser and the affiliate have agreed to operate under.

It defines their relationship and specifies what the responsibilities of each party are, and what the agreements are about payouts and commissions.

Affiliate Commission

This is the percentage of a sale an affiliate earns when someone buys something or completes an action on the merchant’s site through your affiliate links.

Affiliate ID

This is a unique identifier provided by affiliate networks to identify affiliates who are members of their program. Usually, this is a username or a number assigned to the affiliate by the affiliate software.

Affiliate Link

An affiliate link is unique to one person or entity. It is a link that when clicked by the customer informs the advertiser through which affiliate a sale has taken place.

This is how the affiliate marketer receives the commission to which they are entitled.

Affiliate Manager

The person who is usually responsible for managing an online affiliate program for a merchant. In one ideal world, your Affiliate Manager (AM) should be your new best friend because his job is to help you make money.

Affiliate Marketing

A form of marketing where you (the affiliate) earns a commission every time you make a sale by promoting and or advertising someone else’s products or services.

Or as a publisher, you pay a commission every time someone makes a sale of your products or services.

Affiliate Marketing Forum

An online community where subscribers to the forum can get information and help on various topics related to the affiliate marketing industry.

Affiliate Network

An affiliate network is a place where advertisers and affiliates come together.

On an affiliate network, you will find companies that make their services and products accessible for affiliates to promote. And affiliates that are looking for products and services to promote.

Affiliate Posts

Usually, blog posts are written primarily to promote affiliate offers. Examples of these are, product reviews, resource pages, product listicles (i.e. “Best” of) and product tutorials or how-to guides.

Affiliate Program

Where an advertiser (owner of the product) pays a fee to an affiliate for the action of generating clicks, sales, or leads from links located on that affiliate’s website or advertising mediums.

Affiliate Programs are also known as partner, associate, revenue-sharing, or referral programs.

Alexa Rank

The Alexa rank is a measure of a website’s popularity. It ranks millions of websites in order of popularity where being number 1 is of high value. Ranking in the Alexa top 100 will almost certainly mean you are making good money.

Alt Text

Alternative text is usually displayed in place of an image. 

Anchor Text

The word or phrase that you usually see in blue or as underlined text on a web page that links to another web page.

AOV

The average order value. You might “bundle” offers and have different prices for those bundles and you may try to upsell your customer before they leave this is how you achieve a higher AOV.

API

Application Programming Interface is an interface that defines interactions between multiple software applications or mixed hardware-software intermediaries. An API is usually in the form of something that looks like a piece of code.

APK

The APK extension stands for Android Package Kit and is the file format used for installing Android applications.

Attribution

A process where a dedicated piece of software is able to identify which affiliates are driving conversions.

The software can attribute conversions based on the last click, and first click, or even share commissions between the first and the last click.

Auto-Download Offers

Once the final user clicks the creative, the content is automatically downloaded without his consent. These offers usually are forbidden and they are considered for blackhat offers so better don’t promote them!

Autoresponder

Sometimes called ‘bots’ auto responders are usually a part of email software to send automated pre-worded responses that are sent to new email subscribers.

B

Backlink

A backlink is considered the holy grail for most bloggers who have affiliate links on their posts.

It’s a link which is placed on what is usually a high authority website (probably from a guest post) and points back to the blogger’s website. This increases the domain authority of the blogger’s site.

Bait & Switch Content

This involves getting a page to rank in search engines with relevant content and then once it’s ranking, switching out the content with something else (ads, Clickbank offers, affiliate links, etc).

Banner AD

Banner Ads or Display Ads are one of the staple forms of online advertising. The most used banner formats are 300×250 and 728×90 for desktop and 320×50 & 250×250 for mobile.

These types of ads are the ones you see typically placed between paragraphs on a web page.

Banner Blindness

Banner blindness is a term used in digital and affiliate marketing to highlight a person’s inability to notice or pay attention to banner ads.

Base Commission

This is the published commission on a program.

Basket Abandonment

When a customer who is part way through a purchase or has unpurchased items in their cart, leaves the website without completing the transaction.

Black Hat SEO

Black hat SEO is a tactic used to attempt to rank a website in a way that violates search engine guidelines.

Black hat SEO tries to manipulate search engine algorithms to increase a site’s rankings on the SERPs. Not for the faint-hearted, so best avoid this practice.

Blacklist

If you have a RON (Run On Network) campaign but realise you need to stop buying traffic from unprofitable spots, you would create a filter or a Black List which contains all the “bad” websites/placements and not use them again.

Blind Network

Today this usually refers to a sub-network. It’s used to get extra sales fast often using a more leadgen type of format. In different markets, this can be a disaster for the brand or product’s image.

Bonus

Payment of enhanced %age commission for performance well above the agreed base rate.

Bot Traffic

Bot traffic describes any non-human traffic to a website or an app. The term bot traffic often carries negative feelings, but in reality, bot traffic isn’t necessarily good or bad; it all depends on the purpose of the bots.

C

Call to Action (CTA)

A call to action is typically a persuasive statement or a button placed in marketing materials, such as advertisements, landing pages, blogs, or promotional content, with the intention of driving users to perform a particular action.

Can Spam

A term that refers to US email compliance rules for commercial email, and requirements for commercial messages to prevent rogue unsolicited emails.

Campaign

A campaign is a structured promotional effort designed to generate sales or drive specific actions through an affiliate program.

It involves a collaboration between the advertiser (also known as the merchant or the brand) and the affiliate (also known as the publisher or the partner).

Cashback Affiliates

Websites that offer consumers an amount of cashback in exchange for a desired action, typically a sale on a website or store that is working with the affiliate to promote their goods or services.

CC Submit Offer

A Credit Card Submit offer is where you would earn a commission only if the user enters their credit card information.

Chargeback

A chargeback is a return of money to the payer of a transaction, where the payer believes they have not received what was promised, i.e. faulty goods.

Clawback

A clawback refers to the process of reclaiming or recovering previously paid commissions or affiliate earnings from an affiliate marketer.

A clawback usually occurs when the merchant or advertiser discovers fraudulent activity, policy violations, or breaches of the affiliate agreement that warrant the reversal of previously paid commissions.

Click Active

The number of affiliate partners that have at least one click during a given period. A click active percentage can be obtained using the formula: partners who have clicks divided by total partners. 

Click Fraud

Click fraud (usually occurring in a CPC campaign) is when an affiliate attempts to inflate the number of clicks that an ad receives. This can be done by humans or bots. This practice will usually result in the affiliate being banned from the network.

Click ID

Is the user’s identification code. It contains info about the country, city, browser, hour, day, etc. It essentially contains data on where and when the user performed an action. You will see this in every tracker used in affiliate marketing.

Click Stream

Describes the number of clicks a consumer makes in ‘the funnel’ prior to purchase. 

Click Through Rate (CTR)

The ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who view a page, email, or advertisement. So if you had 1000 people see your ad and 100 people clicked on it, then your CTR would be 10%.

Client-Based Tracking

A method where information is stored on the user’s computer. A cookie is saved in the user’s browser when they click on an ad, the information stored can then be used to link back to the affiliate that sent the user so they can get their commission.

Cloaking

Cloaking is a black hat search engine optimization technique in which the content presented to the search engine spider is different from that presented to the user’s browser.

It is banned from traffic networks and social media and can result in legal action against you.

Cloud Hosted Tracking

Refers to the practice of using a cloud-based infrastructure to host and manage the tracking software or platform used for tracking and managing affiliate marketing activities.

Commission

A fee paid to an affiliate for a customer completing an action for example making a purchase or filling in a registration form.

Commission Rate

Typically expressed as a %age, but you will see some affiliate programs that show it as a fixed amount i.e. $15 per sale/action. Where it’s a percentage on a commission rate of 5% on a sale of $100, the commission would be $5. 

Consumer

                  A consumer refers to an individual who purchases or engages with a product or service from affiliate marketing efforts.

The consumer is the end user or customer who ultimately makes a transaction or takes a desired action, such as making a purchase, submitting their contact information, or signing up for a service.

Content

This refers to any form of media or information created and shared by the affiliate marketer to engage and attract an audience. Content can take various formats, including written articles, blog posts, product reviews, videos, podcasts, social media posts, and more.

Content Affiliates

A content affiliate refers to an affiliate marketer who primarily focuses on creating and promoting content to drive traffic and generate commissions.

They typically specialize in creating valuable and informative content that is relevant to their target audience’s interests and needs.

Content Farm

The content produced by content farms is often characterized by cheap and low-quality information, excessive use of keywords, and a lack of originality or value.

These websites prioritize quantityover quality and the attraction of search engine traffic over providing useful or engaging content to users. Not a great strategy.

Contextual Link

A contextual link is a hyperlink within a piece of content that is placed in a relevant context.

It is a type of link that occurs naturally within the writing of the content, is not promotional or spammy in nature and takes the reader to additional information or resources related to the topic being discussed.

Conversion

The exact definition of conversion can vary depending on the specific objectives of the affiliate marketing campaign or the affiliate program.

Typically when a consumer clicks an ad and then takes the desired action like making a purchase or filling in a form or maybe downloading an app, this is a conversion.

Conversion Rate (CR)

Conversion Rate (CR) is one of the most important metrics in affiliate marketing.

It tells you the percentage of visitors to your website/offer’s landing page who complete the desired action like a sale or filling in a contact form out of the total number of visitors. The calculation is:

Conversion Rate = (Number of Conversions / Total Visitors) * 100

For example, if an affiliate marketer generates 50 conversions from 1,000 visitors to their website, the conversion rate would be:

Conversion Rate = (50 / 1,000) * 100 = 5%

Cookie

Cookies are small files that hold data specific to a particular visitor and website or landing page.

This can be accessed either by the web server or the user’s computer Cookies play an important role in tracking and identifying affiliate referrals and commissions.

Cookie Duration

The length of time in which a cookie will remain valid on your site before it expires or is destroyed by another referral’s cookie.

This can vary depending on how long the cookie is set to last. For example, a 30-day cookie duration means that if someone clicks through your affiliate links and doesn’t make a purchase right away but comes back within 30 days, you’ll still be eligible for a commission.

Cookie Stuffing

Cookie stuffing, also known as cookie dropping or cookie hijacking, is an unethical practice in affiliate marketing.

It involves surreptitiously placing affiliate tracking cookies on a user’s device without their knowledge or consent in order to fraudulently generate affiliate commissions. It is easily detectable so don’t even consider it.

Cookieless Tracking

Cookieless tracking is an alternative approach to maintaining accurate tracking and attribution in affiliate marketing campaigns. It typically involves using other tracking technologies and methods that do not rely on cookies.

Cost Per Action (CPA)

This is the pricing model used by advertisers to pay affiliates based on a specific action or conversion that is achieved as a result of the affiliate’s marketing efforts.

CPA focuses on the desired actions taken by users rather than just clicks or impressions, i.e. filling in a form = an action).

Cost Per Click (CPC)

The pricing model used by many ad networks where an affiliate marketer running a campaign would pay per click of their ads.

CPC focuses on the number of clicks rather than specific actions or conversions. This allows affiliates to drive traffic to their website offers or landing pages and increase visibility, with the understanding that they will pay for the clicks received.

Cost Per Completed View (CPCV)

This is the amount an advertiser pays to the affiliate every time a consumer watches an entire video when they click on an ad and are taken to the video.

Cost Per Install (CPI)

This pricing model is used by advertisers (the app owner) to pay affiliates based on the number of app installations they drive. CPI focuses on the specific action of users installing a mobile application.

Cost Per Lead (CPL)

The pricing model is used by advertisers or affiliate networks to pay affiliates based on the number of leads they generate.

A lead refers to a potential customer who expresses interest in a product or service by providing their contact information or taking a specific action that indicates their potential as a sales opportunity.

Cost Per One Thousand Impressions (CPM)

Also known as Cost Per Mille, this pricing model is used by advertisers to pay affiliates based on the number of impressions their advertisements receive.

CPM focuses on the number of ad impressions rather than specific actions or conversions. If the CPM price is $1 you pay 1$ whenever visitors see your creative 1000 times.

Cost Per Sale (CPS)

A payment model where you receive your affiliate commission only if the visitor you sent via your affiliate link makes a purchase (buys something) from the advertiser (product owner or webshop).

CPS focuses on the specific action of users making a purchase.

Cost Per View (CPV)

This is a pricing model used by advertisers (the video owner or creator) to pay affiliates based on the number of views their video content receives. CPV focuses on the number of views rather than specific actions or conversions.

Coupon

Refers to a type of promotional code or voucher that offers a discount or special deal to customers when making a purchase.

Coupons are commonly used by affiliates as a marketing tool to attract and incentivize customers to buy products or services from the merchants they promote.

Coupon Codes

Affiliates typically receive unique coupon codes from the merchant or advertiser that they can share with their audience. When a customer uses the affiliate’s coupon code during purchase, it serves as a tracking mechanism to attribute the sale or referral to the affiliate.

Creative

It refers to the visual or multimedia content used in promotional materials to attract and engage the audience.

It can include various forms of media, such as images, banners, videos, infographics, text ads, or interactive elements. It might also be referred to as your “ad”

CSV File

In the context of affiliate marketing, a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file is a common file format used for organizing and storing data in a structured manner.

It is a plain text file that uses commas to separate values within each line. Affiliate marketers often use CSV files to manage and organize large amounts of data related to their affiliate campaigns.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV or LTV)

The predicted or estimated total value that a customer will generate over the course of their entire relationship with a business or brand.

It represents the monetary worth of a customer’s interactions and transactions with the business, taking into account their purchases, repeat purchases, and potential referrals.

D

Daily Budget

Daily Budget refers to the maximum amount of money that an advertiser or affiliate is willing to spend on advertising or promotional activities within a single day. It’s usually set when an affiliate starts a campaign on an ad network.

Datafeed

A Datafeed is a comprehensive list of products, their prices, availability info and descriptions, and other relevant information. It’s the information that merchants pass on to their affiliates to help them sell their products.

Dayparting

Refers to the practice of scheduling and adjusting advertising campaigns based on specific times of the day or days of the week.

It involves dividing the day into different time segments and targeting advertising efforts during the periods when the target audience is most likely to be active or responsive.

Dayparting needs good amounts of data to work well so make sure you know your stuff!

Deal Affiliates

A description of an affiliate marketer who specializes in promoting and driving traffic to deals, discounts, and promotional offers.

Deal affiliates focus on finding and promoting exclusive deals, coupons, limited-time offers, and special promotions provided by advertisers or merchants. Also sometimes referred to as a hybrid of a coupon and content partner.

Deep Linking

Deep Linking is the practice of directing users to a specific page or content deep within an advertiser’s website.

Rather than simply sending them to the homepage, it involves embedding unique affiliate tracking parameters in the link to get the customer to, for example, a specific product, and make sure the affiliate gets the commission.

Demand-Side Platforms (DSP)

A technology platform that enables advertisers or media buyers to purchase and manage digital advertising inventory across multiple ad exchanges and publishers in an automated and data-driven manner.

A DSP provides advertisers with a centralized platform to access and optimize their digital advertising campaigns. It offers a range of features and tools to help advertisers efficiently target their desired audience, set campaign parameters, manage budgets, and track performance.

Disclosure

Is the practice of clearly and conspicuously informing consumers that the content they are engaging with contains affiliate links.

Affiliate marketing involves promoting or recommending products or services and earning a commission for any resulting sales or actions.

Disclosure requirements can vary by country or jurisdiction, so it’s important for affiliate marketers to familiarize themselves with the regulations in the regions they operate in.

Direct Billing Flow (MSISDN)

Refers to the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number. It is a unique identifier associated with a mobile phone number in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.

In this context, when a user clicks on an affiliate’s referral link and lands on an advertiser’s website, the MSISDN can be captured to associate the user’s mobile phone number with the transaction.

This allows for the identification and attribution of conversions specifically from mobile users.

Direct Buy

A direct buy is a process of buying traffic and impressions in bulk directly from website owners. It starts with contacting an owner of a specific website and after this, it continues with negotiating a price. Only for the experienced or bold!

Display

Usually refers to websites that run affiliate banner ads and/or videos typically on a CPM basis.

Display ads can be placed on various online platforms, including websites, blogs, social media networks, search engine result pages, or mobile apps. They can be static images, animated banners, interactive media, or video ads.

Do-Follow Links

A Do-Follow refers to a hyperlink that is configured to pass on the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value or “link juice” from the referring webpage to the linked webpage.

This means that search engines, like Google, recognize and follow the link, considering it as a recommendation or endorsement from the referring webpage.

Domain Authority (DA)

DA is a metric used to estimate the strength, credibility, and ranking potential of a domain name or website in search engine results.

It is scored from 0 to 100. It is not specific to affiliate marketing but is relevant in understanding the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) aspect of affiliate marketing efforts.

Double Opt-In

Mostly for email marketing DOI refers to a method of obtaining explicit consent from users who wish to receive communications or marketing messages from an affiliate or advertiser.

A user who wants to subscribe or receive updates voluntarily provides their email address or other contact information on a website or opt-in form.

After this initial submission, the user receives an email or notification containing a confirmation link or request to confirm their subscription.

Drip Campaigns

Drip campaigns are a series of emails or other messages sent to subscribers. They are a form of email marketing and can be used for encouraging customers to complete the marketing funnel purchase from affiliate links on websites

Dynamic Tracking

Dynamic Tracking allows affiliates to track and attribute conversions or sales accurately in real-time, taking into account variables such as GEO, City, OS, OS Version, Device Type, Browser etc. A must-have for campaign management.

E

Earnings Per Click (EPC)

This is the metric that measures the average revenue generated by an affiliate’s clicks on an affiliate program’s offers or links.

EPC is calculated by dividing the total earnings generated by the number of clicks received during a given period.

For example, if an affiliate receives 1,000 clicks on an offer during a month and generates $2,000 in revenue, the EPC would be $2,000 divided by 1,000 clicks, or $2.00.

This means that, on average, each click generated $2.00 in revenue for the affiliate during the period.

Email Affiliates

They manage or own large consumer databases, often operating more in the Leadgen segment of affiliate marketing.

They have access to vast amounts of consumer demographic data and are able to segment their databases to run highly targeted campaigns.

Email Swipes

Refers to pre-written email templates or messages that affiliates can use as a starting point or reference when crafting their own promotional emails.

Email swipes are designed to provide affiliates with a foundation for their email marketing campaigns, helping them save time and effort in creating engaging and persuasive emails.

Engagement

This is the level of interaction, involvement, and connection between the target audience and the affiliate marketer’s content or promotional efforts.

It measures how actively and attentively the audience interacts with the content, such as clicking on links, leaving comments, sharing the content, or taking desired actions.

An important metric for affiliates.

Exit-Intent Popups

A type of popup or overlay that appears on a website when a visitor is about to leave or navigate away from the site. It is triggered by detecting the user’s mouse movement towards the browser’s navigation bar, indicating an intention to exit the page.

External Linking

The practice of including hyperlinks in your content that direct users to websites or landing pages that are not part of your own website or domain.

These external links can lead to the websites of the affiliate programs or products you are promoting, as well as other relevant resources or sources of information.

F

Feeds

Typically refers to product data feeds or affiliate data feeds.

These feeds are structured files or formats that contain information about products and services such as SKUs, Images, product descriptions and prices and are used to update or populate a website with the most current information.

Fired Pixel

Refers to a tracking pixel that has been successfully triggered or executed on a user’s browser or device.

A tracking pixel, also known as a conversion pixel or tracking code, is a small piece of code placed on a website or landing page to track specific actions or events, such as conversions, clicks, or page views.

First-Click Attribution

In the context of affiliate marketing, “first click attribution” is an attribution model that gives credit for a conversion or sale to the first affiliate touchpoint or interaction that a customer had with an affiliate’s marketing efforts.

It means that the affiliate who drove the initial click or introduced the customer to the product or service is credited with the commission for the sale, regardless of any subsequent interactions or touchpoints that may have occurred with other affiliates or marketing channels.

First Party Cookies

These are small text files that are stored on a user’s browser by the website they are visiting directly.

These cookies are set by the website’s domain and are primarily used to enhance the user experience, remember user preferences, and provide personalized content or features.

First-party cookies play a crucial role in affiliate marketing as they enable tracking and attribution of affiliate referrals and conversions.

Frequency Capping

The business of limiting the number of times an advertisement is shown to a particular user within a specified time period.

It aims to manage and control the frequency at which a user is exposed to an ad to avoid overexposure or excessive repetition.

Usually over a 24-hour period, an example would be: If you have a frequency capping of 1/24 this ad will be shown only 1 time in 24 hours. if you have 3/24 it will be shown 3 times over 24 hours and so on.

G

Gap Analysis

Refers to the process of assessing and identifying the difference or gap between the current performance or results and the desired or optimal performance.

It involves analyzing the existing affiliate marketing strategies, tactics, and outcomes to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for growth.

Also used to measure performance against competitors if you have access to Publisher Discovery.

GEO Target

Geotargeting refers to the practice of delivering targeted content or advertising based on the geographic location of the user

It involves tailoring marketing messages, offers, and promotions to specific regions, countries, cities, or even more granular levels.

GDPR

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation.

It is a comprehensive data protection and privacy regulation implemented by the European Union (EU) that became enforceable on May 25, 2018. GDPR aims to provide individuals with greater control over their personal data and to harmonize data protection laws across EU member states.

In the context of affiliate marketing, GDPR has a significant impact on how personal data is collected, processed, and shared by affiliates, advertisers, and other entities involved in the affiliate marketing ecosystem.

Non-compliance with the GDPR can result in significant fines and penalties. Therefore, it’s crucial for affiliate marketers to understand

Google Ads Keyword Tool

The Google Ads Keyword Tool refers to a tool provided by Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords).

It is designed to help advertisers and marketers identify relevant keywords for their ad campaigns.

While it may not be specifically designed for affiliate marketing, it can be a valuable resource for affiliates to conduct keyword research and optimize their content for search engines.

Google Quality Score

Relating to Google Ads, the Quality Score is a metric used by Google to evaluate the quality and relevance of keywords and ads in a specific advertising campaign.

It affects the ad’s position in search results and the cost per click for advertisers. The Quality Score is based on several factors, including, Click-Through Rate, Ad Relevance, Landing Page Experience and Ad Format and Performance.

Grey Hat

                       Refers to the use of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques that fall somewhere between white hat SEO (ethical practices) and black hat SEO (unethical practices).

Grey hat SEO techniques may involve manipulating search engine algorithms to achieve higher rankings for websites, but without fully crossing the line into explicitly prohibited practices.

Not recommended as the penalties could include de-indexing of your pages!

H

HTML

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is the standard markup language used to create and structure web pages on the internet. HTML provides a set of tags and elements that define the structure, layout, and content of a webpage.

Hyperlink

A hyperlink, also known as a link or active link, is a clickable element on a webpage that connects to another webpage or resource.

When a user clicks on a hyperlink which could be text or an image, they are typically redirected to the linked webpage or resource, allowing them to access additional information or take a specific action.

I

Impression

An impression refers to the number of times an advertisement or promotional content is viewed by users.

It represents the total count of times an ad or content is displayed on a webpage or in an app, regardless of whether the user interacts with it or takes any action.

In-House Offer

                      In the context of affiliate marketing, an in-house offer refers to an affiliate marketing program that is managed and operated directly by the brand or merchant themselves, rather than through a third-party affiliate network or platform.

With an in-house offer, the brand takes full control of the affiliate program, including program setup, affiliate recruitment, commission structure, tracking, and payout management.

Incentive Traffic

This is a type of traffic generation where affiliates offer incentives to encourage users to engage with their affiliate links or take specific actions.

These incentives can come in various forms, such as rewards, discounts, bonuses, or other benefits, provided to users in exchange for their interaction or engagement. Some affiliate networks don’t like incentive traffic.

Incrementality

The measure of additional value or benefit generated by an affiliate marketing campaign compared to the results that would have occurred naturally or organically without the campaign.

It aims to evaluate the true impact or effectiveness of an affiliate marketing campaign by assessing the incremental value it provides.

Indie Program

An affiliate program operated by an independent or small-scale brand or business.

“Indie” is short for “independent” and typically represents brands that are not part of major corporations or well-established entities.

Influencer

An individual or content creator who has a significant online following and the ability to impact the opinions, behaviours, and purchasing decisions of their audience.

Influencers typically have established credibility and authority in a specific niche or industry, and their recommendations or endorsements can carry substantial weight with their followers.

Influencer Network

Also known as an influencer marketing platform it’s a third-party platform or agency that connects brands or advertisers with influencers.

Influencer networks act as intermediaries, facilitating partnerships and collaborations between brands and influencers for promotional campaigns, including affiliate marketing initiatives.

Initial Commission

The commission rate an affiliate receives when they first sign up for an account at the network may be set by a site or at the discretion of the individual affiliate program manager.

In-Page Push Notifications

This is a type of notification that appears directly within the web page that a user is currently browsing.

Unlike traditional push notifications that appear as pop-up windows or banners outside of the webpage, in-page push notifications are displayed within the browser window itself.

Importantly they can appear on any platform, desktop or mobile and unlike web push notifications they do not require the user to have subscribed for them to appear.

Insertion Order (IO)

An initial commission refers to the contract usually between a merchant and affiliate that dictates the commission earned by an affiliate for generating a qualifying action, or conversion from a referred user during their first interaction or purchase with a brand or merchant.

It specifically pertains to the commission earned on the initial transaction or conversion rather than subsequent purchases.

Internal Links

Hyperlinks that connect different pages or content within the same website or domain. These links are used to navigate between different sections or pages of a website, allowing users to access related or relevant information without leaving the website.

J

Joint Venture

A collaboration or business relationship between an affiliate and an advertiser. It involves the affiliate promoting the advertiser’s products or services in exchange for earning commissions or other forms of compensation for driving sales or conversions.

K

Keyword

A specific word or phrase that a user enters into search engines when looking for information, products, or services related to a particular topic.

Keywords are crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) and play a significant role in driving organic traffic to affiliate websites or content.

Keyword Density

Keyword Density refers to the percentage or ratio of how frequently a particular keyword or phrase appears within a piece of content in relation to the total number of words in that content.

It is often expressed as a percentage. Tools such as Rank Math can help manage this.

Keyword Research

The business of identifying and analyzing specific words or phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for information, products, or services related to a particular topic or niche.

The goal of keyword research is to understand the search behaviour of the target audience and uncover relevant keywords that can be strategically used to optimize website content and drive organic traffic.

Keyword Stuffing

The practice of excessively and unnaturally using keywords within a piece of content with the intention of manipulating search engine rankings.

It involves overloading content with keywords, often in a repetitive and irrelevant manner, without providing valuable or meaningful information to the users. Considered a Black Hat SEO technique avoid it!

L

Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone web page that is specifically designed and optimized to fulfil a particular goal or objective, such as capturing leads, promoting a product, or encouraging a desired action from the visitor, and usually has no navigation.

Last-Click Attribution

Programs using the last-click model attribute the sale to the affiliate whose link was the last one that the customer clicked on before making a purchase.

This means that though your referral could still be within the agreed cookie duration, you will not earn a commission if they clicked on another affiliate’s link and ended up purchasing the product.

Lead

Refers to a potential customer or prospect who has shown interest in a product or service offered by an affiliate marketer.

A lead is typically generated when a user takes a specific action, such as filling out a form, subscribing to a newsletter, or providing contact information on a website.

This action indicates their interest in learning more about the affiliate’s promoted product or service.

Lead Generation

The process of identifying and attracting potential customers or leads who have shown interest in the products or services promoted by an affiliate marketer.

The goal of lead generation is to gather contact information or other relevant details from individuals who are likely to be interested in the affiliate’s offerings.

Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is an incentive or offer used to entice potential customers or leads to provide their contact information or take a specific action. The magnet might take the form of eBooks, checklists, workbooks, discount codes, free trials, etc.

Link Building

The process of acquiring links from other websites to the affiliate marketer’s website or landing page.

The primary goal of link building is to improve the website’s search engine ranking and drive more traffic to the affiliate marketer’s offerings by building its authority with search engines.

Link Juice

Also known as link equity, it is In the context of affiliate marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), the value or authority passed from one webpage to another through hyperlinks.

It is a term used to describe the impact or influence that a link has on the search engine ranking and visibility of the target webpage.

LSI Keyword (LSI)

For affiliate marketing and SEO (search engine optimization), an LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keyword refers to a term or phrase that is semantically related to the main keyword or topic of a webpage.

LSI keywords are used to improve the relevancy and context of the content and help search engines understand the overall theme and intent of the page.

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M

Machine Learning

                      This is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on developing algorithms and models that enable computers to learn and make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed.

Machine learning algorithms analyze and interpret data, identify patterns, and continuously improve their performance through experience.

Mainstream Dating

The promotion and marketing of dating platforms or websites that cater to the general population and cover a wide range of demographics.

Mainstream dating platforms aim to connect individuals seeking romantic relationships, companionship, or casual dating experiences.

In mainstream dating, nude images are not allowed so you can advertise them in different traffic sources like push, native, and even search engines.

The main rule here is to be sure your creatives match the traffic source’s requirements and that you don’t violate any policies!

Manual Approval

Firstly, manual approval refers to the process where an affiliate program or advertiser manually reviews and approves or disapproves affiliate applications.

Secondly, it can be the manual approval of your ad campaign, where it is reviewed by humans prior to being allowed to run.

Mass Media

Mass Media refers to various forms of communication channels or platforms that reach a large audience simultaneously.

Mass media encompasses traditional media channels, such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards, as well as digital media platforms, including websites, social media platforms, online news outlets, and video-sharing platforms.

Maximum Budget

The maximum amount of money you can or you want to spend on a campaign. When the maximum budget is reached the campaign will stop automatically. You can combine it with a Daily budget.

Media Buyer

An individual or a team responsible for planning, negotiating, and purchasing advertising space or media placements on behalf of advertisers or affiliate marketers.

Media buyers aim to optimize the allocation of advertising budgets to reach the target audience effectively and generate the desired outcomes, such as driving traffic, generating leads, or increasing sales.

Meta Description

For affiliate marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), a meta description refers to a brief snippet of text that summarizes the content of a webpage.

It is an HTML tag that provides a concise description of the page’s content to search engines and users. (The small print under the title on a Google search!)

Meta Tag

                      In the context of affiliate marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), a meta tag refers to a line of HTML code that provides information about a webpage to search engines and other web crawlers.

Meta tags are embedded within the head section of an HTML document and are not visible to users when they visit the webpage.

Meta Title

For affiliate marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), the meta title, also known as the title tag, refers to the HTML element that specifies the title of a webpage.

It is one of the most important on-page SEO elements and is displayed as the clickable headline in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Mobile Affiliates

A mobile affiliate refers to an affiliate marketer who specializes in promoting affiliate offers and generating conversions specifically on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

Their traffic is usually largely invisible as links from an app are often directed to an app or for an app Install (paying a CPI commission).

Mobile Billing

A payment method that allows users to make purchases or pay for products and services directly through their mobile devices.

It enables consumers to charge the cost of a product or service to their mobile phone bill or deduct the payment from their prepaid mobile credits. Also known as carrier billing.

N

Naked Linking

In the context of affiliate marketing, naked linking refers to the practice of including direct, unmasked, or unmodified affiliate links within the content or promotional materials. These naked links are used to send traffic to a merchant site that has authorised it.

Native Advertising

                      This is a form of paid advertising that blends seamlessly with the surrounding content and appears as a natural or native element within a platform or publication.

Native ads are designed to match the look, feel, and context of the platform where they are displayed, making them less disruptive and more engaging for users.

Network Override

The %age additional commission payable by the product owner as the affiliate network transaction fee.

An example would be you have a product you own and you use an affiliate network to find affiliates to promote it. If you paid a 10% commission and an affiliate drove £100 in sales, the affiliate would get £10.

The network would get an override based on the commission, so if they got a 20% override, they would get £2. Overall the cost to you would be £12. 

New To File

A term used to describe a customer or lead who is new to the advertiser or merchant’s database. It indicates that the individual has not previously interacted with or made a purchase from that particular advertiser or merchant.

Niche

In the context of affiliate marketing, a niche refers to a specialized segment or specific area of interest within a broader market.

It represents a distinct and focused subset of consumers who share common characteristics, preferences, and needs.

Choosing a niche is an essential aspect of affiliate marketing as it helps affiliate marketers define their target audience and tailor their marketing efforts accordingly. 

Niche Marketing

Niche marketing involves identifying a specific niche within a broader market and tailoring your affiliate marketing strategies to effectively reach and engage with that niche audience.

By narrowing your focus to a specific niche, you can position yourself as an expert in that area, cater to the unique needs of the audience, and increase your chances of success.

No Follow Link

A type of hyperlink attribute that instructs search engines not to follow or pass any authority or “link juice” from the linking website to the linked website.

It essentially tells search engines to disregard the link when determining search engine rankings.

O

Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA)

OBA refers to the practice of delivering targeted advertisements to users based on their online behaviour, interests, and browsing habits.

It involves collecting and analyzing data about users’ online activities to better understand their preferences and deliver relevant advertisements.

Offer

Refers to a specific product, service, or promotion that an affiliate marketer promotes to their audience in exchange for a commission or compensation.

The offer is typically provided by an advertiser or merchant who partners with the affiliate marketer to promote their products or services.

Offer URL

A unique URL is provided by the advertiser or merchant for a specific offer that an affiliate marketer is promoting.

The offer URL contains tracking parameters that enable the affiliate network or platform to track clicks, referrals, and conversions generated by the affiliate marketer’s promotional efforts.

Off-Page SEO

Off Page SEO (search engine optimization) refers to the actions and strategies taken outside of your own website to improve its search engine rankings and visibility.

It involves optimizing factors that are not directly under your control but can have an impact on your website’s search engine performance. Link Building would be an example of this.

On-Page SEO

On Page SEO (search engine optimization) refers to the optimization of various elements on your website to improve its search engine rankings and visibility.

It involves optimizing factors that are directly under your control and can have a significant impact on your website’s performance in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Outsourced Program Manager (OPM)

In the context of affiliate marketing, an outsourced Program Manager (OPM) refers to a professional or agency that is hired by a merchant or advertiser to manage their affiliate program on their behalf.

Instead of handling the day-to-day operations of the affiliate program internally, the merchant outsources the management responsibilities to an external OPM.

Opt-In Email

                      Refers to an email that is sent to individuals who have willingly and explicitly given their consent to receive promotional or informational emails from a particular marketer or company.

These individuals have “opted in” or subscribed to an email list, indicating their interest in receiving communication from the marketer.

Outbound Link

An outbound link refers to a hyperlink that directs users from your website or content to another website or external resource. It is a link that points to a different domain or website outside of your own.

P

Page Authority

A metric or score that predicts the likelihood of a specific web page ranking well in search engine results.

It is a term commonly associated with search engine optimisation (SEO) and refers to the authority or credibility of a particular page in the eyes of search engines.

Page Rank

PageRank refers to a ranking algorithm developed by Google to assess the importance and relevance of web pages.

It was one of the key factors used by Google to determine the ranking of web pages in search engine results pages (SERPs). However, it’s important to note that Google officially retired the PageRank metric in 2016, and it is no longer publicly visible.

Paid Placements

Refers to a promotional method where an affiliate marketer pays for prominent placement or visibility of their affiliate links or content on another website or platform.

It involves a financial arrangement between the affiliate marketer and the website owner or platform where the placement is being sought.

Paid Search

Paid search refers to a form of online advertising where affiliate marketers pay to have their ads displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs), when specific keywords or phrases are searched by users. It is also commonly known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Partner

In the context of affiliate marketing, a partner refers to an individual or entity with whom an affiliate marketer collaborates to promote products or services and generate sales or leads.

Partnerships are formed between affiliate marketers and merchants or advertisers to establish mutually beneficial relationships.

Pay Bump

In the context of affiliate marketing, a pay bump refers to an increase in the commission rate or payout that an affiliate marketer receives for promoting a specific offer or product.

It is a form of incentive provided by the advertiser or affiliate program to motivate and reward affiliates for their performance.

Payment Threshold

Refers to the minimum amount of earnings or commissions that an affiliate marketer must accumulate before they are eligible to receive a payment from the affiliate program or advertiser.

It is a predetermined threshold set by the affiliate program to ensure efficient payment processing and minimize transaction costs for small or frequent payments.

Pay Per Call (PPC)

PPC is a pricing model where affiliates are compensated for driving phone calls to advertisers or businesses. Instead of earning commissions based on sales or leads, affiliates earn a commission for each qualified phone call they generate.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

PPC is a model of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked.

It is a method of driving traffic to a website or affiliate offer, where the advertiser only pays when a user clicks on their ad. A good example is Google Ads these are the ads you see above the free search results in Google. Here, advertisers often also pay per click.

Pay Per Lead (PPL)

PPL is a pricing model where advertisers pay affiliates a commission for each qualified lead they generate.

Unlike pay-per-click (PPC) or pay-per-sale (PPS) models, pay-per-lead focuses on incentivizing affiliates to generate potential customers or leads for the advertiser. A couple of examples would be subscribing to an email list and making an enquiry.

Pay Per Sale (PPS)

PPS is the pricing model where advertisers pay affiliates a commission for each sale or conversion they generate.

It is a performance-based model where affiliates earn a commission only when a referred customer makes a purchase or completes a desired action.

Payout

A payout refers to the payment made to an affiliate marketer by an affiliate program or advertiser for the successful referral, sale, or lead generated through the affiliate’s promotional efforts.

Performance Based Marketing

A type of marketing approach where advertisers or affiliate programs compensate affiliates based on the performance or specific actions they generate.

Instead of paying affiliates upfront or solely based on impressions or clicks, advertisers reward affiliates for driving desired actions, such as sales, leads, or conversions. Affiliate Marketing is in itself performance-based marketing.

Performance Marketing Agreement (PMA)

In the context of affiliate marketing, PMA stands for Performance Marketing Agreement.

A Performance Marketing Agreement is a contract or agreement between an affiliate marketer and an advertiser or affiliate program that outlines the terms and conditions of their partnership.

It serves as a legally binding document that governs the relationship, responsibilities, and compensation structure between the parties involved.

Pixel

In the context of affiliate marketing, a pixel refers to a small snippet of code or tracking pixel that is placed on a website or landing page to collect data and track user behaviour.

It allows advertisers or affiliate programs to monitor and measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, as well as attribute conversions or actions to specific affiliates. Mostly associated with Facebook.

Pixel Tracking

Pixel Tracking refers to the method of tracking user behaviour and actions on a website or landing page using a tracking pixel.

It involves the use of a small, invisible image or code snippet (the pixel) that is placed on a web page to collect data and provide insights into user interactions, conversions, and campaign performance.

Placement Fee

A placement fee refers to a payment made by an advertiser or merchant to secure a specific placement or position for their affiliate offer or advertisement on a publisher’s website or platform.

It is a fee paid to the publisher or affiliate network in order to have the affiliate offer prominently displayed in a preferred location.

Plug-In

This is a software component that can be added to a website or an application to extend its functionality or provide additional features.

Most used in web builders like WordPress, plugins are commonly used to enhance the performance, design, or user experience of a website or app.

Poor Quality Traffic

Refers to website visitors or users who are not likely to engage with the affiliate’s offers or generate desired actions, such as purchasing or completing a lead form.

Affiliates sending poor-quality traffic run the risk of closing their account with their affiliate network. In affiliate marketing, good quality traffic is far more important than large volumes of it.

Postback URL

A postback URL (also known as a server-to-server callback) is a URL provided by an affiliate network or advertiser, to track and communicate conversion data from the affiliate’s traffic source or website back to the network or advertiser’s tracking system.

Postback URL Tracking is also known as server-side or Server-to-Server (S2S) tracking.

Pre-Sell

The process of priming and “warming up” the potential customer before they are redirected to the actual offer or sales page.

It involves creating content or providing information that builds anticipation, trust, and interest in the product or service being promoted. If a user is ready to buy before they hit the merchant store or site then you know you got it right.

Pop Up

Pop Up refers to a type of online advertisement that appears in a separate window or tab, typically triggered when a user visits a website or performs a specific action.

It “pops up” over the current webpage, capturing the user’s attention. Pop-up ads are often designed to be visually appealing and may contain promotional content or calls to action. There are dozens of types of pop-ups for affiliate marketers to utilise.

Pre-Lander

A Pre-Lander, (also known as a pre-sell page or pre-sale page) is a web page or landing page that serves as an intermediary step between an affiliate’s promotional efforts and the actual offer or sales page.

The purpose of a pre-lander is to pre-sell or pre-qualify the visitor before redirecting them to the advertiser’s offer. Pre Landers are frequently found in sales funnels.

Premium Targeting

Refers to a strategy or approach that focuses on reaching and engaging a specific and high-value audience segment, or space on a specific website.

It involves identifying and targeting users who are more likely to convert or generate higher revenue for the advertiser.

Price Comparison

In the context of affiliate marketing, a “price comparison” refers to the practice of comparing the prices of products or services from different sellers or retailers, in order to provide consumers with information to make informed purchasing decisions.

Especially strong across competitive product areas such as white goods, technology products and web hosting. The listings may well be skewed by bigger brands paying a ‘tenancy fee’ as well as CPA to secure higher spots in Top-10 listings. 

Private Blog Network

A network of websites or blogs that are owned and controlled by a single entity or individual

The purpose of a PBN is to manipulate search engine rankings and drive organic traffic to specific websites or affiliate offers. Considered a Black Hat SEO technique, there are severe penalties if caught doing it.

Programmatic Marketing

Is the automated buying and selling of advertising inventory using technology and algorithms. It involves the use of data, real-time bidding, and automation to optimize the delivery of targeted advertisements to specific audiences.

Projection

A forecast or estimation of future performance or results. It involves predicting and estimating the potential outcomes, such as sales, revenue, or conversions, based on historical data, trends, and other relevant factors for a campaign.

Proxy

A server or intermediary that acts as a middleman between a user’s device and the internet. It allows users to browse the web and access online content indirectly by routing their requests through the proxy server and thus not revealing their location.

Publisher

Refers to an individual or entity that promotes and drives traffic to affiliate offers or products on their website, blog, or other online platforms. Publishers are also known as affiliates or affiliate marketers.

Push Ad

Refers to a type of online advertising that delivers promotional content directly to a user’s device, typically in the form of push notifications.

Push ads are sent to users who have opted in to receive notifications from a website or mobile app.

Push Notification

This is a short message or alert that is delivered to a user’s device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Push notifications are sent by websites or mobile apps to users who have opted in to receive updates or notifications from them.

Q

R

Ranking

Generally refers to the position or visibility of a website, webpage, or affiliate content within search engine results pages (SERPs).

When a user performs a search on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo, the search engine algorithm determines the relevance and quality of various web pages and ranks them accordingly.

Raw Clicks

Refers to the total number of clicks generated on affiliate links or advertisements without accounting for any additional metrics or factors.

It represents the raw count of users who clicked on a specific affiliate link or ad, regardless of whether they completed any further action or conversion.

Real-Time Bidding (RTB)

Is a method used in programmatic advertising to buy and sell ad impressions on a per-impression basis in real time.

It is an automated auction-based process that occurs within milliseconds as the webpage loads, allowing advertisers to bid for ad placements based on specific targeting criteria and user data. The higher your bid is gets you the best available traffic.

Recruiting

In the context of affiliate marketing, this refers to the process of actively seeking and onboarding new affiliates to promote a particular affiliate program or offer.

Affiliate recruiting involves identifying potential affiliates, reaching out to them, and persuading them to join the program and promote the products or services as affiliates.

Recurring Commissions

Recurring commissions are commission payments that affiliates receive on an ongoing basis for as long as the referred customer remains active or continues to generate revenue for the affiliate program or advertiser.

These commissions are typically associated with subscription-based products or services where customers pay recurring fees on a periodic basis, such as monthly or annually.

Redirect

A redirect refers to the process of automatically forwarding or sending users from one web page to another. It involves using a specific URL or script to redirect users to a different destination page.

Referral

A referral is the business of recommending or referring potential customers or leads to an affiliate program or advertiser.

When an existing affiliate refers someone to the affiliate program or promotes a specific product or service to their audience, they are considered to be making a referral.

Referral Bonus

A referral bonus is an additional incentive or reward that an affiliate receives for successfully referring new customers or affiliates to an affiliate program or advertiser.

It is a form of commission or compensation provided to affiliates for their efforts in bringing in valuable referrals.

Referral Fee

Refers to the commission or compensation that an affiliate receives for successfully referring customers or leads to an affiliate program or advertiser. Can also be a fee paid when an affiliate generates a sale or lead.

Referring Domain

A referring domain refers to a website or domain that sends traffic to another website through a referral link or click. It represents the source of the incoming traffic from a specific website to the destination website.

Retargeting

                       Also known as remarketing, refers to the practice of displaying targeted ads to users who have previously visited a website or engaged with specific content but did not convert or take the desired action.

Retargeting aims to re-engage these users and encourage them to revisit the website or complete the desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.

Return On Ad Spend (ROAS)

Is a metric that measures the effectiveness and profitability of advertising campaigns. ROAS quantifies the revenue generated for every unit of advertising spend. The calculation to find ROAS is ROAS = Revenue from Advertising / Cost of Advertising.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on Investment is a key performance metric that measures the profitability and effectiveness of an affiliate marketing campaign or strategy. It quantifies the return or profit generated from the total investment made in the campaign.

Revenue

The total amount of money generated from sales, conversions, or other actions resulting from the affiliate’s campaign. Revenue is a key metric that indicates the financial performance of an affiliate marketing campaign.

Revenue Per Visitor (RPV)

In the context of affiliate marketing, Revenue per Visitor (RPV) refers to the average amount of revenue generated for each visitor who visits a website or landing page through an affiliate’s referral link.

RPV is a key performance metric that measures the effectiveness of a website or campaign in terms of converting visitors into revenue.

To calculate RPV, you divide the total revenue generated by the number of visitors. RPV = Total Revenue / Number of Visitors.

RevShare

Stands for revenue sharing. It is a commission structure in which affiliates receive a percentage of the revenue generated from the referred customers or conversions they bring to an affiliate program or advertiser. Also known as Recurring Commissions.

Risk Management

The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks and uncertainties associated with affiliate marketing activities. It involves implementing strategies and measures to minimize the negative impact of risks and maximize the chances of success.

Robots.txt

Is a text file that is placed on a website to communicate instructions to web robots (also known as web crawlers or spiders), indicating which pages or sections of the site should be crawled and indexed by search engines.

Run Of Network (RON)

RON, in terms of affiliate marketing, refers to a type of advertising campaign where the ads are displayed across an entire network of websites or placements, without specific targeting or segmentation.

In run-of-network advertising, advertisers generally give up say over placement in return for low rates and broad reach.

Ads may be placed randomly in unsold, less valuable portions of sites within an ad network.

S

S2S Tracking

A method of tracking conversions and attributing them to specific affiliates or publishers using direct communication between servers.

Also known as post-backs, it is an alternative to traditional pixel-based tracking, where a tracking pixel is placed on the advertiser’s thank-you or confirmation page. It is more accurate, provides better security, and greater flexibility.

Sale Active

The status of an affiliate referral or lead that has resulted in a successful sale or conversion.

It indicates that the referred customer has completed a desired action, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or completing a transaction, which generates revenue for the affiliate. Usually measured over a month or quarter.

Sales Funnel

The series of steps or stages that a potential customer goes through from their initial exposure to a product or service until they make a purchase.

The sales funnel is designed to guide and nurture prospects, leading them towards becoming paying customers.

Search Affiliates

An affiliate marketer who generates traffic and leads through search engine marketing (SEM) techniques, primarily focusing on search engine advertising or pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.

Often referred to as PPC arbitrage; the affiliate uses PPC on keywords in search but earns on an affiliate CPA model.

Search Engine

An online platform or website that allows users to search for information by entering keywords or search queries.

Search engines crawl and index web pages from across the internet, and when a user performs a search, the search engine displays a list of relevant search results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The practice of optimizing a website or content to improve its visibility and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

The goal of SEO is to increase organic (non-paid) traffic to a website, ultimately driving more potential customers and conversions for affiliate offers.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

The page is displayed by a search engine in response to a user’s search query. When a user enters a keyword or a search term into a search engine, the search engine algorithm processes the query and generates a list of relevant web pages, ads, or other content that matches the search intent.

Segment

Refers to a specific group or subset of an affiliate marketer’s target audience that shares similar characteristics, interests, or behaviours.

Segmenting the audience allows affiliate marketers to tailor their marketing efforts and messages to specific groups, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of their campaigns.

Self Hosted Tracking

Self-hosted tracking refers to the practice of hosting and managing the tracking software or platform on your own servers or infrastructure, rather than relying on a third-party cloud hosting provider.

SEO Affiliates

Usually, they don’t buy traffic for their websites but put efforts in to organically rank them in search engines with extensive use of SEO techniques.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A software distribution model where software applications are provided and accessed over the internet.

Instead of purchasing and installing software on individual computers or servers, users subscribe to a SaaS platform and access the software through their web browser.

Single Offer

Refers to an individual affiliate offer or promotion that an affiliate marketer promotes to their audience.

Unlike multiple or multi-offer campaigns, where affiliates promote multiple offers simultaneously, a single-offer campaign focuses on promoting and driving conversions for a specific product, service, or offer.

Single Opt-In (SOI)

A method of obtaining consent from users to receive marketing communications or join a mailing list with just one step.

When a user completes a registration form or provides their email address, they are immediately added to the affiliate marketer’s mailing list or database without requiring any additional confirmation or verification. See also Double Opt-In.

Smartlink

A SmartLink (also known as a global offer link or intelligent link) is a URL that dynamically redirects users to the best offers or landing pages based on various factors such as their geographic location, device type, operating system, language, or other targeting parameters. 

SMS Billing Flow

Refers to the process by which customers are billed for products or services through SMS (Short Message Service) messages on their mobile devices. This billing method allows customers to make purchases or payments by simply sending a text message.

Split-Testing

Also known as A/B testing or multivariate testing, and is the practice of comparing two or more variations of a marketing element or strategy to determine which one performs better in terms of achieving desired outcomes or conversions.

Spot Advertising

Refers to the placement of ads or promotional content in specific spots or time slots within media channels, this could involve purchasing ad spots on relevant websites, blogs, social media platforms, or other online channels to promote affiliate offers or products.

Subdomain

In the context of affiliate marketing, a subdomain is a subsection or subdivision of a larger domain.

It is created by adding a prefix to the main domain name and is used to organize and categorize content within a website. For example, your site is www.domainname.com if you ad a subdomain it becomes www.subdomain.doaminname.com.

Sub Network

Also known as a sub-affiliate network or secondary network, refers to a network of affiliates or publishers who are recruited and managed by another primary affiliate network.

The primary network acts as an intermediary between advertisers and affiliates, while the subnetwork operates under the umbrella of the primary network.

Super Affiliate

A largely outdated term, it refers to an individual affiliate who accounts for most of an affiliate program’s volume. Mostly now used in FX and Gaming, where affiliate Rev-share earnings can be astronomical.

Supply-Side Platforms (SSP)

A technology platform that enables publishers and website owners to manage and monetize their advertising inventory.

An SSP serves as an intermediary between publishers and advertisers, providing tools and services to optimize the sale of advertising space on publishers’ websites.

Surveys

A method of collecting information or feedback from individuals who interact with affiliate marketing campaigns or websites.

Surveys are used to gather insights about the target audience, their preferences, behaviour, opinions, and other relevant data that can be used to improve marketing strategies, optimize campaigns, or tailor offers to better meet their needs.

Sweepstakes Offer

A promotional campaign where participants have a chance to win prizes through a random drawing or contest. Sweepstakes offers are a popular marketing strategy used by advertisers to attract attention, engage users, and generate leads or conversions.

Swipe Files

Collections of marketing materials, such as ad copy, email templates, landing page designs, and other promotional content, that affiliate marketers use as inspiration and reference for their own campaigns.

Swipe files serve as a valuable resource to help marketers create compelling and effective marketing materials by drawing inspiration from successful examples. Often provided by merchants for affiliate use.

T

Target Keyword

Refers to a specific keyword or phrase that affiliate marketers aim to optimize their content or advertising campaigns around.

Target keywords are selected based on their relevance to the affiliate offer, search volume, competition, and ability to attract the desired target audience.

Targeted Marketing

The business of tailoring marketing efforts and messages to a specific audience or customer segment.

Instead of employing a broad and generic approach, targeted marketing focuses on reaching and engaging individuals who are more likely to be interested in the affiliate offer being promoted. 

Technology Affiliates

An individual or entity that promotes and sells technology-related products or services through affiliate marketing strategies.

Technology affiliates focus specifically on promoting and driving sales for products or services in the technology industry, which may include electronics, software, hardware, gadgets, digital services, telecommunications, or other technology-related offerings.

Tenancy Fee

Also known as a Placement Fee a tenancy fee refers to a payment made by an affiliate to secure a prominent ad placement or dedicated advertising space on a website or platform.

It is a fee paid to the owner or operator of the website or platform for the exclusive right to display affiliate advertisements or promotional content within a specific area or position on their site.

Third-Party Cookies

A third-party cookie refers to a small text file that is stored on a user’s device by a website or domain other than the one they are currently visiting.

These cookies are set by third-party entities, such as advertising networks, tracking platforms, or analytics providers, to track user behaviour, personalise ads, and gather data for marketing and analysis purposes.

Token

In affiliate marketing, a token can represent a unique identifier or code that is appended to an affiliate link or URL.

This token is used to track and identify specific affiliates and their referral traffic.

When a user clicks on an affiliate link with a token, it triggers the tracking system to attribute any subsequent conversions or actions to that particular affiliate. Often used by tracking platforms such as Red Track.

Toolbar Affiliates

Refers to an affiliate marketer who promotes affiliate offers and generates referrals through the use of browser toolbars or browser extensions.

These toolbars are typically installed as add-ons or plugins in web browsers and provide additional functionalities or features to enhance the user’s browsing experience.

Tracking

The process of monitoring and recording user interactions, behaviours, and conversions throughout the affiliate marketing journey.

It involves the use of tracking mechanisms and technologies to gather data and attribute specific actions or conversions to the appropriate affiliates, advertisers, or marketing channels.

Tracking Link

Also known as an affiliate link or referral link, it is a unique URL that contains tracking parameters or codes. These links are used to track and attribute referral traffic and conversions to specific affiliates or marketing channels.

Tracking Platform

Also known as an affiliate tracking platform or affiliate tracking software, is a software solution used to track and manage affiliate marketing activities, particularly for paid advertising campaigns.

They provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to monitor and attribute conversions, calculate commissions, generate reports, and optimize affiliate campaigns. Tracking platforms can be cloud or self-hosted.

Tracking URL

A tracking URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a unique URL that contains tracking parameters or codes used to track and attribute conversions or actions to specific affiliates or marketing campaigns.

All visitors that arrive at the website will be tracked through this code.

Traffic

                       Refers to the visitors or users who visit a website or landing page through various sources such as search engines, social media platforms, email campaigns, display ads, or other marketing channels.

Traffic is a crucial aspect of affiliate marketing as it represents the potential audience that affiliates aim to reach and engage with.

Traffic Source

A traffic source refers to the specific channel or platform through which visitors or users arrive at a website or landing page.

It is the origin of the traffic that affiliates generate to promote offers or products. Understanding and effectively utilizing different traffic sources is crucial for successful affiliate marketing campaigns.

Traffic Volume

Traffic volume refers to the quantity or amount of traffic generated or received by a website or landing page. It represents the number of visitors or users who visit a website within a specific period of time.

U

Unique Click

Refers to a single click made by a unique individual or user. It represents a distinct visitor who clicks on an affiliate link or advertisement, regardless of how many times they may click on the link within a specific time frame.

Unique User

A unique user refers to an individual visitor or user who interacts with a website, landing page, or affiliate offer.

Unlike unique clicks, which measure the number of distinct clicks on a link, unique users focus on identifying and counting the number of individual visitors.

Universal Basket

Refers to a feature or functionality that allows users to add items from multiple online stores or merchants into a single virtual shopping cart or basket.

It aims to streamline the shopping experience by enabling users to browse and purchase products from different affiliate partners within a unified checkout process. Used in places like travel to add a hotel, car, flight etc.

URL

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) refers to the web address or specific location of a webpage or online resource on the internet.

It is a string of characters that serves as the unique identifier for a webpage, allowing users to access and view the content hosted on that page.

V

Voucher

A Voucher or coupon in the US refers to a promotional code that provides a discount or special offer to customers when making a purchase. Vouchers are commonly used by affiliates to attract and incentivize customers to buy products or services from the merchants they promote.

W

Web Builder

In the context of affiliate marketing, a web builder refers to a tool or platform that allows individuals to create and customize websites without requiring advanced technical skills or knowledge of coding.

Web builders provide a user-friendly interface with pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop functionality, enabling users to design and build their websites quickly and easily.

Web Crawler

A web crawler, also known as a spider or bot, refers to a software program or script that systematically scans and explores websites on the internet.

Web crawlers are used by search engines and other online platforms to collect data, index web pages, and provide relevant search results to users.

Web Host

A service provider that offers the infrastructure and resources needed to make a website accessible on the internet. A web host is responsible for storing website files, maintaining server hardware and software, and ensuring that the website is available to visitors.

Web Push Notification

A type of notification that is sent to users who have opted in to receive updates from a website or platform. These notifications are delivered directly to the user’s web browser, even if they are not currently browsing the website.

White Hat SEO

The Business of ethical and legitimate practices and techniques used to improve a website’s search engine rankings and organic visibility.

White hat SEO focuses on following search engine guidelines and providing value to users, rather than attempting to manipulate search engine algorithms for quick gains.

White Label

Means a product or service that is created by one company but is rebranded and sold by another company as its own.

The term “white label” implies that the product or service is presented with a generic or blank label, allowing the reselling company to apply its own branding, logo, and identity.

Whitelists

In the context of affiliate marketing, a whitelist refers to a list of approved or trusted sources or entities that are allowed to display or promote advertisements or offers on a particular platform or network.

It is a proactive measure taken by advertisers, affiliate networks, or platforms to control and ensure the quality and legitimacy of the ads or offers being displayed.

X

Y

Youtube Affiliate

                       A YouTube affiliate refers to an individual or entity that utilizes the YouTube platform to promote and generate affiliate commissions from products or services.

YouTube affiliates create and publish video content with the intention of driving traffic, engaging viewers, and encouraging them to make purchases through their affiliate links, which are usually in the text below the video view.

Z

Taking It On From Here

This has been a lot of information for anyone to read, let alone process and that’s ok.

If you have managed to get your head around the basics in this post and want to learn more then you can download the enhanced and extended version of the Glossary of Affiliate Terms.

The extended version gives you not just the text above but also more in-depth explanations and insights into the world of Affiliate Terms and their meanings and uses.

Other Alternatives for You

there are plenty of other resources out there for you to add to your affiliate marketing knowledge, so don’t be afraid to explore the net and up your game by reading and learning more.

Wrapping Up

There is so much more to Affiliate Marketing than most people realise.

There are just way too many TikTokers, Instagram storytellers and others telling you how easy it is to “crush it” and earn stupid amounts of money in a matter of hours.

The truth is that in my experience it takes a lot of work and indeed some money to get yourself started and eventually make some money.

So don’t be put off if your first attempt doesn’t work, keep at it, put in some hours, do the research and it will all pay off in the end.

You can sign up for my email updates below, in the meantime, I wish you well on your Affiliate Journey.

James

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