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Local Marketing Glossary
The terms that matter most when your business competes locally, operates across multiple locations, and needs marketing that actually drives revenue.
A
A/B Testing
A/B testing is the practice of running two versions of a marketing element simultaneously to measure which version produces better results based on actual audience behavior, so businesses can improve performance without increasing spend.
Ad Creative
Ad creative is the visual and written content of a paid advertisement including the headline, images or video, body copy, and call to action, determining whether a buyer engages with an ad or scrolls past it.
Ad Spend
Ad spend is the total amount a business invests in paid advertising across all channels over a defined period, used as the baseline input for calculating cost per lead, cost per click, and return on ad spend and for making decisions about how marketing budget is allocated across campaigns and markets.
AI Overview
AI Overviews is Google's AI-generated answer feature that appears at the top of search results, synthesizing information from multiple sources to answer a query directly before showing traditional search results below.
AI Search Visibility
AI search visibility is how often and how prominently your business appears in answers generated by AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews when someone asks a question related to your products or services.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Answer engine optimization is the practice of structuring your content so that AI-powered tools that answer questions directly, like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, are more likely to pull from your content when generating a response.
Attribution Modeling
Attribution modeling is the practice of assigning credit to the marketing channels, campaigns, and touch-points that contributed to a conversion so businesses can understand which marketing activities are actually driving revenue and allocate budget accordingly.
B
Bid Stategy
Bid strategy is the approach a business uses to set and adjust how much it is willing to pay for ad placements in paid search and display auctions, determining the balance between campaign visibility, traffic volume, and cost efficiency across every keyword and audience the campaign targets.
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of website visitors who leave after viewing only one page without taking any action, indicating that the page either did not match what the visitor was looking for or failed to give them a reason to stay.
Brand-to-Local Marketing
Brand-to-local marketing is the practice of a parent brand pushing marketing assets, campaigns, funding, and guidelines down to locally operating dealers, franchisees, or branches so every location competes effectively in its own market without going off-brand.
C
Call Attribution
Call attribution is the process of connecting every inbound phone call to the specific marketing campaign, channel, keyword, or page that generated it so businesses can measure the revenue impact of their marketing investment accurately.
Call to Action (CTA)
A call to action is a prompt in an ad, email, webpage, or other marketing asset that tells the reader what to do next, such as calling a phone number, submitting a form, booking an appointment, or clicking a link, and is the mechanism that converts marketing attention into a measurable business outcome.
Call Tracking
Call tracking is a marketing technology that assigns unique phone numbers to different campaigns, channels, or pages so every inbound call can be traced back to the specific source that generated it.
Churn Rate
Churn rate is the percentage of customers a business loses over a defined period, measuring how effectively the business retains the customers it has acquired and directly affecting customer lifetime value, revenue predictability, and the marketing investment required to sustain growth.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-through rate is the percentage of people who see an ad, search result, or email and click on it, measuring how effectively your messaging and positioning compel buyers to take the next step.
Connected TV Advertising (CTV)
Connected TV advertising is the practice of running video ads on streaming platforms like Hulu, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, combining the reach and impact of television advertising with the geographic precision and performance tracking of digital marketing.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the practice of creating and publishing useful, relevant content that attracts buyers to your business by answering the questions they are already asking, building trust and authority before a sales conversation begins.
Conversation Intelligence
Conversation intelligence is the practice of recording, transcribing, and analyzing sales and service calls to understand what buyers are saying, what objections they raise, and what messaging converts so businesses can improve marketing, sales, and service performance.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Conversion rate optimization is the practice of improving the percentage of website visitors or ad clicks that take a desired action, such as submitting a form, calling a business, or booking an appointment, so a business gets more results from the traffic it is already generating.
Co-op Advertising
Co-op advertising is a cost-sharing program where a manufacturer or franchisor funds a portion of a dealer or franchisee's local advertising in exchange for promoting the brand's products through approved campaigns and channels.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
Cost per click is the amount a business pays each time a buyer clicks on a paid ad, determining how efficiently ad spend is being converted into website traffic and making it a primary metric for evaluating paid search and display campaign efficiency.
Cost Per Lead (CPL)
Cost per lead is the total amount a business spends on marketing divided by the number of leads that marketing generates. It is the foundational metric for understanding whether a marketing channel is producing inquiries at a price the business can sustain.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A CRM is a software system that tracks every lead, contact, and customer interaction in one place so businesses can manage their sales pipeline, follow up consistently, and connect marketing activity to closed revenue.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Customer acquisition cost is the total amount a business spends on marketing and sales to acquire one new customer, used to evaluate whether the investment required to grow the customer base is justified by the value those customers generate over time.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Customer lifetime value is the total revenue expected from a customer over their relationship with your business. Learn how CLV works for local and multi-location businesses.
D
Data Aggregators
Data aggregators are companies that collect business information including name, address, phone number, and hours from multiple sources and distribute that data to directories, map services, search engines, and other platforms, making them a foundational layer of local search visibility that businesses must keep accurate.
Dealer Locator
A dealer locator is an embeddable tool on a brand's website that helps buyers find their nearest authorized dealer or distributor based on their geographic location or zip code.
Dealer Microsite
A dealer microsite is a branded, conversion-focused website built specifically for an individual dealer location that gives that location its own local web presence for promotions, inventory, and contact information while staying within the parent brand's guidelines.
Dealer Network Marketing
Dealer network marketing is the practice of helping manufacturers and brands run coordinated local marketing across every dealer location in their network, so each dealer gets found, generates leads, and converts customers in their own market while staying on brand.
Display Advertising
Display advertising is the practice of placing visual ads, including banner ads, image ads, and rich media, across websites, apps, and digital platforms to build brand awareness, reach targeted audiences, and bring back buyers who have already shown interest in your business.
Duplicate Listings
Duplicate listings are multiple online entries for the same business location appearing across Google, directories, or data aggregators, creating conflicting information that confuses buyers, undermines NAP consistency, and suppresses local search visibility.
E
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is the ability of an email to successfully reach a recipient's inbox rather than being filtered into spam, blocked by the receiving server, or bounced, determined by sender reputation, list quality, authentication setup, and email content signals.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is the practice of sending targeted, permission-based messages to a list of contacts to build relationships, nurture leads, drive repeat business, and convert prospects into customers over time.
Email Open Rate
Email open rate is the percentage of recipients who open an email out of the total number of emails delivered, measuring how effectively the subject line, sender name, and send timing compel recipients to engage with the message.
Email Segmentation
Email segmentation is the practice of dividing an email list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or behaviors so each group receives content that is relevant to their specific situation rather than the same message sent to everyone on the list.
Equipment Dealer Marketing
Equipment dealer marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing customer relationships for dealers selling and servicing outdoor power equipment, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, industrial equipment, and material handling equipment in a category defined by high purchase prices, seasonal demand patterns, OEM brand relationships, and buyers who research extensively before contacting a dealer.
F
First-Party Data
First-party data is information a business collects directly from its own customers and prospects through its own channels, including website visits, form submissions, phone calls, purchases, and email interactions, giving the business accurate, owned data that does not depend on third-party sources.
Form Conversion
Form conversion is the act of a website visitor completing and submitting a contact form, quote request, appointment booking, or other lead capture form, representing the point at which anonymous website traffic becomes an identified prospect with contact information the business can follow up on.
Franchise Marketing
Franchise marketing is the practice of running coordinated local marketing across every franchisee location in a network so each location gets found, generates leads, and converts customers in its own market while staying on brand and within franchisor guidelines.
G
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Generative engine optimization is the practice of structuring your content, data, and online presence so AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google are more likely to reference your business when generating answers to relevant questions.
Geofencing
Geofencing is a location-based advertising technology that draws a virtual boundary around a specific geographic area and delivers ads to mobile users who enter, exit, or have recently been within that boundary.
Geo-targeted Advertising
Geo-targeted advertising is the practice of showing ads only to people in specific geographic areas so your marketing budget reaches potential customers in the markets you actually serve rather than being spread across areas where you cannot do business.
Google Ads
Google Ads is Google's online advertising platform that lets businesses place paid ads across Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, and millions of partner websites, reaching buyers at the moment they are actively searching for a product or service.
Google Business Profile Optimization
Google Business Profile optimization is the practice of completing, maintaining, and actively managing your Google Business Profile so your business appears prominently in local search results and the Google Map Pack when nearby customers search for what you offer.
H
Home Services Marketing
Home services marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing reputation for businesses that provide services in customers' homes, including HVAC companies, plumbers, roofers, electricians, landscapers, pest control businesses, and other residential service providers.
HVAC Marketing
HVAC marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing customer relationships for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning companies in a category defined by urgency-driven demand, strong seasonality, recurring service relationships, and buyers who make high-stakes decisions about home comfort and safety under time pressure.
Hyper-local Targeting
Hyper-local targeting is the practice of delivering ads, content, or marketing messages to potential customers within a very precise geographic area such as a neighborhood, zip code, or radius around a specific location, reaching buyers at the moment they are closest to making a purchase decision.
L
Landing Page
A landing page is a standalone web page designed around a single goal, typically capturing a lead or driving a specific action, that a visitor arrives on after clicking an ad, email link, or search result.
Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO)
Large language model optimization is the practice of structuring your content and online presence so that AI models like GPT, Claude, and Gemini are more likely to reference your brand, products, or services accurately when generating answers to relevant questions.
Lead Attribution
Lead attribution is the process of connecting every inbound lead to the specific marketing campaign, channel, or source that generated it so businesses can measure which marketing activities are actually driving revenue and allocate budget accordingly.
Lead Decay
Lead decay is the rapid drop in the likelihood of converting a lead the longer it goes without a response. The longer a business waits to follow up on an inquiry, the lower the chance that lead ever becomes a customer.
Lead Nurturing
Lead nurturing is the practice of maintaining consistent, relevant communication with prospects who are not yet ready to buy, building trust and staying top of mind so the business is the natural choice when the prospect is ready to make a decision.
Lead Routing
Lead routing is the process of automatically directing incoming leads to the right person, team, or location based on predefined rules so every inquiry reaches the right follow-up without manual sorting or reassignment.
Lead Scoring
Lead scoring is the practice of assigning a numerical value to each inbound lead based on characteristics and behaviors that indicate how likely that lead is to convert into a customer, allowing sales teams to prioritize the leads most worth pursuing first.
Listings Management
Listings management is the process of keeping your business name, address, phone number, hours, and other details accurate and consistent across every online directory, map, and platform where customers might search for you.
Local Business Citations
Local business citations are any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number across directories, review sites, maps, and data platforms that help search engines verify your business is legitimate and located where you say it is.
Local E-E-A-T
Local E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is Google's framework for evaluating the quality and credibility of content and businesses, and it plays an increasing role in both local search rankings and AI-generated answers.
Local Map Pack (Google Map Pack)
The local map pack is the block of three local business listings that appears at the top of Google search results for local queries, showing a map alongside business names, ratings, hours, and contact information.
Local Search Ranking Factors
Local search ranking factors are the signals Google and other search engines use to determine which businesses appear in local search results and the Google Map Pack, including Google Business Profile completeness, NAP consistency, review volume, website content, and proximity to the searcher.
Local SEO
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence so your business appears when people nearby search for the products or services you offer, across Google, maps, directories, and AI-powered search tools.
Local Services Ads (LSA)
Local Services Ads are Google's pay-per-lead ad format that places verified local businesses at the very top of search results for high-intent service queries, charging only when a potential customer contacts the business directly through the ad.
M
Marketing Automation
Marketing automation is the use of software to execute repetitive marketing tasks automatically based on predefined rules or contact behavior, so businesses can deliver timely, relevant communication at scale without requiring manual effort for every action.
Marketing Dashboard
A marketing dashboard is a centralized reporting interface that displays key marketing performance metrics in one place, giving businesses and marketing teams a real-time view of how their campaigns, channels, and markets are performing without requiring data to be pulled manually from multiple disconnected platforms.
Marine Dealer Marketing
Marine dealer marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing reputation for dealers selling and servicing boats, watercraft, and marine equipment in a category where lifestyle identity, seasonal buying windows, high purchase prices, and strong community referral networks shape how buyers find, evaluate, and choose a dealer.
Multi-Location Marketing
Multi-location marketing is the practice of managing marketing across multiple business locations from one platform, giving a brand centralized visibility and control while letting each location compete effectively in its own local market.
Multi-Location SEO
Multi-location SEO is the practice of optimizing each location in a business network to appear in local search results for its own market while maintaining brand consistency and building authority across the entire network.
N
NAP Consistency
NAP consistency is the practice of keeping your business name, address, and phone number identical across every online directory, map, review platform, and data aggregator so search engines can confidently verify your business information and rank you accurately in local search results.
Near Me Search
Near me search is a local search query in which a buyer includes the phrase "near me" or relies on their device location to find businesses, services, or products in their immediate geographic area, signaling high purchase intent and proximity as the primary buying criteria.
Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are terms added to a paid search campaign to prevent ads from appearing for searches that are unlikely to convert, eliminating wasted ad spend on irrelevant traffic and improving campaign efficiency by concentrating budget on the searches most likely to produce leads.
O
OPE Dealer Marketing
OPE dealer marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing customer relationships for outdoor power equipment dealers serving both residential homeowners and commercial landscaping operations in a category defined by concentrated seasonal demand, dual buyer audiences with fundamentally different purchasing timelines, big-box retail competition that cannot replicate dealer service, and a rapidly accelerating shift toward battery-powered equipment that is changing how buyers search and shop.
Organic Search
Organic search is the process of earning unpaid placement in search engine results through content quality, website authority, and optimization rather than paying for ads, generating traffic that compounds over time as rankings improve.
P
Pay-per-click Advertising (PPC)
Pay-per-click advertising is a digital advertising model where businesses pay a fee each time a potential customer clicks on one of their ads, placing their brand in front of high-intent buyers at the exact moment they are searching for a product or service.
Pipeline Velocity
Pipeline velocity is the speed at which opportunities move through a sales pipeline from initial inquiry to closed revenue, measuring how efficiently a business converts leads into customers and how predictably revenue materializes from the current opportunity set.
Powersports Marketing
Powersports marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing reputation for dealers and brands selling motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides, watercraft, and snowmobiles in a category where seasonal demand, high purchase price, and passionate buyer communities require a distinctly local and lifestyle-aware approach.
Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory through software and real-time bidding, allowing businesses to reach specific audiences across thousands of websites, apps, and connected devices without manually negotiating individual ad placements.
R
Radius Targeting
Radius targeting is a paid advertising setting that restricts ad delivery to buyers located within a defined distance from a specific point, such as a dealership, store, or service area, ensuring ad spend reaches only the buyers who are geographically close enough to become customers.
Reputation Management
Reputation management is the practice of monitoring, responding to, and generating customer reviews across the platforms where buyers research businesses, so your online reputation accurately reflects the quality of your service and works in your favor.
Retargeting
Retargeting is a digital advertising strategy that shows ads to people who have already visited your website or interacted with your brand, keeping your business visible to buyers who showed interest but did not take action the first time.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Return on ad spend is the revenue a business generates for every dollar spent on advertising, used to evaluate whether a paid media investment is producing results and to compare the efficiency of different campaigns, channels, and markets.
Revenue Operations (RevOps)
Revenue operations is the practice of aligning your marketing, sales, and customer data into one reporting system so you can see how leads move through your pipeline, where they are lost, and which marketing activities are actually producing closed revenue.
Review Gating
Review gating is the practice of filtering customers before asking for a review, directing happy customers to public review platforms while discouraging or redirecting unhappy customers away from them. It violates Google's review policies and can result in penalties.
Review Generation
Review generation is the practice of systematically asking customers to leave reviews on Google and other platforms after a transaction or service interaction, building review volume and recency in a way that improves local search visibility and buyer trust.
Review Response
Review response is the practice of replying to customer reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp, both positive and negative, to demonstrate accountability, build buyer trust, and signal to search engines that your business is actively managed.
Review Velocity
Review velocity is the rate at which a business accumulates new customer reviews over time. Search engines interpret a consistent flow of recent reviews as a signal that a business is active, trusted, and currently serving customers in its market.
Roofing Marketing
Roofing marketing is the practice of generating leads, building local visibility, and managing reputation for roofing companies in a category defined by weather-driven demand, high-ticket projects, acute trust barriers, and a buyer journey that can compress from zero awareness to signed contract within hours of a weather event.
S
Sales Pipeline
A sales pipeline is a visual representation of where every active prospect is in the journey from initial inquiry to closed revenue, giving sales and marketing teams visibility into how many opportunities are being worked, what stage each is at, and how much revenue is likely to close in a given period.
Schema Markup
Schema markup is structured data added to a website's code that gives search engines and AI tools machine-readable information about what a page contains, helping businesses appear in rich search results and AI-generated answers with greater accuracy and prominence.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine marketing is the practice of gaining visibility in search engine results through a combination of paid advertising and organic optimization, putting your business in front of buyers at the moment they are actively searching for what you offer.
Service Area
A service area is the geographic territory a business defines as the region it actively serves customers in, used in local SEO, paid advertising, and Google Business Profile to ensure marketing reaches buyers within the business's actual operational reach rather than an undefined or overly broad geography.
Social Media Advertising
Social media advertising is the practice of placing paid ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to reach targeted audiences based on who they are, where they live, and how they behave online.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is the practice of building and maintaining a brand presence on social platforms through organic content, community engagement, and audience development, creating visibility and trust that paid advertising alone cannot replicate.
Social Proof
Social proof is the influence that other people's experiences, opinions, and actions have on a buyer's decision to trust and choose a business, expressed through customer reviews, ratings, testimonials, case studies, and user-generated content.
Software with a Service (SwaS)
SwaS is the operating model where a business gets both a fully integrated marketing platform and a dedicated team of specialists who run it. You never have to choose between software and service.
Speed to Lead
Speed to lead is the time between when a potential customer submits an inquiry and when your business responds. The faster the response, the dramatically higher the chance of converting that lead into a sale.
Store Locator
A store locator is an embeddable tool on a brand's website that helps customers find their nearest location, branch, service area, or franchise based on their geographic location or zip code.