Affiliate - A website owner that earns a commission for referring clicks, leads, or sales to a merchant.

Affiliate Marketing - A marketing technique that uses affiliates in order to generate leads.

Application-to-Closed Loan - The percentage of loan applications that result in closed loans.

Bidding - In online marketing terms, the auctioning of a placement for an online advertisement on Search Engines.

Click-through - The action when a user clicks on a link.

Click-Through Rate - The percentage of impressions that result in a visitor clicking on a specific advertisement.

Click-Through Ratio (CTR) - The percentage of visitors who click on a link to visit the merchant's website.

Conversion Rate - The percentage of clicks that result in a commissionable activity (sale or lead).

Cost per Click (CPC) - This is the amount that the advertiser pays for each click to a given advertisement or group of advertisements.

Cost per lead (CPL) - The price that mortgage lenders, schools, and others pay for each lead they receive.

Cost per Thousand (CPM) - The cost per thousand impressions.

Lead - Contact info as well as detailed information about a visitor. This information is used by mortgage lenders, schools, and others to sign on potential customers.

Lead Generation - Using marketing tools and/or advertising techniques in order to acquire leads.

Lead-to-Application - The percentage of leads that result in applications.

Lead-to-Closed Loan - The percentage of leads provided that result in closed loans.

Natural Search - Synonym for “Organic Search.” Traffic or search results that are a product of a Search Engine’s algorithm, rather than paid advertisements.

Organic Search - Synonym for “Natural Search.” Traffic or search results that are a product of a Search Engine’s algorithm, rather than paid advertisements.

Paid Ads - The Search Engine results that are paid to be placed when a word is searched. They are usually placed in specified locations around the “organic search” results.

Pay per Click (PPC) - This is a method of advertising where advertisers pay a given amount each click of their advertisement.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - The act of designing a website such that Search Engines rank the website high in search results.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP) - The page of website listings that appear from searching the web via a Search Engine.