Growth glossary
The vocabulary of growth, without the jargon
Every acquisition, conversion and steering concept explained simply, with the formula, a concrete example and the tool to run the numbers.
Acquisition and media 8 terms
How you attract prospects, and at what cost.
ROASReturn On Ad SpendThe revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising.CPLCost Per LeadWhat it costs you, on average, to obtain a sales contact.CPCCost Per ClickThe average price paid for each click on an ad.CPMCost Per MilleThe cost of showing an ad one thousand times.CTRClick-Through RateThe share of people who click after seeing your ad.RetargetingShowing your ads again to visitors who did not convert.Landing pageThe page dedicated to converting a campaign's visitor.LeadA sales contact: someone who has shown interest.
Conversion and pipeline 6 terms
How a contact becomes a customer.
Conversion rateThe share of visitors or leads who move to the next step.FunnelConversion funnelThe visitor's path to becoming a customer, step by step.ClosingTurning a lead into a signed customer.MQL and SQLMQL / SQLA lead qualified by marketing, then by sales.NurturingLead nurturingMaintaining the relationship with a prospect who is not ready yet.Lead scoringScoring your leads to prioritize the hottest ones.
Unit economics 6 terms
The real profitability of your growth.
CACCustomer Acquisition CostWhat acquiring a customer costs you, all included.LTVLifetime ValueThe total margin a customer brings you over time.LTV / CAC ratioLTV / CACThe health ratio of your acquisition (aim for 3 to 1).PaybackThe time it takes to recoup a customer's acquisition cost.Gross marginWhat remains of a sale once direct costs are deducted.Average order valueAOVThe average amount of an order or a contract.
SEO and AI visibility 6 terms
How you get found on Google and in AI answers.
Local SEOBeing visible on geolocated searches in your area.AEOAnswer Engine OptimizationBeing the answer cited by answer engines.GEOGenerative Engine OptimizationExisting in the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.SERPSearch Engine Results PageThe results page of a search engine.BacklinkA link from another website to yours, a mark of authority.Featured snippetPosition zeroThe answer box displayed above the results.
Ops and automation 5 terms
How you keep the pace without exploding costs.
CRMCustomer Relationship ManagementThe tool that centralizes and tracks the whole customer relationship.WorkflowA chain of automated actions triggered by an event.AutomationHaving a tool execute the repetitive, rule-based tasks.Follow-upRecontacting a prospect or a quote left without a reply.ReportingPutting your key metrics into regular dashboards.