70+ definitions of web, SEO, GEO, ERP and SaaS terms, explained simply for small business owners.
This digital glossary brings together the definitions of the main terms in web, search (SEO and GEO), development, ERP systems and SaaS solutions. Each term is explained in plain language, with concrete examples written for small business owners rather than technical experts.
Whether you are planning a website, a custom business software project or a visibility strategy, this vocabulary helps you talk confidently with your provider and make informed decisions. Use the search or the categories to find a term, and follow the "see also" links to explore related concepts.
Glossary maintained by Propulseo. Last updated: July 2026.
73 term found
A/B testing is a method that compares two versions of a page or element to determine which one produces the best results. For example, you can test two button colors to see which converts better.
See also: Conversions · Call-to-action (CTA) · Optimization
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the optimization of content to directly answer users' questions within answer engines and rich results (featured snippets, position zero, voice results).
The agile method is a project management approach based on short cycles (sprints) and regular adjustments. It allows you to adapt quickly to client feedback and deliver value continuously.
See also: Sprints · Kick-off · Prototype
AI (artificial intelligence) covers the technologies that enable machines to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence: understanding language, recognizing images, or making decisions.
AI (artificial intelligence) refers to computer systems capable of performing tasks that until now required human intervention: understanding language, generating text or images, analyzing data, and answering questions. Generative AI such as ChatGPT or Claude, trained on very large volumes of text, has made this technology accessible to every business through simple interfaces or APIs. In practice for a small or midsize business, AI translates into concrete tools: support chatbots, assisted writing, automation of repetitive tasks, and request triage. It is also transforming online search through answer engines, giving rise to GEO (optimization for these AIs).
Example: A services company installs an AI chatbot on its site that answers frequently asked questions around the clock, qualifies inquiries, and passes only serious prospects to sales, freeing up time at the front desk.
For an SMB: AI puts within reach of a small or midsize business capabilities once reserved for large organizations: automating without hiring, responding faster, and producing content at lower cost. The challenge for an owner is less about "doing AI" than identifying the concrete tasks where it saves time or wins sales.
See also: Generative AI · Automation · Workflows
Analytics refers to the analysis of visitor behavior on a website using tools like Google Analytics. It helps you understand where visitors come from, which pages they view, and what actions they take.
See also: Tracking · KPIs · Conversions
An API (Application Programming Interface) is an interface that allows two applications to communicate and exchange data with each other. For example, a website can use the Google Maps API to display an interactive map.
Automation means having software carry out repetitive tasks without human intervention. It saves time, reduces errors, and frees teams for higher-value work.
See also: Workflows · AI · ERP
B2B (Business to Business) refers to commerce between companies, as opposed to B2C (Business to Consumer), which targets individual consumers. Sales cycles are often longer and involve several decision-makers.
See also: LinkedIn · E-commerce
The back end refers to the server side of a website or application, invisible to the user. It handles the database, business logic, and data processing.
See also: Front end · Node.js · API
A backlink is a hyperlink placed on an external site that points to your website. Considered by Google as a vote of confidence, it helps improve the site's authority and its ranking in search results.
See also: Link building · Internal linking · SEO
Branding refers to building and managing a company's brand image: logo, colors, typography, tone of voice, and values. It makes a brand recognizable and consistent across all its channels.
See also: Design system · UI · LinkedIn
Business software is an application built to order to manage the specific processes of a company or industry. It addresses needs that no off-the-shelf tool on the market can cover.
A business website presents a company, its services, and its work in order to generate leads. Unlike an e-commerce site, it does not allow selling directly online.
A showcase site presents a company, its services, and its contact details, without any online sales function (unlike an e-commerce site). It typically includes a homepage, an overview of the business, a services page, a portfolio or customer reviews, and a contact form. Its goal is to reassure visitors, lend credibility to the company, and generate contact or quote requests. An effective showcase site is optimized for local search and designed to be viewed on mobile first.
Example: A law firm creates a clean showcase site presenting its practice areas and its team: when a prospect searches for "employment lawyer" in their city, they find a professional site that reassures them and prompts them to book an appointment rather than call a competitor.
For an SMB: For a small or midsize business, the showcase site is the digital business card viewed before any first contact: a dated or missing site drives potential customers toward better-presented competitors. It is often the investment with the best credibility-to-cost ratio.
See also: E-commerce · Landing page · CMS
A cache is a temporary data storage system that speeds up how web pages display. It avoids reloading already downloaded elements, such as images or style files, on every visit.
See also: Performance · Load time · Optimization
A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or element that prompts the user to take a specific action, such as "Request a quote," "Buy now," or "Sign up." It is a direct driver of conversion.
See also: Conversions · Landing page · UX
A CMS (Content Management System) is software that lets you create and manage a website (pages, articles, images) without technical skills. WordPress is its best-known example.
See also: WordPress · Headless CMS
A conversion is a visitor completing an expected action: a purchase, a newsletter signup, a quote request, or a download. The conversion rate measures the share of visitors who take action.
See also: Call-to-action (CTA) · Landing page · KPIs
Core Web Vitals are a set of three Google metrics that measure the real experience of a web page: loading speed (LCP), responsiveness to interactions (INP), and visual stability (CLS). They are factored into Google rankings.
See also: LCP · Performance · Load time
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is software for managing customer relationships that centralizes contacts, sales opportunities, and the history of interactions. It helps sales teams track and convert their leads.
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) centralizes all information about prospects and customers: contact details, history of interactions, quotes sent, sales closed, and follow-ups to plan. It replaces scattered address books and salespeople's personal Excel files with a shared database. A good CRM lets you track a prospect throughout their journey, automate follow-ups, and measure the conversion rate. There are general-purpose CRMs and industry-specific ones, often integrated with an ERP or with marketing tools.
Example: A woodworking craftsman who received quote requests by email, phone, and web form centralizes them in a CRM: he sees at a glance the quotes awaiting follow-up and stops forgetting prospects who, for lack of follow-up, were heading to a competitor.
For an SMB: Without a CRM, a small or midsize business loses sales simply for lack of follow-up: quotes never chased, prospects forgotten, information that walks out the door when a salesperson leaves. The CRM protects the company's commercial assets and mechanically raises the conversion rate.
See also: ERP · SaaS · Business software
A dashboard is an interface that visually gathers the key data and indicators of an activity. It lets you steer your business or website in real time, at a single glance.
See also: KPIs · Analytics · SaaS
A design system is a consistent library of reusable graphic components and design rules (colors, typography, buttons). It ensures visual consistency across an entire site or application.
See also: UI · Figma · Branding
A domain name is the unique address of a website on the internet (for example, propulseo-site.com), typed into the browser to reach it. It is leased from a registrar, usually for a renewable one-year term.
See also: Business website · Security
E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to the sale of products or services online. It includes the catalog, the shopping cart, secure payment, and order management.
E-commerce refers to selling products or services online through a merchant site with a catalog, a shopping cart, and a secure payment system. It relies on specialized platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce (the e-commerce extension for WordPress), or PrestaShop. Beyond the store itself, an e-commerce project involves inventory management, logistics, payments, and often traffic acquisition (SEO, advertising). Performance depends heavily on the shopping experience: speed, a smooth checkout flow, and trust.
Example: A winemaker who sold only on the estate opens an online store: he now ships anywhere in the country, automatically takes orders over the weekend, and is no longer limited by the tasting room's opening hours.
For an SMB: E-commerce opens a small or midsize business to a market beyond its geographic area and sells around the clock without a constant human presence. It is a direct growth lever, but one that requires thinking through logistics and traffic acquisition from the start to be profitable.
See also: Business website · Marketplace · Conversions
An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is software that centralizes the management of a company's core activities: inventory, purchasing, finance, human resources, and production.
An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) centralizes in a single database functions that are usually scattered: invoicing, inventory, purchasing, accounting, human resources, and production tracking. The advantage is that each piece of information is entered only once and flows automatically to the other modules, which avoids duplicate data entry and out-of-sync Excel files. There is a distinction between off-the-shelf ERPs (often heavy and generic) and custom-built ERPs, developed to fit the company's real processes closely. The current trend is toward SaaS-based ERPs, accessible from a web browser.
Example: A 25-employee trading company that managed its orders in Excel, its invoicing in a separate program, and its inventory by hand switches to a single ERP: a confirmed order draws down inventory, generates the invoice, and feeds accounting with no re-entry.
For an SMB: For a business owner, an ERP saves considerable time and makes the numbers reliable: fewer errors, a real-time view of operations, and teams that stop losing hours reconciling files. It is often what enables scaling up without hiring proportionally.
See also: CRM · SaaS · Business software
Figma is a collaborative online design tool for creating mockups and prototypes of websites and applications. Several people can work on it together in real time.
See also: UI · Wireframes · Prototype
The front end refers to the visible part of a website or application that users interact with directly: design, text, animations, buttons, and forms.
See also: Back end · React · UI
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the European law that governs the collection and use of personal data. It imposes obligations of transparency, consent, and security on businesses.
The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, known in French as RGPD) is the European legal framework, in force since 2018, that governs the collection and use of personal data (name, email, IP address, cookies). It requires, among other things, obtaining visitors' consent, clearly explaining how data is used, securing its storage, and allowing its deletion on request. In France, the CNIL enforces it and can impose financial penalties for non-compliance. In practice, it means a compliant cookie banner, a privacy policy, and rigorous handling of customer data.
Example: An online retailer that sends newsletters to addresses collected without explicit consent exposes itself to a complaint and a fine: getting compliant means a clear sign-up form, an unchecked consent box, and easy unsubscription.
For an SMB: Many business owners think the GDPR is only for large corporations, when any company that manages a customer file or a contact form is concerned. Beyond the risk of a fine, visible compliance reassures customers about the seriousness of the business.
See also: Security · Analytics · Tracking
Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence capable of creating original content: text, images, or code. ChatGPT for text and DALL-E for images are common examples.
See also: AI · Automation · Workflows
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the set of techniques aimed at getting a company or its content cited in the answers generated by AI engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, or Gemini.
See also: SEO · AEO · Organic search
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the free business listing that displays a company's information (address, hours, reviews, photos) in Google Search and Google Maps. It is a central lever of local search.
See also: Local SEO · Organic search · SEO
A headless CMS is a content management system in which the content layer is separated from the display layer. This architecture offers more flexibility and performance than a traditional CMS like WordPress.
A headless CMS is a content management system that separates the "back office" (where content is written and organized) from the "front end" (what visitors see). Content is delivered through an API to any medium: website, mobile app, in-store screen, or voice assistant. Unlike a traditional CMS such as WordPress, where content and display are tied together, headless offers more technical freedom, performance, and security, at the cost of more specialized development. Common examples are Strapi, Contentful, and Sanity.
Example: A clothing retailer manages its product descriptions just once in a headless CMS, and that same content automatically feeds its website, its mobile app, and its in-store screens, with no re-entry.
For an SMB: A headless CMS becomes relevant for a small or midsize business as soon as it distributes content across several channels or aims for high performance: it avoids duplicating editorial work. For a simple showcase site, a traditional CMS is often more economical and sufficient.
See also: CMS · WordPress · Front end
Internal linking is the set of links that connect the pages of a single website to one another. It helps search engines understand the site's structure and distributes authority across pages to strengthen their rankings.
See also: SEO · Backlink · Organic search
The kick-off is the project launch meeting that brings together all stakeholders. It serves to frame the objectives, the schedule, and each person's role before work begins.
See also: Agile · Sprints · Prototype
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are the metrics used to evaluate the success of a site or activity: number of visitors, conversion rate, average order value, or revenue.
See also: Analytics · Conversions · ROI
A landing page is a single, focused page designed to convert visitors into leads or customers. It concentrates attention on one offer and one call to action.
A landing page is a single page designed for one specific conversion goal: capturing a contact, prompting a document download, registering for an event, or selling a product. Unlike a standard page, it deliberately limits links and distractions to focus attention on a single action (the call to action). It is usually tied to an advertising or email campaign, serving as its destination. Its effectiveness is measured by the conversion rate and improved through successive tests (A/B testing).
Example: An energy-renovation company launches a Google Ads campaign pointing to a dedicated landing page, "Estimate your insulation subsidies": the page offers only a simple form, which multiplies quote requests compared with sending traffic to the homepage.
For an SMB: For a small or midsize business that invests in advertising, the landing page determines whether the budget turns into leads or goes up in smoke: sending an ad to the homepage dilutes intent. A well-designed dedicated page can double the return on the same advertising budget.
See also: Call-to-action (CTA) · Conversions · Business website
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) is a Google metric that measures the time needed to display the largest visible element of a page (an image or the main block of text). A good LCP is under 2.5 seconds.
See also: Core Web Vitals · Load time · Performance
Link building is the strategy of acquiring links from other websites that point to your own (backlinks). These links act as endorsements in Google's eyes and strengthen the site's authority and rankings.
See also: Backlink · SEO · Organic search
LinkedIn is the leading professional social network, used for networking, recruiting, and B2B marketing. It brings together more than 900 million members worldwide.
Load time is how long it takes to fully display a web page. A time under 3 seconds is recommended: beyond that, a significant share of visitors leave the site.
See also: Performance · Cache · Optimization
Local SEO is the set of techniques aimed at ranking a business for geolocated searches (for example, bakery near me) and within Google Maps' local pack. It relies heavily on the Google Business Profile listing and customer reviews.
See also: Google Business Profile · SEO · Organic search
The long tail refers to specific, low-competition search queries made up of several words, which individually generate little traffic but together account for the majority of searches. Example: plumber emergency water heater leak repair Lyon 7.
See also: SEO · Organic search · SERP
A marketplace is an online platform that connects multiple sellers with many buyers around a shared catalog. Amazon, Airbnb, and eBay are well-known examples.
See also: SaaS · E-commerce
The meta description is the short summary text (about 150 characters) displayed under a page's title in Google search results. Although it does not directly influence ranking, it encourages clicks and improves the click-through rate.
See also: Title tag · SEO · SERP
The mobile-first approach means designing the mobile version of a site before its desktop version. It reflects the mostly mobile usage of internet users and Google's indexing method.
See also: Responsive · UX
A multi-tenant architecture is a software model in which a single application instance serves multiple customers (the tenants), each with isolated and secure data. It is the technical foundation of most SaaS applications.
See also: SaaS · MVP · Webhook
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the first functional version of a product, reduced to its essential features and brought to market quickly to test an idea with real users before investing further.
See also: SaaS · Prototype · Multi-tenant
Next.js is a React-based framework that lets you build high-performance websites through server-side rendering and static page generation. It boosts both loading speed and organic search rankings.
See also: React · TypeScript
No-code refers to tools that let you build websites or applications without writing code, through visual drag-and-drop interfaces. Fast and accessible, it shows its limits on complex or highly customized projects.
Node.js is an environment that allows JavaScript to run on the server side (back end). It is used to build complete web applications and APIs using a single programming language.
See also: Back end · API · TypeScript
Optimization covers the improvements made to the various aspects of a website (speed, search rankings, conversions, user experience) to increase its results. It is an ongoing effort rather than a one-time action.
See also: Performance · SEO · Conversions
Organic search is the free positioning of a website in Google's search results, as opposed to paid search (advertising). It relies on optimizing the site's content, technical structure, and reputation.
Organic search (the French term is referencement naturel) is the equivalent of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It refers to all non-paid actions aimed at improving a site's position in Google's "organic" results, as opposed to paid search (SEA, the sponsored ads at the top of the page). It rests on three pillars: the site's technical optimization, the quality and relevance of its content, and the authority earned through inbound links. The rankings gained are not bought but earned, which makes them more stable but slower to obtain.
Example: An accounting firm that regularly publishes practical guides ("how to choose your legal structure," "VAT for the self-employed") eventually ranks naturally for those queries and captures business owners in the research phase, before they even reach out to a competitor.
For an SMB: Organic search lets a small or midsize business be found by prospects who are already actively searching, at the exact moment of their need. It is an asset that belongs to the company and grows more valuable over time, unlike an advertising budget that starts from zero every month.
See also: SEO · Optimization
A website's performance refers to its loading speed and smoothness of operation. A high-performing site displays quickly and responds without delay to user actions, which improves both experience and search rankings.
See also: Load time · Cache · Optimization
A prototype is a simplified, interactive version of a product, meant to test a concept before full development. It lets you validate ideas quickly and at low cost.
See also: Wireframes · Figma · Staging
React is a JavaScript library developed by Meta (Facebook) for building interactive and dynamic user interfaces. It powers many modern websites and web applications.
See also: Next.js · TypeScript · Front end
A responsive site automatically adapts to every screen size: smartphone, tablet, and desktop. It is an essential factor for user experience and for Google rankings.
See also: Mobile-first · UX
The robots.txt file is a file placed at the root of a website that tells search engines which pages or sections they may or may not crawl. It is used to control access for indexing bots.
See also: Sitemap · SEO · Organic search
ROI (Return On Investment) measures the profitability of a project by comparing the gains achieved to the amounts invested. It shows how much each dollar spent on a site or campaign brings back.
See also: KPIs · Conversions · Analytics
A SaaS (Software as a Service) is software accessed over the internet by subscription, with no installation on the user's computer. Services like Slack, Dropbox, and Netflix run on this model.
SaaS (Software as a Service) is an application hosted on the internet and accessed through a simple web browser, with nothing to install or maintain on your own servers. The vendor handles updates, security, and backups, and the company typically pays a monthly or annual subscription. This model stands in contrast to "on-premise" software installed locally, which is more costly to deploy and upgrade. Most professional tools today (email, CRM, accounting, project management) are now offered as SaaS.
Example: A real estate agency replaces its old software installed on a single workstation with a SaaS CRM: each agent accesses listings from their phone during client meetings, and updates happen automatically with no IT intervention.
For an SMB: SaaS turns a large software investment into a predictable monthly expense, with no dedicated IT team. For a small or midsize business, it means access to enterprise-grade tools that scale, are available anywhere, and go live quickly.
See also: ERP · Business software
Web security covers all the measures that protect a site against attacks, hacking, and data breaches: SSL certificate, regular backups, firewall, and updates. It protects both the business and its customers.
See also: GDPR · Back end · Staging
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to all the techniques used to improve a website's visibility and ranking in the unpaid results of search engines like Google.
SEO brings together three main levers: technical (site speed, structure, indexing by Google), content (pages and articles that answer what people search for), and popularity (links from other sites, known as link building, that build trust). Unlike paid advertising, SEO does not stop when the budget runs out: a well-ranked page keeps attracting visitors over the long term. Results usually take several months, but the effect compounds over time. There is also growing talk of GEO (optimization for answer engines like ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews), which extends the logic of SEO toward generative AI.
Example: A heating and plumbing contractor in a mid-sized city whose site ranks on page one for "boiler repair [city]" receives quote requests every week without paying per click, while a competitor depends entirely on costly Google Ads campaigns.
For an SMB: For a small or midsize business, SEO is an acquisition channel that becomes profitable over time: once the rankings are earned, the cost per lead drops sharply compared with advertising. It is often the most durable lever for not depending solely on word of mouth or paid ads.
See also: Organic search · Business website
The SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is the results page displayed by a search engine after a query. It brings together organic links, paid ads, rich results, and, increasingly, AI-generated answers.
See also: SEO · Organic search · AEO
A sitemap is a file, usually in XML format, that lists all the pages of a website to help search engines discover and index them. It makes crawling easier for large or recently launched sites.
See also: Robots.txt · SEO · Organic search
A sprint is a short work period, usually 1 to 2 weeks, used in the agile method. At the end of each sprint, the team delivers a working and testable version of the product.
See also: Agile · Kick-off · Prototype
Staging is a test environment that faithfully reproduces the final site to validate changes before going live. It helps catch bugs without affecting the visitors of the production site.
See also: Prototype · Back end · Security
The title tag is the HTML title of a web page, displayed as the clickable blue link in Google results and in the browser tab. It is one of the most important SEO factors for ranking and click-through rate.
See also: Meta description · SEO · SERP
Tracking is the monitoring and measurement of user actions on a site: pages visited, clicks, time spent, purchases. This data is essential for understanding and optimizing a site's performance.
See also: Analytics · KPIs · Conversions
TypeScript is an extension of JavaScript that adds static typing, allowing you to write more robust and maintainable code. It reduces bugs and makes teamwork on web projects more reliable.
See also: React · Node.js · Front end
UI (User Interface) refers to the visual aspect of a site or application: colors, typography, buttons, and icons. It is the graphic layer the user interacts with.
See also: UX · Design system · Figma
UX (User Experience) refers to the overall impression a user gets while interacting with a site or application. It covers ease of use, clarity of the journey, and the satisfaction felt.
See also: UI · Wireframes · Conversions
A webhook is a mechanism that lets an application automatically send a notification to another application as soon as an event occurs. Example: Stripe notifies your software as soon as a payment is confirmed.
See also: API · SaaS · Automation
Wireframes are skeletal mockups that define the structure and layout of a web page before any graphic work begins. They act as the architect's blueprint before the decorating starts.
See also: UX · Figma · Prototype
WordPress is the most widely used CMS in the world, powering more than 40% of all websites. It makes managing a site easy and lets you extend it through its many plugins and themes.
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that powers a very large share of the websites in the world. It lets you create and update a site without coding, thanks to an admin interface and a vast ecosystem of themes (the look) and plugins (features, such as WooCommerce for online sales or Yoast for SEO). Its popularity makes it an accessible and well-documented choice, but it requires regular upkeep: updates, security, and backups, or it becomes vulnerable. It should not be confused with WordPress.com, the hosted and more limited version.
Example: A construction company has its site built on WordPress so it can add its new projects with photos and publish articles itself, without going back to a provider for every change.
For an SMB: WordPress gives a business owner the autonomy to keep the site alive day to day and avoids full dependence on an agency for the smallest update. In return, it demands serious maintenance: a neglected site becomes a security hole.
See also: CMS · Headless CMS
A workflow defines the automated sequence of steps in a process. For example: when a customer signs up, the system automatically sends a welcome email and then a confirmation text.
See also: Automation · AI · ERP