Glossary

PSA (Professional Services Automation)

The ticketing, billing, and project-management software MSPs use to run day-to-day operations, ConnectWise, Autotask, HaloPSA, Syncro. Not built for marketing; don't use it as your CRM.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Your admin logs into it daily for tickets and invoicing. Ask whoever runs operations for the login if you don't have it.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP CRM 101

RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management)

The software that monitors and manages client endpoints remotely, ConnectWise Automate, NinjaOne, Datto RMM. Purely operational; not a marketing tool, but sometimes referenced when explaining your service to prospects.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Your technical team's dashboard, not something marketing touches directly.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP CRM 101

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Software that tracks every interaction a prospect or client has with your business, emails opened, calls made, deals in progress. This is the tool marketing and sales actually live in day to day.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Research CRM options that fit your workflow and budget. Options range from free tiers to paid plans. Look for a solution that integrates with your email and lets you log calls and track deals. Log in at the vendor's site with your work email.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP CRM 101 · MSP CRM 102

GBP (Google Business Profile)

Your free business listing that controls how you appear on Google Maps and in local search results, hours, reviews, photos, and the 'map pack.' Formerly called 'Google My Business.'

WHERE TO CHECK IT: business.google.com, free, sign in with the Google account tied to your business. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: Local SEO 101 · Local SEO 102

NAP (Name, Address, Phone)

The three pieces of identifying information that must be identical everywhere your business appears online (website, GBP, directories, social profiles). Inconsistent NAP confuses Google and hurts local rankings.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Audit it by Googling your business name and checking your GBP, website footer, and top 5 directory listings side by side. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: Local SEO 101 · Local SEO 102

GA4 (Google Analytics 4)

Google's free website analytics platform. Tells you how many people visited your site, where they came from, and what they did before leaving.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: analytics.google.com, free. Requires a small tracking snippet installed on your website (your web developer or WordPress plugin can add this). Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Analytics 101 · MSP Analytics 102

GSC (Google Search Console)

A free Google tool that shows exactly which search queries bring people to your site, your average ranking position, and any technical errors Google found while crawling your pages.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: search.google.com/search-console, free, requires verifying you own the domain (usually a DNS record or HTML file upload). Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP SEO 101 · MSP Analytics 101

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The practice of improving your website so it ranks higher in unpaid ('organic') Google search results for the keywords your prospects actually search.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A. This is a practice, not a login. Measure your progress in Google Search Console. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP SEO 101 · MSP SEO 102

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

The page of results Google shows after someone searches. 'Ranking on page 1 of the SERP' means showing up in the top ~10 organic results.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Search your target keyword yourself in an incognito browser window (regular search results are personalized to you). Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP SEO 101 · MSP SEO 102

ASO (AI Search Optimization)

Making sure AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity mention your MSP when someone asks for a recommendation. A newer discipline than SEO, focused on consistency and being cited by authoritative sources rather than keyword ranking.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Test it yourself by asking ChatGPT or Perplexity 'best MSP in [your city]' and seeing if you appear. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP AI Search 101 · MSP AI Search 102

LLM (Large Language Model)

The underlying AI technology behind tools like ChatGPT and Claude. When a lesson says 'the LLM,' it means the AI model itself, as distinct from the search engine wrapped around it.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, a technical term, not a tool you log into.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP AI Search 101 · MSP AI Marketing 101

Schema / Structured Data

A standardized, invisible code format (schema.org) added to your website's HTML that tells search engines and AI exactly what a page is about, a business, an article, a review, a service. Machines read it even though visitors never see it.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Test whether your site has it using Google's free Rich Results Test at search.google.com/test/rich-results. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP SEO 102 · MSP AI Search 102

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

A specific written description of the type of client that is most profitable and easiest for you to serve, industry, size, budget, pain points. Built from your existing best clients, not guessed from scratch.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Create it in Foundations, Topic 2.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: Know Your Ideal MSP Customer 101 · Know Your Ideal MSP Customer 102

ABM (Account-Based Marketing)

A targeted approach where you pick a specific list of named companies you want as clients and run coordinated outreach (ads, emails, direct mail) aimed at decision-makers there, instead of broad marketing aimed at anyone in your market.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, a strategy, not a tool. Often run through your CRM's list-building features.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP ABM 101

QBR (Quarterly Business Review)

A recurring meeting with a client (usually every 90 days) where you review the value delivered, tickets closed, security posture, and upcoming needs, a retention and upsell tool disguised as a status update.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, a meeting you schedule, usually tracked in your PSA or CRM as a recurring task.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Quarterly Business Reviews 101 · MSP Quarterly Business Reviews 102

MQL / SQL (Marketing / Sales Qualified Lead)

An MQL is a prospect who's engaged enough (downloaded something, opened several emails) to be worth sales attention. An SQL is a prospect sales has vetted and believes is ready for a real conversation. The line between the two is a decision you define, not a fixed rule.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Tracked as a status/stage field inside your CRM.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP CRM 101 · MSP CRM 102

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)

Total marketing and sales spend divided by the number of new clients signed in that period. Tells you what it actually costs to win one client.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Calculate it yourself: (total marketing + sales spend) ÷ (new clients signed) over the same time period.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP KPIs 101 · MSP KPIs 102

LTV (Lifetime Value)

The total revenue you expect from a client over the full length of the relationship. Compared against CAC to judge whether a marketing channel is actually profitable.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Estimate from your PSA/billing data: average monthly contract value × average client tenure in months.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP KPIs 101 · Paid Advertising 102

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

A specific number you track on a regular cadence to judge whether marketing is working, e.g., website visitors, leads generated, cost per lead, close rate.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, defined per business. See Measure and Improve, Topic 3.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP KPIs 101 · MSP KPIs 102

ROI (Return on Investment)

The financial return on a marketing activity relative to what it cost: (revenue generated − cost) ÷ cost. Used to compare whether one channel is worth more than another.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Calculate manually using revenue and cost figures pulled from your CRM and accounting software.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP KPIs 101 · Paid Advertising 102

Funnel (Awareness / Consideration / Decision)

The three broad stages a prospect moves through: Awareness (they realize they have a problem), Consideration (they're comparing options, including you), and Decision (they're ready to sign). Different content and channels work at each stage.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, a mental model, not a tool. Covered in Foundations, Topic 1.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: How MSP Marketing Works 101 · How MSP Marketing Works 102

Nurture Sequence / Drip Campaign

A pre-written series of emails sent automatically over days or weeks to a prospect who hasn't converted yet, designed to build trust and move them toward booking a call.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Built inside your email tool or CRM's automation feature.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Lead Nurturing 101 · MSP Lead Nurturing 102

Churn

The rate at which clients leave you over a given period, usually expressed as a percentage of total clients lost per year.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: Calculate from your PSA/billing records: (clients lost in period) ÷ (total clients at start of period).

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Customer Success 101 · MSP Customer Success 102

Upsell / Cross-sell

Upsell means selling an existing client a higher tier of the same service. Cross-sell means selling them a different service entirely (e.g., adding cybersecurity to a client who only has help desk).

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, a sales motion, tracked as an opportunity in your CRM or PSA.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Upsell 101 · MSP Upsell 102

Win-Back Campaign

A targeted set of emails or calls aimed specifically at former clients who canceled, designed to bring them back, often paired with an offer or an acknowledgment of why they left.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: N/A, built as a segmented list inside your CRM or email tool.

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Win-Back 101 · MSP Win-Back 102

Google Business Profile

Manage your Maps listing, respond to reviews, post updates, and see how many people called or requested directions. For a local MSP, no free tool moves the needle more.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: business.google.com, completely free. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: Local SEO 101 · Local SEO 102

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Free website traffic and behavior analytics. Tells you where visitors come from and what pages convert.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: analytics.google.com, free. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP Analytics 101 · MSP Analytics 102

Google Search Console

Free tool showing which searches bring people to your site and any indexing errors Google finds.

WHERE TO CHECK IT: search.google.com/search-console, free. Open it →

LEARN IN THE GUIDE: MSP SEO 101 · MSP Analytics 101