GLOSSARY OF TERMS
- AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Autodialer
- Automated message
- Autoresponder Email
- Bad leads
- Bot detection
- Branded Lead
- Call center compliance
- Call Center Lead
- CASL
- Certified Lead
- Co-Registration
- Co-registration Lead
- Co-Registration Path
- Co-Registration Provider
- Co-Registration Tracking
- Cold call
- Consent-based Marketing
- Cost Per Lead (CPL) Advertising
- CPL Web traffic
- CRM
- DNC (Do-Not-Call)
- Double Opt-in
- Effective CPL (ecpl)
- Effective CPM (eCPM)
- Email Service Provider (ESP)
- Exclusive Lead
- FCC
- FCC one-to-one consent rule
- FTC
- Host and Post
- Hosted Lead Generation
- Internet Lead
- Internet Lead Certification
- Internet Lead Delivery
- Internet Lead Exchange
- Lead Acquisition
- Lead Aggregator
- Lead buyer
- Lead Conversion
- Lead Distribution
- Lead flow
- Lead generation fraud
- Lead nurturing
- Lead qualification
- Lead quality
- Lead seller
- Lead source
- Lead verification
- Leads
- Marketing compliance
- Marketing Leads
- Marketing or Sales Lists
- Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)
- Mini-TCPA
- New TCPA rules
- Online Lead Generation
- Opt-in
- Opt-out
- Permission-based marketing
- Ping Pick Post
- Ping Post Software
- Ping Tree
- Ping-post
- Pre-ping
- Pricing: CPA (Cost-Per-Action)
- Pricing: CPC (Cost-Per-Click)
- Pricing: CPL (Cost-Per-Lead)
- Pricing: CPM (Cost-Per-Thousand)
- Publisher
- Qualified leads
- Rejected Lead
- Returned Lead
- Robocall
- Robocaller
- Sales Leads
- Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)
- Scrub Cap
- Scrub Rate
- Shared Lead
- SMS compliance
- SMS Consent
- Speed to Lead
- Suppression List
- Take Rate
- TCPA
- TCPA compliance
- TCPA consent management
- TCPA expressed consent
- TCPA known litigator tool
- TCPA lawsuit
- TCPA Litigator
- TCPA marketing
- TCPA settlement
- TCPA violation
- TCPA violation fine
- Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)
- TPMO in Medicare
- Warm call
Lead source
Lead source meaning
The lead source meaning refers to the channel or origin through which a potential customer first discovers your business and becomes a lead. In simple terms, it answers the question: “Where did this lead come from?”
For example, if a user submits a form after clicking on a Google ad, the lead source is classified as paid search. If they convert after reading a blog post, the source is considered organic content. When leads are purchased, the source includes both the vendor and the traffic channel used to generate the lead.
It’s important to note that a lead source represents the initial point of entry, rather than what happens later in the sales process. Understanding lead sources is crucial for evaluating performance and making informed marketing decisions.
Lead source meaning for businesses
Knowing your lead sources helps businesses:
- Measure which channels actually drive results
- Compare lead quality across different sources
- Allocate marketing budget more efficiently
- Identify issues with volume, performance, or compliance
Without accurate lead source tracking, it’s difficult to scale what works or fix what doesn’t.
Lead source examples
Lead sources come from both lead generation and lead buying, and most marketing programs use a mix of both.
Lead generation sources
These are channels you manage directly through your own marketing efforts:
- Organic search (SEO): Blog posts and landing pages that rank in search engines
- Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Content optimized for AI-driven answers and recommendations
- Paid search and social: Campaigns on Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, and similar platforms
- Email marketing: Newsletters, outbound email, and nurture campaigns
- Events and referrals: Trade shows, virtual events, partners, and customer referrals
These sources can be segmented with UTMs or campaign data, but the core lead source should stay consistent for accurate reporting.
Lead buying sources
When buying leads, the source typically includes the vendor and the traffic channel they use, such as:
- Affiliate networks
- Comparison sites
- Publisher email lists
- Co-registration campaigns
- Call centers or form-fill partners
In lead buying, it’s essential to understand not just who the vendor is, but how the lead was generated, including traffic origin, consent language, and form experience, as these directly affect lead quality and compliance.