PPC Glossary

A

A/B Testing – This is a method used to compare the performance of two separate landing pages. This is done by having two or more of the same advert, each directing to different landing pages (on a random rotation). Once the test is over, performance can then be analysed by measuring which page achieved the highest conversion goal.
Account Health Score for Search – This is a score provided by Google, after analysing how well your Search Network campaigns are performing. You can find this within the Opportunities tab in Google AdWords, and you will be given feedback on how to improve your score.
Ads – Depending on your advertising requirements, you can choose from a range of different ad options in Google AdWords, including: text ads, display ads, shopping ads and video ads.
Ad Auction – This is how Google determines which ad should show for each search query, and in what order, depending on the advertiser’s bid and the quality of the ads.
Ad Campaign – You can have one or more ad campaigns in your Google AdWords account, and they are usually made up of multiple ad groups, keywords and bids.
Ad Copy – This is the main body of text that makes up an advert, and is displayed on the second and third lines of the ad, in between the title and display URL.
Ad Delivery – There are two ad delivery options in Google AdWords: Standard (spread evenly throughout the day) or Accelerated (ads will be shown quicker until the daily budget is exhausted). Deciding which option to go for depends on when you want your ad to be shown throughout the day, and the size of your budget.
Ad Extensions – Using Ad Extensions is a way of expanding your ads to make them more prominent, increasing the likelihood of getting clicks. They contain additional pieces of information about your business, including phone numbers, store addresses and links to other pages of the website. A minimum Ad Rank is required in order for ad extensions to show.
Ad Group – Campaigns are made up of ad groups, containing one or more ads which target a specific selection of keywords. The best practice for creating ad groups, is by organising them by a common theme, usually by separating the different products or services that are being advertised.
Ad Position – Refers to the order in which your ad is displayed on the search results page. Ads that are showing at the top of the paid advertising listings are ranking in position 1, and are usually charged the highest cost-per-click.
Ad Rank – Determines the position and location on the search page in which your ad ranks, and is caluclated by Google using your bid amount and Quality Score.
Ad Rotation – When an ad group contains more than one ad, these ads will be rotated, so that only one of them appears per search result. Ad rotation settings can be optimised to either rotate evenly, or certain ads can be prioritised if they are more likely to perform better.
Ad Scheduling – This tool allows you to only show your adverts to users at certain specified times or on certain days. For example, you might want your ads to only show during your business hours so that you are available to deal with enquiries/process orders.
Ad Status – Indicates whether or not an ad is able to run, and will indicate if there’s any restrictions that prevent the ad from showing. These are usually marked by: Under Review, Eligible, Approved, Approved (limited), Disapproved and more.
AdSense – An advertisement placement service created by Google, which allows advertisers to showcase their targeted text, video or image adverts on relevant websites which have signed up to be a part of AdSense.
AdWords – Google’s online advertising service, for businesses who want their adverts to appear to users who use Google’s search engine. The program allows businesses to set advertising budgets, and advertisers are only charged when people click their ads.
AdWords API – This is an advanced Application Programming Interface that allows advertisers to interact with and make changes to their Google AdWords account, using applications that they have created.
AdWords Editor – A free, downloadable application that allows advertisers to manage multiple accounts, make bulk edits offline, and then upload them to AdWords at any time.
AdWords Express – An easy-to-use advertising product that automatically manages your ads. It’s the perfect tool for small businesses with little Google AdWords experience who don’t want to have to dedicate too much time to online advertising.
Analytics – A free Google tool that allows website owners and marketers track metrics and gather valuable data such as traffic from both organic & paid, conversions, bounce rate and much more.
App Extensions – A type of ad extension that allows advertisers to include a direct link to their app in order to generate downloads.
Audience – Within ad settings, advertisers can choose to show their ads to a specific audience, in order to target those who are more likely to be interested in their product/service and increase the likelihood of conversions.
Automatic Bidding – A setting used to help advertisers get the most out of their budget. It will automatically set bids for your ads, based on the likelihood of it resulting in a click or conversion.
Automatic Placement – A feature available on the Display Network, where your ads show automatically on relevant websites, videos, and apps based on the keywords you are targeting.
Automated Rules – A feature of AdWords that allows users to automatically make changes to ad statuses, budgets and bids to reduce time needed to manage campaigns.
Automated Extensions – These are ad extensions automatically generated by Google to enhance the performance of your ads. These include sitelinks, locations, ratings and more.
Auto-tagging – A feature that will attach the “Google Click Identifier” paramater to your ad URLs, in order to help track which ad was clicked for each visit to your site.
Average Cost Per Click (Avg. CPC) – Calculated by dividing the total cost of your clicks by the total number of ad clicks, this indicates the average amount you’ve been charged for each ad click.
Average Position – An indication of how your ad typically ranks against other ads. If you want your ad to be on the first page of results, it generally needs to be somewhere between position 1 and 8.

B

Bid – Advertisers can set the maximum amount that they want to spend per ad click. This can be set per individual keyword or ad group.
Bid Management – This is usually done in an attempt to lower your minimum bids by effectively grouping and organising keywords, in order to get the most out of your budget.
Bidding Type – Depending on your goal, you can set your bidding type to be charged per click, impression or conversion.
Bing Ads – This is for advertisers opting for paid advertising to show on the Bing and Yahoo search engine.
Bounce Rate – This indicates the number of users who visit a website, and exit before visiting any other pages. The lower the percentage, the better.
Branded Keywords – These are search terms that include the brand name or a variaton of it.
Broad Match – A keyword setting that allows your ads to show for users who search for variations of your keyword.
Broad Match Modifier – By adding a “+” symbol in front of one or more of your keywords, this lets Google know that searches must contain that keyword or a close variant of it for your ads to show.

C

Campaign – A set of ad groups, which contain keywords, bids, and ads, and share a budget and other settings is a campaign. An AdWords account can have one or more campaigns running at any given time.
Call Extensions – A type of ad extension which allows businesses to include their phone number. For users that see this when browsing on a mobile device, they can click the number to place a direct call.
Callout Extensions – A type of ad extension, that allows businesses to promote unique offers that set them apart from the competition such as free delivery or 24/-7 customer service.
Change History – A log which shows all of the recent changes to your AdWords account, ads, campaigns and keywords.
Clicks – When a user visits your website as a result of seeing your advert, and clicking through.
Click Through Rate (CTR) – Calculated by dividing the number of clicks by number of impressions (the amount of times the ad appears). You want to aim for a high CTR, as it indicates that your ads are engaging and targeting relevant people.
Conversion – This is when a user clicks your ad and proceeds to complete a desired action, such as purchasing a product or submitting a contact form.
Conversion Optimiser – An AdWords feature that will predict which clicks are most likely to result in a conversion, and will adjust your bids accordingly.
Conversion Rate – Calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the number of ad clicks.
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) – The process of optimising a website to better encourage visitors to perform actions such as purchases or contact form submissions
Cookies – A piece of data stored on a user’s PC from websites they’ve visited, keeping information such as preferences and search history. In PPC, cookies are used for conversion tracking and remarketing.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – The total cost of your ad spend, divided by the number of conversions made.
Cost Per Click (CPC) – A type of PPC bidding in which advertisers set the maximum amount they would pay for a click through to their website from an ad.
Cost-Per-Phone Call (CPP) – A type of PPC bidding used with call extensions and a Google forwarding number in which advertisers set the maximum amount they would pay for a potential client to call their business after seeing an ad.
Cost-Per-Thousand (CPM) – A type of bidding used for brand awareness campaigns rather than action-driven ads, in which advertisers pay a certain cost every time 1000 people view their advert. This method of advertising is for use on the Google display network.
Cost-Per-View (CPV) – A bidding type for video advertising campaigns where the advertiser can set a cost to pay every time a user views their video.

D

Data Filters – A function on AdWords that allows users to sort and select the specific data they need.
Default Max CPC – In the event you don’t set a CPC bid for a keyword, AdWords will use your default Max CPC, which is set at ad group level. This is the maximum you are willing to pay for a click on an ad within said ad group.
Description Line – The part of a Google search advert that contains the business description. This is usually in the form of two lines that back up and expand on the points highlighted in the title line.
Destination URL – The URL that an advert links to
Devices – The device a user views an ad on – this is usually segmented into three categories: desktop, mobile, and tablet.
Dimensions – A tab on Google AdWords that displays a range of indepth data that can be segmented and filtered to match numerous preferences.
Display Network – Google’s selection of millions of websites, apps, and videos on which display ads can appear on
Display URL – The URL that is displayed to a user on a Google search advert. This is often different, and more user friendly than the actual destination URL.
Dynamic Ad Targeting – A method of advertising that automatically generates adverts from your website and matches them up with relevant searches
Dynamic Keyword Insertion – A tool which inserts a user’s search term into your triggered advert, increasing its relevance to searchers.

E

Editorial Review – The process of your ad changes – new text, keyword bids, etc – going through a Google review to ensure they uphold the standards set by the search engine.
Exact Match – A precise type of ad setup that will only show your advert when a user types the exact phrase you’re bidding on into Google.
Eligible Ads – Ads that are yet to be reviewed by Google, but may still show in relevant search results while in the queue for the approval process.
Enhanced CPC (ECPC) – A bid management system that automatically adjusts CPC bids to improve the performance of a campaign, with the aim of gaining better ad positions, increasing clicks, and increasing ROI

F

Facebook Ads – Facebook’s advertising solution, allowing advertisers to create different types of adverts such as sponsored posts, page like campaigns,and store visits.
Frequency Capping – A tool that lets advertisers set a limit on the amount of times a single users sees the same advert on the display network.
First Page Bid Estimate – The recommended amount an advertiser should set as a CPC bid on a keyword to get their advert onto the first page of search results. This estimate is worked out based on factors such as competition and quality score.

G

Geotargeting – A tool that allows advertisers to set a specific location radius for their ad to display within.
Google AdWords – Google’s advertising platform, offering advertisers a marketing solution on Google Search, Google Shopping, YouTube, the Display Network and more.
Google Analytics – Google’s reporting tool that enables website owners to view detailed information and data on their site traffic, users, conversions and behaviour.
Google Forwarding Phone Number – A phone number that forwards calls to your business from Google users, enabling the recording of calls as conversions.
Google Merchant Center – Google’s tool that allows users to upload products and feeds to advertise on Google Shopping.
Google Shopping – A section of Google search which shows product listings from sponsored e-commerce sites, along with price and rating comparisons for each merchant.

H

Headline – The first line of a Google search ad, typically the first thing a user sees. This tends to be the most eye-catching part of an advert, and as such should contain the main point.

I

Image Ad – A type of ad on the Google display network made up entirely of images and graphics.
Impressions – The number of times your advert has been viewed by a user.
Impression Share – The number of impressions received divided by the number of impressions you were eligible to receive, with eligibility based on bids, quality scores and other factors.
Interaction Rate – A measurement of how often a user interacts with your ad. Unlike CTR, this measures not just clicks but also views, calls and more.
Invalid Clicks – Clicks on an advert that aren’t considered to be genuine interaction, such as a user accidentally clicking, or software automating activity.

K

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) – A measurement of performance, based on key metrics and the overall aims of a campaign.
Keyword – Words, terms and phrases that advertisers bid on to show their ads when a user searches for something relevant.
Keyword Match Type – A setting that determines how similar a user’s search term has to be to your keyword to trigger your ad – match types include phrase, exact and broad.
Keyword Planner – A tool offered by Google AdWords that helps advertisers choose related and relevant keywords to bid on, offers suggested bids, and provides information on competition.
Keyword Research – The process of determining what keywords should be used in an advertising campaign, taking into account relevancy, search volume, competitiveness, and cost.

L

Landing Page – The page a user lands on after clicking an advert.
Lead – If a user enters information on a site, such as completing a contact form, and that information could eventually lead to a conversion, this is a lead.
Linkedin Ads – LinkedIn’s advertising solution, allowing users to market on their platform via sponsored content, text ads, and sponsored InMail.
Location Extensions – An extension to an AdWords search ad that allows the business’s address to be displayed underneath the main copy.
Location Targeting – A method of ad targeting that allows you to show your advert to users in selected geographical locations and radiuses.
Long Tail Keyword – Longer, more pinpointed keywords. In comparison to a focused keyword such as “coffee shop” a long tail example would be “all fair trade coffee shops.” Although the search volume may be significantly lower, there is generally a lower competition level too. Generally, keyword planners will produce a set of focused keywords and generate long tail keywords off the back of them.
Low Search Volume – These keywords have little, or no search history on Google and as such they will be inactive until the search volume increases.

M

Managed Placement – Display Network locations that a user has specified for the ads to appear in.
Maximum Bid – The maximum amount of money that an advertiser is willing to pay per click on a specific keyword.
Manual Bidding – Advertisers can manually select a maximum or minimum bid amount. A maximum cost-per-click (CPC) is set for the ad group in it’s entirety (default bid) with separate bids for individual keywords.
Match Type – Controling ads to only show for a specific search query or term.
Message Extensions – An ad add-on that allows advertisers to display a clickable icon, which opens a text message with different types of contact information.
Minimum Bid – The minimum amount an advertiser is willing to spend on a click.
Mobile Ads – These are ads that show strictly on mobile devices. They may display different than a typical desktop ad. Advertisers take extra care to ensure the landing pages for the adverts are mobile-optimised.
My Client Center (MCC) – A useful tool for handling multiple AdWords accounts.

N

Negative Keywords – Advertisers add negative keywords to their campaign, and these tell Google the ad should NOT show if a user searches that keyword. For example, if you are selling “mens boots” you would add the words ”women” and “woman” to the negative keyword list.
Negative Match – A user that searches a query of yours but does not match your targeted audience.
Negative Placement – A specified location where advertisers do not want their ads to appear.

O

Opportunities – A tool designed to help advertisers get the most out of their PPC campaigns. Typical suggestions include budget recommendations and potential keyword additions.
Organic Results – When a user searches a specific query a list of 10 results will show within the search engine results. These are the organic results. PPC ads display above the organic results.

P

Page Views – The number of times a page is viewed by users on a specific site.
Pay Per Click Management – This is a service provided by a marketing agency, where all AdWords related tasks are done by the agency on behalf of the business. Reports are then provided and show trends set against agreed KPIs.
Phrase Match – A setting that tells Google to only show your ad when the search query matches the exact phrase, or close variations.
Placement Tool – A tool provided by AdWords to help advertisers decide where they might want their ad to be placed.
PPC – The abbreviated term for pay-per-click advertising.
Price Extensions – An ad extension to showcase services or products, done by linking people directly to what interests them on the target landing page. Price extensions appear below a text ad.
Product Listing Ads – Search ads that include thorough product information, such as images, pricing, and business names. Ads of this nature appear under the Google Shopping results.
Promotion Extensions – A feature of PPC search ads that raises awareness of promotional offers. They are situated below text ads. A proven method to generate further interest in an offer or deal.

Q

Quality Score – A Google-created formula that considers how relevant your ad is to the keywords specified. It also considers the relevance of the landing page that advertisers have specified. This is then multiplied by your the max CPC to calculate an Ad Rank, and this determines where an ad is placed.

R

Recommended Daily Budget – The recommended daily budget is an amount needed to acquire a particular number of clicks each day. This number is based on how much traffic is possible with the current keywords in a campaign.
Remarketing – Users who visited your site but didn’t make a purchase can be remarketed towards, with the purpose of persuaiding them to finish their purchase.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) – The money gained or lost on an investment, relative to the spend on PPC.
Return on Investment (ROI) – The money gained or lost on an investment, relative to the amount of money invested.

S

Search Engine Results Page (SERP) – The 10 organic results that are first produced when a search term is entered into the search bar.
Search Network – The network of search related websites where advertisers can place their ads, the prime example being Google.
Search Partners – Websites partnered with Google, allowing the placement of PPC advertisements on the Search Network.
Search Query – A basic search query is what the user enters when searching on any search engine. If their search includes the keywords that you are bidding on your ad will appear.
Shared Budgets – An AdWords budgeting option that allows advertisers to specify a particular amount for a group of campaigns to share in a given day. This can be a good way to avoid spreading a budget too thin.
Sitelink Extensions – An ad extension that allows for additional website links to be added to an ad, giving users additional options to click. The links display just below the the main ad description.
Smart Bidding – A subset of automated bidding strategies that uses Google’s machine learning to optimize bidding in each and every auction. There are four smart bidding strategies: Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions, and Enhanced CPC.
Split Test – Advertisers can create an additional ad alongside a current ad, with the purpose of comparing results. This is called split testing.
Structured Snippet Extensions – A feature that appears alongside PPC search ads. They showcase a list of products or services with a predefined header.

T

Target CPA Bidding – An AdWords Smart Bidding strategy that helps set bids to receive as many conversions as possible, within the target cost-per-acquisition (CPA) set by the advertiser.
Target Group – Within a campaign’s targeted audience, ads can be shown to a specific geographic location, gender, age or personal interest.
Target Method – How an advertiser decides to show their ads to a particular audience.
Text Ad – Ads that are strictly text only, with no images or videos displayed. These are the most common ad type. Features include a headline, two lines of description and a display URL.
Text Overlay Ad – A text ad that shows over the top of video content on the Display Network.
Tracking Code – A small snippet of HTML that is added to a “thank you” page, which shows what happens after a customer clicks on an ad.
Traffic Estimator – An AdWords tool that helps predict how well a particular keyword could perform based on either local or global search volume.
TrueView Video Ads – Available in in-stream, in-slate, in-search and/or in-display format. These are video ads, presented through AdWords, that give viewers the choice over which messages they want to see and when they want to see them.

U

Unique Visitor – A user who visits a site once within a given time frame. If the same IP address visits a site again, it is registered as one unique visitor. This ensures tracking accuracy.

V

View-Through Conversion – A measurement of the number of online conversions that happened within 30 days after a user originally saw a Google Display Network ad, didn’t click on the ad, but then converted via another means.
Video Ad – Video adverts that typically show prior to a video starting (pre-roll ads.) They can range from just a few seconds to full length 30 second ads.