Google Ads Glossary
🎯 Mastering Google Ads starts with understanding the terminology. This Google Ads glossary is here to help you get familiar with essential PPC terms, tools, and concepts. Whether you’re new to paid advertising or need a quick refresher, this guide makes it easier to navigate the Google Ads platform. 💡
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Ad Auction
The Ad Auction determines which ads appear on Google’s search results pages and their positions, based on bid amounts and ad quality.
Ad Assets
Google Ad Assets (formerly Extensions) are additional features in Google Ads that enhance search ads with extra information, such as links to specific pages, phone numbers, location details, or promotional highlights. These assets improve ad visibility and engagement by offering users more ways to interact with an ad, often leading to higher click-through rates and ad performance.
Ad Rank
Ad Rank is a metric in Google Ads that determines the position of your ad on the search results page. It is calculated using factors like your bid amount, Quality Score, the impact of ad assets (extensions), and the context of the search query. A higher Ad Rank results in better ad placement.
Audience Signal
Audience Signal is a targeting input in Performance Max campaigns where advertisers provide audience suggestions (e.g., custom segments, remarketing lists, demographics) to help Google Ads accelerate learning and reach the most relevant users faster.
Broad Match
Broad Match in Google Ads is the default keyword match type that allows your ad to appear for searches that include any variations of your keyword, such as synonyms, related searches, misspellings, or other relevant terms. It offers the widest reach but may attract less targeted traffic.
Call to Action (CTA)
Call to Action (CTA) in Google Ads is a prompt that encourages users to take a specific action, such as “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” “Get a Quote,” or “Learn More.” It helps drive engagement and conversions by guiding users toward the advertiser’s goal. A strong CTA improves ad performance by making it clear what action the user should take next.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-Through Rate (CTR) in Google Ads is the percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it. It is calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiplying by 100. A higher CTR indicates that your ad is relevant and engaging to users.
Conversion
A conversion in Google Ads is a desired action taken by a user after interacting with an ad. This can include purchases, sign-ups, form submissions, app downloads, or other valuable actions that align with an advertiser’s goals.
Conversion Rate
Conversion Rate is the percentage of users who complete a conversion after clicking on an ad. It helps measure the effectiveness of a campaign in driving meaningful actions.
Formula to Calculate Conversion Rate: Conversion Rate = (Conversions ÷ Clicks) × 100
Cost Per Action (CPA)
Cost Per Action (CPA) is a bidding model in Google Ads where advertisers pay only when a specific action is completed, such as a purchase, form submission, or sign-up. It helps measure the cost of acquiring a conversion rather than just clicks or impressions.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount an advertiser pays for each click on their ad in Google Ads. It is a performance-based pricing model where you are charged only when a user interacts with your ad by clicking on it.
Cost Per Engagement (CPE)
Cost Per Engagement (CPE) is a bidding model in Google Ads where advertisers pay only when users actively engage with an ad. Engagement actions can include expanding a lightbox ad, hovering over an interactive ad, or clicking on specific elements like call-to-action buttons. CPE is commonly used in display and interactive ad formats to drive user interaction.
Cost Per Install (CPI)
Cost Per Install (CPI) is a bidding model in Google Ads where advertisers pay when a user installs their mobile app after clicking on an ad. It is commonly used in app promotion campaigns to measure the cost of acquiring new app users.
Cost Per Lead (CPL)
Cost Per Lead (CPL) is a bidding model in Google Ads where advertisers pay for each lead generated through their ad, such as form submissions, sign-ups, or inquiries. It helps measure the cost of acquiring potential customers interested in a product or service.
Cost-Per-Mille (CPM)
Cost-Per-Mille or Cost-per-Thousand Impressions (CPM) is a bidding model in Google Ads where advertisers pay for every 1,000 impressions of their ad, regardless of whether users click on the ad or not. It is commonly used in brand awareness campaigns, focusing on ad visibility.
Cost Per View (CPV)
Cost Per View (CPV) is a bidding model in Google Ads where advertisers pay when a user watches at least 30 seconds of a video ad (or the full duration if shorter) or interacts with it. It is primarily used for video advertising, such as YouTube Ads, to measure engagement.
Demand Gen Campaigns
Demand Gen Campaigns are visually rich, goal-based campaigns in Google Ads that run across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail to help advertisers drive interest, engagement, and conversions from potential customers before they enter the active search phase.
Dynamic Display Ads
Dynamic Display Ads are a type of Google Display Ad that automatically display personalized content, such as products or services, based on the user’s previous interactions or behavior. These ads pull information from a product feed or data source, allowing advertisers to show relevant, customized ads to potential customers.
Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)
Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) is a feature in Google Ads that automatically inserts the keyword that triggered an ad into the ad’s text. This customization makes the ad more relevant to the user’s search, potentially increasing click-through rates (CTR) by showing more targeted and personalized ads.
Dynamic Search Ads
Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) are a Google Ads format that automatically generates headlines and landing pages based on the content of your website, without requiring specific keyword targeting. DSAs help advertisers reach users searching for products or services related to their site content.
Exact Match
Exact Match in Google Ads is a keyword match type that triggers your ad only when a user’s search query exactly matches your keyword or close variations of it, such as plurals, misspellings, or reordered words with the same meaning. This match type gives you the most control over who sees your ad.
Google Ads
Google Ads is an online advertising platform by Google that allows businesses to show ads across Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and the Display Network. Advertisers can target specific audiences, set budgets, and bid on keywords or placements to reach potential customers. It supports various campaign types—Search, Display, Video, Shopping, App, Performance Max, and Demand Gen—to help achieve goals like website traffic, leads, sales, and brand awareness.
Google Display Ads
Google Display Ads are visual advertisements that appear across the Google Display Network (GDN), including websites, apps, and YouTube. They use images, banners, or rich media to reach users based on interests, demographics, and online behavior.
Google Display Network
Google Display Network (GDN) is a collection of millions of websites, apps, and YouTube channels where Google Display Ads appear. It allows advertisers to target users based on interests, demographics, and online behavior to increase brand awareness and engagement.
Google Merchant Center
Google Merchant Center is a tool that allows businesses to upload and manage their product data so it can be used in Google Shopping Ads, Free product listings, and other Google services. It stores key product information like titles, images, prices, and availability, enabling Google to display accurate, up-to-date listings across its platforms.
Google Search Ads
Google Search Ads are text-based ads that appear on Google’s search results pages when users search for specific keywords. Advertisers bid on keywords, and their ads are displayed based on their bid and relevance.
Google Search Network
The Google Search Network is where your search ads can appear. It includes Google Search and other partner sites that display ads on their search results pages when users perform relevant queries.
Google Shopping Ads
Google Shopping Ads are visual, product-focused ads that display information like product image, title, price, and store name. Powered by product data from Google Merchant Center, these ads appear on Google Search, the Shopping tab, YouTube, and across the Google Display Network to help drive online and in-store sales.
Google Video Ads
Google Video Ads (YouTube Ads) are video-based advertisements that run on YouTube and across Google’s video partner sites and apps. These ads help brands reach audiences through engaging video content, targeting users by demographics, interests, search behavior, and more.
Impression
Impression in Google Ads refers to the number of times your ad is shown on a search engine results page (SERP) or other platforms within the Google Network. An impression is counted each time your ad appears, regardless of whether it’s clicked or not, helping measure ad visibility and reach.
Keywords
Keywords in Google Ads are words or phrases that advertisers select to target their ads.
Keyword Match Types
Keyword Match Types in Google Ads are settings that determine how closely a user’s search query must match your keyword for your ad to appear.
Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool within Google Ads that helps advertisers research and discover relevant keywords for their campaigns. It provides insights on keyword search volume, competition levels, and cost-per-click (CPC) estimates. Advertisers can use it to find new keyword ideas, forecast how those keywords might perform, and refine their targeting to improve ad effectiveness.
Negative Keywords
Negative Keywords in Google Ads are words or phrases that you specify to prevent your ads from appearing in search results for those keywords.
Performance Max
Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that uses automation and machine learning to run ads across all Google properties, optimizing for specific marketing goals like conversions or sales.
Phrase Match
Phrase Match in Google Ads is a keyword match type that allows your ad to appear when a user’s search query includes the exact phrase or close variations of it, with possible words before or after. The order of the words in the phrase matters, making it more precise than broad match.
Product Feed
Product Feed is a data file that lists a merchant’s products and their attributes (such as title, price, image, and availability), which is uploaded to Google Merchant Center to power Shopping Ads, Free Listings, and Dynamic Display Ads.
Quality Score
Quality Score in Google Ads is a metric that measures the relevance and quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. It is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest quality. The factors that affect Quality Score include Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR), Ad Relevance, and Landing Page Experience. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower costs per click (CPC) and better ad placements in search results.
Remarketing
Remarketing is the practice of re-engaging existing customers or users who have previously interacted with your website, app or digital content, often through email campaigns or targeted ads, to encourage them to complete desired actions like purchases.
Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)
Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) are a Google Ads feature that allows advertisers to target users who have previously visited their website or interacted with their content. These users are added to a remarketing list, and advertisers can customize their search ads to specifically target them when they perform related searches, increasing the chances of conversion.
Responsive Display Ads
Responsive Display Ads are a flexible ad format in Google Ads that automatically adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit various placements across the Google Display Network. Advertisers provide multiple headlines, descriptions, images, and logos, and Google uses machine learning to create and optimize the best-performing ad combinations.
Responsive Search Ads
Responsive Search Ads are a Google Ads format that allows advertisers to provide multiple headlines and descriptions, which Google then automatically tests in various combinations to deliver the most effective ad for each search query.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a metric in Google Ads that measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It helps advertisers evaluate the effectiveness of their campaigns in driving sales. To calculate your ROAS, divide the total revenue by the total spend.
Revenue Per Thousand Impressions (RPM)
Revenue Per Thousand Impressions (RPM) is a metric that measures the estimated earnings an advertiser or publisher generates for every 1,000 ad impressions. It helps assess the profitability of ad placements, especially in display and video advertising. Formula to Calculate RPM is RPM = (Total Revenue ÷ Total Impressions) × 1,000.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
SERP (Search Engine Results Page) refers to the page displayed by a search engine, like Google, in response to a user’s query. It includes both organic search results and paid ads, such as Google Search Ads, along with features like featured snippets, maps, and shopping results.
Search Themes
Search Themes are optional keyword-like inputs in Performance Max campaigns that help Google understand which search queries are most relevant to your business, allowing the system to better align ads with user intent on Search inventory.
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