Paid Search & Google Ads
Plain-English definitions of the terms that matter in paid search. No jargon, no fluff.
Ad Rank
The score Google uses to determine where your ad appears in search results. It is calculated from your bid, Quality Score, expected impact of ad assets, and the context of the search. A higher Ad Rank means a better position - and you can often achieve it without simply raising your bid.
Broad Match
A keyword match type that shows your ads for searches related to your keyword, including synonyms, variations, and related queries. The most flexible match type, but requires strong negative keyword management to avoid wasted spend.
Conversion
A measurable action a user completes after clicking your ad - such as a form submission, phone call, purchase, or page visit. Conversion tracking is the foundation of any data-driven paid search campaign.
CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
The average amount spent to generate one conversion. Calculated by dividing total ad spend by the number of conversions. Lower CPA with maintained volume is a key goal of campaign optimisation.
CPC (Cost Per Click)
The amount you pay each time a user clicks your ad. CPC is influenced by your bid, Quality Score, and competition for the keyword. Managing CPC efficiently is central to maximising ROAS.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it. Calculated as clicks divided by impressions. A strong CTR signals ad relevance and positively influences Quality Score.
Exact Match
A keyword match type that shows your ads for searches that match your keyword exactly, or are very close variations. Provides the most control over which searches trigger your ads.
Impression Share
The percentage of eligible auctions in which your ad actually appeared. Low impression share indicates budget constraints or poor Ad Rank - both of which can be addressed through optimisation.
Negative Keywords
Keywords that prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. Negative keyword management is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce wasted spend and improve campaign efficiency.
Performance Max (PMax)
Google's fully automated campaign type that serves ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Discover from a single campaign. Uses machine learning to find conversions across all channels. Requires strong asset groups and audience signals to perform well.
Phrase Match
A keyword match type that shows your ads for searches containing your keyword phrase in the correct order, plus additional words before or after. Sits between broad and exact match in terms of reach and control.
Quality Score
Google's 1-10 rating of the relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. A higher Quality Score lowers your effective CPC and improves Ad Rank. It reflects expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. A ROAS of 4:1 means $4 in revenue for every $1 spent. The primary efficiency metric for revenue-focused campaigns.
Responsive Search Ads (RSA)
The standard Google Ads format where you provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google tests combinations to find the best performing mix. Ad Strength rating indicates how well your assets are likely to perform.
Search Term Report
A report showing the actual queries that triggered your ads. Essential for discovering new keyword opportunities, identifying irrelevant traffic, and building your negative keyword list.
Smart Bidding
Google's suite of automated bid strategies that use machine learning to optimise for conversions or conversion value. Includes Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximise Conversions, and Maximise Conversion Value.
Target CPA
A Smart Bidding strategy where Google automatically sets bids to get as many conversions as possible at your specified cost per acquisition. Requires sufficient conversion data (typically 30-50 conversions per month) to work effectively.
Target ROAS
A Smart Bidding strategy where Google sets bids to maximise conversion value while achieving your target return on ad spend. Best suited for campaigns with diverse conversion values and strong conversion volume.
Ad Asset (Ad Extension)
Additional pieces of information shown alongside your Google Ads - such as phone numbers, site links, callouts, structured snippets, and location details. Ad assets increase the size and relevance of your ad at no extra cost per click, improving CTR and Ad Rank. Google now refers to these as 'assets' rather than 'extensions'.
Auction Insights
A Google Ads report showing how your campaign performance compares to competitors bidding on the same keywords. Metrics include impression share, overlap rate, and position above rate. Auction Insights is a useful competitive intelligence tool - it shows who you are competing against and how often.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of ad clicks that result in a conversion. Calculated as conversions divided by clicks. Improving conversion rate - through better landing pages, more relevant ad copy, or stronger targeting - is often more cost-effective than increasing ad spend.
Dynamic Search Ads (DSA)
A Google Ads campaign type that automatically generates ads based on your website content. Google crawls your site, finds relevant pages, and creates headlines matched to user queries. DSA is useful for covering keyword gaps, but requires a well-structured website and careful negative keyword management to avoid irrelevant traffic.
Enhanced Conversions
A Google Ads feature that improves conversion measurement accuracy by securely hashing and sending first-party customer data (email, phone number) alongside conversion events. Enhanced Conversions help recover conversions lost to browser restrictions, ad blockers, and iOS privacy changes - often recovering 10-20% of 'missing' conversion data.
Google Keyword Planner
A free tool within Google Ads for researching keyword search volumes, competition levels, and bid estimates. Useful for building initial keyword lists and understanding market sizing. Note that search volumes are shown in ranges unless you have active ad spend in your account.
Landing Page
The page a user arrives at after clicking your ad. Landing page relevance and user experience are key inputs into Quality Score. A high-converting landing page - with a clear value proposition, fast load time, and a single focused CTA - is one of the highest-leverage improvements you can make to campaign performance.
Search Network
Google's Search Network shows text ads to users actively searching for your keywords on Google Search and search partner sites. It is the highest-intent ad placement available - users are actively looking for what you offer. Distinct from the Display Network, which shows banner ads on third-party websites.
Wasted Spend
Budget spent on clicks from irrelevant search queries that are unlikely to convert. Wasted spend is a symptom of poor keyword match type management, insufficient negative keywords, or both. Identifying and eliminating wasted spend is typically the fastest way to improve campaign efficiency without changing the budget.
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