Looking to learn more about PPC? You've come to the right place! In this comprehensive glossary, we will define all the most important terms related to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. By understanding these terms, you'll be able to make more informed decisions about your PPC campaigns and get better results. So what are you waiting for? Get started now!

A/B Testing: An experiment in which two versions of an advertisement are tested side-by-side to determine which one performs better.

Ad Copy: The text of an ad, including the headline and description field. Ad copy should be optimized for keywords and written in a way that encourages users to click on the ad.

Ad Extensions: Additional information added to ads such as phone numbers, URL links, images, or reviews. Ad extensions make ads stand out from others on the page and can increase click-through rates (CTRs).

Ad Group: A set of related keywords and ads within a PPC campaign. Ad groups typically contain several ads that target different search queries.

Ad Rank: The position where your ad appears on the page, calculated by multiplying the maximum cost per click (CPC) bid with the Quality Score. Higher-ranked ads have better visibility and more clicks.

Bid Adjustments: A feature that allows you to adjust your bids for certain ad groups, keywords, locations, or other criteria. Bid adjustments are used to increase visibility and optimize campaigns more effectively.

Call To Action (CTA): An instruction in an ad that encourages users to take a specific action, such as clicking on a link or downloading an app. CTAs should be visible and direct users toward the desired outcome.

Campaigns: An organized set of ads that share a common goal or budget. Campaigns can target different types of searches with specific ads and bidding strategies.

Clicks: The number of times an ad is clicked on by a searcher. Clicks are one way to measure the success of an ad campaign.

Contextual Targeting: An advertising technique in which ads are shown based on the content of a web page rather than keywords searched for or user behaviours.

Conversion Rate: The percentage of website visitors who take the desired action, such as submitting a form or making a purchase. Conversion rate is often used to measure the success of an ad campaign.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): The process of making changes to an ad campaign or website to increase the number of desired actions taken by users, such as sign-ups, purchases, or downloads.

Conversion Tracking: A process that records when visitors take the desired action after viewing an ad, such as making a purchase or submitting a form.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): The amount of money paid for each desired action, such as a purchase or sign-up, generated by an ad. CPA is usually calculated on a cost-per-conversion basis.

Cost Per Click (CPC): The amount of money paid for each click on an ad. CPC is usually based on a maximum bid amount set by the advertiser.

Dayparting: The practice of scheduling ads to run only during certain times or days of the week. Dayparting is often used to target users more likely to take action during prime-time hours.

Display Ads: Ads that appear on websites, usually as banners or text links. Display ads target users who have already expressed an interest in the product or service being advertised.

Display Network: A network of websites, apps, and other sources where ads can appear when relevant queries trigger them. Also known as the Google Display Network or GDN for short.

Dynamic Keyword Insertion: A feature that automatically inserts relevant keywords into ads when triggered by a user’s query. This helps increase relevance and CTRs while optimizing ad campaigns for cost efficiency.

Impressions: The number of times an ad is seen by a searcher. Impressions provide insight into how well an ad performs in terms of its visibility and reach.

Impression Share: The percentage of impressions an ad gets compared to how many it could have potentially received if it had reached its full potential reach or budget limit was not in place.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Metrics used to measure the success of an ad campaign. Common KPIs include click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), conversion rate, and return on investment (ROI).

Landing Page: The web page where users arrive after clicking on an ad. A landing page should be relevant to the ad and contain information encouraging the user to take action.

Negative Keywords: Words or phrases associated with ads that signal to search engines not to show them when certain queries are made. Adding negative keywords reduces impressions and keeps costs down.

Organic Search: Traffic generated from unpaid listings in search engine results pages (SERPs). Organic search is typically the most cost-effective source of website traffic and leads, but it can take time to generate results.

Quality Score: An algorithm that measures the relevance and quality of your ads based on various factors such as keyword selection, click-through rate (CTR), ad copy, and landing page quality. A higher Quality Score will result in a lower cost per click (CPC).

Quality Score Optimization: Improving a Quality Score by making changes to an ad campaign, such as tweaking the keywords, changing the ad copy, or adding negative keywords.

Remarketing: An online advertising technique that allows you to target ads to users who have already visited your website or interacted with your brand. Remarketing helps you reach potential customers who may be more likely to convert.

Return On Investment (ROI): A measure of how much money is made for every dollar spent on an ad campaign. ROI is calculated by subtracting costs from profits and then dividing that number by total costs.

Search Network: A network of search engines, websites, apps, and other sources where ads can appear when relevant queries trigger. The most popular search networks are Google and Bing.

Split Testing: The practice of testing different versions of an ad to see which performs better with users. Split testing can help identify the best ads and optimize campaigns for cost efficiency.

Target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): The amount of money spent per the desired action generated by an ad. Setting a target CPA helps ensure that ad campaigns are profitable and optimize performance.

Universal App Campaigns (UAC): Google’s automated ad system that helps promote mobile apps across multiple networks, including the Adwords search network, YouTube, and more.

View-Through Conversions: A type of conversion that occurs when a user views an ad but does not take action immediately. Instead, they may take an action sometime later after seeing the ad again or on a different platform, such as Google or another website

With this glossary of terms, you now have a better understanding of PPC advertising. Use this knowledge to create more effective campaigns and optimize your ROI. Good luck!