Glossary

A plain-English glossary of the Google Ads and PPC terms that actually come up when you’re running and scaling paid search. No fluff, no textbook padding, just clear definitions from 15+ years of managing real accounts.

Core Metrics

Conversion (conv)

A completed action you’ve told Google Ads to count as valuable, such as a form submission, phone call, purchase, or booking. A well-run account optimizes toward conversions, not just clicks.

Conversion Rate (CVR)

The percentage of clicks that turn into conversions. If 100 clicks produce 5 conversions, your conversion rate is 5%.

Cost Per Click (CPC)

What you pay each time someone clicks your ad. In search campaigns you’re charged per click, not per impression.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)

The average cost to get one conversion, calculated as total spend divided by conversions. Also called cost per conversion or cost per lead.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it (clicks divided by impressions). A strong CTR signals your ad matches search intent and helps your Quality Score.

Impression

One instance of your ad being shown. Impressions measure reach, not engagement.

Impression Share (IS)

The percentage of impressions your ads received out of the total they were eligible for. Low impression share usually means budget or Ad Rank is holding you back.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

The revenue generated for every dollar of ad spend. A 4x ROAS means you earned $4 for every $1 spent.

Cost Per Mille (CPM)

The cost per 1,000 impressions, used mainly in awareness, display, and video campaigns where you pay for views rather than clicks.

Quality Score (QS)

Google’s 1 to 10 rating of how relevant your keyword, ad, and landing page are to a search. A higher Quality Score lowers your CPC and improves your Ad Rank.

Ad Rank

The score Google uses to decide whether your ad shows and in what position. It combines your bid, your Quality Score, and the expected impact of your ad assets.

Bidding Strategies

Manual CPC

A bidding strategy where you set the maximum you’ll pay per click yourself, keeping full control over every bid.

Enhanced CPC (eCPC)

Manual bidding with a Google assist. It raises or lowers your manual bids in real time based on how likely a click is to convert.

Maximize Clicks (Max Clicks)

An automated strategy that spends your budget to get as many clicks as possible. Useful for traffic, not for efficiency.

Maximize Conversions (Max Conv)

An automated strategy that spends your full daily budget to get the most conversions possible, setting bids for you automatically.

Target CPA (tCPA)

A Smart Bidding strategy where you set a target cost per conversion and Google sets bids to hit that average CPA.

Target ROAS (tROAS)

A Smart Bidding strategy where you set a target return on ad spend and Google sets bids to hit that revenue-to-spend ratio.

Smart Bidding

Google’s family of automated, conversion-based strategies (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value) that use machine learning to set bids in every auction.

Keywords & Match Types

Keyword

A word or phrase you bid on so your ad can show for related searches. Keywords are grouped into ad groups by theme.

Search Term

The actual query a person typed. Search terms trigger your keywords, and reviewing them shows which real searches your ads matched.

Broad Match

The loosest match type. Your ad can show for searches Google considers related, even without your exact words. Widest reach, least control.

Phrase Match

Your ad shows for searches that include the meaning of your keyword. A middle ground between broad and exact match.

Exact Match

Your ad shows only for searches with the same meaning as your keyword. Tightest control, narrowest reach.

Negative Keyword

A term you exclude so your ads never show for it. Negatives cut wasted spend on irrelevant searches.

Campaign Types

Search Campaign

Text ads that appear in Google’s search results when people search your keywords. The core of most lead-generation accounts.

Performance Max (PMax)

A goal-based campaign that runs across all of Google’s inventory (Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Discover) from a single campaign using automation.

Display Campaign

Image and banner ads shown across the Google Display Network of websites and apps, used mainly for awareness and remarketing.

Shopping Campaign

Product ads with an image, price, and store name pulled from a Merchant Center feed, shown for product searches.

Video Campaign

Ads that run on YouTube and video partners, priced and optimized for views, reach, or conversions.

Ad Structure & Setup

Ad Group

A container inside a campaign that holds a set of closely related keywords and the ads that target them. Tight ad groups improve relevance and Quality Score.

Responsive Search Ad (RSA)

The standard search ad format where you provide multiple headlines and descriptions, and Google mixes them to find the best-performing combinations.

Ad Assets (Extensions)

Extra pieces you add to ads, such as sitelinks, callouts, call buttons, and location. They expand the ad and typically lift CTR.

Landing Page

The page a user reaches after clicking your ad. Its relevance and load speed directly affect your conversions and Quality Score.

Conversion Tracking

The setup (a tag or a Google Ads and GA4 connection) that records when a click leads to a valuable action. Without it, bidding and optimization are flying blind.