Search Tips - Basics & Terminology

Paid search management is a digital, paid media channel. The channel is a pay-per-click service. Brands should use the channel to maximize RIO and gain valuable insight into consumer behavior.

Paid Media

Search advertising is under the paid media umbrella. Paid media falls under the promotion marketing P as paid promotion. The media channel enables reach expansion for brands - beyond earned and owned media. Consumers that have exposure to paid advertisements might or might not intend to interact with a brand. Current consumers typically see a change in brand recall, sentiment, or loyalty after they see an ad. New consumers will likely see changes in brand awareness, recognition, recall, sentiment, or loyalty since it's their first ad exposure.

Digital Media

Paid search management platforms fall under digital media, not traditional media. Consumers can access a variety of search platforms through phones, tablets, or desktops.

Phone

People utilize phones for quick access to information and entertainment. Consumers access the device multiple times a day for a variety of activities.

Tablet

Consumers use tablets for reading, gaming apps, and quick edits. Consumers use the device at work, on trips, and for long downtime periods.

Desktop

The device typically results in longer research sessions and processes. Consumers typically make purchases that are small to large on the device.

Pay-Per-Click

Paid search is bought on a pay-per-click basis. Brands only pay when someone clicks on an ad. As a result, a brand doesn’t need to have a set budget, unlike traditional media channel buys. Brands can raise or lower the overall budget based on needs or performance.

Terminology

Click: The number of times searchers clicked on a brand’s ad.
Impression: Represents the number of times a brand’s ad was shown
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The rate at which a brand’s ad was clicked on.
Avg Cost-Per-Click (CPC): The cost to brands for ad clicks.
Search Impressions Share (SOV): The percentage a brand’s ad was shown vs the total amount of opportunities it could have served.
Competitive Overlap Rate: The rate a brand’s ads showed next to a competitor’s ads.
Click Share: The percent of clicks a brand received versus the total number of possible clicks it could’ve received.
Keyword: The words or phrases the brand bids on. Keywords match brands to a searcher’s search terms.
Responsive Search Ads (RSA): The standard paid search ad type. It can include up to 15 headlines & 4 descriptions. Machine learning creates the best ad for each search.
Landing Page: The page an ad drives the searcher to. It can be a microsite or a page on the main site.
Extensions: Additional creative. Search engines display extensions when it feels the additional real estate can improve performance.
Ad Schedule: A setting that excludes days and times of the week. It should maximize the budget.
Geography: The campaign’s target location. Ads will only serve within the geo or when searchers show interest in the geo.

Share Your Thoughts

Email Golden Griffin

Recommended For You

Pay-Per-Click Channels

The pay-per-click model charges brands when a user clicks on an ad. Pay-Per-Click channels fall into one of two buckets. Learn about media/behavior-focused channels and business-focused channels.

Paid Search - Engine Benefits

Paid Search Engines have a ton of benefits. Learn how they hit Stages of the Consumer Journey, geo-target, measure data, and save advertising costs.

Google Grants - Program Overview

The Google Grants program gives nonprofits $10k/month in free Google Ads credit. Discover more about Google Grants and if your nonprofit is eligible.

Paid Media

Paid media allows brands to expand their reach beyond the capabilities of earned and owned media. The media type includes paid search, social, display, ooh, guerrilla, print, TV & radio. Click on the link to learn more about the media channels, creative, and main call to actions.

5 Google Ads Tips

5 tips every Google Ads campaign should utilize to improve short and long-term goals. Click the button below to learn more!

Expand Your Knowledge

Advertising Support

The client-advertiser relationship is more than a partnership. Advertisers must provide attention to detail, respect behind closed doors, and honesty.

High-Quality Advertising

High-quality campaigns must go through extensive research, create plans & creative strategies, and prioritize business metrics over media metrics. Signs of proper advertising come from sales, product R&D, and consumers.

Cost-Effective Advertising

Plan development should take 1-3 months, not a few weeks. Businesses that invest in advertising planning will experience an improvement in short and long-term CPA, client growth, and build loyalty.

5 Stages of the Consumer Journey

The 5 stages of the consumer journey are awareness, consideration, engagement, conversion, and loyalty. Campaigns should focus on 1 stage at a time. All of the business efforts should tie back to the current stage. Brands get the best performance with this approach.

PPPP Advertising vs Performance Marketing

Campaigns need to use a mix of performance, business, and behavioral data to succeed in a privacy-first world. Learn more about media performance-focused campaigns and business performance-focused campaigns.

Business Goal Creation

Every business should have 1, 3, 6 Month, 1, 2, 5, & 10 Year Goals. Business goals ensure marketing efforts are effective and encourage growth. Companies should use the S.M.A.R.T Goal technique to create comprehensive business goals.

Advertising for Small Businesses

All businesses need to invest in advertising. Ad research & data can impact the 4 Ps of Marketing. Additionally, it allows brands to understand consumer behavior and needs.

Advertising Cost

Golden Griffin strives to make advertising accessible for every company. Startups and Established brands need advertising to create sales and grow.

Earned Media

Earned media is extremely effective. Consumers tend to listen to their friends or family over an ad or brand. The media type includes word of mouth, social media, online reviews, media coverage, & organic search. Click the link to discover more about the earned types and their benefits.

Owned Media

Owned media is a powerful tool all brands can utilize. The media type includes a brand's website, social media channels, app, blogs, articles, speeches, sub-brands, company office, & employees. Click the link below to learn more about owned media and how it can help your brand.

Ad Research

Research is the heart of Advertising. Brands need to rely on research with increases in consumer privacy concerns. Click the link below to find out more!