Clear definitions of the marketing, advertising, and AI terms we use across our site and in client work. No jargon left unexplained.

A

AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)

The practice of optimising your content to be cited or recommended by AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and voice assistants. AEO focuses on structured data, question-based content, and entity optimisation so AI systems recognise your business as an authoritative source.

Ad Extensions (now called Assets)

Additional pieces of information you can add to a Google Ads text ad, such as phone numbers, links to specific pages, location details, or pricing. They make your ad larger and more useful, which typically improves click-through rate at no extra cost per click.

Ad Rank

The value Google uses to determine your ad position. Calculated from your bid amount, ad quality (Quality Score), expected impact of extensions, and the context of the search. Higher Ad Rank means a better position on the page.

AI Overviews

Google’s AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some search results. They pull information from multiple sources to answer the user’s question directly. Getting cited in AI Overviews requires strong AEO practices.

Attribution

The process of identifying which marketing channels and touchpoints deserve credit for a conversion. For example, did the customer first click a Google Ad, then visit from SEO, then convert from an email? Attribution models help you understand what is actually driving results.

Audience Signals

Data you provide to Google’s AI-powered campaigns (like Performance Max) to guide who should see your ads. These are suggestions, not hard targeting. Google uses them as starting points and expands from there based on performance.

B

Bid Strategy

The approach you use to set how much you pay for clicks or conversions in Google Ads. Options include manual CPC (you set each bid), Target CPA (Google optimises for a cost per conversion), Target ROAS (Google optimises for return on ad spend), and Maximise Conversions (Google spends your budget to get as many conversions as possible).

Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without taking any further action. A high bounce rate on a landing page usually signals a mismatch between the ad and the page content, or a poor user experience.

Broad Match

A keyword matching option in Google Ads where your ad can show for searches related to your keyword, including synonyms, related topics, and variations. Broad match gives Google the most flexibility but requires strong negative keyword management to avoid wasted spend.

C

Conversion

A valuable action taken by a website visitor, such as submitting a contact form, making a phone call, completing a purchase, or downloading a resource. Tracking conversions is essential for measuring whether your advertising is working.

Conversion Rate

The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action. If 100 people visit your landing page and 5 submit a form, your conversion rate is 5%. Industry average for Google Ads landing pages is typically 3-5%, but well-optimised pages can achieve 10-20%.

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)

How much you pay on average to acquire one customer or lead. Calculated by dividing total ad spend by the number of conversions. CPA is one of the most important metrics for measuring advertising efficiency.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

The amount you pay each time someone clicks your ad. In Google Ads, you set a maximum CPC bid, but you often pay less than your maximum. Average CPCs vary hugely by industry, from under £1 to over £50 for competitive legal or finance keywords.

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation)

The process of improving your website or landing pages to increase the percentage of visitors who convert. CRO involves testing headlines, layouts, forms, calls to action, and page speed to find what works best.

CTR (Click-Through Rate)

The percentage of people who see your ad and click on it. Calculated by dividing clicks by impressions. A higher CTR generally indicates your ad is relevant and compelling. Average CTR for Google Search ads is around 3-5%.

D

Display Ads

Visual banner ads that appear on websites across Google’s Display Network, which includes millions of sites, apps, and YouTube. Display ads are typically used for brand awareness and retargeting rather than direct response.

E

Exact Match

A keyword matching option in Google Ads where your ad only shows for searches that match your keyword’s meaning very closely. Denoted by square brackets, e.g. [google ads agency]. Exact match gives you the most control but limits reach.

Entity SEO

Optimising your business to be recognised as a distinct entity by search engines and AI systems. This involves consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data, schema markup, Knowledge Graph presence, and being referenced across authoritative sources.

G

Google Ads

Google’s advertising platform (formerly Google AdWords) where businesses pay to show ads in Google Search results, on YouTube, across the Display Network, in Gmail, and in Google Maps. The primary paid search platform globally.

Google Search Console (GSC)

A free tool from Google that shows how your website appears in search results. It provides data on impressions, clicks, average position, and which queries drive traffic. Essential for monitoring SEO performance.

I

Impressions

The number of times your ad or organic listing is shown to users. An impression counts each time your content appears, regardless of whether anyone clicks on it.

Impression Share

The percentage of available impressions your ad received out of the total it was eligible for. If your impression share is 60%, you are missing 40% of potential visibility, usually due to budget or Ad Rank limitations.

K

Keyword

A word or phrase that triggers your ad to show in Google Ads, or a term you target in SEO to rank organically. Effective keyword selection means understanding what your potential customers actually search for and the intent behind those searches.

L

Landing Page

The specific page a visitor arrives at after clicking your ad or search result. A well-designed landing page focuses on a single goal (form submission, phone call, purchase) and removes distractions that could prevent conversion.

Long-Tail Keywords

Longer, more specific search phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher intent and lower competition. “Google Ads agency for ecommerce UK” is a long-tail keyword. “Google Ads agency” is a short-tail keyword. Long-tail keywords often convert better because the searcher knows exactly what they want.

N

Negative Keywords

Words or phrases you add to your Google Ads campaigns to prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. For example, a premium agency might add “free”, “cheap”, and “DIY” as negative keywords. Proper negative keyword management is one of the biggest factors in reducing wasted ad spend.

P

Performance Max (PMax)

A Google Ads campaign type that uses AI to serve ads across all Google channels (Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Discover) from a single campaign. You provide creative assets and audience signals, and Google’s AI optimises placement and bidding automatically.

Phrase Match

A keyword matching option in Google Ads where your ad shows for searches that include the meaning of your keyword. Denoted by quotation marks, e.g. “google ads agency”. More flexible than exact match but more controlled than broad match.

PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

An advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Google Ads is the most common PPC platform. The alternative model is CPM (cost per thousand impressions), where you pay for views rather than clicks.

Q

Quality Score

A Google Ads metric (rated 1-10) that estimates the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. Higher Quality Scores can lead to lower costs per click and better ad positions. The three components are expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience.

R

Retargeting (Remarketing)

Showing ads to people who have already visited your website but did not convert. Retargeting keeps your business visible as prospects continue browsing the web, YouTube, or social media. It typically has much higher conversion rates than cold traffic because the audience already knows your brand.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

A measure of revenue generated per pound spent on advertising. A ROAS of 5:1 means every £1 spent on ads generates £5 in revenue. ROAS is the primary profitability metric for ecommerce Google Ads campaigns.

S

Schema Markup

Structured data code added to your website that helps search engines and AI tools understand your content. Schema can identify your business type, products, services, reviews, FAQs, and more. It powers rich results in Google and helps AEO by making your content machine-readable.

Search Intent

The reason behind a search query. The four main types are: informational (learning something), navigational (finding a specific site), commercial (researching options), and transactional (ready to buy). Matching your content to search intent is fundamental to both SEO and Google Ads success.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

The practice of improving your website to rank higher in organic (unpaid) search engine results. SEO covers technical optimisation, content creation, keyword targeting, and link building. Unlike paid ads, organic traffic does not cost per click, but requires ongoing investment in content and optimisation.

T

Target CPA

An automated bid strategy in Google Ads where you set the average amount you want to pay for a conversion, and Google’s AI adjusts your bids to achieve that target. Works best with at least 30 conversions per month for the algorithm to optimise effectively.

Target ROAS

An automated bid strategy in Google Ads where you set a target return on ad spend, and Google’s AI adjusts bids to maximise conversion value at your target ratio. Common for ecommerce campaigns where different products have different values.

V

Searches performed by speaking to a device (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) rather than typing. Voice searches tend to be longer and more conversational. Optimising for voice search is a key part of AEO, as voice assistants typically give a single answer rather than a list of results.