Welcome to the Performance Marketing Glossary. In the world of digital advertising, many terms, metrics, and techniques can feel technical or confusing. This glossary explains the key concepts used in Pay-Per-Click Ads (PPC), social media ads, affiliate marketing, ad tracking, and performance marketing in clear, straightforward language. Whether you are a beginner, client, or practitioner, this guide will help you understand reports, communicate better with teams, and run smarter campaigns.
How to Use This Performance Marketing Glossary
- The terms are listed alphabetically (A through Z) with a separate Legacy section for outdated terms.
- Use the index or jump links (for each letter) to go directly to the section you need.
- Each entry gives a clear, beginner-friendly definition. If one term references another, you can look it up for more context.
- Legacy terms included are mostly for recognizing older industry references and are not typically used in current campaigns.
- As you run or review ad campaigns, refer back to this glossary when you encounter unfamiliar terms. Over time these definitions will become familiar and intuitive.
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1P Data (First-Party Data)
1P Data refers to data that a company collects directly from its own customers through owned channels such as websites, apps, or CRM systems.
2P Data (Second-Party Data)
2P Data is another company’s first-party data that is shared through a direct partnership, often to enhance targeting and personalization.
3P Data (Third-Party Data)
3P Data is data collected and aggregated by external sources (not directly from customers) and sold or shared across advertisers for audience targeting.
3:1 Frequency Rule
The 3:1 Frequency Rule is an informal guideline suggesting that users should see an ad about three times before they act on it; more frequent exposure may lead to ad fatigue.
404 Error Page
A 404 Error Page is a web page shown when a user tries to access a URL that does not exist; optimizing it can reduce bounce rates in paid ad campaigns.
A
A/B Testing
A/B Testing is a method where you run two (or more) versions of an ad or landing page (Version A vs Version B) and compare which one gives better results, so you know what works best.
Account-Based Advertising (ABA)
Account-Based Advertising is a strategy where you serve ads to specific high-value companies or accounts (instead of a broad audience) in order to maximize impact on targeted prospects.a
Account Structure
Account Structure refers to how your advertising account is organized into campaigns, ad sets or ad groups, and individual ads. A well-structured account helps you manage and optimize more effectively.
Ad Auction
Ad Auction is the process used by ad platforms (like Google or Facebook) to decide which ads are shown, in which order, and how much the advertiser pays, based on bids and ad quality.
Ad Budget
Ad Budget is the amount of money you allocate to run ads during a certain time period, which sets a cap on how much you are willing to spend.
Ad Copy
Ad Copy is the textual part of your advertisement — headlines and descriptions — written to attract, engage, and persuade users to click or act.
Ad Creative
Ad Creative is the visual or multimedia component of an ad (images, graphics, videos) that complements the ad copy and helps capture attention.
Ad Delivery
Ad Delivery refers to how your ads are paced and distributed over time (for example, steadily through the day or as fast as possible early), so your spend doesn’t exhaust too soon.
Ad Exchange
An Ad Exchange is a digital marketplace where advertisers and publishers buy and sell ad inventory in real time through automated bidding systems.
Ad Fatigue
Ad Fatigue happens when the same users see your ad repeatedly and start ignoring it, causing performance (clicks, engagement) to decline.
Ad Frequency
Ad Frequency is how many times, on average, an individual user sees the same ad within a campaign period.
Ad Group / Ad Set
An Ad Group (or Ad Set, in some platforms) is a container within a campaign where you group ads together with shared targeting or bidding settings.
Ad Impression
An Ad Impression occurs each time your ad is displayed to a user (regardless of whether they click it or not).
Ad Inventory
Ad Inventory is the total amount of ad space (placements and impressions) a publisher or network has available to sell to advertisers.
Ad Manager (Meta Ads Manager)
Ad Manager (Meta Ads Manager) is Facebook / Meta’s interface for creating, managing, and tracking ads across Facebook, Instagram, and related properties.
Ad Network
An Ad Network aggregates ad inventory from multiple publishers and sells it to advertisers, often negotiating placements and offering targeting options.
Ad Objective
Ad Objective is the goal you choose when creating a campaign (e.g. awareness, traffic, leads, conversions), which guides the platform’s optimization.
Ad Placement
Ad Placement refers to where your ad appears — for example in Facebook News Feed, Instagram Stories, Google search results, or within partner apps.
Ad Rank
Ad Rank is a value used by some ad platforms (especially in search) to sort which ads appear higher, combining your bid amount with ad relevance and quality.
Ad Recall Lift
Ad Recall Lift measures how likely it is that people will remember your ad after seeing it, used especially in brand awareness campaigns.
Ad Relevance / Ad Relevance Diagnostics
Ad Relevance (or its modern diagnostics) is a measure of how well your ad matches the interest or intent of your target audience; more relevance often leads to better performance and lower costs.
Ad Scheduling (Dayparting)
Ad Scheduling, also called Dayparting, lets you specify which days and hours of the day your ads should run, so you show ads only when your audience is likely active.
Ad Sequencing
Ad Sequencing is a strategy where ads are shown to the same audience in a planned order to tell a story or move users through the marketing funnel.
Ad Server
An Ad Server is the system that stores, delivers, and tracks ads, counting impressions, clicks, and reporting performance.
Ad Set
An Ad Set is a level in Meta / Facebook ad accounts where you define your budget, targeting, and schedule for a group of ads.
Ad Spend
Ad Spend is the total amount of money used on your campaigns, which you monitor to ensure you stay within budget.
Ad Strength
Ad Strength is a metric some platforms use to show how well your ad assets (images, text) are likely to perform — offering suggestions to improve them.
Ad Verification
Ad Verification is the process of checking whether ads appear in the correct locations, are viewable, and meet brand safety standards.
Ad Viewability
Ad Viewability describes whether an ad had a chance to be seen (for example, 50 % of the ad’s pixels visible for at least 1 second), which affects whether an impression “counts.”
Advertiser (Merchant)
An Advertiser (or Merchant) is the business that pays to run ads or recruit partners to promote their products or services.
Affiliate (Publisher / Partner)
An Affiliate (or Publisher) is someone who promotes a merchant’s offers via links, content, or ads, and earns a commission for successful actions.
Affiliate Agreement
An Affiliate Agreement is the contract between a merchant and affiliate that defines commission structures, rules, and the working terms.
Affiliate Fraud
Affiliate Fraud is when an affiliate uses dishonest tactics (fake leads, cookie manipulation) to claim unearned commissions.
Affiliate Network
An Affiliate Network is a platform that links merchants and affiliates and handles tracking, reporting, and payment processing.
Affiliate Program
An Affiliate Program is a structured system in which a merchant rewards affiliates for bringing in sales, leads, or another desired outcome.
Affiliate Recruiting
Affiliate Recruiting is the process of finding and onboarding new affiliates into a merchant’s affiliate program to expand reach.
Affiliate Tracking ID / Sub-ID
An Affiliate Tracking ID or Sub-ID is a unique code added to affiliate links so you can identify which affiliate or campaign drove the traffic.
AI-Powered Bidding
AI-Powered Bidding uses artificial intelligence to automatically adjust bids in real time, based on data signals like device, location, and conversion likelihood.
Algorithm
An Algorithm is a set of rules or logic used by ad platforms (Google, Meta, DSPs) to decide which ads to show, when, and to whom.
Amazon Ads
Amazon Ads is an advertising platform that lets sellers and brands promote their products on Amazon search results, product pages, and across Amazon’s partner sites.
Arbitrage
Arbitrage in marketing means buying traffic or impressions cheaply and sending them to an offer that returns more than your cost.
ASA (Advertising Standards Authority)
ASA is the Advertising Standards Authority, the independent organization that regulates advertising in the United Kingdom. It ensures that all ads, including online and social media promotions, follow the UK Code of Advertising Practice and are honest and socially responsible.
ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India)
ASCI is the Advertising Standards Council of India, a self-regulatory organization that monitors advertising content to ensure it is truthful, fair, and not misleading. ASCI provides ethical guidelines for advertisers and has specific rules for influencer and digital advertising disclosures in India.
Attribution
Attribution is the method of assigning credit to different advertising touchpoints in a user’s journey to conversion, to understand what drove the result.
Attribution Window
An Attribution Window is the time period during which a conversion can be credited to a specific ad interaction, such as a click or impression.
B
Banner Ad
A Banner Ad is a graphical ad (static image, animated GIF, or HTML5) displayed on websites or mobile apps, often in a rectangular area.
Behavioral Targeting
Behavioral Targeting is the practice of showing ads to users based on their past online actions (sites visited, searches, purchases) to increase relevance.
Bid
A Bid is the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a click, impression, conversion, or other action in an ad auction.
Bid Adjustment
Bid Adjustment lets you increase or decrease your bid under specific conditions (e.g. device type, location, time) to improve efficiency.
Bid Cap
A Bid Cap is a limit you set in automated bidding strategies to prevent your bid from exceeding a certain amount.
Bid Strategy
A Bid Strategy is the method (manual or automatic) you choose to set bids and optimize your spending across campaigns.
Blacklisting
Blacklisting is blocking certain websites or ad placements from displaying your ads to avoid poor quality or irrelevant inventory.
Bounce Rate
Bounce Rate is the percentage of users who visit your landing page and leave without interacting further or going deeper into the site.
Brand Awareness Campaign
A Brand Awareness Campaign is designed to increase recognition and recall of your brand rather than immediate conversions.
Brand Lift Study
A Brand Lift Study measures how advertising impacts brand awareness, perception, or intent by comparing responses from exposed and unexposed audiences.
Broad Match
Broad Match is a keyword setting (in search ads) that allows your ad to show for searches related to your keyword, even if the search terms vary significantly.
C
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
CCPA is a California privacy law that gives users control over their personal data, including how it is collected, shared, and used in advertising.
Call Extension
A Call Extension is an ad extension that displays a phone number in your ad so users can call your business directly from the ad.
Call to Action (CTA)
A Call to Action is a prompt in your ad (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Sign Up”) instructing users on the next action to take.
Call Tracking
Call Tracking is the process of tracking which ads or campaigns generate phone calls to your business.
Campaign
A Campaign is a top-level structure in ad accounts where you set your objective, budget, targeting, and overall settings.
Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO)
Campaign Budget Optimization is a feature (in Facebook/Meta) that distributes your campaign’s budget automatically across its ad sets to get the best results.
Carousel Ads
Carousel Ads are ads that let users scroll through multiple images or videos within one ad unit, each with its own link.
Click
A Click is when a user taps or clicks on your ad, taking them to your landing page or another destination.
Click Fraud
Click Fraud is the practice of generating invalid or fake clicks (often by bots or malicious actors) to waste an advertiser’s budget.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-Through Rate is the percentage of impressions that lead to clicks (CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100).
Commission / Payout
Commission or Payout is the payment given to an affiliate when they successfully drive the agreed action (sale, lead, conversion).
Connected TV Advertising (CTV)
Connected TV Advertising refers to showing ads on internet-connected TVs or streaming devices, allowing precise targeting and performance tracking.
Consent Mode
Consent Mode is a Google feature that adjusts how tracking and analytics tags behave based on user consent for cookies or personal data collection.
Contextual Advertising / Contextual Targeting
Contextual Advertising is serving ads based on the content of the page (for example, showing cooking ads on recipe pages) rather than by user profiling.
Conversion
A Conversion is a desired action by a user (such as a purchase, lead form submission, or signup) tracked after interacting with an ad.
Conversion Lift
Conversion Lift is a measurement technique to evaluate the incremental conversions driven by your advertising efforts.
Conversion Modeling
Conversion Modeling uses machine learning to estimate conversions that cannot be directly tracked because of privacy restrictions or missing data.
Conversion Rate (CVR)
Conversion Rate is the percentage of ad clicks that result in a conversion (CVR = conversions ÷ clicks × 100).
Conversion Tracking
Conversion Tracking is the method of measuring when and how conversions happen in relation to your ad campaigns.
Cookie
A Cookie is a small piece of data stored on a user’s browser to remember information such as actions, preferences, or ad exposure.
Cookie Duration / Return Days
Cookie Duration (or Return Days) is the time window after a click during which a conversion can be credited to that click before it expires.
Cookieless Attribution
Cookieless Attribution uses alternative identifiers and data models to measure ad performance in environments where cookies are unavailable.
Cookieless Tracking / Cookieless Mode
Cookieless Tracking refers to methods of measuring and attributing ad performance without relying on third-party cookies, due to privacy changes.
Cost per Acquisition (CPA)
Cost per Acquisition is the average cost you pay to gain one conversion or acquisition.
Cost per Click (CPC)
Cost per Click is the average cost you pay for each click on your ad.
Cost per Engagement (CPE)
Cost per Engagement is the cost you pay when users interact with your ad (e.g., like, comment, share) rather than just clicking it.
Cost per Hire (CPH)
Cost per Hire is a metric used in recruitment advertising that calculates the total advertising spend required to hire one qualified candidate.
Cost per Install (CPI)
Cost per Install refers to how much you pay for each app installation driven by your ads.
Cost per Lead (CPL)
Cost per Lead is the cost you pay for each lead generated by your ads (lead = prospective customer info capture).
Cost per Mille (CPM)
Cost per Mille (CPM) is the cost you pay per thousand ad impressions.
Cost per Order (CPO)
CPO means the cost incurred for each completed order obtained via your ads; it is a metric often used in e-commerce advertising.
Cost per View (CPV)
Cost per View is the amount paid each time a video ad is viewed (or a portion of it, depending on platform rules).
Creative Fatigue
Creative Fatigue happens when users see the same visuals or messages too often and stop responding, causing performance to decline.
Creative Optimization Platform (COP)
A Creative Optimization Platform helps advertisers automatically test, personalize, and optimize ad creatives for higher engagement and conversions.
Cross-Channel Attribution
Cross-Channel Attribution identifies how different marketing channels work together to influence conversions and assigns credit across them accurately.
Cross-Device Tracking
Cross-Device Tracking is identifying and linking a user’s actions across multiple devices (e.g., phone, tablet, desktop) for accurate measurement.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Customer Lifetime Value is the total revenue a customer is estimated to bring over the full duration of their relationship with your business.
D
Daily Budget
Daily Budget is the average amount you allow a campaign to spend each day.
Data Clean Room
A Data Clean Room is a secure environment where advertisers and publishers can compare and analyze user data together while keeping personal data private.
Data-Driven Attribution
Data-Driven Attribution is a method that assigns credit to each ad touchpoint based on actual data and its influence toward conversions.
Data Management Platform (DMP)
A Data Management Platform collects, organizes, and activates audience data from multiple sources to improve ad targeting and campaign efficiency.
Deep Linking
Deep Linking is using a link that leads directly to a specific product or page rather than the website homepage, improving relevance and conversions.
Demand-Side Platform (DSP)
A Demand-Side Platform is a software system that allows advertisers to buy digital ad inventory automatically across multiple ad exchanges.
Demographic Targeting
Demographic Targeting is selecting your ad audience based on attributes such as age, gender, income, education, and household status.
Demand Generation Ads
Demand Generation Ads are advertising efforts aimed at creating awareness and interest, rather than immediate conversions.
Display Ads
Display Ads are visual ads (images, banners, or rich media) shown on websites or apps outside of search results.
Display Network
The Display Network is a collection of websites, apps, and video platforms where display ads can appear (like Google’s Display Network).
Dynamic Ads
Dynamic Ads are automatically generated adverts personalized to individual users based on their past behavior or interests.
Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)
Dynamic Creative Optimization is an automated process that tests and assembles optimal combinations of visual and text elements in your ads for better performance.
Dynamic Product Ads (DPA)
Dynamic Product Ads automatically show products that users have viewed or added to cart, helping to retarget them with personalized creative.
Dynamic Search Ads (DSA)
Dynamic Search Ads use the content of your website to automatically generate ads and match relevant searches, filling gaps in your keyword targeting.
Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)
Dynamic Keyword Insertion dynamically replaces part of your ad copy with the user’s search query (if it matches), to increase relevance.
E
E-Commerce Feed
An E-Commerce Feed is a structured data file that contains product details like names, prices, and images, used to display products in shopping ads.
Engagement
Engagement is when users interact with your ad (e.g., liking, commenting, sharing, tapping) beyond just clicking.
Engagement Rate
Engagement Rate is the percentage of users who engaged with your ad out of those who saw it (engagement ÷ impressions × 100).
Enhanced Attribution
Enhanced Attribution improves how conversions are assigned across multiple ad touchpoints, giving a more accurate picture of ad impact.
Enhanced CPC (ECPC)
Enhanced CPC is a semi-automated bidding strategy that adjusts your manual bids to try to get more conversions while staying within your bid limits.
Exact Match
Exact Match is a keyword targeting option where your ad only shows for searches that exactly match your keyword or very close variants.
Exclusions
Exclusions are settings that prevent your ads from showing to unwanted audiences, placements, devices, or keywords.
F
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads are paid advertisements shown on Facebook and its associated platforms, including Instagram and Messenger.
Facebook Pixel / Meta Pixel
The Facebook or Meta Pixel is a piece of code you put on your website to track visitor behavior and measure ad performance.
Feed Optimization
Feed Optimization is the process of improving product data in an ad feed to make it more appealing and relevant to search or shopping platforms.
Frequency
Frequency is the number of times the average person sees a particular ad during a campaign period.
Frequency Capping
Frequency Capping limits how many times the same user can see the same ad to avoid overexposure and fatigue.
FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
The FTC is the Federal Trade Commission of the United States. It protects consumers by enforcing rules against deceptive, false, or unfair advertising practices. The FTC also sets guidelines for online advertising, influencer marketing, and data privacy to maintain transparency in digital campaigns.
Funnel (Marketing Funnel)
A Funnel is the user journey from awareness to consideration to conversion (and possibly retention), often visualized in stages.
G
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
GDPR is a European privacy law that governs how organizations collect, store, and use personal data in digital marketing and advertising.
Geotargeting
Geotargeting is basing ad delivery on a user’s location (city, region, country, or radius) so only relevant audiences see the ad.
Goal-Based Campaign
A Goal-Based Campaign is set up with a specific performance objective (e.g. conversions, lead generation, app installs) and optimized toward that target.
Google Ads
Google Ads is Google’s advertising platform for running search, display, video, shopping, and app campaigns.
Google Ads 360
Google Ads 360 is an enterprise-level platform within Google Marketing Platform that helps large advertisers manage, track, and optimize campaigns across multiple search engines.
Google AdSense
Google AdSense allows publishers and website owners to display ads from Google’s network and earn revenue when users view or click those ads.
Google Advertising ID (GAID)
GAID is a unique identifier for Android devices that helps advertisers measure ad performance and user engagement while maintaining privacy controls.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is Google’s tool that tracks website traffic, user behavior, and conversions, helping you measure ad performance.
Google Display Network (GDN)
The Google Display Network is the network of websites, apps, and video sites where Google serves display ads.
Google Tag Manager (GTM)
Google Tag Manager is a tool that helps you easily add and manage tracking tags (like ad pixels or analytics) on your website without modifying code constantly.
H
Header Bidding
Header Bidding is a programmatic advertising technique that allows multiple ad exchanges to bid on inventory at the same time before the ad server makes a decision.
Headline
The Headline is the prominent text in your ad (often bold) that captures attention and introduces your message.
Heatmap
A Heatmap is a visual overlay showing where users most often click, scroll, or hover on your landing pages or site.
House Ads
House Ads are internal adverts promoting your own content, services, or offers within your app or media rather than external promotions.
I
IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)
The IAB is an organization that sets standards and best practices for digital advertising, including ad formats, measurement, and data privacy.
IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers)
IDFA is Apple’s device ID used to track ad performance and measure conversions on iOS devices while maintaining user privacy options.
Impression
An Impression happens when your ad is displayed to a user on a screen (even if they don’t click it).
Impression Share
Impression Share is the percentage of impressions your ads earned out of all the impressions they were eligible for.
In-Market Audience
An In-Market Audience is a group of people who are actively researching or considering buying a product or service similar to yours.
Incrementality
Incrementality measures how many conversions or actions are truly caused by your ads, over and above what would have happened naturally.
Influencer Ads
Influencer Ads are campaigns where social media influencers promote your brand or product to their followers, often blending paid and organic content.
Instagram Ads
Instagram Ads are paid promotions appearing in users’ Instagram feeds, stories, reels, or explore tabs.
Internal/House Ads
Internal or House Ads are advertisements used within your own media properties (e.g. your app, website) to promote your products, services or content.
Interstitial Ad
An Interstitial Ad is a full-page or full-screen ad shown between content transitions (for example, between app screens or page loads) to capture full attention of the viewer.
J
JavaScript Tag / Tracking Tag
A JavaScript Tag (or tracking tag) is a snippet of code you place on your site to collect data about user behavior and track ad performance.
Journey Mapping
Journey Mapping is creating a visual map of how users move through stages (like awareness, consideration, purchase) before converting.
K
Keyword
A Keyword is a word or phrase you bid on so that your ad shows when users search or engage with related content.
Keyword Match Types
Keyword Match Types define how precisely the platform should match a user’s search to your keyword (e.g. Exact, Phrase, Broad).
Keyword Planner
Keyword Planner is a tool (e.g., in Google Ads) used to find keyword ideas, see search volume, and estimate costs.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a measurable metric used to evaluate the success or performance of your campaign (e.g. CTR, CPA, ROAS).
L
Landing Page
A Landing Page is the specific web page users arrive on after clicking your ad, designed for conversion or action.
Landing Page Experience
Landing Page Experience refers to how relevant, fast, and user-friendly the landing page is (which affects your ad’s performance and cost).
Lead Generation Ads
Lead Generation Ads are ads designed to collect user information (like email, phone) directly within the ad platform.
Lifetime Budget
A Lifetime Budget is a total budget you allow a campaign to spend over its entire duration rather than a daily cap.
Lift Test
A Lift Test is an experiment that measures how much additional impact an ad campaign has compared to a control group that did not see the ads.
LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn Ads is a paid advertising platform designed for B2B marketing, allowing businesses to target professionals by industry, role, location, and more.
Lookalike Audience
A Lookalike Audience is a list of users matched by a platform (like Facebook) who resemble your existing customers or best audience.
M
Manual Bidding
Manual Bidding is when you set the individual bids yourself, instead of letting automation adjust them.
Maximum CPC (Max CPC)
Maximum CPC is the highest amount you are willing to pay for a click on your ad.
Media Mix Modeling (MMM)
Media Mix Modeling is a statistical analysis technique that estimates how different marketing channels contribute to conversions over time.
Meta Audience Network
Meta Audience Network extends Facebook and Instagram ads to apps and websites beyond Meta platforms, helping advertisers expand their reach.
Meta Pixel
The Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) is a code snippet you place on your site to track conversions, optimize, and build audiences.
Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads)
Microsoft Advertising is a pay-per-click platform for running search and display ads on Bing, Yahoo, and partner websites, offering lower CPCs and unique audience segments.
Mobile Ads
Mobile Ads are ads formatted and optimized specifically to display well on mobile phones and tablets.
Multi-Channel Attribution
Multi-Channel Attribution is a method that gives credit to multiple touchpoints (search, social, display) in the user’s path to conversion.
Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA)
Multi-Touch Attribution assigns credit to multiple ad interactions that occur before a conversion, helping marketers understand which touchpoints contributed most.
N
Native Ads
Native Ads are ads that match the look and feel of the platform where they appear, often blending in with the content.
Native Advertising
Native Advertising refers to ads designed to blend in with the look and feel of the surrounding content, matching style, format, and tone.
Negative Keywords
Negative Keywords are search terms that you exclude so your ads don’t show for irrelevant searches.
Niche Targeting
Niche Targeting refers to focusing your ad efforts on a very specific or narrow audience segment.
O
Objective-Based Campaign
An Objective-Based Campaign is structured so the ad platform optimizes for a specific goal (e.g. conversions, reach, traffic).
Omnichannel Marketing
Omnichannel Marketing is coordinating ads across multiple platforms (search, social, email, display) for a consistent user experience.
Optimization Score
Optimization Score is a metric some ad platforms provide to show how well optimized your campaigns are, and suggest improvements.
Outstream Video Ads
Outstream Video Ads are videos that play outside of traditional video players (for example, within articles or in-feed) and start playing automatically.
Over-The-Top Advertising (OTT)
Over-The-Top Advertising delivers video ads through streaming services or devices connected to the internet, bypassing traditional TV networks.
Overlay Ads
Overlay Ads are semi-transparent ads that appear over content (e.g. text or video), often at the bottom portion of a screen.
P
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is an advertising model in which you pay only when someone clicks your ad.
Performance Max (PMax)
Performance Max (PMax) is a Google Ads campaign type that uses AI to optimize across all inventory (search, video, display, etc.).
Performance Pricing Model
A Performance Pricing Model is when advertisers pay only for outcomes (such as a sale, lead, or action) rather than paying fixed costs.
Phrase Match
Phrase Match is a keyword setting where your ad shows when a user’s search includes your target phrase (in order), possibly with additional words before or after.
Pinterest Ads
Pinterest Ads allows brands to reach users through visually engaging promoted pins, especially effective for lifestyle, fashion, and e-commerce campaigns.
Pixel
A Pixel is a small piece of code inserted into your website to track user behavior, conversions, and retargeting audiences.
Placement
Placement defines where your ad appears online (for example, in apps, on websites, in video streams, or social feeds).
Playable Ads
Playable Ads are interactive ad formats that let users try a demo version of a product or game before clicking through to download or purchase.
Pop-Up / Pop-Under Ads
Pop-Up Ads open in a new small window over the content, while Pop-Under Ads appear behind the browser window. Both are ad formats used in display advertising.
Portfolio Bid Strategy
A Portfolio Bid Strategy is an automated bidding method applied across multiple campaigns to optimize performance holistically.
Post-Click Landing Page
A Post-Click Landing Page is the first page a user lands on immediately after clicking an ad, designed for highest relevance to conversion.
Predictive Analytics
Predictive Analytics uses data patterns and AI to forecast campaign results, helping advertisers plan budgets and targeting more effectively.
Predictive Targeting
Predictive Targeting uses machine learning to identify and reach users who are most likely to take a desired action based on past behavior.
Private Marketplace (PMP)
A Private Marketplace is a programmatic auction where premium publishers offer ad inventory to select advertisers in a controlled environment.
Product Feed
A Product Feed is a structured file that lists all product details such as titles, prices, descriptions, and images. It is used by advertising platforms like Google Shopping and Meta Catalog to automatically create and update ads. It is sometimes called an E-Commerce Feed when used more broadly across sales and marketing channels.
Product Feed Optimization (PFO)
Product Feed Optimization is improving product data in an ad feed by refining titles, descriptions, and images to increase performance in shopping ads.
Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic Advertising is buying and selling ad inventory automatically using AI and real-time auctions (instead of manual negotiations).
Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
Programmatic Guaranteed is a buying model that allows advertisers to secure a fixed number of impressions programmatically at a set price.
Promotion Extension
A Promotion Extension is an ad extension (in search ads) that highlights special sales or promotional offers (e.g. “20 % off”).
Q
Quality Score
Quality Score is a rating (often 1 to 10) used by ad platforms (especially search engines) that measures how relevant and useful your ad, keywords, and landing page are; a higher Quality Score can reduce your costs and improve ad positioning.
Query
A Query is the exact word or phrase that a user types into a search engine which may trigger your ad if it matches your targeting settings.
Quora Ads
Quora Ads help advertisers reach users searching for information, using contextual targeting based on the questions and topics they follow.
R
Reach
Reach is the total number of unique users who saw your ad at least once during a campaign period.
Real-Time Bidding (RTB)
Real-Time Bidding is an automated auction system that allows advertisers to bid on individual ad impressions in milliseconds as a webpage loads.
Reddit Ads
Reddit Ads allow marketers to promote posts or products within Reddit communities, enabling niche targeting through interests and subreddits.
Re-engagement Campaign
A Re-engagement Campaign is a type of advertising effort aimed at bringing back users who have interacted with your brand before but have not converted recently.
Relevance Diagnostics
Relevance Diagnostics are metrics (such as Quality, Engagement, and Conversion Rate rankings) that tell you how well your ad matches user interest and how it is performing relative to other advertisers.
Remarketing (Retargeting)
Remarketing or Retargeting is when you show ads to users who have previously visited your website or app, in hopes of bringing them back to convert.
Repeat Purchase Rate
Repeat Purchase Rate is the percentage of customers who make more than one purchase over a given time period.
Reporting Dashboard
A Reporting Dashboard is a visual interface or tool that shows campaign metrics, performance trends, and KPIs in one consolidated place.
Responsive Ads
Responsive Ads are ad formats that automatically adjust their layout, size, and appearance to fit different ad placements and devices.
Responsive Display Ads
Responsive Display Ads are a type of ad in Google Ads that automatically adapt their size, appearance, and format to best fit different display placements.
Responsive Search Ads (RSA)
Responsive Search Ads allow you to input multiple headlines and descriptions; the platform then tests combinations to show the most effective ones.
Retail Media Network (RMN)
A Retail Media Network is an advertising platform owned by a retailer that allows brands to run paid ads on its website, app, or partner channels.
Retargeting Pixel
A Retargeting Pixel is a small piece of code placed on your website that enables you to show ads later to people who visited certain pages or took certain actions.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a metric that measures how much revenue you generate for each monetary unit you spend on ads.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Return on Investment (ROI) is the amount of profit (not just revenue) you make relative to how much you spent on your campaigns.
Revenue Attribution
Revenue Attribution is the process of assigning credit to different marketing touchpoints (ads, channels) that contributed to a conversion or sale.
ROAS Targeting
ROAS Targeting refers to a bidding strategy where the platform optimizes bids to achieve or exceed a specified ROAS goal.
Rule-Based Automation
Rule-Based Automation is when you create conditions or rules (for example, “pause ads with CPA over ₹2000”) so that your campaigns automatically adjust based on performance.
Run-of-Network (RON) / Run-of-Site (ROS)
Run-of-Network (RON) is a broad placement approach where your ad may appear anywhere in an ad network; Run-of-Site (ROS) is a similar concept limited to a single website.
S
Search Ads
Search Ads are text ads that appear on search engine result pages when users search for relevant terms.
Search Impression Share
Search Impression Share is the share of total possible search impressions your ads actually received compared to how many they could have gotten.
Search Partner Network
The Search Partner Network is a group of non-Google websites and search engines that also show Google’s search ads.
Segmentation
Segmentation is the process of dividing your audience into smaller subgroups based on characteristics (demographics, behavior) to deliver more relevant ads.
Sequential Retargeting
Sequential Retargeting involves showing a series of different ads in stages to users, guiding them step by step through the conversion journey.
Share of Voice (SOV)
Share of Voice is the percentage of total ad impressions, clicks, or spend in a market or category that your brand holds compared to competitors.
Shopping Ads
Shopping Ads are product-based ads that show images, titles, prices, and merchant names in search results (often used in e-commerce).
Shopping Feed
A Shopping Feed is a data file containing detailed information about products used by platforms like Google Shopping and Amazon Ads to display relevant items in search results.
Sitelink Extensions
Sitelink Extensions are extra links under your main ad text that lead to other pages on your website (e.g. “Contact Us,” “Best Sellers”).
Skippable Video Ads
Skippable Video Ads are video advertisements (e.g. on YouTube) which viewers can skip after a certain number of seconds (often 5).
Smart Bidding
Smart Bidding is Google’s automated bidding strategy that uses machine learning to optimize for conversions or conversion value in real time.
Smart Campaigns
Smart Campaigns are simplified campaign setups (e.g. for small businesses) where the platform automates targeting and bidding decisions for you.
Snapchat Ads
Snapchat Ads is the advertising platform that helps brands connect with audiences through short, creative, and interactive content. It includes several formats such as Snap Ads (full-screen vertical videos), Story Ads, Collection Ads, and AR Lenses, allowing marketers to drive engagement and conversions effectively.
Social Ads
Social Ads are paid advertisements run on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X (Twitter) to reach targeted audiences.
Social Proof
Social Proof is the use of ratings, reviews, shares, or testimonials in your ads to build trust and credibility with new users.
Split Testing (A/B Testing)
Split Testing, also known as A/B Testing, is the method of comparing two (or more) versions of an ad or page to see which performs better under similar conditions.
Spotify Ads
Spotify Ads enable advertisers to reach listeners through audio, video, and display formats, targeting users by demographics, playlists, and listening habits.
Story Ads
Story Ads are full-screen vertical ads shown within “Stories” formats on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat.
Supplemental Feed
A Supplemental Feed in Shopping campaigns is an additional data source that enhances or supplements your main product feed (e.g. additional attributes).
Supply-Side Platform (SSP)
A Supply-Side Platform is a tool used by publishers to manage, sell, and optimize their ad inventory across different ad exchanges.
T
Target Audience
The Target Audience is the specific group of users whom you intend to reach with your ad campaigns (based on interests, demographics, behavior, etc.).
Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
Target CPA is an automated bidding strategy where you let the platform aim to get conversions at or below a specified cost per acquisition.
Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Target ROAS is a bidding strategy where you instruct the platform to optimize spend toward achieving a specific return (e.g. 400 % ROAS).
Testing Budget
A Testing Budget is a smaller allocation of funds used specifically to test new strategies, creatives, audiences, or campaigns without risking major funds.
Third-Party Cookies
Third-Party Cookies are cookies placed by domains other than the one a user is visiting, often used by ad platforms and analytics tools for tracking and retargeting.
Third-Party Data
Third-Party Data is information collected by external sources that advertisers use to enhance targeting when first-party data is limited.
TikTok Ads
TikTok Ads offers short-form video advertising options to engage audiences with creative, trend-driven content, suitable for both awareness and conversions.
Top of Funnel (TOFU)
Top of Funnel (TOFU) is the stage in the marketing funnel focused on awareness and reaching new audiences rather than immediate conversion.
Top of Page Rate
Top of Page Rate indicates how often your ad appears at the very top of search results above other ads and organic listings.
Tracking Pixel
A Tracking Pixel is a small piece of code (often a 1×1 transparent image or script) used to track user behavior and conversion events on a website.
Tracking Template
A Tracking Template is a URL parameter structure you set up to append tracking information (like UTM tags or click IDs) to your ad destination URLs.
Traffic Campaign
A Traffic Campaign is designed to send users to your website or app (rather than optimizing for conversions) and is measured by visits or clicks.
TROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend)
TROAS (Target ROAS) is another term for setting a target return on ad spend that an automated bidding strategy will aim to meet or exceed.
TrueView Ads
TrueView Ads are YouTube video ad formats where advertisers pay only if viewers watch a certain portion of the ad or interact with it.
Turnkey Campaigns
Turnkey Campaigns are ready-made campaign templates optimized for quick launch, where much of the setup is preconfigured.
U
Unique Clicks
Unique Clicks is the number of distinct individuals who clicked your ad — repeated clicks from the same person are counted only once.
Unique Reach
Unique Reach is how many different users saw your ad at least once during the campaign.
Upsell
Upsell is a strategy to promote a higher-value or complementary product to someone who already made a purchase or is in the buying process.
URL Tagging
URL Tagging means appending tracking parameters (like UTM codes) to a link so analytics tools can identify which campaign, ad, or source brought the traffic.
User Acquisition (UA)
User Acquisition refers to campaigns and tactics focused on bringing new users or customers (for example, getting app installs or new signups).
User-Generated Content (UGC) Ads
User-Generated Content Ads are advertisements that incorporate content created by your actual customers (reviews, photos, posts) to increase authenticity and trust.
UTM Parameters
UTM Parameters are tags you append to a URL (for example, ?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ads) so that analytics platforms can track where visitors came from and which campaign drove the traffic.
V
Value-Based Bidding
Value-Based Bidding is a bidding approach where you optimize for conversion value (e.g., revenue per conversion), not merely the number of conversions.
Vanity Code
A Vanity Code is a custom coupon or promo code assigned to a campaign or affiliate so it’s easier to track offline or direct sales.
Video Ads
Video Ads are ads that use video content and are shown on platforms like YouTube, social media, or in-stream placements across websites.
View Rate
View Rate is the percentage of impressions that lead to a view (based on the platform’s definition of a “view”).
View-Through Conversion
View-Through Conversion is when a user sees an ad (but does not click) and later converts — credit is attributed to that ad view.
View-Through Rate (VTR)
View-Through Rate is the percentage of users who watch a video ad to the end compared to the total number of impressions it received.
Viewability Rate
Viewability Rate is the percentage of ads that were actually visible on a user’s screen out of all impressions served.
Viewable Impression
A Viewable Impression is an ad impression counted only when it meets visibility criteria (e.g., at least 50 % of ad pixels visible for one second or more).
Viral Marketing
Viral Marketing refers to campaigns designed to spread organically through sharing, thereby amplifying reach beyond paid media.
Visibility Rate
Visibility Rate is the proportion of ad impressions that satisfy viewability standards, i.e. the ad was actually seen by users.
Visitor Segmentation
Visitor Segmentation is dividing your audience into groups based on factors like behavior, source, or demographics to serve more relevant ads.
W
Web Conversion
Web Conversion is a conversion (like purchase, form submission) that happens on your website as a result of ad-driven traffic.
Website Custom Audience
Website Custom Audience is an audience created from people who visited specific pages or performed certain actions on your site, for use in retargeting campaigns.
White Label DSP
A White Label DSP is a customizable demand-side platform that agencies or brands can rebrand and use to manage their own programmatic ad buying.
Whitelist
Whitelist is a list of approved websites, apps, placements, or influencer handles where you allow your ads to appear (excluding low-quality or risky placements).
Win Rate
Win Rate is the percentage of ad auctions you win out of all the auctions you were eligible to participate in.
Workflow Automation
Workflow Automation is using scripts, tools, or rules to automatically perform repetitive tasks in campaign management (like pausing bad ads or adjusting bids).
X
X Ads (Formerly Twitter Ads)
X (Twitter) Ads are paid promotions on X (formerly Twitter), including promoted tweets, accounts, trends, and video ads.
XML Feed
An XML Feed is a file (in XML format) containing structured product information (titles, images, prices) used by shopping or product ad systems to load and update ads dynamically.
Y
YouTube Ads
YouTube Ads are video-based advertisements shown on YouTube in various formats (skippable, non-skippable, bumper, discovery) to reach target audiences.
Yield Optimization
Yield Optimization is the process of adjusting ad prices, placements, or selection logic (especially for publishers) to maximize revenue from impressions served.
Youth Targeting
Youth Targeting is the practice of customizing ad campaigns specifically for younger audiences (typically ages 13–25), considering their preferences, behavior, and channels.
Z
Z-Pattern Layout
Z-Pattern Layout is a design principle used in landing pages and ads where information and call-to-action elements are placed along a “Z” visual path (top left → top right → diagonal → bottom right) to guide users’ eye movement in a predictable flow.
Zero-Party Data
Zero-Party Data is information that users intentionally and proactively share with your brand (for example via forms, quizzes, preferences), rather than data inferred or collected passively.
Zip Code Targeting
Zip Code Targeting is a geotargeting tactic where you restrict your ads to run only in certain postal / ZIP code areas, allowing you to reach audiences in specific neighborhoods and reduce wasted spend.
Legacy
AdWords
AdWords is the former name for Google’s advertising platform before it was rebranded to Google Ads in 2018.
Broad Match Modifier (BMM)
Broad Match Modifier was an older keyword matching option in Google Ads that let advertisers lock certain words in a broad match, but it has since been removed.
Expanded Text Ads (ETAs)
Expanded Text Ads were a previous ad format in Google Ads with fixed headlines and descriptions, now deprecated in favor of Responsive Search Ads.
Facebook Relevance Score
Facebook Relevance Score was a metric that rated how relevant an ad was to its audience; it has been replaced by newer ad relevance diagnostics.
Overture
Overture was an early pay-per-click search advertising platform that was acquired by Yahoo, and is no longer in active use.
Text Ads (Standard)
Text Ads (Standard) refers to the earliest, simple text-only ad formats used in digital advertising history.
Right Column Ads (Facebook)
Right Column Ads on Facebook were desktop-only placements in the right sidebar, now deprecated with evolving ad formats.
YouTube Discovery Ads (Legacy)
YouTube Discovery Ads were an earlier ad format in YouTube replaced over time by newer video ad placement options.
Twitter Promote Mode
Twitter Promote Mode was a simplified ad mode for automatic promotion of posts which has since been discontinued on X (formerly Twitter).
Conclusion
Knowing the language of performance marketing is foundational to effective advertising. Understanding terms like CTR, ROAS, bid strategies, and pixels empowers you to evaluate results, optimize performance, and articulate strategy clearly. This glossary is intended to evolve as new metrics, platforms, and techniques emerge. If you spot a missing term or need clarification, feel free to suggest it.
Let this glossary be a dependable reference on your journey to advertising mastery.
Don’t forget to explore our other glossaries on SEO, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing and more. You can get them on our Digital Marketing Resources page.