Definition

Advertising in search engine results, where ads appear above or alongside organic listings. The art of paying to interrupt someone's research for your benefit.

Example Usage

We bid $8.50 per click for the keyword 'best widget'—which sounds reasonable until you realize 95% of searchers want the free version.

Origin

Pioneered by Overture in 1998; Google AdWords launched in 2000; became industry standard.

Fun Fact

Google generates 99%+ of its $280B annual revenue from paid search, meaning you're basically funding their entire operation.

Source: Google Ads & search marketing documentation

Related Terms

Intermediate

loss leader

A product deliberately sold at a loss to attract customers who'll hopefully buy other profitable items, the retail equivalent of free samples at Costco. It's why printers are cheap but ink costs more than human blood.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Intermediate

frequency cap

The limit on how many times an individual user will see the same ad within a given time period. Preventing your target audience from developing homicidal thoughts about your brand.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Beginner

cart abandonment rate

The percentage of shoppers who add items to their online cart then flee before completing purchase, usually hovering around a soul-crushing 70%. It's the digital equivalent of people filling their shopping basket then just walking out of the store.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Beginner

earned media

Publicity gained through promotional efforts other than paid advertising, like press coverage, social shares, or word-of-mouth. It's called 'earned' because you can't buy it—you have to trick journalists into caring about your product launch.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Beginner

pay-per-click

An advertising model where advertisers pay each time someone clicks their ad, rather than for impressions or placement. It's the 'you only pay for actual interest' model, assuming clicks indicate interest rather than accidental taps.

📣 Marketing / Advertising
Beginner

Impressions

The number of times your content was displayed on someone's screen, regardless of whether they actually saw it or were asleep with their phone on. It's the marketing equivalent of counting how many people were in the building when you sneezed.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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