Search Engine Advertising (Search Ads)
Search Engine Advertising (SEA) or Pay-Per-Click (PPC) involves placing paid text ads on search engine results pages (SERPs) when users search specific keywords.
Key Players:
- Google Ads (formerly AdWords) — 92% of search ad market
- Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) — 8% market share
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How Search Ads Work
1. Keyword Targeting Advertisers choose keywords that trigger their ads:
| Keyword Type | Example | When Ad Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Broad Match | digital marketing | Any broadly related search |
| Phrase Match | "digital marketing course" | Searches containing exact phrase |
| Exact Match | [digital marketing course] | Only that exact term |
| Negative Keywords | -free | Excludes searches containing "free" |
2. Ad Auction & Ad Rank Every search triggers a real-time auction. Ad Rank determines ad placement:
Ad Rank = Max Bid × Quality Score × Context Factors
Quality Score (1–10) is calculated based on:
- Expected CTR: Historical performance of ad
- Ad Relevance: How well the ad matches the keyword
- Landing Page Experience: Speed, relevance, and UX of destination page
Impact of Quality Score:
| Quality Score | Effect on Campaign |
|---|---|
| 8–10 | Lowest CPC, highest position |
| 5–7 | Average performance and cost |
| 1–4 | High CPC, poor position or not shown |
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Ad Placement
Search ads appear in premium positions:
- Top of page: Positions 1–3 (above organic results) — highest CTR
- Bottom of page: Positions 4–7 (below organic results)
- Google Shopping: Product listing ads with image + price
- Google Maps: Local pack ads for location-based searches
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Creating Google Ad Campaigns
Campaign Structure:
Writing a Google Responsive Search Ad (RSA):
| Element | Character Limit | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Headline 1 | 30 chars | Include primary keyword |
| Headline 2 | 30 chars | Unique selling proposition |
| Headline 3 | 30 chars | Call to action (CTA) |
| Description 1 | 90 chars | Key benefits and features |
| Description 2 | 90 chars | Social proof or offer |
Ad Extensions (Assets):
- Sitelink: Additional links to key pages
- Callout: Short USPs ("Free Shipping", "24/7 Support")
- Call: Phone number display for mobile
- Location: Business address
- Price: Product/service pricing display
- Structured Snippets: Feature lists
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Campaign Report Generation
Key Reports in Google Ads:
| Report | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Search Terms Report | Exact queries triggering your ads |
| Keyword Performance | CTR, CPC, conversions by keyword |
| Ad Performance | Which ad copy performs best |
| Auction Insights | Competitor impression share comparison |
| Geographic Report | Performance breakdown by city/region |
| Device Report | Mobile vs. desktop vs. tablet performance |
Key Metrics to Monitor:
- Impressions: Times ad was shown
- Clicks: Number of ad clicks
- CTR: Clicks ÷ Impressions (benchmark: 3–5% for search)
- CPC: Cost Per Click
- Conversions: Goal completions (purchases, sign-ups)
- CPA: Cost Per Acquisition (Conversions ÷ Cost)
- ROAS: Return on Ad Spend (Revenue ÷ Ad Cost × 100)
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Display Marketing
Display advertising uses visual ads (banners, videos, rich media) across websites, apps, and platforms in the Google Display Network (GDN) — reaching 90% of internet users across 2 million+ sites.
Types of Display Ads:
| Type | Description | Common Size |
|---|---|---|
| Leaderboard Banner | Horizontal top-of-page banner | 728×90 |
| Medium Rectangle | Mid-content inline block | 300×250 |
| Interstitial Ads | Full-screen between page loads | Full screen |
| Native Ads | Blend with surrounding content | Varies |
| Rich Media | Interactive HTML5 animations | Various |
| Video Ads | Pre-roll, mid-roll, out-stream | 16:9 |
| Responsive Display Ads | Auto-adjust to any placement | Flexible |
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Display Ad Buying Models
| Model | Description | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| CPM (Cost Per Mille) | Pay per 1,000 impressions | Brand awareness |
| CPC (Cost Per Click) | Pay when user clicks | Traffic generation |
| CPA (Cost Per Action) | Pay per conversion completed | Performance campaigns |
| CPV (Cost Per View) | Pay per video view | Video campaigns |
| Flat Rate | Fixed fee for premium placement | High-value publishers |
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Programmatic Digital Marketing
Programmatic advertising automates the buying and selling of digital ad inventory using software and real-time bidding (RTB).
Analytical Tools for Display Marketing:
- Google Analytics: Post-click behavior, conversion tracking
- Google Ads Reports: Impression share, placements, demographics
- DoubleClick Campaign Manager (now CM360): Cross-channel tracking
- Moat/Integral Ad Science (IAS): Viewability and brand safety measurement
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YouTube Marketing
YouTube is the world's 2nd largest search engine and the leading video marketing platform (2.7 billion MAU).
YouTube Ad Formats:
| Format | Skippable? | Length | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrueView In-Stream | After 5 sec | 12 sec+ | CPV (if watched 30 sec) |
| Bumper Ads | No | 6 seconds | CPM |
| Non-Skippable In-Stream | No | 15–20 seconds | CPM |
| Discovery Ads | N/A (click-based) | Any | CPC |
| Masthead Ads | N/A | Any | CPD (day rate) |
Trends in Digital Advertising:
- Connected TV (CTV): Ads on smart TVs and streaming services
- Short-form video ads: 6-second bumpers dominating mobile
- Shoppable video: In-video product tags for direct purchase
- First-party data targeting: Post-cookie era strategies
- AI creative optimization: Dynamic creative adapts to each viewer