Editorial Guide

Editorial Guide for Marketing and Sales communications

2017

Introduction

Our brand promiseBrand pillars Brand personality Brand essenceGoogle Ads boilerplate

Who we’re talking to

Betty, Small Business OwnerMolly, Head of Acquisition Sam, Head of Digital Valerie, VP of Marketing

Writing Guidelines

Our brand voiceVoice principles

03 Google Ads lingo

Product narrativesGrammar, punctuation, and formatting Acronyms and abbreviations Ampersands Capitalization Headings and subheads Colons and semicolonsCommas Contractions Currency Dash Exclamation points Numbers Numbered and bulleted lists Quotation marks Hyphens URLs Regional spelling

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Table of Contents

Internal sourcesInternal data/research External sources/stats/researchWords to avoid Use case scenariosWriting for the websiteWriting for blog postsWriting for case studiesWriting for newsletterWriting for infographicsWriting for Twitter/YouTubeWriting for LinkedIn

Glossary/Technology terms

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Why an editorial guide?

Why we’ve created these guidelines Our communications give us an opportunity to tell a compelling story about Google Ads in a unified and powerful brand voice. Whether we, or our agency partners, are speaking or writing about Google Ads, it’s important to get our voice and tone consistent and on-brand so our audience knows what we sound like and what they can expect from us.

How to use these guidelines These guidelines will answer questions you may have on the right voice and tone, grammar and punctuation, and any other elements of how Google Ads communicates.

For editorial guidelines specific to the Google Ads UI or Help Center, go here.

Google Ads

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Google Ads is a digital advertising solution for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small business owner or enterprise marketer, Google Ads delivers reach, relevance and trusted results to help you grow your business.

Across Search, Display, Shopping, Video, and App campaigns, you can access the best of Google’s sites and networks to connect with your audience and achieve a wide range of marketing goals. Smart technology also makes it easy to create and manage your ads, and get the most out of your investment.

● Search ads

● Display ads

● Video ads

● Shopping ads

● Universal App ads

● Placeholder for AdWords Express campaign type

● Coming soon: Universal Local and Hotel ads

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Discover the new Google Ads landscape:

Business growth made easy

Our Brand Promise

Brand pillars

Google is where the world turns to know, go, do and buy. Reach your audience in the moments that matter and turn them into valuable customers for your business.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

1. Connect with more customers.

Show what your business has to offer using text, video, images and a variety of engaging ad types. Google uses insights across Search, Maps, YouTube and more to gain a deeper understanding of customers and help you build relevant ads that resonate with what people are doing and the things they care about.

4. Tailor your ads to the moment.

Smart technology makes it easy to create and manage your ads, and helps you get better results from your investment. We’ll help you find the right combination of advertising to reach your marketing goals faster so you can get back to your business.

2. Easy to use, with better results.

Get more meaningful information and insights from your advertising. With detailed dashboards and visual reporting, you can see exactly how well your campaigns are working.

5. Get a clear picture of your results.

From Google Search to YouTube to millions of sites and apps, reach more customers where they’re spending time online in a wide range of contexts.

3. Promote your business in more places.

Brand personality

We’re all humans here, so when we communicate, we use a conversational, friendly tone, as if we’re speaking to a friend. We avoid jargon and buzzwords because we want our solutions to be easily understandable and accessible to businesses of all shapes and sizes. This approach invites our readers in and creates a positive connection.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Human

Ads solutions and technology can seem daunting to our audience. We’re confident that our products will help them achieve the results to grow their business. We reassure them by making it simple to reach their marketing goals and the right audience.

Empowering

Our company’s brand is a recognizable identity and the foundation for how we present ourselves in a cohesive manner. It’s a jumping off point for all of our other communications and materials to convey who we are, what we do, and how we add value. Whether you’re creating a chart or sending an email, it’s important to present the best version of our brand in a streamlined way.

Small business owners often wear multiple hats, overseeing everything from marketing to finance to HR — they don’t have much time to spare. To be respectful of their time, our writing is simple, concise and gets straight to the point so they can get back to what really matters to them — their business.

Direct

People trust Google because we’re transparent and communicate effectively with our audience. Our audience takes comfort in knowing that there’s value in their investment and efforts, from gaining prospective customers to driving revenue and business growth. To maintain our reputation, we extend full transparency in how we speak, how we share information, and how we conduct business.

Trustworthy

Our audience relies on us to be a dependable source of information and the experts in our field. We welcome inquiries and are prepared problems solvers when they have questions and encounter roadblocks. The answers and support we provide are rooted in data and experience, so our audience knows that we understand their issues and challenges, and have developed proven solutions to benefit them.

Reliable

EDITORIAL GUIDE Brand essenceBusiness growth made easy.

Short brand narrativeEvery minute, people are turning to Google to look for information and get things done. Google Ads is a digital advertising solution that helps you reach this audience, turn them into valuable customers, and grow your business.

Medium brand narrativeEvery minute, people are turning to Google to look for information and get things done. Google

Ads is a digital advertising solution that helps you reach this audience and turn them into

valuable customers. Stay focused on growing your business while Google’s smart technology

does the heavy lifting to help you create and manage effective campaigns, and drive better

results from your advertising.

Long brand narrativeEvery minute, people are using Google to look for information and get things done — they are

finding answers on Google Search, exploring new places on Google Maps, discovering apps

on Google Play, watching videos on YouTube, and more. Google Ads is a digital advertising

solution that helps you reach this audience and turn them into valuable customers. Stay

focused on growing your business while Google’s smart technology does the heavy lifting to

help you create and manage effective campaigns. Whether you're a local business, an app

developer, or a global brand, Google Ads helps you drive better results from your advertising

and get the most out of your investment.

Brand essence

Google Ads is a digital advertising solution for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small business owner or enterprise marketer, connect with more customers in the moments that matter when they turn to Google to find information and get things done.

Promote your business across Google Search, Display, YouTube, and more to reach your audience in a wide variety of contexts. Smart technology also makes it easy to create and manage effective campaigns that drive results and help you get the most out of your investment.

From increasing website sales to getting you more store visits, phone calls, or app engagement, Google Ads helps you achieve your marketing goals faster and grow your business.

Learn more at ads.google.com/home

Google Ads boilerplate

Our communications speak to small business professionals and enterprise marketers who want to grow their business through online advertising. We want to keep a casual tone when engaging them and incorporate the conversational, confident personality often associated with Google.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Who we’re talking to

SMB1. Small business owner 2. Small business marketer

Enterprise3. Director of Digital 4. VP of Marketing

Who we’re talking to

Small Business OwnerBetty

Betty owns a party planning business and is a one-woman act with only a few employees. She’s hands-on in every aspect of her business, but doesn’t have time to manage her advertising and worry about whether it’s working or not. She mainly relies on word-of-mouth referrals, and she needs to bring in more business.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

“I‘ve survived based on word-of-mouth, but I need to bring in more

customers and more business. Still, promoting my business has to be

really easy, not take a lot of time, and be worth the investment.”

Desired content experience:Betty needs marketing tools that yield quick results,

save her time, and are worth the investment. She

needs to see a measurable ROI to justify spending

her time and money on advertising.

Small Business OwnerBetty

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Writing Tips:Keep it simpleBetty knows advertising can help her brand, but she’s put off by the perceived complexity. She likes simple and accessible content with straight-forward language and a human tone of voice.

Show the resultsBetty has to do it all — she’s busy and needs to know that the effort she’s putting in is paying off. She needs proof that what she’s reading is worth her time, so she prefers the results front and center.

Help her outBetty isn’t tech or marketing savvy, nor does she have the time to learn new complicated skills. Still, she needs guidance to create results in the form of clear, minimal, and easy-to-follow instructions.

What she needs from Google Ads:● Easy-to-digest instructional content that helps her set up and manage her

advertising as efficiently as possible.● Quick content baked right into the product interface as well as

hands-on support.

Content needs:● The main Google Ads website (introduction to the solution)● The Google Ads product interface and user experience● Customer marketing emails to help her successfully start her campaigns

Channels:● Google Ads website (product pages) ● Google Ads interface ● Email communications● Help Center

Voice and tone:Human I Reliable I Trustworthy

Small Business Owner

Head of AcquisitionMolly

Molly works on a marketing team and is a jack of all trades, but also in charge of growth and acquisition. She reports to the owner/senior manager and needs to prove to her boss that marketing is a useful tool to grow their business.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

“There are so many marketing options out there, I need one that helps me test and determine which one works best. I want to know I’m doing things right and am willing to learn, but need educational resources to help me.”

Desired content experience:Molly wants to learn to do it herself, but needs some

guidance. She needs Google to educate her with

how-tos and guides to help her prove to her boss

that marketing can make a big impact.

Small Business OwnerBetty

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Writing Tips:Make it educationalMolly is looking to us for help developing her skills and becoming a successful marketing professional. She enjoys informative content that’s not patronizing. She leans towards instructive guides on how to better use the tools to deliver results.

Make it actionable As much as Molly wants to learn new skills, she’s also under pressure to prove marketing makes a difference. She likes writing that is clear and highlights the actionable tips so she can quickly apply them to improve her approach.

Prove the impact Guidance on improving strategy is only half the battle for Molly. She also needs to get her boss on board to secure budget by showing how their investment gets them more views, engagement, and conversions.

What she needs from Google Ads:● Educational content to help her improve her marketing strategy and achieve

more results from effort and time spent.● Content to use to communicate with management and manage their

expectations. ● Easy-to-digest instructional content that helps her improve her marketing

initiatives

Content needs:● “How to” articles and videos● Webinars● Case studies

Channels:● Google Ads website (articles and download guides) ● Help Center● Academy for Ads● YouTube channel for Google Ads● Email communications

Voice and tone:

Head of AcquisitionMolly

Direct I Reliable I Trustworthy

Head of DigitalSam

Sam is a big picture thinker and enjoys connecting the dots across the digital landscape — from owned, earned, and paid. He reports to the VP of Marketing and develops digital strategies to support business objectives.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

“I need a performance-driven partner who can help me create, manage, and optimize multi-faceted and innovative ad campaigns across a variety of channels.”

Desired content experience:Sam needs to stay up-to-date on the latest

consumer trends and marketing innovations across

digital channels and ad types. He needs fresh ideas

and innovation that’s driven by insights.

Small Business OwnerBetty

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Writing Tips:Test new ideas

Sam needs to show how to test new ideas, channels, and creative that’ll achieve performance growth. It’s important for him to be on the cutting-edge and push boundaries without taking too many risks.

Show him the dataAlthough Sam values smart creative, he also knows that to succeed he must rely on data to drive performance and KPIs. He needs numbers to show that their company’s marketing is resonating with audiences so that both creative and tactics are valued equally among his colleagues.

Keep it high-level Sam has been in the industry for a while, but he’s continuously educating himself and has high digital proficiency and tech savviness. He’s eager to learn more and quickly navigates away from intro articles or ideas that are blatantly obvious in the digital world.

What he needs from Google Ads:● New ways to continuously push performance growth● Consumer insights and product updates that regularly keep him “in the know”

Content needs:● Blogs ● White papers ● Press releases ● Product announcements ● Beta invites

Channels:● Blog (product updates and press news) ● Social channels (G+, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)● Sales communications● Industry events● Help Center

Voice and tone:

Head of DigitalSam

Direct I Empowering I Reliable

VP of MarketingValerie

Valerie is in charge of strategic leadership of all marketing activities as well as the management of a diverse marketing organization. She reports to the CMO and is a key influencer who plays a big role in the final decision.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

“I need help connecting the dots across a wide variety of offline and online activities. Give me thought leadership and cutting-edge technology – I can use it to impress the C-suite and help drive this company forward.”

Desired content experience:Valerie is looking for immediate as well as long term

results and needs content that helps her prove herself

as an innovative thought leader. She needs data and

insights to show that her decisions produce impact,

even after the fact.

Small Business OwnerBetty

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Writing Tips:Keep it cutting-edgeValerie is keen and well-positioned to try new strategies and technologies. She needs the newest data, latest innovations, and help to push the boundaries a little in her strategies.

Inspire her to innovateValerie is open to exploring new ideas, but she’s under pressure to prove effectiveness and has to manage opinions across the company. She needs help to stay motivated and appreciates an inspirational tone and stories that empower her to drive innovation at her organization.

Prove it with dataValerie has to consistently prove value to C-suite execs. She needs to read about performance gains that will keep her one step ahead in her industry. She trusts content written in a confident and authoritative tone that shows how products deliver results. She’s a big believer that confidence breeds confidence.

What she needs from Google Ads:● Content that keep her current on emerging trend and industry developments ● Help drawing the best insights from the data ● Guidance in experimenting with new approaches while still generating results

Content needs:● Industry reports ● Insights-driven articles ● Product updates

Channels:● Think With Google● Industry events

Voice and tone:

VP of MarketingValerie

Direct I Empowering I Trustworthy

Writing Guidelines

The brand for Google Ads is informed by Google’s brand personality. These key voice characteristics and tones guide all of our communications for Google Ads. When you write for Google Ads, you’re representing the brand, so be sure to bring these guidelines to life through your writing.

Our brand voice

Human ConversationalEmpatheticSimple

Our writing is

DirectConcise InsightfulSmart

Our writing is

Reliable InformativeClearInstructive

Our writing is

Empowering

Trustworthy TransparentModestAuthentic

Our writing is

EDITORIAL GUIDE

ConfidentSupportivePositive

Our writing is

Our voice principles are a writing cheat sheet for your reference when writing or communicating for Google Ads. Keep these 10 principles in mind when discussing our brand and always have them on hand just in case.

Voice principles

1. Keep it simple

2. Show the ROI

3. It’s about them, not us

4. Advise, don’t patronize

5. Make it useful

6. Inspire, don’t promise

7. Write like a human

8. Stay positive

9. Show, don’t tell

10. Speak to everyone

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Voice Principles1. Keep it simpleCommunicate effectively and efficiently when discussing our product offerings and always leave plenty of room for white space and large headlines so the key takeaways are easy to grasp.

DO: Be clear and brief using Google’s voice and take the guesswork out of what needs to be done. Be concise, simple, and use clear, plain language that anyone can understand to illustrate the main idea/point in a visually appealing manner that doesn’t seem overwhelming upon first glance.

Like this: Here's how to add keywords that are relevant to your customers.

DON’T: Don’t use jargon or be unnecessarily complicated.

Not like this: Adding keywords is hard, but we know some ways that you could maybe simplify it.

2. Show the ROITime and money is a luxury to the Google Ads audience. They need to see the results behind the effort and budget they put into digital ads.

DO: Lead with the results and highlight the success stories.

Like this: In fact, a one second delay in mobile page load can decrease conversions up to 20%.

DON’T: Just reveal a bunch of numbers. Remember to pull out and share the insights and key takeaways that data reveals.

Not like this: 13,009 users found their mobile pages were delayed and 2,021 users bounced after 3 seconds.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Voice Principles3. It’s about them, not us Our clients want to know how we can improve their lives. Make it less about what our products and services do, and more about what our products and services enable our users to accomplish.

DO: Talk to the person, not the crowd. Be modest: Focusing on the user means we’re not focused on us. Understand what users are thinking the moment they encounter us. Connect with your readers, show true empathy, then let them go on their way.

Like this: To avoid these delays and create better user experiences, we'll begin rolling out parallel tracking later this year.

DON’T: Focus on how great we are and how lucky they are to have us. Don’t refer to competitors, or really anyone, in a negative light.

Not like this: Google offers unrivaled parallel tracking that allows you to reduce lost visits.

4. Advise, don’t patronize We’re here to help, not hinder. Be sure to give useful tips without being condescending.

DO: Give the user useful tips, advice, and encouragement about our products, services, and implementation.

Like this: Google Ads can help you make your business more visible in search results.

DON’T: Act all knowing or use a tone that suggests they’re less than for not knowing any of this information.

Not like this: Everyone knows that Google Ads will help your business become visible in search results.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Voice Principles5. Make it useful Meet users where they are and be as helpful as you can. If it isn’t useful, delete it. If it’s superfluous, make it concise. Always keep the user in mind and forgo being indulgent.

DO: Understand where users are and be as helpful as you can. Make sure your audience knows what actions they can take and what will happen if they do take your advice. Be transparent and conversational so your reader feels at ease.

Like this: How long does it take for your mobile site to load? Five seconds? Ten seconds? These few seconds could be the difference between keeping visitors on your site or losing them. That’s why we’re launching a new set of features to test your site’s speed on Test My Site.

DON’T: Be confusing. It should be clear what will happen when someone takes action. Don’t add more information than is needed, be a know-it-all, or be patronizing. These are smart people who need a few quick tips to get them to the next level.

Not like this: If more visitors can reach and engage with your site, you'll get more views and conversions, and reduce some of your wasted ad spend. Improve the user experience with new tools on Test My Site.

6. Inspire, don’t promiseIt’s important to inspire our users to take advantage of our products. It can be discouraging to try something new, so we want to show our product capabilities without promising precise results.

DO: Inspire our audience to fully understand our products and use them to their betterment.

Like this: Google Ads can help you connect with potential customers in the moments they’re looking to know, buy, do, or go somewhere.

DON’T: Promise specific results or convey typical success statistics that are not broadly applicable for our users.

Not like this: Google Ads has an 82% success rate of converting prospective customers into sales.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Voice Principles7. Write like a human Use words that sound natural, like how you actually speak in real life. Need some help? Try saying something out loud and writing it that way.

DO: Be friendly: Use conversational language (Google’s voice) and write for real people who have real questions, real needs, and real meetings they need to rush to. Be empathetic — show you understand and care about the user’s needs.

Like this: Only pay when users click to visit your website or call.

DON’T: Talk like a robot or use terms and assume the reader will understand. Don’t overuse industry-specific language, uncommon abbreviations, acronyms, or terms. Don’t take yourself too seriously, but never make light of a difficult moment.

Not like this: Use PPC or SEM to increase your website traffic.

8. Stay positiveRunning a small business has its ups and downs. Keep the negativity to a minimum, focus on solutions, and try to avoid terms such as “no” and “can’t.” Keep the frustration at a minimum and the hope alive with “can” and “will.”

DO: Be optimistic, use an active voice, and aim to inspire.

Like this: We can help you achieve your marketing goals.

DON’T: Don’t overpromise — use “you could” rather than “you will,” and avoid absolutes like “never” and/or “always,” and avoid hard guarantees.

Not like this: Get immediate results with no work required from you by using Google Ads.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Voice Principles9. Show, don’t tell Expository writing is yawn-inducing. Instead of describing our services and detailing its functionality, describe a success story or testimonial of how a user implemented our products to succeed.

DO: Use images, graphics, quotes, and testimonials to illustrate points. Use visual language and words to paint pictures.

Like this: We look at our phones while we watch TV. We watch TV on our phones while we walk to work. We work on our laptops while we cast video to a set-top box. We spend the majority of our days connected, often via multiple devices — so much so that reach has become a commodity in advertising. And while reach is plentiful, attention is scarce.

DON’T: Use overly flowery language and avoid long-winded descriptions.

Not like this: It may sound far-fetched, but brands are losing a ton of money and spending too much on video advertising that doesn’t capture users’ attention.

10. Speak to everyoneWe speak to people around the world who have diverse backgrounds, speak a variety of languages, and have various points of view. Keep this in mind when you write so your words feel inclusive, accessible, and easy to understand.

DO: Strive to understand the audience’s cultural background and include diverse perspectives throughout. Be intentional in representing diverse stories and examples. Use inclusive language such as gender-neutral words and be mindful of the terms you use to describe people, groups, and professions.

Like this: Reach app users when they're looking for the latest games to pour themselves into.

DON’T: Use stereotypes or language that reinforces negative or oversimplified images of particular groups, and avoid phrases that single out particular groups.

Not like this: Get your app in front of a valuable app user when he's searching for the best new racing or battle game.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Google Ads Lingo

Google Ads lingo

EDITORIAL GUIDE

If necessary, please use the following formula when referring to products within Google Ads:

Ex: X campaign is a part of Google Ads.Ex: “Reach more people on Search and Display using Google Ads.”

EDITORIAL GUIDE

EDITORIAL GUIDEEDITORIAL GUIDE

What to call it What not to call it Usage notes Example

Google Ads

GAGoogle AdGoogle’s AdsAdsGoogle Advertising

Please always write out “Google Ads” with an “s.”

Google Ads campaign

Google Ads’Google Ads’s

If you’re referring to a product that belongs within Google Ads, please refer to the possessive form as “Google Ads campaign” or “Google Ads campaign tools.”

Search

Search campaigns

Search ads

Google’s SearchGoogle SearchesGoogle’s Search’s

Use "Search ads" only when describing it on its own (not with the "Google Ads" brand in the same sentence).

Always capitalize the “S” in “Search” unless you’re referring to the consumer behavior or search ads beyond Google’s networks (e.g. Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, etc.)

Only refer to the more technical “Search Network” or “Google Search Network” when detailing changes to its component sites. Also specify which sites are included (e.g. Google Search, Google Maps, Google Play, Google search partners, etc.)

A new, simplified workflow makes it easy to set up your Google Ads campaigns.

With Google Ads, you can promote your business to the right people in the right moments

Use Search ads to help people find your business when they search for terms related to the products or services you offer.

Extend the reach of your Search campaigns by showing ads on hundreds of additional Google search partner sites.

Location extensions for Search allow you to reach nearby shoppers across the Google Search Network, including on Google.com and Google Maps.

EDITORIAL GUIDEEDITORIAL GUIDE

Display

Display ads

Display campaigns

Google’s DisplayGoogle’s DisplaysGoogle’s Displays’Google Display

Use "Display ads" only when describing it on its own (not with the "Google Ads" brand in the same sentence).

Always capitalize the “D” in “Display” unless you’re referring to display as an industry or specific type of advertiser, or to display ads in general beyond Google’s networks.

Limit the use of “Google Display Network”, except for when explaining its component sites/apps or scale.

Shopping

Shopping ads

Shopping campaigns

Google’s ShoppingGoogle ShoppingsGoogle ShoppingGoogle’s Shopping’sProduct listing ads (now deprecated)

Use "Shopping ads" only when describing it on its own (not with the "Google Ads" brand in the same sentence).

When referring to “Shopping ads” or “Shopping campaigns,” always capitalize the “S” in “Shopping.”

With Display ads, you can promote your business on your customers’ favorite sites and apps.

Reach new customers across three million sites and apps on the Google Display Network.

Shopping ads are more than just a text ad–they show users a photo of your product, plus a title, price, store name, and more.

What to call it What not to call it Usage notes Example

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Video ads

Video campaigns

Google’s VideoGoogle’s Video’sGoogle’s VideosGoogle VideoGoogle’s Video

Use "Video ads" only when describing it on its own and in relation to Google’s offering (not with the "Google Ads" brand in the same sentence).

Use "video ads" in sentence case when speaking more generally about the state of the industry or of video advertising.

Use "YouTube" or "TrueView ads" to refer to Google's specific video offerings.

Google Video ads help you bring your business’s story to life.

It’s important for advertisers to ensure their video ads don’t just reach their audience, but also capture their attention -- at scale.

Over the last few years, we’ve evolved our TrueView format to change the way video delivers value for performance marketers.

- Video ads run across the web- YouTube ads are video ads on YouTube- TrueView ads & bumpers are specific types of YouTube video ads

App ads

App campaigns

Universal App

campaigns

Google’s Apps’Google’s AppsGoogle AppGoogle Apps

Use "App ads" only when describing it on its own (not with the "Google Ads" brand in the same sentence).

With App ads, you can promote your app across the best of Google’s sites and networks.

What to call it What not to call it Usage notes Example

EDITORIAL GUIDEEDITORIAL GUIDE

Product narrativesGoogle Ads has many products within it. What do they each allow our users to achieve and how do we tell that story? Use these product narratives to illustrate what each product does, why it’s important, and how users can incorporate them into their marketing strategies to achieve their goals.

Product narratives

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Search ads appear next to Google search results when people are actively looking for products and services you offer. And, you only pay when people click to visit your website or call your business.

Search ads

YouTube is where the world chooses to watch. From millennials to moms, capture the attention of your target customers, and bring your business’s story to life with video.

Video ads

Reach customers as they browse their favorite websites and apps. Display ads appear on over three million websites and apps, so you can connect with your audience wherever they are.

Display ads

Want your app to be eligible to reach over a billion people across Google’s networks, including Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and millions of other mobile sites and apps? App ads are a simple way to promote your app to the right people.

App ads

Shopping ads are more than just a text ad — they show users a photo of your product, plus a title, price, store name, and more. Use Shopping ads to promote your online and local inventory in more visual and detailed ways, and boost traffic to your website or local store.

Shopping ads

EDITORIAL GUIDEEDITORIAL GUIDE

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting Streamlining grammar, punctuation, and formatting is key to sounding like an expert. The following slides contain guidelines on how to write consistently and clearly in the Google Ads voice.

It’s okay to use common acronyms and abbreviations, but not internal acronyms and abbreviations. Spell out acronyms the first time you use them and write out the entire acronym immediately after in parenthesis. After you’ve spelled out an acronym once, you can continue to use it in its abbreviated form throughout the document. When in doubt, spell it out.

Like this: How do you use Universal app campaigns (UAC)?

Not like this: How do you use the UAC?

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Acronyms and abbreviations

Don’t use ampersands unless they’re part of an official brand name such as M&M’s. In general, use “and,” not “&.” Whichever you use, use it consistently across a single communication.

Like this: Search ads and Display ads can help customers find your business.

Not like this: Search ads & Display ads will help your customers find your business.

Ampersands

Names and job titles should always be capitalized. Brand names should follow the company’s style: e.g. iPhone.

Like this: The Director of Marketing for Apple said the product launch for iMac will be announced shortly.

Not like this: The director of marketing for apple said the product launch for IMac will be announced shortly.

Capitalization

Use sentence-style headings for titles, headings, subheads, and labels and only capitalize the the first letter of the first word (with the exception of formal names). Use subheads (as well as quotes, bullet points, em dashes, etc.) to break up large chunks of text). Only use title case on the very first title slide of a Google Slides presentation.

Like this: Google Ads help you increase brand awareness

Not like this: Google Ads Help You Increase Brand Awareness

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Headings and subheads

Use colons to announce the next part of a sentence or a list. Please avoid semicolons and simply use a comma or a period instead. Colons are fine in moderation, but semicolons are too formal, so opt to break your sentence into two sentences instead. When using a colon, capitalize the first word that follows if a complete, stand-alone sentence follows. If you use a colon before a fragment, use lowercase.

Like this: I have to get this to the client before end of day. I can’t go out to lunch.

Not like this: I have to get this to the client before end of day; I can’t go out to lunch.

Colons and semicolons

We prefer serial commas (also known as Oxford commas) and find that they’re better for clarity and to avoid confusion. Place a comma between phrases in a sentence where you would normally take a breath. Generally, no more than three commas per sentence makes sense, at that point, your sentence is getting unwieldy (see?!), so get in there with a period and break things up.

Like this: Get the latest data, insights, and inspiration from Google Ads.

Not like this: Get the latest data, insights and inspiration from Google Ads.

Commas

Contractions are often used in informal styles of writing since it feels more conversational. We use contractions to convey a more friendly tone when writing and communicating to our audience.

Like this: I’ll be sure to follow up with John later to see if he still can’t make our meeting.

Not like this: I will be sure to follow up with John later to see if he still cannot make our meeting.

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Contractions

In headlines, bullet points, and list items, use numerals for currency and abbreviate million to “M” and billion to “B.” In body copy, follow the guidelines for numbers and spell out “million” and “billion” in their entirety.

Like this: In the most recently reported period, Google’s revenue amounted to $25.8 billion.

Not like this: In the most recently reported period, Google’s revenue amounted to 25.8 billion dollars.

Currency

Use dashes sparingly, and if you have to use one, use an en dash surrounded by spaces. An en dash is a dramatic way to introduce an idea — or complete a thought. Use these dashes (with no spaces) sparingly to maintain the drama and keep the reader interested.

Like this: Our writing is concise and gets straight to the point so our audience can get back to what really matters to them — their businesses.

Not like this: Our writing is concise and gets straight to the point — so our audience can get back to what really matters to them — their businesses — and their bottom line.

Dashes

Don’t use exclamation points in Google Ads communications. If you want your reader to feel excited, tell her something exciting that won’t even need punctuation to convey the thrill.

Like this: Google Ads is a unified brand that streamlines our product narrative and offerings.

Not like this: Google Ads is a unified brand that streamlines our product narrative and offerings!!!

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Exclamation points

Spell out numbers from one to nine and use numerical characters for 10 or more. If two numbers are close together, use one format. Spell out “million” and “billion” and keep them lowercase. Use “plus,” not “+” with numbers. Better yet, use “more than.” An exception is made for headlines and other cases when character count is limited.

Like this: Another study showed that people who click on a Google ad before visiting a store are over 25% more likely to buy something while they’re there and spend over 10% more, on average.

Not like this: Another study showed that people who click on a Google ad before visiting a store are over twenty five percent more likely to buy something while they’re there and spend over ten percent more, on average.

Numbers

The items in a list should always agree grammatically. If one item in a list is a complete sentence, all of the items should be complete sentences. If one item starts with a verb, all items should start with a verb. Consistency is key. Please place a period only after list items that are complete sentences and use lists — numbered and bullet points — to break up large chunks of text.

Like this: The following are Google Ads products:● Search ads● Display ads ● Shopping ads

Not like this: The following are Google Ads products:● Search ads● Display ads is a great tool.● Shopping ads!

Numbered and bulleted lists

Use double quotations marks for quoted speech and not to emphasize a phrase. When quotation marks are used in cases other than speech, it may imply that something is not what it seems and can get rather confusing. Use quotation marks around the titles of articles, reports, books, songs, television shows, computer games, poems, lectures, speeches, and works of art (don’t underline or italicize). Single quotation are only rarely used in the cases of quotes within a quote (“I enjoyed Coca Cola’s ‘Make It Happy’ campaign.) or referencing an ad campaign (ex: I enjoyed Coca-Cola’s ‘Make It Happy’ campaign). Don’t use quotations around the names of magazine, newspapers, the Bible, or books that are catalogues of reference materials.

Like this: “Use the Google Ads editorial guidelines detailing the best practices for marketing communications,” he said.

Not like this: He said to use the “Google Ads editorial guidelines” detailing the “best practices” for marketing communications.

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Quotation marks

Use hyphens when appropriate for in-word hyphenations and for adjectival words that come before a noun. Though that sounds complicated, most dictionaries will list appropriate use cases for your convenience.

Like this: Our machine learning is built in for an overall view. OR Our built-in machine learning can be used for an overall view. OR Google Ads is easy to setup and use with just a few clicks. OR While some advertising solutions can take months to set up, Google Ads just takes a few clicks.

Not like this: Our machine learning is built-in for an overall view. OR Our built in machine learning can be used for an overall view. OR Google Ads is easy to set-up and use with just a few clicks. OR While some advertising solutions can take months to set-up, Google Ads just takes a few clicks.

Hyphens

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

When referring to websites, omit the “www.” When a website is well known, omit the

“.com.” When linking to another site from a webpage, e-mail, social post, blog, or other type of digital communication, use a hyperlink instead of spelling out the URL. Obviously, the reverse is

true for print communications. Site spelling and capitalization should always follow the publisher’s lead.

URLs

Although Google Ads is global, we are headquartered in the United States of America. Please stick to American English spelling unless you are addressing a specifically British, Canadian, or other audience.

Like this: We were all wowed by the array of colors the painter used.

Not like this: We were all wowed by the array of colours the painter used.

Numbers

We = GoogleYou = the advertiser or marketerThey = users/consumers/customersIt = the brand or business entity

Like this: We're excited to introduce you to the new Google Ads.

Not like this: Google Ads helps advertisers grow their businesses and reach new customers as they turn to Google for information.

Pronouns

Like this: Feel free to use Google for easy search results.

Not like this: Free free to use www.Google.com for easy search results.

EDITORIAL GUIDEEDITORIAL GUIDE

Internal sourcesStatistics, case study data, and customer quotes speak volumes. Be sure to credit all sources appropriately. e.g., “Article Title,” Publication Name, Date. In the case of internal sources, you should link to the original, but formal citation isn’t necessary. When attributing a quote, include the speaker’s full name, job title, and company.

Google’s research and legal teams have asked us to include detailed sourcing. We footnote data, research, stats and other published claims (using superscript numbers). We then provide the citation details in a “Source” list that lives at the end of the content. (You may repeat a number if the source is identical.) You can also link to Google Trends keywords and graphs. Be general over specific. Simplify to “over 20%” or “nearly half” when possible.

Like this: Looking across 36 studies, we found that showing up in mobile search results grows unaided brand awareness by over 40% among those who saw a search ad.1

… and provide the details in the Source list at the bottom of the piece …

Sources1 Google/Ipsos MediaCT, “Search for Brands Industry Research” study, December 2015.

Not like this: Looking across 36 studies, we found that just showing up in search results on mobile grows unaided brand awareness by an average increase of 6.9 percentage points or 46% among those who saw a search ad (Google/Ipsos MediaCT, “Search for Brands Industry Research” study, December 2015).

Grammar, punctuation, and formatting

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Sources/stats/data/research When citing a third-party directly in the body text of a piece of writing, link to the piece of content from the most descriptive words (think SEO keywords).

Like this: The latest internet trends report from Mary Meeker sums it up: Consumer mobile usage outpaces mobile advertising spend by 3X.

Not like this: Soccer is becoming the “go-to sport of the thinking class,” according to The New York Times.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Words to avoid

Avoid or limit the following language in your Google Ads writing. When it doubt, avoid jargon and use the most basic vocabulary possible.

Increase Urge

Let/help Enable

Make sure Ensure

Make the most of Leverage

Product/Service Offering

Use Utilize

Measure/understand Analyze

Make/earn/create Generate

Money/profit/earnings Income

Make money from Monetize

Make better/improve Optimize (unless referring to the product)

More/also Additional/in addition

Can’t Cannot

But However

Still Nonetheless/nevertheless

After Thereafter

So Therefore/thus/as such

Data Big data

Work together Interoperability

Find more ideas in the Help Center, plus tips for getting started.

You’ll find additional ideas in the Help Center, as well as tips for getting started.

Get handy tips on how you can earn more with analytics.

Get advice on how to leverage website analytics to drive income.

Do this Avoid this Do this Avoid this

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Writing content for web

Use case scenarios

Use the web when you want to introduce a new feature or idea, or tell a success story that may sway prospective clients. This is often the first line of communications for prospective clients.

Be brief and clear People can easily become bored or distracted when looking at content online and will navigate away if they become confused. Studies show that the more text you have on a page, the less of it people will read.

Make it about “you” Talk about how Google Ads can benefit “you,” the reader, instead of making our services the hero.

Whether you’re writing for SMBs or for an enterprise audience, make sure you’re using jargon and language that makes sense for their use. Since everyone from local coffee shop owners to CMOs could visit us online, write as if you’re writing for them. It helps give the impression that you respect the reader.

Make everything actionable Always include a call-to-action that lets your reader know what to do next.

Body copy is where you get your key points across and convince people that our services can improve their lives.

● Keep paragraphs short and include lots of bold paragraph headers.

● Add lists, tables, charts, or infographics wherever possible.

● Write the way you talk. It’s easy to fall into the trap of being overly formal when writing for the web, but this can come across as stilted to readers.

Write with your audience in mind

Website content body copy:

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Use case scenarios

Use blog posts to share product information, announcements, and insights.

Google Ads’ blog is here.

Make your title catchyInclude numerals, eye-catching adjectives such as “unexpected,” and make it all about the reader by addressing them directly with “you.”

Start with context Begin by explaining why the topic of the post is current and relevant to the people who are reading it.

Include visualsImages help break up long blocks of text and add color and interest to your posts. Include at least one with every blog post.

Dish out detailsGoogle Ads blog posts give readers an inside look into what we’re doing and how we arrived at a product or idea. It’s okay to go into details around these topics, but leave out the nitty gritty details and point people to the Help Center whenever you’re in doubt.

Brevity is betterBlog posts should be brief — no longer than 700 words, if possible. Think about splitting announcements into separate blog posts if it makes sense. If you’re driving to an article, introduce the idea and explain why it’s important in no more than three paragraphs, then include a link to the content on the site.

Title example:

“5 unexpected blog title tricks you should try this month”

Writing content for blog posts

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Use case scenarios

Use a success story that we share with current and prospective clients to demonstrate how they can succeed with Google Ads. Always get permission from the client first before publishing.

Example:

L’Oreal Canada finds beauty in programmatic buying

With Google, Runtastic kickstarts a journey of international expansion

The Telegraph increases revenue by 126%

Tell a storyA case study is a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Be sure to introduce the main characters (your clients and perhaps even their media agencies) with identifying details and their initial goals. The middle details how we helped them overcome obstacles, and the end should illustrate unexpected learnings or results, and how we succeeded with numbers and quotes from clients and stakeholders.

Use your case study’s title to have a little fun with the language and reel your audience in. Using stats or numbers in your case studies’ title will also help drive more clicks online.

Spell out abbreviations or acronyms the first time you use them since not everyone may use the same terms.

Use an active voice Case studies can get pretty technical, so it’s easy to slip into a passive voice and accidentally say things like, “Google Ads was used” instead of the active “we used Google Ads.” Be sure to keep an eye on this and correct as you go.

Create white spaceBreak up your paragraphs and use quotes, numbers, charts, and graphs to give your readers a breather and to not overwhelm them.

Quote liberallyUse a variety of quotes from various stakeholders on the project and embed them within the text, in their own callout, or both.

Writing content for case studies

It vs. They

Hook them with the headline

Define acronyms

If you're referring to a business or a brand, use "it". If you're referring to the actual clients or agency partners you're working with directly, using "they" is acceptable.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Use case scenarios

Writing for newsletters

Example headline:

From the moments that defined the year to the

videos and articles that provided cheer, here’s

our look back on 2016 and a look forward

toward 2017.

Example sub-head:

Twelve months, countless culture-defining

moments, and one major look ahead. See

which marketing trends were most relevant in

2016, and which trends you should have in

mind as 2017 approaches.

Example call-to-action:

Take a look

Be concise and engaging Invite the reader to learn more and be sure to

display clear calls-to-action that they’ll want to

click. Avoid any jargon that might be confusing or

may not be helpful for their bottom line.

Promote our latest trendsShow off our most recent content, whether that’s

video or a case study. Make sure to write a

sentence or two around each content piece so

readers know what to expect and are excited to

click on the content.

Include captivating imagesMake sure each paragraph has a coinciding

image, so if the words don’t capture their

attention, the graphics will.

Promote Google Ads featured content and new

product information, build brand awareness,

feature relevant TwG articles, and product

announcement blog posts. Engage existing

subscribers with narratives building brand

awareness and encouraging full stack

consideration and adoption.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Use case scenarios

Writing for infographicsInfographics are the perfect at-a-glance overview of a single product, service, or feature to send to clients who request information, or to leave behind after a sales presentation. You may also use it when you’re launching or making changes to a product, service, or feature and want to get that information over to the client ASAP.

It’s in the name As the name suggests, an infographic relays information mainly via graphics and a bit of connecting copy. Be sure to choose the right stats (and always cite your source), icons, or images to help readers grasp your ideas instantly. Use words sparingly and keep things as visual as possible.

Write for your audience Give an overview of the product’s features and then explain how it can make the user’s life easier so that they can grasp your ideas instantly.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Writing for Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube

Use case scenarios

Use social as a quick way to communicate to our audience. When you want to drive traffic to a product, feature announcement, case study, or news item, video, or when you have a piece of content or an event you want to share.

Hashtag wisely Include no more than two hashtags — more than that can bog down your text. Be sure to use relevant terms within your hashtags that relate to your coinciding post.

Write like a pro Since LinkedIn is a professional network, your tone should be somewhat less familiar than YouTube or Twitter. But, as with all social media, it still makes sense to be friendly and direct.

Write the way you talkSocial media is inherently conversational. Ditch the formal language and type the way you’d talk to a coworker or client. Make every announcement feel like a really big deal that could change your reader’s life. Convey your own excitement in the text.

Example Posts:

Banner ads get a bad rap. The new @google insights show that they can be very effective: http://goo.gl/XxxXxx

Ads have the best chance to be effective when they are placed with respect to a user’s context. Learn More: http://goo.gl/XxxXxx

Check out the new HTML5 Toolkit, which brings all the HTML5 resources you need into one spot: http://goo.gl/PUjqk #HTML5Week

Today, we're shining a light on the SEM platform capabilities that played a role in HP's decision to switch from an incumbent platform to Google Ads. Read our blog post to learn more and download the full case study: http://goo.gl/vV2c44

Concise is crucialTweets max out at 280 characters including spaces, so try to limit your characters to around 130 so people can retweet it. Brevity is key for other social channels too.

EDITORIAL GUIDE

Use case scenariosWhen to use YouTube: Provide helpful information, product how-tos, and showcase events. Create and publish videos on quick tips and product-related how-tos.

When to use LinkedIn:Promote thought leadership content to our audience and to build our enterprise brand. Host thought leadership content like op-eds and short guides, and promote TwG and Google Ads’ featured content.

When to use Twitter

/Google+/Facebook: Promote product information, blog posts, and build community. Share product information, featured content, and relevant TwG articles. Build community through retweets (Twitter) or reposts of press and other thought leaders.

Know your audience LinkedIn is primarily a career networking site, so most of the people reading your posts will likely work in the digital marketing industry. Talk to them like the intelligent, savvy, well-informed professionals they are.

Know your format LinkedIn allows you to share an update, upload a photo, or publish a post. An update typically consists of a sentence or two and will post a preview of any links you share (like Facebook).

Be visual Include an image or link to a page with a strong visual header.

Who approves your content? Follow the publishing guidelines on XXX

Writing for Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube

Glossary/Technology terms

account budget

Specify a set amount of money that you'd like

your account to spend over a set period of time.

It's available to advertisers who use monthly

invoicing as a payment setting.

Active View

Active View is a technology on YouTube and

certain Google Display Network websites and

mobile apps that allows Google Ads to determine

if your ad is viewable by potential customers.

ad extensions

A feature that shows extra business information

with your ad, like an address, phone number,

store rating, or more webpage links.

ad group

An ad group contains one or more ads that

target a shared set of keywords.

ad position

The order in which your ad appears on a page in

relation to other ads. An ad position of "1" means

that your ad is the first ad on a page.

Ad Rank

A value that's used to determine your ad position

(where ads are shown on a page) and whether

your ads will show at all. Ad Rank is calculated

using your bid amount, the components of Quality

Score (expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance,

and landing page experience), and the expected

impact of extensions and other ad formats.

ad relevance

A keyword status that measures how closely

related your keyword is to your ads. This status

describes how well your keyword matches the

message in your ads. For example, if someone

searches for your keyword and your ad shows up,

would your ad seem directly relevant to their

search?

AdSense

A Google product that provides a way for website

publishers of all sizes to earn money by displaying

targeted Google Ads on their websites.

ad status

A description of whether an ad is active and approved

to run, and if so, whether there are any policy

restrictions on how or when it can run.

auction

The process that happens with each Google search

to decide which ads will appear for that specific

search and in which order those ads will show on the

page.

broad match

A keyword setting that allows your ad to show when

someone searches for that keyword or a variation of

it. The broad match keyword "bicycle bell" can cause

your ad to show if someone searches for variations

like "bicycle bells," "buy a bell for a bicycle," and "bell

reviews for bikes."

Glossary/Technology termsEDITORIAL GUIDE

budget (daily)

An amount that you set for each ad campaign to

specify how much, on average, you'd like to

spend each day.

campaign

A set of ad groups (ads, keywords, and bids) that

share a budget, location targeting, and other settings.

Campaigns are often used to organize categories of

products or services that you offer.

click

When someone clicks your ad, like on the blue

headline or extensions of a text ad, Google Ads counts

that as a click.

clickthrough rate (CTR)

A ratio showing how often people who see your ad end

up clicking it. Clickthrough rate can be used to gauge

how well your keywords and ads are performing.

conversion

An action that's counted when someone interacts

with your ad (for example, clicks a text ad or views

a video ad) and then takes an action that you’ve

defined as valuable to your business, such as an

online purchase or a call to your business from a

mobile phone.

cookie

A small file saved on people's computers to help

store preferences and other information that's

used on webpages that they visit.

cost-per-click (CPC)

Cost-per-click (CPC) bidding means that you pay

for each click on your ads. For CPC bidding

campaigns, you set a maximum cost-per-click bid -

or simply "max. CPC" – that's the highest amount

that you're willing to pay for a click on your ad

(unless you're setting bid adjustments, or using

Enhanced CPC).

cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM)

CPM bidding means that you pay based on the

number of impressions (times your ads are shown)

that you receive on the Google Display Network. You'll

use viewable CPM bidding to make sure you only pay

when your ads are able to be seen.

cost-per-view (CPV)

A bidding method for video campaigns where you pay

for a view. A view is counted when a viewer watches

30 seconds of your video ad (or the duration if it's

shorter than 30 seconds) or interacts with the ad,

whichever comes first. You set CPV bids to tell

Google the maximum amount you're willing to pay for

each view.

Customer Match

Customer Match lets you show ads to your customers

based on data about those customers that you share

with Google and upload into the Google Ads tool.

Customer Match is a useful advertising tool for many

business goals, from increasing brand awareness to

driving performance.

Glossary/Technology termsEDITORIAL GUIDE

Display Planner

A Google Ads tool that provides ideas and

estimates to help you plan your Display

campaign. Targeting ideas are based on your

customers’ interests or your landing page.

domain

The core part of a website's URL (its Internet

address). In the URL "www.google.com/maps,"

the domain name is "google.com."

Enhanced CPC (ECPC)

A bid strategy that adjusts your cost-per-click

(CPC) to help maximize conversions. Enhanced

CPC (ECPC) combines manual bidding with a

Smart Bidding strategy, like Target CPA or Target

ROAS, which raises your manual bids in

situations that seem more likely to lead to a sale

or other conversion on your website, and lowers

your bid for situations that seem less likely to lead

to a conversion.

exact match

A keyword setting that allows your ad to show only

when someone searches for your keyword or close

variants of your keyword. Close variants may

include: Misspellings, singular or plural forms,

abbreviations, accents, reordered words with the

same meanings, etc.

Google Analytics

A Google product, offered in free and enterprise

versions, that provides in-depth reporting on how

people use your website. You can use Analytics

and Analytics 360 to learn what people do after

clicking your ads.

Google Display Network

A group of more than 3 million websites, videos,

and apps where your Google Ads can appear.

With the Google Display Network, you can use

targeting to show your ads to particular

audiences (like “people shopping for a new

sedan”), in particular contexts (like “outdoor

lifestyles”), in particular locations, and more.

Google forwarding phone number

A unique phone number from Google that you

can use in your ads to help measure calls to your

business and whether they lead to a conversion.

image ad

A type of Google Ads advertisement that

includes a graphic to promote your business. An

image ad consists of an image that you provide

featuring information about your business,

services, or products.

Glossary/Technology termsEDITORIAL GUIDE

impressions

How often your ad is shown. An impression is

counted each time your ad is shown on a search

result page or other site.

Keyword Planner

Keyword Planner is a tool that provides keyword

ideas and traffic estimates to help you build a

Search campaign.

keywords

Words or phrases describing your product or

service that you choose to help determine when

and where your ad can appear.

landing page

The webpage where people end up after they

click your ad. The URL of this page is usually the

same as your ad's final URL. For each ad, you

specify a final URL to determine the landing page

where people are taken when they click your ad.

Location targeting

A setting that helps you show your ads to

customers in a selected geographic location.

mobile ad

A type of Google Ads advertisement that can

appear on webpages and apps that are viewed on

a mobile device like a cell phone or tablet.

native ads

Native ads match the look and feel of the website

or app they appear on, providing a better

experience for users.

negative keyword

A type of keyword that prevents your ad from

being

triggered by a certain word or phrase. Your ads

aren’t shown to anyone who is searching for that

phrase. This is also known as a negative match.

organic search result

A free listing in Google Search that appears

because it's relevant to someone's search terms.

phrase match

A keyword setting that allows your ad to show

only when someone's search includes the exact

phrase of your keyword, or close variations of the

exact phrase of your keyword, with additional

words before or after. The phrase match

keyword "bicycle bell" can cause your ad to show

if someone searches for "bicycle bell," "buy

bicycle bell," and "bicycle bell reviews."

Quality Score

Quality Score is an estimate of the quality of your

ads, keywords, and landing pages. Higher quality

ads can lead to lower prices and better ad

positions.

Glossary/Technology termsEDITORIAL GUIDE

remarketing

Remarketing lets you show ads to people who've

visited your website or used your app. It’s an

effective way to reconnect with customers as

they’re browsing online.

responsive ads

Responsive ads automatically adjust their size,

appearance, and format to fit available ad spaces.

So a single responsive ad may appear as a small

text ad in one place and a large image ad in

another.

return on investment (ROI)

How much profit you've made from your ads

compared to how much you've spent on those ads.

To calculate ROI, take the revenue that resulted

from your ads, subtract your overall costs, then

divide by your overall costs: ROI = (Revenue - Cost

of goods sold) / Cost of goods sold.

Search Network

A group of search-related websites where your ads

can appear. When you advertise on the Search

Network, your ad can show next to search results,

on other Google sites like Maps and Shopping, and

on the websites of Google search partners.

Shopping ad

A type of ad that features detailed information

about specific products that you sell. Shopping

ads can refer to Product Shopping ads, which

feature just one product, or Showcase Shopping

ads, which feature several related products.

Smart Bidding

A subset of automated bid strategies that optimize

for conversions or conversion value (Target CPA,

Target ROAS, or Enhanced CPC bid strategies).

Smart Bidding uses machine learning to optimize

your bids to maximize conversions and conversion

value across your campaign or bidding portfolio.

text ad

Text ads on the Search Network show above and

below Google search results. A text ad on Google

Search is the simplest online ad that AdWords

offers. It has three parts: headline text, a display

URL, and description text, with the option to set

up additional ad extensions.

TrueView video ad formats

TrueView video ads gives YouTube viewers the

ability to choose which video ads they want to

watch and when – meaning you won’t pay for

unwanted views. You only pay when viewers

watch or interact with elements of your video.

URL

The location of a webpage or file on the Internet.

Some of Google's URLs include

www.google.com and

http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy.

To see more key terms, please click here.

Glossary/Technology termsEDITORIAL GUIDE

Related Guidelines

RELATED GUIDELINES

Designing for a related Google brand? Use these guidelines to build consistent experiences that are unmistakably about the brand.

Google Ads Visual GuideWhether you’re building a presentation or illustrating a concept every design

design decision matters. Use this guide to produce beautiful, compelling, and

consistent visuals every time.

Google StandardsGoogle Web Standards includes Google’s Brand Standards, Material Design,

Imagery, and Marketing Web Standards.

Related Materials

Google Ads Brand OverviewBackground information that outlines brand essence, value propositions,

personas, and characteristics that guided the evolution of our brand identities.