Google Ads Display flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Display targeting combination logic

Different targeting categories combine with AND; selections within one category combine with OR. An audience plus a placement shows ads only where both are satisfied.

Targeting expansion setting

When enabled, Google may show ads beyond your selected audiences, keywords, or placements. Disabling it restricts delivery strictly to the targets you specified.

Target and bid vs bid only

Target and bid restricts delivery to the selected placements or audiences. Bid only shows ads broadly but applies a higher bid adjustment to those targets.

Frequency capping on display

Limits how many times one user sees ads from a campaign per day, week, month, or year. Set at campaign level to control repetition and creative fatigue.

Bid adjustment stacking

Multiple bid adjustments multiply rather than add. A +20% device adjustment and +50% location adjustment yield 1.2 x 1.5 = 1.8x, an 80% increase.

Content exclusion categories

Campaign-level settings that remove sensitive inventory: content suitable for families, tragedy and conflict, sexually suggestive, social issues, and profanity and rough language.

Smart display campaign requirements

Requires conversion tracking, a set budget, and assets. Google automates targeting, bidding, and creative assembly, so conversion data quality determines performance.

Responsive display ad asset limits

Up to 5 short headlines, 5 long headlines, 5 descriptions, 15 marketing images, 5 logos, and 5 videos. One 1.81:1 marketing image is required.

RDA character limits

Short headline allows 30 characters, long headline 90, and description 90. Business name allows 25 characters; keep text concise to avoid truncation.

Ad strength ratings

Responsive display ad strength ranges from Pending and No ads through Poor, Average, Good, and Excellent, based on asset quantity, diversity, and uniqueness.

Pinning headlines and descriptions

Fixes an asset to a specific position in the ad. Improves control over messaging but reduces available combinations and typically lowers ad strength.

Automated assets

Google-generated headlines, descriptions, and images assembled from your landing page and existing assets. Can be turned off per campaign for tighter brand control.

Marketing image best practices

Use high-quality images with minimal overlaid text, avoid embedding logos inside marketing images, and supply multiple aspect ratios so assets fit every placement.

Uploaded display ads

Manually created image or HTML5 ads in fixed sizes. They offer exact brand control but do not resize or adapt across placements like responsive display ads.

Viewable CPM bidding

A display bid strategy that charges only when an impression meets the viewability standard: at least 50% of pixels visible for one continuous second.

Daily budget doubling rule

Budgets are daily averages. Google may spend up to twice the daily budget on any single day, balanced by spending less on other days of the month.

Limited by budget status

Shown when a campaign's budget constrains delivery. Options include raising budget, lowering bids, or narrowing targeting to reach more efficient inventory.

Shared budgets

One budget pool shared by multiple campaigns. Useful when campaigns share a goal; avoid when each campaign needs independent spend control.

Portfolio bid strategies

Groups multiple campaigns under one shared target CPA or ROAS. Useful when individual campaigns lack enough conversions to optimize reliably alone.

Manual CPC on display

Advertiser sets maximum cost per click and can layer bid adjustments. Provides control but no automated optimization toward conversions or conversion value.

Remarketing list minimum size

Display remarketing lists need at least 100 active users to serve; YouTube remarketing requires 1,000. Smaller lists cannot be used for targeting.

Remarketing membership duration

The window during which users stay on a remarketing list, configurable up to 540 days. Match it to the product's consideration cycle.

Customer Match requirements

Upload hashed customer data such as email, phone, or address. Requires policy compliance and a minimum list size before the segment becomes eligible.

Affinity vs in-market segments

Affinity reflects long-term interests and browsing habits. In-market reflects active purchase intent, making it better for driving near-term conversions.

Combined audience logic

Uses AND, OR, and NOT across segments. OR broadens reach, AND narrows to overlap, NOT excludes, such as cart abandoners AND NOT recent purchasers.

Optimized targeting

Lets Google expand delivery beyond selected audiences using conversion signals. Disable it when campaigns require strict audience control or precise reach limits.

Custom audiences

Segments built from keywords, URLs, apps, or places, with broad or specific reach settings. Formerly split into custom affinity and custom intent audiences.

View-through conversions

Conversions recorded after a user sees but does not click an ad, within the view-through window. Reported separately and excluded from the Conversions column by default.

Active View viewability rate

Viewable impressions divided by measurable impressions. Only impressions Google can measure are in the denominator, so the rate reflects measurable inventory only.

ROAS formula

Return on ad spend equals conversion value divided by cost. Used with Target ROAS bidding and segmented by audience, placement, and device to find efficient pockets.

Attribution model options

Data-driven is the default; alternatives include last click, first click, linear, time decay, and position-based. The model changes which touchpoints receive conversion credit.

Conversion tracking prerequisite

Target CPA and Target ROAS require verified conversion tracking. Without it, Smart Bidding optimizes toward clicks or impressions instead of conversions.