impression share

Definition

The percentage of times your ad was shown divided by the total number of times it was eligible to appear, typically in paid search or display campaigns. It measures how much of the available opportunity you're actually capturing.

Example Usage

Our impression share is 23%, meaning we're missing 77% of potential ad views, mostly because we refuse to increase bids to competitive levels.

Origin

Introduced by Google Ads (formerly AdWords) in the mid-2000s as paid search became more competitive

Fun Fact

Google breaks impression share into 'budget lost' and 'rank lost' categories, helpfully telling you whether you're too cheap or just irrelevant.

Source: Paid search advertising metrics

Related Terms

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

Intermediate

CPC

Cost Per Click, or the exact dollar amount you pay every time someone accidentally taps your ad while trying to close it. It's like putting a coin jar next to a door handle and charging people for touching it on their way out.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

storyteller

In marketing, the person responsible for crafting narratives that make products sound like epic journeys rather than simple transactions. Modern marketers have elevated this to an art form, transforming soap into a 'personal wellness experience' and coffee into a 'morning ritual.' Also applies to game masters in tabletop RPGs and, let's be honest, anyone who's ever exaggerated on a resume.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Beginner

bottom of funnel

The final stage where prospects are ready to convert, having survived the grueling journey through awareness and consideration. Where marketing hands the baton to sales and hopes they don't fumble.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Beginner

mad lib copy

Templated marketing content where only names, numbers, or minor details change between versions. The literary equivalent of mail merge, and just as soulless.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

Lead Generation

The process of finding people who might want to buy your stuff, which mostly involves bribing strangers with free ebooks in exchange for their email addresses. It's essentially the corporate version of trick-or-treating, but you're the one handing out candy.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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