Text ads shown in response to a search query, bought by keyword and priced per click in an auction. Google Ads holds the large majority of the market; Microsoft Advertising serves Bing and its partners, and Apple, Amazon, and the app stores run search ads on their own properties. Search advertising is the most directly measurable channel and the one most tied to existing demand, which makes it both the most efficient and the least incremental at the margin.
Used in The Signal
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Cite this entry:
Agency Echelon. "Search Advertising." Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/glossary/search-advertising/