adwords

AdWords was Google's online advertising platform launched in 2000 to allow advertisers to display text and display ads on Google search results and across the Google Display Network. Advertisers bid on keywords in an auction-based system, and ads shown in response to relevant queries could appear on search results pages or on partner sites. Ads are typically charged on a pay-per-click basis, with costs determined by bid amounts and quality factors.

The platform supported multiple campaign types, including Search Campaigns for text ads on search results, Display Campaigns for image ads on the Google Display Network, Video Campaigns for YouTube, Shopping Campaigns for product listings, and App Campaigns to promote mobile apps. Campaigns could target users by location, language, device, and schedule, with budgets set at the campaign level. Advertisers could also use negative keywords to filter irrelevant queries and deploy ad extensions such as sitelinks, call extensions, and location extensions to improve visibility and performance.

Ad visibility depended on Ad Rank, a value derived from the bid amount, the quality score (which reflects expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience), and the expected impact of extensions and other factors. Conversion tracking via a small code snippet enabled measurement of actions on a site, and integration with Google Analytics supported broader performance analysis. Bidding strategies ranged from manual CPC to automated options like Enhanced CPC, Target CPA, and Target ROAS, allowing advertisers to optimize bids based on goals.

In 2018, Google rebranded AdWords as Google Ads, consolidating the product under a single brand while maintaining its core advertising capabilities.