A toolkit with a media strategy glossary, an ‘If This, Then That’ playbook, and a 1-page cheat sheet to help account managers answer client questions with confidence.
MEDIA STRATEGY | Toolkit
Part 1: Glossary of Terms
Ad Spend
- Definition: The total budget you spend on ads.
- Client-friendly: “This is simply how much money we’re putting into ads.”
Asset Group (PMax)
- Definition: A collection of ads, creatives, and targeting signals used in Performance Max campaigns.
- Client-friendly: “Think of it like a folder where we put images, videos, and text for Google to mix and match.”
Audience Signals (PMax)
- Definition: Suggestions given to Google on who to target.
- Client-friendly: “We point Google in the right direction so it learns faster.”
Bounce Rate (GA4 → Replaced by Engagement Rate)
- Definition: The % of users who left quickly without interacting.
- Client-friendly: “If lots of people leave right away, it means the site didn’t grab their attention.”
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- Definition: The % of people who click your ad after seeing it.
- Client-friendly: “If 100 people see an ad and 5 click, that’s a 5% CTR. Higher = better.”
CPA (Cost per Acquisition)
- Definition: Cost of getting one customer action (like a purchase or signup).
- Client-friendly: “How much we’re paying to get a new customer.”
CPC (Cost per Click)
- Definition: The average price you pay when someone clicks your ad.
- Client-friendly: “Every time someone clicks, this is what it costs.”
CPM (Cost per 1,000 Impressions)
- Definition: The cost to show your ad 1,000 times.
- Client-friendly: “How much it costs to reach 1,000 eyeballs.”
Conversion (GA4)
- Definition: Any meaningful action (purchase, signup, call).
- Client-friendly: “It’s the goal we want people to complete after clicking an ad.”
Conversion API (Meta)
- Definition: A way to send website conversion data directly to Meta.
- Client-friendly: “It helps us track results more accurately, even with privacy updates.”
CTR Benchmark
- Definition: Average CTR for your industry and channel.
- Client-friendly: “Helps us compare your ad’s performance against what’s normal.”
Data-Driven Attribution (GA4)
- Definition: Credit for conversions is shared across multiple touchpoints.
- Client-friendly: “Instead of giving all credit to the last click, GA4 spreads it across all the ads that helped.”
Engagement Rate (GA4)
- Definition: The % of sessions where people stayed and interacted.
- Client-friendly: “It shows if people are actually paying attention, not just landing and leaving.”
Explorations (GA4)
- Definition: Custom reports in GA4 for deeper insights.
- Client-friendly: “A sandbox where we dig into data beyond standard reports.”
Final URL Expansion (PMax)
- Definition: Lets Google send users to the most relevant page on your site.
- Client-friendly: “Google picks the best page to send people to, instead of always the homepage.”
Impressions
- Definition: The number of times your ad is shown.
- Client-friendly: “Each time your ad is displayed, it counts as an impression.”
Landing Page View
- Definition: A click that loads your site fully.
- Client-friendly: “Not just clicking the ad — actually waiting for the site to load.”
Quality Score (Google Ads)
- Definition: Google’s rating of your ad relevance, keywords, and landing page.
- Client-friendly: “A higher score means lower costs and better placements.”
Responsive Search Ads (RSA)
- Definition: Ads where Google mixes headlines and descriptions automatically.
- Client-friendly: “Google tests different text combos to find what works best.”
Search Themes (PMax)
- Definition: Keywords that guide where PMax ads show.
- Client-friendly: “We give Google clues about what searches matter most.”
Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (Meta)
- Definition: Meta’s automated campaign type for e-commerce
- Client-friendly: “Meta’s AI figures out the best way to show your products.”
Part 2: If This, Then That (Optimization Playbook)
IF CTR is Low
- Check targeting: audience too broad or narrow?
- Refresh ad copy, headlines, and visuals.
- Compare against industry benchmarks.
- Use stronger CTAs (“Shop Now,” “Get Quote”).
IF Conversions are Low
- Optimize landing page (clear CTA, fewer form fields).
- Simplify CTA (only one clear action).
- Ensure GA4 events and conversions are tracking properly.
- Refine targeting (exclude unqualified audiences).
IF CPC is High
- Review Quality Score and relevance.
- Test long-tail keywords.
- Add negative keywords to block wasted clicks.
- Improve ad creative to raise CTR.
IF CPM is High (Meta / Display)
- Narrow targeting to focus on higher-quality audiences.
- Test different ad formats (video, carousel).
- Use frequency caps to avoid showing ads too often.
IF PMax Underperforms
- Split asset groups by theme (don’t lump all assets in one).
- Add or update audience signals.
- Use search themes to guide placements.
- Check Insights tab for performance drivers.
IF Meta Results Drop (post iOS14)
- Confirm Conversion API setup is active.
- Re-prioritize events in Aggregated Event Measurement.
- Use Advantage+ campaigns for automation.
- Expand creative testing (short-form video, reels).
IF GA4 Data Looks “Off”
- Check DebugView for broken tags.
- Ensure events and conversions are properly defined.
- Compare “User Acquisition” vs. “Traffic Acquisition” reports.
- Verify UTM tracking is consistent.
Quick Answers Cheat Sheet
(Top 10 Questions Clients Ask & How to Answer)
- Why is my CTR low?
👉 “It means people aren’t clicking. We can test new headlines, creative, or adjust targeting to make ads more relevant.” - Why are my conversions low?
👉 “It’s not always the ads — sometimes the landing page or form is the issue. We’ll simplify the page and refine targeting.” - Why is CPC so high?
👉 “It usually means competition is strong or ads aren’t as relevant. We’ll improve Quality Score, test keywords, and optimize copy.” - Why am I paying for impressions if no one clicks?
👉 “Impressions build awareness. Even if they don’t click now, seeing your brand increases the chance they’ll search or click later.” - What’s the difference between Bounce Rate and Engagement Rate?
👉 “Bounce Rate (old metric) showed people leaving fast. GA4 now uses Engagement Rate, which shows how many stayed and interacted.” - Why do we need GA4 instead of Universal Analytics?
👉 “GA4 tracks users across devices and focuses on events instead of sessions. It’s built for today’s multi-device world.” - Why are Meta results different since iOS14?
👉 “Apple’s privacy update made tracking harder. That’s why we use Conversion API and Meta’s Advantage+ campaigns for better accuracy.” - What is Performance Max (PMax)?
👉 “It’s Google’s AI-driven campaign that runs across Search, YouTube, Display, and more — one campaign covers all channels.” - Why does Google decide where my PMax ads show?
👉 “We guide Google with ‘audience signals’ and ‘search themes,’ but it uses AI to place ads where it finds the best opportunities.” - How do we know if ads are working?
👉 “We track conversions (purchases, leads, signups) in GA4 and Google Ads. ROI comes from measuring cost vs. actual results.”