When running paid digital ads, like Google search ads, you can track various metrics that reflect the campaign’s performance. One major advantage of digital advertising is the visibility of results—something much harder to achieve with traditional, non-digital ads.
There are numerous metrics to monitor, such as:
Impressions
Clicks
Click-through rate (CTR: clicks / impressions)
Cost per click (CPC)
Total cost
Conversions (e.g., purchases, inquiries)
Conversion rate (conversions / clicks)
Naturally, the goal is to keep costs low and conversions high. A higher click-through rate usually indicates a clear and appealing ad, while a lower cost per click suggests efficient ad management. All these metrics help assess the ad’s effectiveness and overall performance.
The ability to quantify and objectively evaluate results is a significant advantage of digital advertising.
On the other hand, one often-overlooked effect is brand recognition—something that doesn’t always show up in the metrics.
For example, an ad might receive high impressions and clicks but low conversions. It’s easy to label this as ineffective, but low conversions don’t necessarily mean the ad had no impact. More views and clicks mean more people have seen and now recognize the brand or product name in the ad. Even if they don’t purchase immediately, they may remember the brand later or decide to buy in a physical store. This brand recognition is valuable even if it isn’t directly reflected in the numbers.
Think of it like TV or street advertising—while these don’t often lead to immediate purchases, they effectively build brand awareness. No one buys a Coca-Cola on the spot just after seeing a TV commercial, but that doesn’t mean the ad had no effect.
Digital ads are powerful because they make so much visible through numbers, but it’s easy to overlook the benefits that aren’t as quantifiable. It’s essential to avoid focusing solely on short-term metrics and consider the broader, long-term impact of advertising efforts.
