What Is Search Advertising?

WHITO GLOSSARY · MEASURED DEFINITIONS

Paid ads shown against search queries. UK search adspend reached £17.9 billion in 2025, 44% of all digital ad spend, and over 200,000 UK firms spent more than £10 billion on Google search ads in 2024.

The number: UK PPC Statistics.

What it means in practice

Search ads buy intent, which is why they cost real money and why 200,000 UK firms pay it. The mistake is treating them as a tap you can leave running unwatched.

Set the budget from your break-even cost per lead, review search terms monthly, and never let the platform’s recommendations spend for you.

Whito stage: Build. Buy this once the foundations are set, not before.

The numbers to hold onto

Where to go next

Related: SEO day rate, SEO retainer, PPC management fee

All terms · The files behind the numbers