Search Engine Marketing Quiz: Test Your SEM Skills
Quick, free SEM skills quiz. Instant results.
Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Mohamed AbdulazeemUpdated Aug 25, 2025
This search engine marketing quiz helps you check your SEM skills on ad impressions, A/B testing, geo-targeting, and budget control. Use it to spot gaps before your next campaign, or warm up with a digital marketing quiz and an seo quiz for a broader view. For wider practice, try a quick marketing skills test to see how your fundamentals stack up.
What is the primary difference between SEM and SEO?
SEM focuses solely on technical website audits, unlike SEO.
SEM is another term for SEO and they are exactly the same.
SEO requires bidding on keywords, whereas SEM does not.
SEM involves paid advertising while SEO focuses on organic rankings.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) generally refers to paid search advertising, while Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is about improving organic rankings without payment. SEM campaigns involve bidding on keywords and paying for impressions or clicks, whereas SEO involves optimizing content and site structure to rank naturally. Both disciplines use keyword research and on-page tactics, but SEM carries ad spend costs. For more details see .
In SEM, what does CTR stand for?
Cost-to-Revenue
Customer Turnover Ratio
Conversion Time Response
Click-Through Rate
CTR stands for Click-Through Rate, which measures the ratio of clicks an ad receives to the number of times it is shown (impressions). A higher CTR indicates your ad is relevant and appealing to users. Advertisers monitor CTR to assess ad performance and optimize campaigns. Refer to for more.
How do you calculate Click-Through Rate (CTR)?
Cost divided by clicks.
Impressions divided by clicks.
Clicks divided by impressions, then multiplied by 100.
Clicks divided by conversions.
Click-Through Rate is calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. This metric shows how often people who see your ad end up clicking it. A strong CTR suggests effective ad copy and targeting. Learn more at .
What does CPC stand for in SEM?
Cost Per Conversion
Click Percentage Cost
Conversion Per Click
Cost Per Click
CPC stands for Cost Per Click, which is the price an advertiser pays each time a user clicks their ad. CPC bidding is a common strategy in SEM where you set a maximum amount you're willing to pay for each click. Monitoring CPC helps manage budgets and ROI. See .
What is CPM in display advertising?
Cost per click
Cost per thousand impressions
Cost per minute
Cost per month
CPM stands for Cost Per Mille, meaning cost per thousand impressions. It's a pricing model where advertisers pay for every 1,000 times their ad is shown, regardless of clicks. CPM is common in display campaigns focused on brand awareness. More info at .
In SEM, what qualifies as an ad impression?
Every time an ad is clicked.
Each time a conversion occurs.
Whenever an ad appears in search query suggestions.
Each time an ad is fetched and displayed on a user's screen.
An ad impression is counted whenever your ad is fetched and displayed in a user's browser or device, regardless of whether it's seen or clicked. Impressions measure how often your ad is served. This metric is critical for CPM campaigns and calculating CTR. Learn more at .
What does Quality Score measure in Google Ads?
Your daily ad spend divided by total clicks.
A combination of expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
Only the relevance of your landing page.
The number of keywords in your account.
Quality Score is a diagnostic metric estimating the quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. It's calculated based on expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Higher Quality Scores can lower your costs and improve ad position. More at .
What is Ad Rank in Google Ads?
The daily budget limit you set.
Your Quality Score multiplied by impressions.
The value that determines your ad position in the auction.
The total number of clicks your ad has received.
Ad Rank is a value used to determine your ad position in the auction and whether your ad will show. It's calculated using your bid amount, Quality Score, ad extensions, and auction-time factors. A higher Ad Rank can lead to better positions and lower costs per click. Details at .
Which keyword match type will show ads for close variants and synonyms?
Broad Match
Exact Match
Negative Match
Phrase Match
Broad Match allows your ads to show on searches that include misspellings, synonyms, related searches, and other relevant variations. It offers the widest reach but may require more negative keywords. Exact and Phrase matches are more restrictive. Read more at .
What is geo-targeting in SEM?
Limiting ads to a specific time of day.
Targeting users by their income bracket.
Delivering ads only on mobile devices.
Showing ads to users based on their geographic location.
Geo-targeting lets you display ads to users in selected physical locations such as countries, regions, cities, or a radius around a point. It helps tailor campaigns and budgets based on geographic performance. Proper geo-targeting improves relevance and ROI. More at .
What is A/B testing in paid search advertising?
Running ads on two different networks simultaneously.
Comparing two versions of an ad to see which performs better.
Comparing paid ads to organic listings.
Testing two different budgets for the same ad.
A/B testing in SEM involves creating two variants of an ad (with different headlines, descriptions, or URLs) and measuring performance to determine which version yields better results. It helps optimize click-through rates and conversions over time. Always test one variable at a time for clear insights. Learn more at .
In SEM, what is a negative keyword?
A term you exclude to prevent your ad from showing on irrelevant searches.
A keyword with negative sentiment in copy.
A keyword that always results in no clicks.
A low-performing keyword you pause.
Negative keywords are terms you specify to prevent your ads from showing on searches containing those words. They help refine targeting, reduce wasted spend, and improve campaign ROI. Use the search terms report to identify candidates for negatives. For guidance see .
What is considered a conversion in SEM?
A negative keyword match.
When an ad is shown on a partner site.
A desired action taken by a user, like a purchase or form submission.
Every time an ad is clicked.
A conversion is when a user completes a valuable action after clicking an ad, such as making a purchase, submitting a form, or signing up for a newsletter. Tracking conversions helps you measure campaign success and ROI. You set up conversion actions in your SEM platform. Details at .
Which ad extension allows you to display a phone number alongside your ad?
Location Extension
Structured Snippet Extension
Sitelink Extension
Call Extension
A Call Extension adds a clickable phone number to your ad, enabling users to call your business directly from the search results. It can improve mobile ad performance and lead generation. You configure it in the Extensions tab of Google Ads. More at .
What is ad scheduling in SEM?
Choosing specific days and times when your ads are eligible to run.
Automating ad deployments for multiple campaigns.
Rotating ads evenly across ad groups.
Scheduling your ads to run only on weekends.
Ad scheduling, or dayparting, lets you set specific days and times when your ads are eligible to appear. This helps allocate budget to peak performance periods and avoid wasted spend. Adjust bids by schedule to maximize efficiency. Learn more at .
What is remarketing in SEM?
Using negative keywords to refine audience lists.
Displaying ads on remarketing partner networks only.
Bid strategies that focus on maximizing ROI.
Showing ads to users who have previously visited your website or app.
Remarketing involves targeting ads to users who have already interacted with your website or mobile app but have not converted. It keeps your brand top of mind and encourages return visits or purchases. You create audience lists and apply them to campaigns. Read more at .
Which bidding strategy sets bids automatically to help you get the most clicks within your budget?
Maximize Clicks
Target CPA
Manual CPC
Target ROAS
Maximize Clicks is an automated bid strategy that sets your bids to help get as many clicks as possible within your daily budget. It's ideal when your primary goal is traffic growth. You don't set individual bids manually under this strategy. Details at .
What metric measures the percentage of ad clicks that result in a conversion?
Cost Per Acquisition
Click-Through Rate
Return on Ad Spend
Conversion Rate
Conversion Rate is calculated by dividing the total number of conversions by the total number of ad clicks, then multiplying by 100. It shows how effectively clicks turn into desired actions. Monitoring conversion rate helps optimize ad creatives and landing pages. More at .
What does Target CPA bidding do?
Sets bids to help get as many conversions as possible at the target cost-per-acquisition.
Adjusts bids only by device type.
Maximizes clicks at the highest conversion rate.
Keeps bids constant regardless of conversion data.
Target CPA is an automated bidding strategy where Google Ads sets bids to get as many conversions as possible at your specified average cost-per-acquisition. It uses historical conversion data to predict and optimize bids in each auction. Ideal for performance goals. See .
Which match type uses quotation marks around keywords to limit matches to that phrase or close variants?
Broad Match
Exact Match
Broad Match Modifier
Phrase Match
Phrase Match requires putting keywords in quotation marks. Ads may show on searches that include the meaning of your keyword phrase, including close variants, with additional words before or after. It strikes a balance between reach and control. Read more at .
What information does the Search Terms report provide?
Competitor bids on the same keywords.
Forecasted cost and clicks for keywords.
The actual queries users typed that triggered your ads.
Monthly keyword search volumes.
The Search Terms report shows the real search queries that triggered your ads, allowing you to identify new keyword opportunities and negative keywords. It helps refine targeting and improve ROI by excluding irrelevant searches. Access it under Keywords > Search terms in Google Ads. For details see .
What is a Responsive Search Ad (RSA)?
A static ad that only runs on mobile devices.
An ad format that automatically tests combinations of headlines and descriptions.
An ad that adjusts bids based on device targeting.
A template ad for remarketing campaigns.
Responsive Search Ads allow you to enter multiple headlines and descriptions; Google Ads then automatically tests different combinations to find the best-performing ads. This approach leverages machine learning for optimization. RSAs often yield better CTR and conversion rates. Learn more at .
Which bidding strategy aims to show your ad at the top of the page or in a specific location on search results?
Maximize Conversions
Target CPA
Target Impression Share
Enhanced CPC
Target Impression Share is an automated bid strategy that sets bids to help your ad achieve a target impression share (for example, the absolute top of page or anywhere on page). It's useful for brand awareness goals and ensuring presence in key positions. Details at .
What is a Dynamic Search Ad?
A responsive video ad format.
An ad that uses dynamic keyword insertion only.
An app install ad for dynamic remarketing.
An ad generated based on the content of your website.
Dynamic Search Ads automatically generate ad headlines and landing pages based on the content of your website. This helps fill in keyword coverage gaps and captures additional search queries. You still provide description text, but Google matches relevant pages to user searches. More at .
What is Broad Match Modifier (BMM)?
A match type allowing targeting of queries containing modified terms or close variants.
An enhanced phrase match type within quotation marks.
A method to exclude negative keywords from campaigns.
A bidding strategy for broad reach.
Broad Match Modifier lets you place a plus sign (+) before keywords to ensure ads only show when those terms (or close variants) are present in the search. It offers tighter control than pure Broad Match. BMM helps increase relevance while maintaining reach. See .
Which ad extension adds additional links to specific pages of your site?
Sitelink Extension
Callout Extension
Message Extension
Price Extension
Sitelink Extensions allow you to show additional links in your ad that lead to specific pages of your website. They improve click-through rates by providing quick paths to relevant content. You can add descriptions for each sitelink. More at .
Which network allows you to display banner and video ads across partner websites?
Search Network
Google Display Network
Affiliate Network
Shopping Network
The Google Display Network lets you show image, banner, and video ads on millions of websites, apps, and Google-owned properties outside of search results. It helps with brand awareness and remarketing. Display campaigns use CPM, CPC, or CPA bidding. Details at .
What does ROAS stand for?
Revenue Over Ad Spend
Rate Of Ad Success
Return On Ad Spend
Rank On Ad Search
ROAS means Return On Ad Spend, which measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It's calculated as revenue divided by ad spend. Advertisers use ROAS to evaluate campaign profitability. More at .
What is Impression Share?
The share of clicks you received compared to competitors.
The ratio of impressions to conversions.
Your ad's average position on the page.
The percentage of eligible impressions your ads received.
Impression Share is calculated by dividing the number of impressions you've received by the number of impressions you were eligible to receive. It helps identify lost opportunities due to budget or rank. Google Ads provides Lost IS metrics for detailed diagnosis. Learn more at .
What is Enhanced CPC (eCPC)?
An automated bidding strategy to maximize impressions.
A strategy to enhance ad copy automatically.
A bidding method that sets all bids to maximum CPC.
A bid strategy that automatically adjusts manual bids based on conversion likelihood.
Enhanced CPC is a semi-automated bidding strategy where Google raises or lowers your manual bids in auctions that seem more or less likely to lead to a conversion. It aims to increase conversions while staying close to your manual bid settings. More at .
Why would you add URL tracking parameters to your landing page?
To reduce ad load time on mobile.
To increase Quality Score by adding more URL text.
To track campaign, source, and keyword performance in analytics tools.
To hide the final destination from users.
URL tracking parameters (UTMs) appended to your landing page URL let analytics platforms attribute traffic and conversions to specific campaigns, sources, mediums, and keywords. This granular data helps optimize budgets and creatives. They do not affect Quality Score or ad loading speed. See .
What does CPA stand for in SEM?
Conversion Percentage Average
Cost Per Acquisition
Click Per Action
Cost Per Ad
CPA stands for Cost Per Acquisition, which measures how much you pay for each conversion (acquisition). It's calculated by dividing total ad spend by the number of conversions. Target CPA bidding uses this metric as its goal. More at .
What does the 'expected CTR' component of Quality Score assess?
The time users spend on the landing page after clicking.
The relevance of keywords to ad headlines.
The likelihood that an ad click will occur based on historical performance.
The percentage of ads shown in the top position.
Expected CTR predicts how likely your ad is to be clicked when shown, based on the historical performance of your keyword and ad across auctions. It's a forward-looking estimate rather than a reported metric. Expected CTR is one of three core factors in Quality Score. See .
In Google Ads reports, what does 'Search Lost IS (budget)' indicate?
Impressions lost because your ads were disapproved.
The percentage of eligible impressions lost due to insufficient budget.
Time period when ads weren't served.
Share of clicks lost to competitors.
Search Lost IS (budget) shows the percentage of impressions lost because your budget wasn't high enough to cover all eligible impressions. It helps you decide if increasing budgets could capture more traffic. This metric differs from Lost IS (rank), which is lost due to low Ad Rank. More at .
Which attribution model gives all credit for a conversion to the last clicked ad and keyword?
Last Click
First Click
Linear
Time Decay
The Last Click attribution model assigns 100% of the conversion credit to the final ad and keyword clicked before the conversion. It's the default model in many SEM platforms but may undervalue upper-funnel interactions. Alternative models distribute credit differently. Read more at .
What is a view-through conversion?
A conversion recorded without any ad interaction.
A conversion that occurs after a user sees (but doesn't click) your ad and later converts.
A click that results in multiple conversions within 24 hours.
A conversion tracked only on the Display Network.
View-through conversions are counted when a user is shown a display or video ad (views it) but doesn't click, then later returns directly to your site and converts within a set window. It measures the impact of ad impressions on conversions. Useful for branding campaigns. Details at .
How does Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) work in a text ad?
It dynamically inserts the user's search query into the ad text if it matches a keyword.
It rotates keywords in your ad group for equal exposure.
It inserts dynamic sitelinks into ad headlines.
It automatically adds negative keywords based on queries.
Dynamic Keyword Insertion automatically replaces a placeholder in your ad copy with the keyword that triggered the ad, making ads more relevant to the search query. You use the {KeyWord:Default Text} syntax in your headlines or descriptions. If the query is too long or invalid, the default text appears. More at .
In Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA), what is the main use?
Displaying video ads to a list of past converters.
Automatically removing non-converting search terms.
Exporting remarketing lists to social media platforms.
Adjusting bids or selecting keywords for past site visitors as they search on Google.
RLSA allows you to customize search campaigns based on users who have previously visited your website. You can increase bids for those audiences or tailor keyword lists, improving efficiency and ROI. It's applied at auction time for search queries. Learn more at .
What is a portfolio bid strategy?
A manual bid method for individual ad groups.
A script-driven bidding tactic.
A shared automated bidding strategy applied across multiple campaigns.
A bid strategy that increases bids based on competitor activity.
Portfolio bid strategies are automated bidding approaches that you can apply to multiple campaigns, ad groups, and keywords simultaneously. They optimize toward a common goal like target CPA or maximize conversions across the portfolio. This centralizes bid management. Details at .
What does 'Advanced Location Options' allow you to do in geo-targeting?
Automatically translate ads based on user location.
Enable geo-fencing around your business address.
Target or exclude users based on their physical location or interest in a location.
Set different bids for each country in a campaign.
Advanced Location Options let you choose whether to target users physically located in your selected areas, searching about those areas, or both. It gives you control over presence and interest targeting, improving relevance. Available under campaign settings. More at .
In Google Ads, what is a script?
A setting for scheduling ads by script.
A voice search ad format.
A snippet of JavaScript code used to automate account tasks.
A standard ad template for responsive ads.
Google Ads scripts are JavaScript-based programs that automate common tasks like reporting, bid adjustments, and account maintenance. They run at scheduled times and can help scale SEM operations. You manage scripts in the Tools & Settings menu. See .
What is a Shared Budget in Google Ads?
A budget shared with linked Google Analytics accounts.
A single budget distributed across multiple campaigns.
A pooled budget for all search and display networks.
A budget shared between Search and Shopping only.
A Shared Budget lets you allocate one daily budget across multiple campaigns, allowing Google Ads to optimize spend where it's most effective. It simplifies budget management when campaigns have similar goals. You set it up in the Budget section. More at .
What is a Custom Intent Audience in Google Ads Display campaigns?
A remarketing list based on site visitors only.
An audience defined by demographic data alone.
A list of competitors' website visitors.
An audience built from users' recent purchase intent signals and behaviors.
Custom Intent Audiences allow advertisers to reach people who are actively researching products or services related to their business, based on real-time purchase intent signals. You define keywords, URLs, or apps that indicate intent. This audience type enhances targeting on the Display Network. Read more at .
What is a bid adjustment in SEM?
A tool to increase all bids by a fixed dollar amount.
A budget cap override for specific ad groups.
A percentage change to your bids based on device, location, or time.
A script that dynamically resets bids every hour.
Bid adjustments let you increase or decrease your bids for specific times of day, devices, locations, or audiences. For example, you can boost bids by +20% for mobile devices or reduce by -30% during weekends. They help optimize performance for high-value segments. More at .
What is Customer Match in Google Ads?
A remarketing tool for video campaigns only.
A feature that lets you upload customer data to target or exclude known users.
An automatic matching of customers to similar audiences.
A bid strategy based on CRM data.
Customer Match lets you upload a list of customer email addresses, phone numbers, or mailing addresses to Google Ads. Ads can then target (or exclude) these known customers across Search, Shopping, Display, and YouTube. It improves personalization and retention. See .
In video campaigns, what does CPV bidding stand for?
Cost Per View
Cost Per Viewable Impression
Cost Per Video Completion
Cost Per Visit
CPV stands for Cost Per View, a bidding method where you pay when someone watches your video ad (for at least 30 seconds or interacts with it). CPV is used in TrueView campaigns on YouTube and across Google video partners. It helps manage video advertising costs directly tied to views. Learn more at .
What are Similar Audiences in Google Ads?
Audiences based on demographic criteria you set manually.
Automatically generated audiences that resemble your remarketing lists.
A synonym list for dynamic search ads.
Competitor audiences matched to your keywords.
Similar Audiences use Google's machine learning to find new users whose interests and behaviors are similar to people in your existing remarketing lists. This helps expand reach to potential customers likely to convert. They're available for Display and Search campaigns. Details at .
What are Ad Customizers used for?
Dynamically inserting data like countdowns, prices, or locations into ads.
Automatically creating ad extensions for all keywords.
Building responsive display ad assets.
Customizing bids based on audience lists.
Ad Customizers let you tailor your ad text in real time by pulling data from a predefined data feed, such as product prices, countdown timers, or geographic details. This personalization can improve ad relevance and CTR. You define attributes in a business data feed. Learn more at .
Which attribution model uses data-driven machine learning to assign conversion credit across touchpoints?
Time Decay Attribution
Last Non-Direct Click
Position-Based Attribution
Data-Driven Attribution
Data-Driven Attribution uses your account's historical conversion data and machine learning to determine how much credit to assign to each touchpoint in the customer journey. It customizes the model to your specific ads and keywords, unlike rule-based models. Requires sufficient data volume to operate. See .
In Google Ads, what does 'Search Lost IS (rank)' report show?
Impressions lost because ads weren't approved.
Search impressions ceded to a specific competitor.
Clicks lost due to budget constraints.
The percentage of impressions lost due to low Ad Rank.
Search Lost IS (rank) indicates the percentage of eligible impressions you lost because your Ad Rank was too low. It helps diagnose whether improving Quality Score or bids could capture more traffic. It complements Search Lost IS (budget), which is lost due to budget caps. More at .
When using Target ROAS bidding, what crucial setup must you have?
Advanced location options configured.
At least 1,000 daily clicks.
Review extensions enabled.
Conversion tracking with assigned monetary values.
Target ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) bidding requires that you have conversion tracking set up with accurate monetary values for each conversion. Google uses these values to optimize bids to achieve your specified average ROAS. Without conversion values, the strategy cannot function. Learn more at .
In Google Ads Scripts, which programming language is used to write automation code?
Python
PHP
Ruby
JavaScript
Google Ads Scripts are authored in JavaScript (ECMAScript 5), enabling you to access and manipulate your account via built-in objects and methods. Scripts run on Google's servers and can be scheduled for automation. This language choice ensures broad compatibility and ease of use. See .
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Study Outcomes
- Understand Ad Impressions -
Learn how to measure and interpret ad impressions to gauge the reach and visibility of your campaigns in a search engine marketing test.
- Analyze A/B Testing Results -
Develop the ability to compare and interpret A/B test outcomes to determine which ad variations drive higher engagement and conversions.
- Apply Geo-Targeting Strategies -
Master techniques for segmenting audiences by location, ensuring your ads reach the right users at the right time.
- Evaluate Quality Score Factors -
Identify the key elements that impact Quality Score and learn how to optimize your ads for better performance and lower costs.
- Optimize Keyword Bidding -
Understand bidding strategies and budget allocation to maximize ROI in your search engine marketing campaigns.
- Interpret SEM Metrics -
Gain skills in analyzing click-through rate, conversion rate, and other metrics to refine your SEM strategies quiz results.
Cheat Sheet
- Ad Impressions vs. Reach -
Ad impressions measure total ad displays, while reach tracks unique viewers (Google Ads Help). High impressions with low reach can signal wasted spend on the same audience, a key distinction for any search engine marketing test.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR) & Quality Score -
CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions)×100% and directly impacts your Quality Score, which Google uses to rank ads (WordStream). A strong Quality Score can lower CPC and boost ad position - remember "Good CTR = Great Score" to ace your search engine marketing quiz.
- Best Practices in A/B Testing -
Test one variable at a time (headline, CTA, or image) and run experiments for at least two weeks or 1,000 impressions per variant for statistical significance (HubSpot). Use the "1 - 2 - 3" rule: 1 test, 2 variants, 3 results review sessions to optimize learning in any SEM strategies quiz.
- Geo-Targeting Techniques -
Refine campaigns by country, city, or radius to boost relevance and ROI - Google Ads allows zip-code precision for hyperlocal ads (Google Ads Help). In an online SEM test, know that layering demographic filters on geo-targeted zones can further tighten performance.
- Bidding Strategies & Budget Allocation -
Choose manual CPC for control or automated options like Maximize Conversions to leverage machine learning (Google Ads Research). A simple budget formula is Daily Spend = Target CPA × Expected Conversions, a handy tip for tackling search marketing questions.
