Definition
Advertisement using text-based hyperlinks.
Information
Text-based ads, although common in email, have been dominated on the Web by their graphical-based counterparts.
Affiliate marketing is one area where text ads have flourished. However, many mainstream advertisers are only beginning to discover the power of text. Google has caused a buzz with its text advertising options, generating a self-proclaimed “click-through rate 4-5 times higher than industry standard for banner ads.”
While lacking some of the advantages of graphical ads, text-based ads have some powerful advantages of their own. They download almost instantly and are not affected by ad blocking software.
see also: Digital Marketing Tools
Related Terms
view all terms in the Online Advertising glossary or all terms in the Digital Marketing glossary
Articles
Less is More: ASCII Might Trump Rich Media
EContent (May, 2002)
Designing Web Ads Using Click-Through Data
useit.com (September 2, 2001)
Thinking Small Reaps Big Rewards
Guardian Unlimited (December 13, 2001)
Google Launches Self-Service Advertising Program
Google (October 23, 2000)
Eyetracking Study of Web Readers
useit.com (May 14, 2000)
