Digital advertising comes with a lot of numbers, percentages, and abbreviations. While The Current provides you with regular reports, we know those reports can feel overwhelming if you’re not sure what each term really means.

That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide to help you understand the most important advertising analytics terms — and how they apply to your campaigns with us.

Impressions

An impression is counted every time your ad is displayed on a screen. Think of it as “opportunities to be seen.” Impressions measure exposure, not interaction.

Example: If your ad appears on The Current’s website 5,000 times in a month, that’s 5,000 impressions.

Reach

Reach tells you how many unique people saw your ad. Unlike impressions, it doesn’t count repeat views.

Example: If one person sees your ad five times, that’s five impressions but just one reach.

Clicks

A click is exactly what it sounds like — when someone taps or clicks on your ad to learn more, shop, or take the next step. Clicks are the first sign that your ad inspired action.

CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR measures the percentage of impressions that led to clicks. It’s calculated as:

CTR= (Clicks / Impressions) × 100

📌 Example: 10 clicks from 2,000 impressions = 0.5% CTR.

CTR helps evaluate whether your ad’s message and design are compelling enough for viewers to take the next step.

Engagement

Engagement usually refers to likes, comments, shares, or other interactions with your content on social media. While not the same as clicks, engagement still shows that your ad caught attention and sparked interest.

Conversion

A conversion happens when someone completes the desired action after clicking your ad — booking an appointment, filling out a form, or making a purchase. Conversions are the clearest link between advertising and revenue.

AVE (Advertising Value Equivalent)

In The Current’s reports, AVE represents the estimated dollar value of the exposure you received, based on traditional advertising rates. It helps put the impact of your placements into perspective.

Proof of Performance

This is the documentation you (or your co-op partners like Strategic America or Media Link) receive to confirm your ads ran as promised. It can include screenshots, dates, impression counts, and distribution channels.

The Bottom Line

Analytics can feel technical, but each number tells part of the story of how your ads are performing. At The Current, our role is to make sure your ads are seen widely and your results are easy to understand.

When you know what these terms mean, you can better evaluate your campaigns — and make smarter decisions for the future.