In advertising, a website is the online property where ads may appear; it is a collection of related web pages maintained together for a purpose. It is not necessarily the page a person lands on after clicking an ad: that specific destination is the landing page, also called the ad’s final URL.
What does “website” mean?
NIST defines a website as “A set of related web pages that are prepared and maintained as a collection in support of a single purpose.” In ordinary use, those pages are often connected through a common domain name, such as example.com. A website is therefore broader than any one page within it.
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A website can also be a web-based application, not just a set of static information pages. Section508.gov describes websites and web-based applications as many web pages linked together under a common domain name. The underlying pages may change dynamically as someone uses the application.
Website vs. landing page: what is the difference?
| Term | What it refers to | Advertising role |
|---|---|---|
| Website | A related collection of web pages maintained together for a purpose. | The publisher’s broader online property, where ads may be shown. |
| Landing page / final URL | The particular web page a person reaches after clicking an ad. | The ad’s destination. Google Ads uses “final URL” and “landing page” for this destination and says the landing page and display URL must share the same domain. |
Google Ads defines a final URL as the address of the web page in a website that people reach after they click an ad. A site might have many pages, but an individual ad directs a person to a particular destination page. Thus, the website is the collection; the landing page is one page selected for that click.
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How websites are used in advertising
Publisher websites can carry ads
A publisher website is a site whose owner or operator makes space available for advertising. News sites and blogs are common examples: Google notes that many such websites partner with it to show ads. Advertising is one possible role for a website, not part of the definition. A site can exist without displaying ads.
Ads can appear in different places
Ads may appear on a page, or between pages as someone navigates. The IAB and PwC’s Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2025, published in April 2026, uses the term interstitial for between-the-page ad units. That describes an ad format; it does not change what counts as the website itself.
Search ads are not organic search rankings
When a website appears in search results, its presence may be an ad or an organic result. Google says ads appear in clearly marked sections and that buying ads does not buy a better organic Search ranking. A paid placement is an advertising arrangement, not a different kind of website.
When does the page-count definition matter?
For most advertising conversations, it is enough to distinguish the whole website from the page an ad sends someone to. Standards and measurement programs can apply more specific counting conventions. Section508.gov’s annual Section 508 assessment, for example, counts dynamic or customizable views within a single-page web application as one page. That is a rule for that assessment context, not a replacement for the general meaning of website.
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Can a website’s audience affect advertising obligations?
In the United States, whether a site or online service is directed to children can matter for COPPA compliance. The FTC says the assessment considers multiple factors, including subject matter, visual design, language, advertising, evidence about the audience, and the intended audience. No single factor listed by the FTC decides the question on its own. This legal context is separate from the basic definition of a website.
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