buffer page

A Web page that appears after you click on an ad banner, further explaining the specifics of the ad offer. For example, after you click on an ad banner, you may be sent to a buffer page instead of to the advertiser's homepage. The buffer page will either try to upsell you on the offer or it will gather information from you, which is what sweepstakes banners do. Buffer pages are typically hosted on the server where the ad banner resides (for example, the publisher's server) and not on the advertiser's server. That way, online marketers can track the effectiveness of certain campaigns.

Buffer pages can also be used to increase a Web site's ranking on a search engine. In this instance, a Web designer may create numerous buffer pages for one Web site and tailor each to adhere to the rules of a different search engine. These pages normally do not appear anywhere on the Web site itself; they only act as "entry pages" to provide the search engine spiders code that will increase the site's chances for a higher ranking in search results.

Note that buffer pages are not to be confused with splash pages.