Ad serving is a critical aspect of digital advertising that enables advertisers to deliver ads to their target audiences. It is the process of delivering an ad to a user’s browser, mobile app, or any other digital platform. Ad serving technology ensures that the right ad is delivered to the right user at the right time, based on various targeting parameters such as demographics, interests, and behavior.
How does Ad serving work?
- 1. Advertiser creates an ad, in the form of a banner, video, native ad, or other formats, and specifies the targeting criteria such as the audience demographics, interests, and geographic location
- 2. Ad is uploaded to an ad server, which stores and manages the ads. The ad server tracks ad performance metrics such as impressions, clicks, and conversions.
- 3. Publisher “requests” an ad: When a user visits a website or app, the publisher’s server sends a request to the ad server for an ad matching user criteria.
- 4. Ad server selects an ad from its inventory that matches the criteria.
- 5. Ad is served to the user: The ad server sends the selected ad to the publisher’s server, which displays the ad to the user on the website or app.
- 6. Optimization: Advertisers use ad performance data to optimize their ads and targeting criteria to improve their ad performance and return on investment.
What are the key features of Ad serving technology?
Ad serving technology has evolved significantly over the years, and there are now many different types of ad servers available to advertisers. Some of the key features of modern ad serving technology include:
- Real-time bidding (RTB): an automated auction process that allows advertisers to bid on ad inventory in real-time
- Programmatic advertising: the use of technology to buy and sell ad inventory automatically, based on predefined rules and algorithms
- Dynamic creative optimization (DCO): a technology that enables advertisers to deliver personalized ads to users based on their behavior and interests.