What is Online Advertising?
Online advertising is a major revenue stream for websites, apps, and social media platforms, using banners, video ads, pop-ups, and native content. Globally, digital ad spending is estimated to 792 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. For more accessible data, see reports from Statista which provide overviews of digital ad spending and trends.
How Ads Target Users
Ad networks often personalize ads using signals like:
- Browsing history and search queries
- Location and device type
- Demographics and inferred interests
This is known as behavioral targeting. Ads may be personalized based on inferred interests and engagement patterns. For guidance on ad personalization and user choice, see the Digital Advertising Alliance Consumer Control PDF.
Advertising Strategies
Advertisers use a variety of strategies to maximize ad impact:
- Retargeting: Shows ads to users who previously visited a product or service page.
- Contextual Targeting: Ads are matched to the content of the webpage they appear on, ensuring relevance.
- Demographic Targeting: Ads are aimed at specific age groups, geographic areas, or device types.
For more details on online advertising practices and strategies, see the Maximizing Online Marketing Strategy with Digital Advertising by Dewi Surya Wuisan and Tessa Handra.
Major Ad Networks and Services
Some of the largest ad networks and platforms include:
Google AdSense / Ad Manager: Google is the largest online ad network, serving display, video, and native ads globally. Ad Manager allows publishers to control inventory, set auction rules, and manage targeting options. (Google AdSense official page)
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Media.net
Media.net: Operates the Yahoo/Bing contextual ad network, focusing on native and content-based ads. Provides publishers revenue through precise contextual placement. (Media.net official page)
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Amazon Ads
Amazon Ads: Product-based advertising within Amazon properties and partner sites, targeting users based on purchase and browsing history. Ideal for e-commerce monetization. (Amazon Ads official page)
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Taboola / Outbrain
Taboola / Outbrain: Deliver native content recommendations blending sponsored content with editorial content, widely used for content discovery and engagement. (Taboola official page, Outbrain official page)
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Mediavine / AdThrive
Mediavine / AdThrive: Managed ad services for high-traffic blogs and lifestyle sites, providing optimization and higher RPMs, with full-service ad management. (Mediavine official page, AdThrive official page)
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Programmatic networks
Programmatic networks (Criteo, OpenX, PropellerAds): Use real-time bidding for dynamic ad serving, employing advanced targeting and retargeting technologies to maximize ad performance. (Criteo official page)
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