Advertising glossary
26 advertising terms, each defined in plain language with what the number hides once real ad spend runs through it. Definitions are written for ecommerce operators, not statisticians.
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Advertising terms
- Ad CampaignAd Campaign is a set of advertising messages sharing a single idea and theme, appearing across different media within a specific timeframe. It serves…
- Ad ExchangesAd Exchanges are digital marketplaces enabling advertisers and publishers to buy and sell advertising space through real-time auctions. They are a…
- Ad FraudAd Fraud illegitimately generates ad impressions, clicks, or conversions to create revenue. It skews attribution models, making accurate campaign…
- Ad ImpressionAd Impression is a single instance of an advertisement displaying on a webpage. Impressions are a key input for models measuring the causal impact of…
- Ad InventoryAd Inventory is the total ad space a publisher has available to sell. Understanding ad inventory characteristics helps evaluate ad placement quality…
- Ad NetworkAd Network is a company connecting advertisers with websites hosting advertisements. Ad networks provide data for measuring the causal impact of…
- Ad ServerAd Server is a web server storing and delivering advertisements to website visitors. Ad server logs are a critical data source for tracking ad…
- Behavioral TargetingBehavioral Targeting delivers ads to users based on their past online behavior. It personalizes campaigns, but its causal impact requires careful…
- Brand SafetyBrand Safety ensures online advertising does not appear in contexts that damage a brand's reputation. This protects the integrity of marketing…
- Contextual AdvertisingContextual Advertising places ads on web pages based on the page's content, ensuring ad relevance without relying on personal user data.
- Cost Per Mille (CPM)Cost Per Mille (CPM) is a digital advertising pricing model where advertisers pay for one thousand ad impressions.
- Demand-Side Platform (DSP)Demand-Side Platform (DSP) is a software platform advertisers use to buy advertising automatically. DSPs allow advertisers to manage bids for ad…
- Display AdsDisplay ads are visual advertisements, such as banners, images, and videos, that appear on websites and apps within an ad network.
- DSPA Demand-Side Platform (DSP) is software advertisers use to buy ad inventory programmatically. DSPs consolidate ad bidding and management across…
- First-Price AuctionA First-Price Auction is an auction where the winning bidder pays the price they bid. This model dominates programmatic advertising, changing bidding…
- GeotargetingGeotargeting delivers content to a user based on their geographic location.
- Header BiddingHeader bidding is an advanced programmatic technique where publishers offer ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges simultaneously before contacting…
- Lifetime Value (LTV)Lifetime Value (LTV): The total revenue a business expects from a single customer account over their lifetime.
- Pop-Up AdsPop-Up Ads are online advertisements that appear in a new browser window over the current page. Many users block them due to their intrusive nature.
- Private Marketplace (PMP)Private Marketplace (PMP) is an invite-only, real-time bidding auction where a publisher invites select advertisers to bid on inventory. It offers…
- Real-Time Bidding (RTB)Real-Time Bidding (RTB): A method of buying and selling digital advertising in real-time through an instantaneous auction. It provides granular data…
- Rich MediaRich media is a digital ad that includes advanced features like video or audio to encourage interaction. It provides more data points for measuring…
- Second-Price AuctionA Second-Price Auction is an auction where the winning bidder pays the price of the second-highest bid. This model was common in programmatic…
- SSPA SSP is a software platform publishers use to sell advertising automatically. SSPs help publishers manage ad inventory and connect to multiple ad…
- Supply-Side Platform (SSP)A Supply-Side Platform (SSP) is a software platform publishers use to sell advertising automatically. SSPs provide data that helps publishers…
- ViewabilityViewability measures whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen by a user. An ad not seen cannot cause an effect on user behavior.
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