What is Header Bidding?
Header bidding is a programmatic advertising technique that allows publishers to sell their ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges and ad networks simultaneously. This is in contrast to the traditional waterfall method, in which publishers would sell their ad inventory to each ad exchange or ad network in turn.
Header bidding works by sending a header bidding request to all of the participating ad exchanges and ad networks at the same time. The ad exchanges and ad networks then return their bids, and the publisher selects the highest bid to display.
Header bidding has a number of advantages over the traditional waterfall method, including:
- Higher CPMs: Header bidding can lead to higher CPMs for publishers because it allows them to sell their ad inventory to more buyers.
- Faster loading times: Header bidding can also lead to faster loading times for websites because it only requires one request to be sent to the ad server.
- Improved ad relevance: Header bidding can also improve ad relevance for publishers because it allows them to target ads based on the user's interests and demographics.
How does Header Bidding Work?
Header bidding works by adding a piece of code to the publisher's website. This code is called a header bidding wrapper, and it is responsible for sending the header bidding request to the participating ad exchanges and ad networks.
The header bidding wrapper typically includes the following information:
- The publisher's ad inventory
- The publisher's targeting information
- The publisher's preferences
The ad exchanges and ad networks then return their bids, and the publisher selects the highest bid to display. The ad is then served to the user.
Benefits of Header Bidding
Header bidding has a number of benefits for publishers, including:
- Higher CPMs: Header bidding can lead to higher CPMs for publishers because it allows them to sell their ad inventory to more buyers.
- Faster loading times: Header bidding can also lead to faster loading times for websites because it only requires one request to be sent to the ad server.
- Improved ad relevance: Header bidding can also improve ad relevance for publishers because it allows them to target ads based on the user's interests and demographics.
How to Implement Header Bidding
There are a number of ways to implement header bidding. One way is to use a header bidding solution, such as Google's Ad Manager or Prebid.js. Another way is to implement header bidding manually.
If you are using a header bidding solution, you will need to create an account and add your ad inventory to the solution. You will also need to configure the solution to work with your ad server.
If you are implementing header bidding manually, you will need to add the header bidding code to your website. You will also need to configure the code to work with your ad server.
Conclusion
Header bidding is a powerful programmatic advertising technique that can help publishers increase their ad revenue and improve the user experience. If you are a publisher, I encourage you to consider implementing header bidding on your website.