Having a website can be pretty expensive. And although you can decrease the overall costs by getting free web hosting, a common path most website owners take is monetizing their content. To do this, you’ll need to find a good ad network to start making ad revenue.
However, finding the right ad network for your website can be tedious and complex. Numerous options are available, and it can be challenging to know which one to choose. To help make the decision easier, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top ad networks for publishers.
- The most important factors to consider when choosing an ad network for your publications are the network’s technical capabilities, ability to work with several supply-side platforms (SSPs), support for publishers, flexible payment terms, and relevant experience.
- Publift is a great example of a reliable ad network that provides a wide range of features and benefits.
- The best ad network for your publications depends mainly on your specific needs and goals.
- The best way to find the perfect ad network for your website is to do extensive research and compare the features of different networks.
- It is crucial to keep up with the newest industry trends and changes to ensure that you use the most efficient ad network for your publications.
Why Do You Need an Ad Network for Monetizing Your Publications?
According to Statista, businesses spend around $233 billion on advertising worldwide, which is expected to increase to $495 billion in 2024. So, there is a lot of money to be made from monetizing your publications and displaying ads.
However, to truly benefit from an ad network, you must have a sound infrastructure for your website. So the first step is to get a good web hosting provider, and you can use a web hosting advisor to help you pick the right one.
Once you set up your website and you are ready to monetize it, you can significantly benefit from the right ad network for several reasons:
Maximizing Revenue
The more you increase website traffic, the more money you will earn from your website. And the right ad network can help you monetize your traffic in the most profitable way.
- A good ad network gives publishers a high eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) rate.
- The eCPM is the amount of revenue generated per thousand ad impressions.
- The amount of ad impressions you receive from your website depends on the number of visitors you have, i.e., website traffic.
Quality of Ads
The type of ads you display on your website is crucial. A good and quality ad network will ensure that the advertisements displayed on your website are relevant to your content and will provide high-quality ads.
Displaying relevant ads on your website can positively impact the user experience for visitors and can help to increase engagement and interaction.
Targeting Options
Usually, most top-quality ad networks provide advanced targeting options to publishers. With these options, the right ad network helps publishers reach the appropriate audience for their website, resulting in better click-through rates and more ad revenue.
Payment Terms and Methods
When choosing your ad network, you need to research the payment terms and methods it offers to see whether it suits your needs. The right ad network should offer favorable terms, timely payments, and a wide range of payment options for publishers.
This way, you can choose the payment option that is most favorable for your business on the terms that are in line with your accounting practices and operations.
Support and Customer Service
Not all publishers have the experience or the required knowledge to fix potential issues that might arise. So, the right ad network should provide expert customer support and always available service.
This way, publishers can contact the network’s customer support when they encounter any issues with their ads, payments, or the ad network’s platform. The right ad network should also be available via multiple channels so publishers can quickly and conveniently contact the agents.
Different Types of Ad Networks Available for Publishers
Each website and business caters to a different target market or sector. Therefore, the right ad network should help you reach your audience and penetrate the appropriate industry.
Vertical Networks
These ad networks are topic-specific and are made for publications that fall within a specific category. They focus on delivering ads to a particular target market. Additionally, a vertical ad network gives the advertiser full disclosure about where their ads will be placed.
- Used by brands to promote high-quality traffic.
- Some examples of vertical ad networks are technology ad networks, business ad networks, fashion ad networks, and automotive ad networks.
Premium Networks
Premium ad networks offer inventory from famous publishers. They also create the needed demand to build competition for high-quality ads and often have higher standards for their inventory, which can result in better engagement and conversion metrics.
- Some examples of popular premium ad networks are Google Display Network (GDN), Yahoo Gemini, AdCash, and AdMob.
Inventory-Specific Networks
These ad networks specialize in particular ad formats. They focus on an exact type of inventory. For instance, they could be designed for a specific device, like a mobile or video ad network.
Targeted Networks
These ad networks use ad servers with built-in targeting capabilities. They are used to target specific audiences and display ads for specific products and services.
A targeted ad network works by using customers’ individual traits, interests, and preferences and displaying well-tailored ads based on the customer’s activity.
Top 10 Best Ad Networks for Publishers
Publishers can choose from a plethora of ad networks, but some of the top ad networks that are available are:
Google AdSense
Google AdSense is a popular ad network that offers publishers a wide range of ad formats, including display, text, and video ads. It has a large pool of advertisers, resulting in higher revenue potential.
Google AdSense is also quite beginner-friendly and provides clear AdSense guidelines so that all publishers know what they can and cannot do. It’s pretty easy to set up and is highly customizable, however, it could be a bit generic for niche publishers.
Pros
- Extremely popular with a large pool of advertisers
- High revenue potential, with 68% of the revenue going to publishers
- Offers a wide range of ad formats and customization options
- Easy to set up and use
- Has a good reputation
- High level of trust with advertisers and publishers
Cons
- Can be strict with its policies and guidelines, leading to account suspension or termination
- It restricts working with other ad networks
Media.net
Media.net is a contextual ad network that specializes in display and native ads. Bing and Yahoo developed it. It offers high-quality ads relevant to the website’s content, resulting in better engagement and click-through rates.
Media.net also provides publishers with a high CPM rate and favorable payment terms. Publishers get paid after every 30 days via wire transfers or PayPal. It pays $5 per thousand impressions (RPM); the minimum payment threshold is $100. Unfortunately, it only works with US Dollars.
Pros
- High eCPM rate and favorable payment terms
- User-friendly platform with good customer support
- Offers a wide range of ad formats, including the display and native ads
- It is free to join
- It has an intuitive dashboard and is customizable
Cons
- Ad revenue can fluctuate depending on the website’s content and audience
- The approval process can be time-consuming and quite strict
- Only offers payments in US Dollars
Amazon Advertising
Amazon Advertising is a popular ad network that allows publishers to display product ads on their websites. It also works with Supply Side Platforms. It provides a high eCPM rate and various targeting options, increasing revenue potential. The average click-through rate (CTR) is 0.41%.
Amazon Advertising offers timely payments and a unified, user-friendly platform for Amazon partners and third parties via SSP. The payout to publishers is done every month.
Pros
- Server-to-server bidding integrations
- No fees for publishers
- High eCPM rate and many targeting options
- Faster page loading speeds
- Provides publishers with a new source of revenue through product ads
Cons
- Limited customization options because Amazon manages the service
- Ad revenue can fluctuate
Taboola
Taboola is a content discovery and native advertising platform that offers publishers a variety of ad formats, including in-feed, video, and display ads. It helps publishers and advertisers reach new audiences and create meaningful engagements. The average click-through rate (CTR) is 0.09%.
To be eligible for this network, you must have around 500,000 monthly page views. However, the overall approval process is relatively easy. Its payment terms are Net45, meaning that publishers get paid 45 days after the end of the month when they started using Taboola.
Pros
- Provides a wide range of ad formats, including in-feed, video, and display ads
- Offers many targeting options
- Ad campaigns are easy to set up
- Timely payments and excellent customer support
Cons
- Its interface is not user-friendly
- Its policies and guidelines are pretty strict
Outbrain
Outbrain is a native advertising platform that provides many different ad formats with high-quality, relevant ads tailored to the website’s content. It also offers retargeting, audience segmentation, geo-targeting, behavioral targeting, cross-channel retargeting, and advanced reporting and analysis.
Pros
- It offers both the CPC and CPM models
- Provides a wide range of ad formats, including in-feed, video, and display ads
- Works with high-quality ads that are relevant to the website’s content
- You can choose between getting in-feed and in-article native advertising for display and video ads
- It has an extensive distribution network
Cons
- Its customer support is weaker compared to others
- Its terms and conditions are subject to frequent change
AdThrive
AdThrive is a premium ad network that delivers high-quality ads to publishers. It offers various ad formats, including display, video, and native ads. In addition, it has three publisher solutions, including Growth, Engagement, and Revenue.
AdThrive is a great ad network for niche advertising, like food, lifestyle, sports, tech, travel, and more. It provides tailor-made ads and SEO solutions, which can improve revenue per thousand impressions (RPM) reporting, keyword strategies, and traffic sources.
Pros
- Higher RPM than competitors
- Top-quality ads
- Award-winning customer support
- Intuitive dashboard with revenue and performance data
- Uses site performance plugins, core web vitals solutions, and JavaScript expertise to decrease bounce rates
- Allows publishers access to national brand campaigns
Cons
- Requires a certain level of website traffic to be approved
Ezoic
Ezoic is an award-winning, AI-driven platform that offers publishers a plethora of ad formats, including display, video, and native ads. In addition, it has a free trial option that does not require any credit card information.
It also provides a wide range of features, like building an audience using video and media, SEO tools, and advanced security features. Additionally, all websites of any size are eligible for this ad network.
Pros
- Offers a wide range of ad formats, including display, video, and native ads
- Publishers control all final monetization decisions
- It provides a free version
- Provides weekly newsletters to help increase revenue
Cons
- It may affect website speed and performance due to the use of scripts and plugins
- It can be challenging to set up and use for some users
Sovrn
Sovrn is an ad network that provides a wide range of solutions for both publishers and advertisers. Publishers can use its advertising, signal, commerce, managed services, and data monetization.
With Sovrn, advertisers get control, transparency, and brand safety. It also provides services like high viewability, direct path optimization, and the latest ads.text file knowledge.
Pros
- It is free to use
- Offers display banners in different sizes
- No minimum traffic requirements
- It has a low minimum payout threshold of $25
- Provides multiple payment methods for international publishers
Cons
- Its ad fill rate for non-US traffic is low for managed demand
- It provides low eCPM rates for international traffic on managed demand
RevContent
RevContent is a great content discovery and native advertising platform. Its customizable technology enables it to increase the publishers’ revenue, engagement, and growth. It uses both the CPC and CPM pricing models and requires a minimum of 50,000 monthly website visitors.
Pros
- Provides high-quality content and traffic
- It’s great for mobile web monetization
- It has a referral program
- Enables complete control to publishers over their ads
- Supports multiple payment options
Cons
- Small publishers cannot use it
- The minimum payment threshold is quite high
Publift
Publift is a platform that connects web developers and digital publishers to premium ad networks that may not have been available before. It is built for AdSense and GAM and helps publishers increase ad revenue by providing a better user experience.
Pros
- No minimum traffic requirement
- It has access to a variety of high-quality ads
- It provides excellent customer support
- It does not require a lock-in contract
Cons
- It has a high minimum payment threshold
- It usually does not accept new publishers due to its selective entry criteria
Factors to Consider While Selecting an Ad Network for Your Publications
Since you can choose from many different ad networks, it can be pretty difficult to decide which one to partner with. So, before settling on an ad network, you should consider several factors to ensure you choose the right one.
Advanced Technical Capabilities
Setting up an ad on your website by yourself is quite difficult, especially if you do not have the necessary advertising technology. Here’s where the ad network comes in to provide you with a solid technological foundation to build the advertising portion of your business.
So, when choosing an ad network, you need to get one that offers:
- Top-quality hardware infrastructure
- Great UI/UX experience to its users (It will make it easy for you to set everything up and navigate)
- A wide range of features that are easy to use
Work With Several Supply Side Platforms (SSP)
An SSP helps publishers sell their ad space and buy ad impressions in an automated manner. Supply Side Platforms (SSP) are essential, especially if you use programmable solutions.
- It gives you access to local ad providers, which can increase the interest of your audience in the items you advertise.
- It can increase the appeal of your ad inventory and encourage advertisers to bid more eagerly and offer higher prices for your ad space.
The Support It Offers to Publishers
The ad network you choose should provide you with the necessary support and help you maximize your ad revenue. This should include:
- Access to a dedicated account manager, who will always be available to fix any issues.
- Advice on optimizing your ad inventory
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- Easy access to the network’s customer support and a quick response time
Flexible Payment Terms
Getting an ad network with flexible payment terms is crucial and should allow you to select the frequency of your payments to decide whether you want to get paid weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly.
- Find a provider that offers both the CPM (cost per mille) and CPC (cost per click) models
- Most top-quality ad networks offer other models, like the CPV (cost per view), CPA (cost per action, and fixed cost
Relevant Experience
You should look for an ad network with experience working with publishers in your industry. This way, you will ensure that the ad network understands the needs of your audience and can provide relevant ads to them.
Conclusion
The right ad network can help you monetize your content and make your website profitable. It can help you get high-quality ads that are relevant to your website’s content. Also, a good ad network will enable you to choose from different ad formats, and use the one that fits your content best.
To find the right ad network, you need to:
- Look at the network’s advertising technology to see whether it fits your needs
- Your ad network should also provide excellent customer support so that you can fix any issues with ease
- A good ad network should offer flexible payment terms, so that you choose how you receive your ad revenue
- Pick an ad network that has experience with working with publishers in your industry, so that you ensure that you display ads that your audience will be interested in
Next Steps: What now?
- Find The Best Web Hosting
- Get a Good Website Builder
- Find The Perfect Blogging Platform
- Learn How to Localize Your Website