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When searching for a monetization partner online, it’s easy to get bogged down in acronyms. Here’s how to find the one that works for you.
If you’re interested in maximizing your revenue from advertising on your site/app/CTV channel, you’re going to need to include Google AdX into your demand stack. And if you’re interested in making money through Google AdX, there are three ways to do it: by being eligible yourself, by partnering with a Google Multiple Customer Management Partner (MCM), or by teaming up with a Google Certified Publishing Partner (GCPP).
The names themselves don’t tell you much, and in the complicated world of monetization it’s important to choose the publishing partner that suits your business’s needs. So let’s break down why you need a publishing partner at all, and then explain the differences between your options.
Case Study: find out how OKO was able to boost Loop Media’s revenue by 500% — on the first day.
Why Do You Need An MCM Or GCPP?
Google AdX is a powerful marketplace that uses programmatic auctions to place advertising inside publisher ad slots. Through this real-time bidding, publishers can guarantee that their ad space is going for top dollar. This is the premium tier compared to Google AdSense, which uses set pricing and is easier for small publishers to implement.
Google AdSense is self-service, easy-to-implement, and it’s the most popular ad network around. So it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at. That being said, Google AdX is the next level, like the VIP area in a nightclub. And like any VIP area, you’re not getting in unless you’re on the list.
Getting on that list is invitation-only, and only a select group of companies qualify. Having a publishing partner is like having a VIP point you out to the bouncer and saying, “They’re with me.” You can use Google AdX in addition to prebid monetization that should provide the maximum revenue by increasing the competition for each ad opportunity.
What Is A Google MCM?
Basically, Google doesn’t want to let you into AdX unless you have an adult. A Google MCM is the adult in the relationship: literally, your Google MCM partner is referred to as the “Parent Publisher,” and the publisher they’re partnering with is called the “Child Publisher.” So they’re approved to operate within the space, and sell your inventory on your behalf.
What Is A Google Certified Publishing Partner?
Like an MCM, a Google Certified Publishing Partner is authorized to operate in AdX and to sell your inventory on your behalf. But what separates a GCPP from an MCM is almost as big as the difference between AdSense and AdX.
As Google says, “The Certified Publishing Partners badge lets you know you’re working with someone who has been carefully vetted by Google. Not only have they passed Google’s product certification exams, but they’ve also established a successful track record of helping publishers like you succeed.”
So while both MCMs and GCPPs are permitted to work on Google AdX, a GCPP has been more-carefully vetted. GCPP companies are continually assessed on a number of quality standards. It’s not about being the biggest or being around the longest. It’s about hitting the numbers continually and ensuring that staff pass the exams.
Google tracks those same numbers for all MCM partners. If a partner scores well consistently they get invited to be part of the program.
Which Publishing Partner Is Right For You?
At OKO Digital, we might be a little biased: in 2016, we were the very first company in the UK to be awarded GCPP status, and we’re very proud of that fact. That being said, the difference is fairly obvious: while all GCPP and MCM companies are authorized to operate on AdX, any company that has MCM status, but not GCPP status, hasn’t been invited to participate.
At the very least, if the publishing partner you’re looking at is an MCM, but not a GCPP, you should probably ask them why that is.
Final thoughts
Google is one of the most-powerful advertising and publishing platforms in the world — and any company carrying the badge of a GCPP is, in part, representing Google’s ability to vet and vouch for their publisher partners. They take that vetting process seriously, and if you take your business seriously as well, you should never settle for less than a Google Certified Publishing Partner.
If you’re interested in getting your inventory on AdX, or just want to improve upon the results you’ve been getting with an MCM, reach out to OKO today. We’re also certified partners for CTV advertising, and experts at getting the most out of your monetization. We’re ready to show you what we can do.
