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Google’s most-premium ad exchange, AdX is where the money is at for publishers. But how do you get past the velvet rope? Here’s how:
We’ve all grown familiar with the sight of dying shopping malls. Once a crossroads of commerce and activity, many malls now sit empty, save for the occasional Spirit Halloween store or a group of senior mall-walkers looking to get their steps for the day in.
For those of us with fond memories of these retail hubs it can be pretty sad, but one thing is clear: you wouldn’t want to set up a business there. The people and the money have gone elsewhere.
Much like the brick-and-mortar world, publishers looking to drive revenue online want to set up where the people and money are. And of all the ad exchanges on the Web, one of the most sought-after is Google’s AdX.
Google AdX, or Google Ad Exchange, is a sophisticated online marketplace that connects publishers with advertisers in real-time. No dying-mall energy here: it’s a thriving digital marketplace, with major industry players bidding on inventory from every stall. This dynamic process not only maximizes the revenue potential for publishers but also enables advertisers to reach their target demographics effectively.
Google’s AdX has all the reach and targeting capabilities you’d expect from Google, and employs sophisticated algorithms and data analytics to help advertisers connect to the right audience. All of this means that ads are more relevant and engaging, which leads to more conversions.
AdX is an indispensable tool for anyone with ad space to sell online — but gaining access to this exclusive marketplace can be tricky, and it’s only the first step. In this blog, we take you through that and all the other steps necessary to get set up for success on AdX. Read on:
Case Study: find out how OKO was able to boost Loop Media’s revenue by 500% — on the first day.
Lifehack: Have Someone Else Do It
So, the first thing you need to understand is that access to Google’s AdX is invitation-only. We are going to cover, in the remainder of this blog, the steps you’ll go through if you want to get your company direct access to Google AdX.
As you’re reading through these steps, however, something to keep in mind is that these steps are completely unnecessary if you have the right partner.
While direct access to AdX is gated behind a proverbial velvet rope, the easiest way past the bouncer is to team up with a Google Certified Publisher Partner. GCPPs already have access to the AdX exchange, and they can get your inventory immediately, no fuss, no muss.
If you’re thinking, that sounds good to me, then you can skip reading the rest of this article and go straight to reaching out to our team. But if your curiosity compels you, let’s continue.
Sign Up For Google Ad Manager
Getting onto AdX is sort of the final boss of this whole process; you’ll have to make your way through several levels of Google account creation and management to get there.
So, first, you’ll need to create a Google AdSense account — you don’t need to actively use Google AdSense for any of this to work, but you do need a valid Google AdSense account to sign up for Ad Manager. Here’s where you create a new AdSense account.
This is where many smaller publishers stop. Google AdSense is, by itself, already a powerful tool in monetizing your website. AdSense and Ad Manager publishers get to access the same advertisers and buyers, and AdSense is meant to be the easy-to-use solution for small outlets. But if you’re really looking to hone your optimizations, Ad Manager will be an important next step — and a necessary one on the road to ultimately gaining access to the AdX exchange.
So, when signing up for Ad Manager, it’s important to remember that your Ad Manager account is permanently linked to your AdSense account. If you’ve got more than one AdSense account set up, make sure you’re linking the correct one because you won’t be able to fix it later.
Here’s how to finish signing up:
- Go to admanager.google.com to sign up for an account.
- Click Create account, then choose For myself or To manage my business.
- Follow the prompts to complete the sign up.
- After creating your account, go to admanager.google.com to sign in. If you’re having trouble signing in, you can also troubleshoot access issues.
Once that’s set up, you next have to set up your network settings. Once you’ve processed an order, your network time zone and currency get locked and won’t be changeable later.
- Click Admin, then Global settings, and then Network settings.
- Review time zone and currency settings —They can be changed up until you create your first order.
- If you’ve made changes, click Save.
Okay! You’ve officially signed up for Google Ad Manager. You’re part of the way there. If this is starting to sound exhausting, don’t forget that we’re a Google Certified Publisher Partner and can do this for you instead. Just sayin’.
Getting An Invite To AdX
Google AdX is invite-only — and there are certain prerequisites in order to receive that golden ticket. Once you’ve met all those prerequisites, you don’t actually have to wait by the mailbox: you can petition Google to review your account to see if you qualify.
Those prerequisites are:
- No history of policy violations, unsafe content, or invalid traffic.
- An updated ads.txt file with details of all your buyers.
- At least 5 million monthly pageviews.
- A minimum of 10 million ad impressions per month for at least 6 months.
- Content must be in a supported language.
If you don’t meet the prereqs, you can still gain access to AdX by working through a Google Certified Publisher Partner (hint, hint) or you can wait until you do meet the prerequisites until you apply. The pageview and impression limits in particular can be daunting for some publishers, but those don’t apply if you’re working through a GCPP intermediary.
If you meet the prerequisites and want to apply directly, you’ll have to reach out to Google support, and provide all the necessary details to support your application.
It should be noted that your application can take some time to get approved — and if you’re rejected, the rationale may not always be entirely clear. If you do get rejected, you’ll have to look over your application and try again.
But, assuming you’ve met the prerequisites and gain approval, what comes next?
Setting Up AdX
Once approved, integrating Google AdX into your website is a series of steps that ensure optimal ad performance and compliance. If you’re familiar with Google Ad Manager or programmatic bidding in general, many of these steps are going to be familiar.
First, you’ll have to set up ad tags — if you’re unfamiliar, ad tags are snippets of code provided by Google that enable the display of ads on your site. These tags need to be placed within the header or footer of your page’s HTML, to guarantee they load correctly. Misplacing your ad tags or in the incorrect configuration can break the ads or cause your performance metrics to track improperly.
You also have to set up your account in the AdX interface. You start this by going to Delivery > Ad exchange in Google Ad Manager.
From there, you can:
- Set Up Floor Prices: The “floor” is the lowest you’re willing to sell your ad units for, like setting a reserve in an eBay auction.
- Enable AdX Bidding: Be a shame if you went through all the trouble setting this up but forgot to actually enable the bids to fire.
- Review Reporting Settings: You can customize your reporting preferences to focus on the metrics you care most about.
Once it’s configured, the AdX dashboard will provide you with insights into your campaigns and performance metrics, allowing you to monitor click-through rates, fill rates, and anything else you’re hoping to optimize.
Once you’re fired up, it’s important to remember to stay in compliance with AdX policies and guidelines. Google has rules regarding ad placements, content restrictions, and user experience standards that you have to stick to, or your access to AdX can be rescinded.
From here on out, it’s simple: run your campaigns, monitor your performance, make optimizations when necessary, and keep focusing on providing high-quality content. Of course, not to sound like a broken record, it’s easier with help.
Final Thoughts
No matter what your approach, Google’s AdX is an exchange that’s worth the effort. Accessing some of the most-premium players in the marketplace is a great way to kick your revenue up a notch, no matter whether you go solo or with a partner.
That being said, if you’re looking for a partner to get you onto Google’s AdX faster, easier, and hassle-free, OKO Digital is a solution for you. Since 1996, OKO has been helping publishers turbocharge their monetization with real impact. So get started today by reaching out to our team.
