What on Earth Is a Supply Side Platform (SSP)?

What on Earth Is a Supply Side Platform (SSP)

Ya, we know, yet another ad tech acronym…

Ad tech terminology is confusing, we get it. That’s why we’re going to do our best to make it easier for you.

In this article, we will focus on supply-side platforms: what they are, how they work, and what benefits they have for publishers.

What is a Supply-Side Platform?

A supply-side platform (SSP) is a programmatic advertising platform that helps publishers automate the process of selling, managing, and optimizing their ad inventory. In simpler terms, an SSP is a tool that enables publishers to sell their ad space to multiple advertisers through real-time auctions.

Prior to the advent of SSPs, publishers needed to manually sell and manage their ad space. This, of course, was incredibly time-demanding an inefficient.

SSPs changed all of that by automating the entire process, allowing publishers to sell their ad space on a much larger level to a number of premium advertisers.

How Do Supply-Side Platform’s Work?

Think of SSPs as the platform that connects you – the publisher – to the advertisers.

Both you and advertisers need a way to connect to the ad exchange in order to engage in real-time bidding. Advertisers do so through a demand-side platform (DSP), while publishers do so through an SSP.

When you sign up for an SSP, you provide information about your ad inventory, such as the ad units and placements. This information is then used to create your profile in the SSP’s marketplace, where advertisers can bid on your inventory.

When a user visits your site, the SSP sends a request for bids to various DSPs. DSPs then bid on your ad inventory in real-time via the ad exchange, and the highest bidder wins the auction, with their ad displayed on your site.

SSPs offer publishers access to multiple DSPs, maximizing the pool of buyers and revenue.

This process happens in milliseconds, ensuring that the ad is relevant to the user and that you get the highest possible price.

What’s the Difference Between an SSP and DSP?

As noted above, an SSP is a platform that enables publishers to connect their ad inventory to ad exchanges.

On the other side of the coin, a DSP helps advertisers access ad exchanges in order to bid on publishers’ ad inventory.

Both SSPs and DSPs are integral elements in the auction process.

Key Features of an SSP

  1. Real-time bidding
  2. Header bidding
  3. Automated ad sales
  4. Yield optimization
  5. Reporting and analytics
  6. Ad network specification
  7. Frequency capping

Real-Time Bidding

SSPs use real-time bidding (RTB) technology to auction off ad space to the highest bidder in real-time.

Header Bidding

Quality SSPs have the ability to incorporate header bidding, enabling you to field bids from various DSPs and increase competition and revenue.

Automated Ad Sales

SSPs automate the process of selling advertising space, saving you time and resources.

Yield Optimization

SSPs help you to maximize revenue by optimizing your inventory for the best possible return.

Reporting and Analytics

SSPs offer you real-time reporting and analytics to help you understand how your inventory is performing.

Ad Network Specification

SSPs enable you to decide which ad networks you want to bidding on your ad space.

Frequency Capping

Together with DSPs, SSPs enable you to enable frequency capping and limit the number of times that users are shown the same ad.

Benefits of SSPs for Publishers

  • Increased revenue
  • Streamlined operations
  • Better targeting
  • Access to real-time reporting
  • Floor pricing
  • Increased fill rates

Increased Revenue

SSPs enable you to reach a larger pool of advertisers, which increases competition and drives up the price of your ad inventory.

Streamlined Operations

SSPs automate the process of selling ad space, which saves you time and resources.

Advanced Targeting

SSPs use sophisticated algorithms to match ads with relevant users, which increases the chances of users clicking on the ads.

Access to Real-Time Reporting

SSPs provide you with real-time reporting on your ad performance, which helps to optimize your inventory and maximize revenue.

Floor Pricing

SSPs allow you to create floor prices, which is the minimum price that you are willing to accept for your ad inventory.

Increased Fill Rates

SSPs allow for more advertisers to compete over your ad space, which results in higher fill rates.

5 Best SSPs

Bottom Line

If you’re looking to get the most out of your ad inventory, SSPs are a must.

However, as with many aspects of the ad tech world, getting the best possible results from SSPs can be challenging if you’re not intimately familiar with the product.

If in doubt, it always helps to partner with a reliable monetization partner, namely a Google Certified Publishing Partner (GCPP) like Adnimation.

Feel free to reach out today and get in touch with one of our monetization specialists.

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