The companies listed to the left offer advertisers the opportunity to serve ads - usually display or video - based on web sites or web pages visited.
This practice is known as behavioral targeting or retargeting. Data is collected using a pixel (cookie) dropped by the web site visited and which records what web page(s) were viewed. Later on other sites where ads are served - e.g. an online newspaper - the cookie is used by an ad server to collect data about web site(s) / page(s) visited and select an ad to serve to the viewer.
Technology considerations aside, what separates these networks is
- The type of web sites used to collect data for targeting.
- Which networks actually serve the ad using the targeting data.
- How ads are selected based on targeting data.
Data is typically collected either through web sites that earn revenue from serving ads (behavioral targeting) or web sites seeking to bring visitors back to buy something (retargeting).
Ad serving is then usually done through other non-behavioral targeting or non-retargeting networks. Only the largest or oldest behavioral targeting or retargeting networks directly serve ads on web sites.
The economic model for these businesses is typically based on charging advertisers either on a CPA or CPM (cost per 1,000 ad impressions served) and then sharing net revenue - after ad serving costs - with data providers.
Browse Behavioral and Retargeting Ads sites
Use the following reference points to evaluate and compare behavioral targeting and retargeting networks:
Distribution
What ad networks are being used to serve ads?
How many ads are typically served per unique visitor in the network's "reach"?
Are there any direct relationships with web sites to serve ads?
Data Collection
How many web sites collect data for the network?
What is the age of data (30? 60? 90? days) used to target ads and claim credit for leads generated?
Technology
What options are available to manage separate creatives, advertising campaigns and accounts from a single "shell" account?
What types of ad formats are available for ad serving?
Can ads be served to the same unique visitor in sequence?
How quickly can advertising campaigns be turned on and off?