It’s nearly impossible to be 100% matched to another reporting system, but PubWise Analytics operates on average at 2% discrepancy from DFP Downloaded Impressions. This accuracy is heads above other header bidding analytics platforms. How do we do this? To answer that, first let’s talk about what an impression is.
Recently, Google’s DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers) changed the way ad impressions are counted across buy-side and sell-side platforms. Initially, an ad impression was counted as soon as the ad was sent to a publisher via ad server. However, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Media Rating Council (MRC) are in the process of standardizing reporting metrics. By the end of 2017, ad impressions will be counted once downloaded (when the ad loads on the page) instead of when the ad is served. This change has implications and relevance for header bidding analytics accuracy as well.
What is a Downloaded Impression?
The previous practice of using served impressions as a metric is problematic in that it doesn’t follow through to see if the ad renders properly, was downloaded to the intended device, or if the ad was viewed by a user. Moving to the new “ad server downloaded impressions metric” will ensure that impressions are counted once the ad is downloaded into the user’s device and has started to load.
Stabilizing impression counting allows for clearer publisher insight into inventory, discrepancies, and viewability. It also means that publishers need to optimize their websites to be user-friendly and ensure the impression is counted as downloaded. Mobile-responsiveness, page loading time, and increasing the speed of ad placements (like lazy loading) will be key in making sure that ads are downloaded to a device quickly. Technically, the ad isn’t counted as a downloaded impression until the DFP tag, the creatives, and the content around the ad is fully loaded.
Other Header Bidding Analytics Providers Lose Data
Other systems lose more data. It’s as simple as that. Other header bidding analytics providers are playing catch up when it comes to header bidding analytics accuracy in general. Data is getting lost in the process for various reasons, including poor API performance, poor architecture and improper techniques for high volume event handling. Our competitors often bundle analytics events and send them later in the page cycle. If the user navigates away before sending those events then the data is lost. In addition, without servers operating as quickly as possible the user may just navigate away before the analytics server tracks the data. In these instances, it may be tracked or it may not, but the result is unpredictable. This means publishers are missing out on valuable insight about their inventory and generated revenue. We’re publishers ourselves, so we know accurate data is crucial when it comes to managing digital advertising.
Ensuring Header Bidding Analytics Accuracy
PubWise is 98% accurate to DFP Downloaded Impressions. In addition, other header bidding data is collected prior to the impression meaning if we are this accurate on impressions the other data is just as accurate. Our team has more than 50 years of experience in online software and our founder has more than 20 years of experience in high volume architecture. The PubWise platform tracks events as they happen, as fast as possible and we’re fanatical about improving every step of that process to ensure data accuracy and no weak link in the chain. The result is analytics built on a rock solid foundation of accuracy. Doing header bidding analytics right is not a side business or promotional tool. It’s the foundation of PubWise.
The PubWise Analytics Platform is available for free via Prebid or manual download for publishers of all sizes. For publishers who need help optimizing their websites to anything digital advertising related, our full suite of digital services will make sure your site is ready for revenue.
