A supply-side platform (SSP), also known as a sell-side platform, is a crucial component in the digital advertising ecosystem. It is a technological tool that helps publishers and media companies to market and optimise their advertising space online. Essentially, an SSP acts as an intermediary between publishers and demand-side platforms (DSPs) and advertisers. Its main objective is to enable publishers to monetise their advertising inventory in the best possible way.
One of the main functions of an SSP is to help publishers manage and offer their advertising space in real time. This is done through the integration of ad servers and data management platforms (DMPs). Publishers can set up and refine their ad spaces on the SSP to ensure that they are attractive to advertisers.
Another important task of an SSP is the pricing and auctioning of advertising space. The SSP uses various algorithms and technologies to determine the value of ad space and conduct auctions. This is usually done in real time, with advertisers placing bids and the SSP selecting the highest bid to display the advert. This process, known as Real-Time Bidding (RTB), allows publishers to get the best possible price for their adverts.
In addition, an SSP also offers tools for optimising advertising revenue. It allows publishers to test different types of ad formats and sizes to find out which are most effective. This helps to improve the user experience and increase click-through rates (CTR), which ultimately leads to higher revenue.
Another important function of an SSP is to control the quality of the adverts. It enables publishers to block unwanted or harmful adverts and ensure that the adverts displayed on their websites meet quality standards.
In summary, a supply-side platform (SSP) plays a central role in the digital advertising ecosystem by helping publishers to manage, optimise and monetise their advertising space. It enables efficient pricing, auctioning of adverts and quality control to achieve the best possible results for publishers.