AdMob To Switch To AdWords-Style Auction For CPC Advertising

Advertising auctions for cost-per-click (CPC) placements on Google’s AdMob mobile ad network will soon take quality score into consideration, as the company moves AdMob closer to its core AdWords product. Previously, the highest bidder won the impression on AdMob.

The change will take place globally on February 15, at which point the ad displayed for a given user will depend on the quality of the ad and the bids of that impression. In addition, Google is removing minimum bids and targeting fees, instead letting the pricing be determined solely by market forces.

The move may presage an even further integration into AdWords, as Google continues to bring the products closer together. Non-CPC campaigns on AdMob won’t be affected by this change.

The AdMob network includes more than 100,000 mobile websites and apps, and the unit receives more than 2.7 billion ad requests a day.

About The Author

Pamela Parker

Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media's Content Studio, where she produces MarTech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land and MarTech. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.