Key Takeaways

  • Open Bidding is not header bidding, but its purpose is similar. 
  • Open Bidding takes place on a server, rather than within user browsers, meaning you have to have some strong server logic chops to take full advantage of this tool.
  • This is not a set-it-and-forget-it tool. You have to actively manage Open Bidding to maximize your revenue.

About the Series

You're reading the Ad Tech Tools DIY vs. Managed Service Series, the article series in which Playwire's ad tech experts compare the DIY approach to the managed service approach when it comes to popular ad monetization tools.

For this entry in the series, we hear the take of Playwire's Senior Director of Product on DIY vs. managed service for  Google Open bidding (formerly called Exchange Bidding in Dynamic Allocation, or EBDA), Google's server-side answer to header bidding. Read on to learn more.

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Header bidding itself is a relatively young technology. It's been around for less than a decade. But Google's Open Bidding platform is even younger. This alternative to header bidding has only been on offer for publishers since 2018.

But in that time, one thing has become clear: Open Bidding is now an essential part of any well-rounded publisher revenue strategy. In other words, you can't afford to skip this one. You need to look into it and, most likely, implement and manage it. 

But which approach should you take - the DIY approach or the managed service approach? Both routes have their upsides but letting a skilled ad revenue partner manage your Open Bidding efforts comes out on top for most publishers. Read on to learn why.

Playwire takes a holistic approach to growing publisher ad revenue. That means we manage Open Bidding and a whole lot more for you. And the result is the increased revenue you need to achieve your goals. Ready to get started? Contact us.

Getting Started with Open Bidding

To understand whether you should take the DIY or managed service approach to Open Bidding, you need to first understand how it works. Google Open Bidding and Exchange Bidding is meant to be an alternative to header bidding. But really, it's a server-side unified auction, much like header bidding can be.

To set it up, you first have to have a Google Ad Manager (GAM) account or be working with a network partner that has one. If you're going to rely on your network, you then have to check whether your network is compliant with Google Open Bidding.

From there, you have to configure the ad server to run the unified auction for your ad inventory, incorporating the sources of demand you would like to have to compete with Google's demand. This requires a relatively large base of knowledge in server logic, or at least a development team who can figure it all out.

Google Open Bidding Management

Ongoing management of any programmatic process is necessary if you want to ensure maximum yield. That includes Open Bidding, but we are talking about a Google product here. That means it's likely going to be somewhat more user-friendly than similar header bidding alternatives. But still, it's a technical lift to manage it.

More taxing than the technical side of Google Open Bidding management is the frequency side. In other words, even if you figure out the technical details of how to maximize your revenue using Open Bidding, you still have to do it all every day - sometimes multiple times per day. 

Managed Open Bidding as a Service

How does the managed route compare to the DIY route? When Playwire takes over Google Open Bidding for publishers, we take all of the stress off of their shoulders. That means we handle integration and setup, demand incorporation and daily optimizations. Here are the details:

Done-for-You Integration

Google demand is essential if you hope to maximize your revenue. As a partner to publishers with the goal of maximizing revenue, we recognize how important Open Bidding is to publishers' long-term revenue strategies. So, we have standardized the Open Bidding setup and implementation process. That means we have it down to a fine art. You don't have to do anything - we take care of it all.

Pre-Built Connections with Big Buyers

Part of the point of Open Bidding is to incorporate other demand sources into it to compete with Google demand. You can certainly do that yourself, but we can also do it for you - and to great effect. 

That's because Playwire already has longstanding relationships with the biggest demand sources in the industry. They know that we partner with premium publishers, so they're willing to pay premium prices for their inventory.

That means you get broad and deep demand for your inventory right out of the gate, rather than having to build those relationships over years. And more demand means, in general, higher yield.

Daily Google Open Bidding Management and Optimization

From there, the Playwire yield operations team checks in on your Open Bidding and header bidding setups multiple times every single day. Each time we check in, we look for opportunities to tweak various settings and strategies to ensure your ad revenue keeps on climbing.

Google Open Bidding Doesn't Have to Be DIY

You can do Open Bidding yourself. But do you have to DIY it? Absolutely not. In fact, letting the right partner set it up and manage it can actually lead to an incredible increase in your revenue over time. Ultimately, that's precisely what most publishers are after.

To make a long story short, Playwire can set up and manage Open Bidding for you. And we can increase your revenue well beyond the small revenue share fee we take. We do it with a blend of proprietary advertising technology and a team of the best minds in the ad tech industry. We're ready to make it happen for you, so contact us when you're ready.

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