Practice

Materials of the editorial team in this section.

  1. Pop, Onsite and Interstitial Formats: A Guide to Intrusive Ad Types

    PracticeIntrusive ad formats place a message in front of, or close to, the content someone is trying to view. They can attract attention because they interrupt a visit or occupy prominent screen space.
  2. Paid Social Traffic: How Platform Rules Shape What You Can Run

    PracticePaid social traffic comes from ads shown within social platforms, where delivery is shaped by both advertising settings and platform policies.
  3. Search and Contextual Traffic: Intent, Keywords and Where Ads Appear

    PracticeSearch and contextual advertising can both reach people who are interested in a subject, but they do so in different ways. Search ads appear in response to a query someone enters.
  4. Traffic Quality Red Flags: A Checklist for Reviewing a Source

    PracticeCheck whether reported clicks produce matching page loads. A click without a corresponding load may point to tracking gaps, accidental taps, or traffic that does not reach the destination
  5. Invalid Traffic and Bots: What It Is and How Buyers Notice It

    PracticeInvalid traffic is activity that does not represent a genuine, intentional visit or ad interaction. It can come from automated programs, known as bots, as well as from people whose actions do not reflect real interest.
  6. Placements, Whitelists and Blacklists: Keeping Control of Where Ads Run

    PracticeAn ad placement is the specific site, app, page area, or inventory source where an ad can appear.
  7. Matching Creatives to Ad Formats: Practical Tips

    PracticeA creative should suit the way an ad appears, not simply be resized to fit. A push notification, a native placement, a pop-style ad and a banner each give people different amounts of space and context.
  8. Geo and Language Targeting: Tips for Cleaner Audiences

    PracticeTargeting a country or region is only part of audience setup. The language of the ad, landing page, form, and follow-up content should make sense to the people who see them.
  9. Device, OS and Connection Targeting: What You Can Narrow and Why

    PracticeDevice targeting lets an advertiser choose which kinds of screens can receive an ad. The broadest distinction is usually desktop versus mobile, though some platforms offer more detailed device categories.
  10. Vetting a New Traffic Source: A Checklist Before You Fund an Account

    PracticeAn unfamiliar traffic source may offer reach through push notifications, native placements, pop formats, social ads, search, contextual inventory or programmatic exchanges.
  11. Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Traffic From Ad Networks

    PracticePaid traffic can bring visitors to a site, but a campaign can also spend money without producing useful engagement.
  12. Frequency, Pacing and Budget Controls: Tips for Steady Delivery

    PracticePaid campaigns can spend unevenly: a large share of the budget may go out early, certain placements may absorb spend without useful engagement, or the same person may see an ad repeatedly.