Google AdSense vs Monetization Platforms
While Google serves as the dominating force in terms of programmatic deals and website revenue maximization, there are plenty of other alternatives available in the market.
As a website owner, if you’re looking for a simple and straightforward tool to monetize your digital assets, Google AdSense is the best option. However, when it comes to dealing with the risk of Invalid Traffic (IVT) in website monetization, Google only detects and provides a warning to the publishers to counter such threats. There is no full-proof solution provided by Google. Publishers must mitigate such risks on their own.
This is where the importance of dealing with a monetization platform comes into the picture. Before we get into the details of it, let’s understand what each of these options is all about.
What is Google AdSense?
As stated earlier, Google AdSense is an initiative through which website owners or publishers can display texts, images or video advertisements to a specific target audience. Such publishers earn revenue by lending their ad inventories to brands and advertisers who compete through a bidding process to grab the best slot.
Google AdSense works well for small publishers who have a monthly traffic of fewer than 100k visitors. Its Cost Per Click (CPC) model provides a favorable opportunity for publishers to earn a fixed amount each time the ad hosted by their inventory is clicked.
AdSense set-up is a fairly simple process as all you need to do is simply enter the AdSense code into the website and Google will automatically start displaying ads on the desired space.
What is a Monetization Platform?
A monetization/revenue optimization platform is a third-party platform that assists a publisher with various basic as well as add-on services to maximize their revenue.
Through a process of header bidding, a monetization platform enables a publisher to connect with multiple brands including premium media buyers at the same time through a unified auction.
A monetization platform also provides add-on services like protection from malvertising attacks and ad frauds through integrations with various IVT management software in the market, like ClearTrust.
Since each publisher is managed by these platforms, any detrimental impact arising from ad fraud and similar threats may eventually lead to a publisher getting banned by Google. Thus, a revenue optimization platform provides enough backing to counter such serious issues.
Now that we have enough knowledge about AdSense and monetization platforms, let’s jump to some quick differences between the two.
Differences between Google AdSense and Monetization Platforms
Which is a better option?
If you’re already working with Google AdSense, the platform is a fairly good option to maximize your website revenue. Given the easy-to-launch process and fewer complexities involved, AdSense fulfils all the requirements.
In case your objective is to maximize revenue from multiple sources and test better streams of revenue by running ads through a third party, a monetization platform can be a feasible option.
A monetization platform is often recommended when your pockets are big enough to pay the required commission to the platform on your total ad revenue. If programmatic revenue is a major source of income, investing in a monetization platform can be a secure step to make the most out of your ad inventories.
