Making a better impression: growing revenue without growing traffic

When traffic growth slows, revenue growth doesn't have to follow. Publishers can earn more from their existing audience and inventory, by improving how each impression reaches the market. The bid data that comes back then tells you what that impression is actually worth.

But the opportunities need tackling in the right order: the auction first, then bidder coverage, then the impressions you're currently losing altogether, and only then new placements.

Going once, going twice: get the auction right first

Header bidding comes first, because every later optimisation depends on a strong auction underneath it. Before joining Livewrapped, I spent more than 20 years on the publisher side. Of all the monetisation decisions I made in that time, implementing header bidding brought the greatest value.

Client-side header bidding is a good start, but it shouldn't carry the whole workload. Adding server-side header bidding makes it possible to connect more bidders without slowing the browser. Match rates can be weaker server-side, and some SSPs bid less often there, which is why running both together tends to beat either on its own.

Run in parallel, the two approaches give each impression a better chance to find the right buyer. The value comes from competition, not from the label attached to the setup. More eligible demand gives the auction a better chance of revealing what an impression is worth, and creates the bid data you need for the next round of optimisation.

Once that foundation is working, the next step is to activate a shared ID solution - e.g. through Prebid’s shared-IS module - and measure the result, particularly across Safari and Firefox traffic where third-party cookies aren't available. Livewrapped's own data shows publishers gaining around 3-5% in revenue from adding one. Next, A/B test the auction timeout. The right setting should come from your live results, not from a default that's never been revisited.

Floor prices deserve the same evidence-led treatment. Start by looking at the spread of bids coming in, and identify the CPM levels generating the most revenue. Then check how much bidding sits below any floor you're considering, because that's the volume you'd be turning away. Together, those signals point to a more productive floor than a number that simply feels safe.

Bidder late than never, without the ops drag

The next lever is bidder coverage, although adding a bidder takes more than switching on another connection. You need to understand your placements and correctly match them to the bidder's setup. A good demand partner will guide you through it, though most of the preparation still lands on your side. And some of that work is technical. The ads.txt entry has to be correct, and the vendor needs to be included in the consent management platform. After that, the placement IDs must be configured. A commercial agreement still has to be completed, and in my experience the legal work is often the slowest part.

Demand aggregated through your platform partner (such as our Curated Demand service) shortens that process for publishers who'd rather not manage every integration directly. Agreements that are already in place remove much of the contracting delay, while familiarity with each bidder makes the technical setup faster. The goal is still greater competition, but without turning every new connection into a fresh operational project.

The same operational principle applies to specialist integrations. Ideally, you want to connect services through the platform, rather than adding each new script directly to the page. That creates a simpler route for introducing services such as ad-block recovery and dynamic placements.

From ad blocked to ad booked

After improving demand for existing ad calls, look at the impressions that currently produce no opportunity at all. Ad-block recovery partners can serve advertising to visitors who use ad blockers, and among publishers that have taken this approach we've seen revenue rise by roughly 2-4%.

Blockthrough and Ad-Shield take different approaches, for example, and each performs better against certain ad blockers. Whether a publisher uses Google Ad Manager can affect which option is available when it comes to reporting, so publishers generally tend to benefit from running both partners in parallel to maximise recovery.

More inventory, but only where it pays

The final lever is more inventory, though more isn't automatically better. Publishers with high fill rates and strong CPMs are the clearest candidates, because additional, well-placed impressions have a better chance of selling well.

Publishers running a metered paywall can also flex it against demand, loosening the meter to open up more ad inventory during stronger advertising weeks and tightening it again when the market quietens.

Dynamic ad placement is another route. Browsi, for example, assesses the page layout and how the visitor behaves. Scroll speed is one of the signals it uses to decide where an ad placement should appear for that visit. The result is an individualised placement, not the same fixed position for every visitor. We've seen revenue uplifts of up to 15% among some larger publishers, although suitability still depends on the publisher's fill rate and the CPMs it can achieve.

None of these gains require traffic to rise first. Start by building a competitive auction, then use its data to sharpen your decisions. From there, recover the impressions you're currently losing. And create new placements only where the economics support them. The aim throughout is a better impression, not just more of them.

If you'd like to identify which lever could add the most value to your inventory, talk to Livewrapped about where to start.