Ads optimisation is vital when you run your campaigns and try to make them as effective as possible. At the same time, running multiple ad campaigns with multiple ads and monitoring their performance manually can be a grueling task. That's where auto-optimisation may come in handy. Here, we will explain how to use this feature on Adserver.Online platform.
Basics
Usually, marketers create several ads in the same campaign. After a campaign starts and runs for some time, marketers analyze performance metrics manually (using CTR, conversion rate, etc.) This way, they can estimate which particular ad performs better. As a result, the most poorly performing ads can be disabled, and others can take a higher or lesser priority.
Our automatic ads optimisation does the same.
As soon as auto-optimisation is enabled for a campaign (advanced section on the campaign form), the system starts continuously monitoring this campaign’s ads – how well they perform. Please note that the system tracks only one performance metric you’ve selected while enabling enabled auto-optimisation.
The system does not take action immediately as it first gathers statistics on the learning phase. As soon as learning is finished (learning strategy depends on optimisation strategy chosen, e.g., CTR), the system automatically updates your ads' weights automatically and continuously. Better-performing ads will get higher weight and, as a result, will start getting more traffic and vice versa.
This algorithm doesn't disable ads, meaning all ads will still receive traffic. You can always disable the ads you want manually.
Limitations of auto-optimisation
Auto-optimisation works in the scope of one campaign only. Meaning there is no cross-campaign optimisation option.
Only one metric can be tracked, e.g., CTR or Conversions rate
The campaign has to contain ads of the same type. Different ad formats work differently, may have different metrics, or may not have some metrics at all (e.g., CTR for pops doesn't make any sense). So, you need to use only one ad format in each campaign for optimisation to work properly.
Auto optimisation strategies
CTR
Tracks Click to Impressions ratio. Applicable to formats with both clicks and impressions counter – like banners and VAST ads. It is not applicable to formats with only one counter – like direct links and popups.
Conversions rate
Tracks the number of conversions. This metric is format-independent. You need to configure conversion tracking according to this article.
Conversions value
Track the value (amount) of conversions. It is a format-independent metric. You need to configure conversion tracking according to this article.
Learning strategy: accumulate at least 1000 ad requests and 5 conversions and conversions amount greater than 0 (for the last 24 hours) for auto-optimisation to start working.