If you’re looking to monetize your app or website, you’ve probably come across some of Google’s biggest advertising platforms: Google AdMob, Google Ad Exchange (AdX), and Google Ad Manager (GAM). Each one has its strengths, but choosing the right platform depends on your goals, your audience, and the kind of content you produce.
In this guide, we’ll explain what each platform does, how they differ from each other and which one is best for you.
What Is Google AdMob?
Google AdMob is a mobile-first ad network, specially designed to help app developers monetize their mobile apps. It’s an easy way to display ads inside your apps or games, making it a go-to choice for many app creators.
Key features of AdMob:
Mobile-focused: AdMob is geared toward apps and games, making it perfect if your content is on mobile platforms.
Ad mediation: AdMob connects you with various ad networks (including Google’s own), so you have access to a broad range of demand sources.
Ad formats: It offers a range of ad types, such as banner ads, interstitial ads, and rewarded video ads.
Targeting: Based on requirements like user location, device type and more you can target ads.
However, one disadvantage of AdMob is its waterfall mediation system, which may not always result in the highest possible eCPMs (effective cost per thousand impressions). Additionally, its targeting is relatively limited, as it mainly focuses on location-based targeting.
What Is Google Ad Exchange (AdX)?
On the other hand Google Ad Exchange (AdX) is an sophisticated ad exchange platform that uses real-time bidding (RTB) to sell your ad inventory. AdX can be utilized for web advertisements, video ads, and even gaming inventory, in contrast to AdMob, which mostly concentrates on mobile apps.
Key features of AdX:
Real-time bidding: With AdX, multiple advertisers can bid on your ad space in real-time, which generally leads to higher CPM rates.
More control: You have greater flexibility in who bids for your inventory, giving you control over the ads displayed on your site or app.
Diverse inventory: AdX isn’t limited to mobile apps. It supports a range of formats across different types of inventory, including display, video, and rich media.
Advanced targeting: AdX offers more granular targeting options compared to AdMob, letting you focus on things like device type, geography, audience interests, and more.
The main advantage of AdX is that it often results in higher CPMs because of the competition in the auction. However, it’s more complex than AdMob, which can make setup a bit challenging for smaller publishers or app developers.
What Is Google Ad Manager (GAM)?
Google Ad Manager (GAM) is a wide-ranging ad management platform that allows you to manage ads from various networks, including AdSense, AdX, and third-party ad networks. It’s a powerful tool for larger publishers who need more advanced controls and reporting.
Key features of Ad Manager:
One-stop shop: GAM integrates with both AdSense and AdX and let you manage all your ads in one place.
Advanced optimization: With GAM, you can use features like split optimization to make sure AdSense and AdX are competing against each other for your inventory, ensuring maximum revenue.
Detailed reporting: GAM provides in-depth understanding into your ad performance, so you can adjust and optimize your ad strategy based on real-time data.
Premium demand: By using AdX through GAM, you get access to premium advertisers, which can result in higher earnings.
If you’re a large publisher or have significant traffic, GAM offers advanced features that allow you to maximize revenue. It’s a bit more complex than AdMob and AdX but provides much more flexibility and control.
AdMob vs. AdX: Key Differences
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Google AdMob and Google AdX to help you decide which platform is best for your monetization goals:
| Feature | Google AdMob | Google AdX |
| Platform Type | Mobile app ads | Real-time ad exchange (web & mobile) |
| Ad Inventory | Mobile app inventory only | Web, mobile, video, gaming, and rich media |
| Revenue Model | Mediation (third-party networks) | Real-time bidding from multiple sources |
| Targeting | Location-based targeting | Granular targeting (device, geography, etc.) |
| Control | Less control over bids | More control with advanced options |
| Complexity | Simple setup | More complex, but more customizable |
As you can see, AdMob is simpler and great for app developers who need a straightforward solution for monetizing mobile apps. On the other hand, AdX is better for larger publishers or those who need more control and are looking to optimize ad revenue across different inventory types.
How Google AdMob, AdX, and GAM Work Together
Google Ad Manager (GAM) allows you to use both AdSense and AdX together that gives you more flexibility in managing your ad inventory. One main advantage of using GAM is the ability to set up split optimization between AdSense and AdX, where the system automatically prioritizes the highest-paying ads (AdX in most cases).
For example:
- You can set up AdSense to run when AdX doesn’t fill the inventory, ensuring that you always have ads displayed.
- You can also set a price floor to ensure that you’re getting the highest possible CPM by allowing only higher-paying ads to fill your inventory.
This way, you can get the best of both worlds: high-quality ads from AdX and broader network demand from AdSense.
How to Get Started with Google Ad Exchange (AdX)
Getting started with AdX can be a bit difficult especially if you are a smaller publisher. AdX is generally available only to larger publishers with significant traffic, typically around 5 billion pageviews per month. However, there’s a solution if you don’t meet these requirements—RTB Demand.
RTB Demand can help smaller publishers gain access to Google AdX even without massive traffic. By partnering with RTB Demand, you get:
- Seamless integration with AdX through Google Ad Manager.
- Expert optimization to ensure you’re getting the best prices for your inventory.
- Access to premium advertisers that would typically be out of reach for smaller publishers.
Why Choose RTB Demand for AdX?
RTB Demand helps you navigate the complexities of AdX by offering:
- 24/7 management: Their team of experts handles your account optimization, monitoring, and troubleshooting, ensuring you maximize your revenue.
- Premium advertiser access: RTB Demand gives you access to a wider pool of advertisers, which means higher rates for your ad inventory.
- Increased revenue: With RTB Demand, many publishers see revenue increases of 50-400% thanks to better targeting, optimization, and the ability to compete for the highest-paying ads.
Which Platform Is Right for You?
- If you have a mobile app: Google AdMob is the best choice for simple and effective app monetization.
- If you’re a larger publisher: Google AdX is a great option if you want more control and better competition for your ad space. It’s ideal for websites, games, and other non-mobile inventory.
- If you need a complete ad management solution: Google Ad Manager is the most powerful choice if you want to manage multiple ad networks in one place and optimize performance.
If you’re looking to scale and access premium advertisers without the headaches of managing AdX directly, RTB Demand can help you unlock the full potential of Google AdX and Google Ad Manager.
By partnering with RTB Demand, you can streamline the setup, optimize your monetization strategy, and increase your ad revenue—all without the technical complexities of managing everything yourself.
