Countering header bidding, Google drops its ‘last look’ advantage

Google may have taken away header bidding’s best reason for being.

The increasingly popular practice of header bidding arose largely because publishers were unhappy that Google gave its own DoubleClick Ad Exchange (AdX) a “last look” on auctions for ad impressions. Only AdX was able to bid on every impression, and it could always outbid others.

But Google has posted a new support document — first noted and confirmed with Google by AdExchanger — that describes an open beta phase for a new procedure that eliminates the “last look” practice.

Called Exchange Bidding in Dynamic Allocation (EDBA), it was first announced as a test in April of last year:

Exchange bidding in Dynamic Allocation will allow publishers to invite trusted third-party exchanges and SSPs to submit real-time prices using industry-standard RTB calls. These prices will be considered along with bids from the DoubleClick Ad Exchange and the publisher’s reservation campaigns to pick the highest-paying ad.

[Read the full article on MarTech Today.]

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About The Author

Barry Levine

Barry Levine covers marketing technology for Third Door Media. Previously, he covered this space as a Senior Writer for VentureBeat, and he has written about these and other tech subjects for such publications as CMSWire and NewsFactor. He founded and led the web site/unit at PBS station Thirteen/WNET; worked as an online Senior Producer/writer for Viacom; created a successful interactive game, PLAY IT BY EAR: The First CD Game; founded and led an independent film showcase, CENTER SCREEN, based at Harvard and M.I.T.; and served over five years as a consultant to the M.I.T. Media Lab. You can find him at LinkedIn, and on Twitter at xBarryLevine.