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Sunday, July 07, 2024

How do Internet ads work?

Banner ad
Not a real ad

Internet ads work by using various techniques to target users based on their interests, behaviours, and demographics. Here's an overview of how internet ads work and how they manage to show content you're interested in:

  1. Cookies and Tracking: When you visit a website, it may place a small data file called a cookie on your device. Cookies track your online activity, such as the websites you visit, the pages you view, and the links you click. Advertisers and ad networks use this information to build a profile of your interests and preferences.

  2. Retargeting: If you visit a website but don't make a purchase, you may see ads from that website on other sites you visit. This is called retargeting or remarketing, and it is achieved through cookies. Advertisers use this technique to remind you about products or services you showed interest in.

  3. Third-Party Data: Advertisers may purchase data from third-party companies to enhance their targeting capabilities. These data providers collect information from various sources, such as public records, online surveys, and social media, to create detailed profiles of users based on their behavior and characteristics.

  4. Search History: Search engines like Google track your search history and use it to serve relevant ads. For example, if you search for "best hiking boots," you might see ads for hiking gear on other websites you visit.

  5. Contextual Advertising: Some ads are displayed based on the context of the webpage you are visiting. Advertisers use algorithms to analyze the content of a webpage and display ads that are relevant to that content.

  6. Social Media Engagement: Social media platforms collect a vast amount of data on their users, including their interests, likes, shares, and connections. This information is used to display targeted ads to users based on their social media activity.

  7. Location Data: Many websites and apps request access to your device's location. Advertisers can use this information to serve location-based ads, such as promoting local businesses or events.

  8. Demographic Targeting: Advertisers can target specific demographics, such as age, gender, marital status, education, and more. This helps them display ads to users who fit their target audience.

  9. Lookalike Audiences: Advertisers can create lookalike audiences based on the characteristics of their existing customers. This allows them to target users who are similar to their current customer base.

It's important to note that while targeted ads can be more relevant and personalized, they also raise privacy concerns. Many platforms now offer privacy settings that allow users to control the type of data collected and the ads they see.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model

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