In our previous article, we talked about Google's upcoming move to eliminate third-party cookies. As you probably know, this could leave a huge revenue gap for publishers. The big G, who commands a massive 65% of the browser market, is eventually going to pull the plug.

So, what's the move? Publishers need to get ahead of the curve and start looking for innovative ways to fill that gap. Rather than waiting for the abyss, publishers can maximize revenue and improve user experience by combining contextual advertising and content intelligence. So, let's get smarter with our data and navigate how these two technologies work together.

What is Contextual Advertising?

Contextual advertising comes down to one keyword: relevance. By focusing on content, keywords, topics, and images, contextual advertising delivers campaigns tailored to the user's interests. It's not like behavioral targeting, which can raise all sorts of privacy concerns. With contextual advertising, it's all about the environment. That means ads are displayed based on the content of the web page, presenting seamless and engaging user experiences.

According to recent forecasts, the contextual advertising market is absolutely booming. Global spend grew from $157.4 million in 2020 to $190.3 million in 2022. That’s a 20% increase over three years! The United States leads the pack with a roughly 34% global market share. Experts estimate that the global market value of contextual advertising will reach $376.2 billion by 2027.

Know what's driving this growth? Both publishers and advertisers see contextual advertising as a smarter alternative to third-party cookie targeting. Contextual ads are a great way to align more directly with consumer interests and intent, rather than relying on past behaviors.

What is Content Intelligence?

Content intelligence refers to the use of data and analytics to gain insights into the performance and effectiveness of content. It involves collecting and analyzing various data points such as engagement rates, social shares, page views, and conversions to gain a better understanding of which types of content are resonating with audiences and driving results. By leveraging these insights, publishers can create effective content and improve their overall content strategy. Content intelligence is a powerful tool that helps publishers make data-driven decisions and achieve better results.

Why Do Publishers Need Both?

Contextual advertising and content intelligence work hand-in-hand to help publishers maximize their revenue and improve the user experience for their readers. Here's how it works: contextual advertising optimizes based on ad placements and relevance to boost click-through rates and generate more revenue. On the flip side, content intelligence helps publishers gain deep insights into what types of content are resonating with their audience and driving results. By using these two tools in conjunction, publishers can create a more effective content strategy and generate more revenue.

What Should Publishers Do?

The key for audience and revenue growth is to unlock both sides of the equation: content advertising and content intelligence. As publishers, we see articles take off and achieve impressive performance – but sometimes it's hard to figure out why. Was it the content? The traffic source? Or a combination of both?

I recently took a deep dive into Spiny's dashboard and discovered a whole world of insights that I never even knew existed. Did you know that titles with the words "Coffee” and “Funding" perform a whopping 17% better on Tuesdays? Imagine if you leveraged this kind of data. You could design your header bidder for contextual advertising and pass back content intelligence to boost DSP bids higher.

Here’s one more insight I learned from Spiny's dashboard. Are you ready for this? I found that a specific publisher could earn a whopping 10% more revenue if they produced 15% more sports content on weekends. This publisher often cuts their staffing on weekends; however, as Spiny indicates, they should flip their strategy and hire more writers on weekends to increase the flow of sports articles. This decision alone would increase their overall revenue by 10%.

Contextual Advertising On Steroids

As publishers, we all know how important it is to have a robust header bidder that maximizes revenue. Enter Spiny.ai – the ultimate analytics dashboard and bidder all in one. Here's the deal: Spiny's bidder passes back highly granular content variables to motivate contextual advertisers to bid higher. Spiny's got the inside scoop on everything from where the user came from (like Facebook, for example) to what day it is (hello, Sunday!) to what the content is all about (go Miami Dolphins!). With this level of detail, advertisers make smarter, more informed bids – and publishers earn even more revenue. It's a win-win.

Publishers can also earn more revenue with Spiny's analytics dashboard. Their platform breaks down revenue by writer, topic, referral, and context, so publishers can see exactly what's working – what's not – and build effective content strategies.

Let me give you an example: let's say that Nick writes 90% of his articles about fintech. What if I told you that Spiny's data shows that his articles on the health benefits of coffee actually earns 33% more revenue on average? That's a game-changer! With this level of insight, publishers can scale their content based on revenue performance and writing skills.

Concluding Remarks

As publishers, we're always on the lookout for ways to boost our revenue and create even better content. And with the looming threat of Google's third-party cookie removal, it's more important than ever to stay ahead of the game. To close the revenue gap, Publishers need to leverage two key technologies: contextual advertising and content intelligence.

Spiny AI’s cutting-edge platform uses advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence to analyze content and match it with relevant ads. With Spiny, publishers earn more revenue while also using advanced content intelligence to create even better content.

If you have any questions about how Spiny can help you take your publishing game to the next level, feel free to reach out. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Resources

• Content intelligence
• Contextual advertising could replace and improve on behavioural targeting
• Contextual advertising spending worldwide from 2020 to 2027
• Contextual Advertising Market Report on Industry Research, Growth Trends, and Competitive Analysis 2023-2028
• Everything You Need to Know About Contextual Advertising
• What Is Content Intelligence?

**Author Bio ** Nick Mishkin is a content consultant with ten years of enterprise sales experience in the SaaS and online publishing industries. A graduate of an Ivy League University, he also holds a masters in behavioral economics from Reichman University. He has written for publications such as SeekingAlpha, MoneyGeek, Yahoo Finance, and NoCamels and teaches ChatGPT writing classes.