Jargon Buster

Also known as “ad networks,” a company that provides a single point of contact for sales representation for multiple websites by aggregating all the sites’ advertising inventory. Ad networks are used by advertisers, agencies to reach audiences and by publishers, typically to sell remnant inventory. 

When a web site owner or publisher displays an advertisement (such as a promotional link) on its site for a brand or merchant and is paid for the performance of the advertisement, this is known as affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing activity generates large amounts of online sales in the UK and worldwide. 

A website or computer application that pulls together information from diverse sources. There are different types of aggregators, in the advertising industry, these notably include content, data, news, social media, and/or video aggregators. 

A set of rules established for making a calculation. Online, algorithms are commonly used to determine the listings shown via search engines and for automated methods of ad trading and delivery.  

The words forming a text-based hyperlink in web content. In terms of best practice for user experience and for search engine optimisation (SEO), the anchor text should accurately reflect the content users will find if they click on the hyperlink.   

One of the world’s most widely used mobile operating systems smartphone platforms developed and run by Google. Android is optimised for mobile touchscreens and tablets. 

In the past, software was frequently stored on a physical medium and uploaded directly to specific machines. Instead, computer services and software can be hosted by a given vendor, or ASP, and accessed by clients via the internet. 

Software solutions that allow PCs, smartphones and tablets to perform useful functions beyond the running of the computing device itself. 

AI in digital advertising is the use of learning algorithms that adapt user feedback into improving the overall ad experience without the need for further human involvement beyond setting the restrictions of the original algorithm.