Contextual Targeting or Contextual Advertising, sounds like a complicated concept so lets break it down quickly as to what it is and some Contextual Targeting examples.
What is Contextual Targeting?
Contextual Ads are an advertisement chosen automatically based on the content of the given web page. Using this form of advertising is a direct relevant ad to the content you have on your website or blog.
Contextual Targeting Examples:
The biggest benefit to having ads that are relevant to your content is the potential leads it may have. As a user visiting a website searching for something, an ad offering a product or service for exactly what you are searching for is more appealing then a random ad.
For example, if you’re searching for Nike Free Run shoes, and you visit a website based on reviews for running shoes and you notice an ad on the sidebar of the web page advertising the exact shoes you just read a review on, chances are you will click it.
Based on a business prospective who utilizes Contextual Targeting or Contextual Advertising this can be profitable based on traffic and your niche. Monetizing your website with Contextual Advertising is a great money maker.
How do I Start?
Without knowing it you may already be using Contextual Targeting and Advertising. CPM Networks use this method in order to receive more clicks or impressions. Lets go over some examples of different networks you can use.
Google Adsense:
Google Adsense is one of the largest CPM networks. Google uses Contextual Targeting for the advertisements they use. Adsense doesn’t offer complete control of the ads posted on your blog or website, but you can chose the types of ads shown.
InfoLinks:
Info links a another network which allows you to chose the ads. Based on the content on your website this optimizes the advertisements used. Some of the popup style ads from Info Links can be rather annoying to users.
Chitka:
Similar to Info Links is Chitka. Using similar tactics to product Contextual Advertisements based on your content. You can customize ads, and have the ability to chose where they go and which ads you would prefer to be used on your site.
Conclusion:
Hopefully some of the above examples and also the networks listed will help you read up and learn more about how Contextual Targeting and Advertising works. CPM networks still can earn website owners a decent income, but it may not be the best method today to earn money. So many options are open for business owners to advertise, sell products, and use different forms of marketing to generate income to make a living.