The HB Analytics logs all the calls relating to your Header Bidder setup. This means that it is used to make sure that your Header Bidder works, and that the data that gets returned from your SSPs loads in a timely fashion, and in a good way. This can be used for both technical and yield optimisation. The HB Analytics module is a very natural partner for collecting data when using the HB Manager, but can also be used with other Header Bidders or "wrappers".
The biggest difference is that between the HB Analytics and Relevant Yield's Ad Revenue reports is that they consist of 2 completely different datasets and methods of collecting this data. The HB Analytics consists of data collected from your website, and the response from your headerbidder. This means that the data is collected realtime (3-second delay), while the Relevant Yield's Ad Revenue Insights data is collected only once per day, straight from the SSPs APIs. They also consist of different types of metrics, even though there are overlaps.
This creates some different usability scenarios, where the products can be used for different purposes, and complete each other, by offering additional insights.
The HB Analytics module is strong at:
- Giving direct feedback (only 3 second delay): This is very important for Alarms that require urgent action; like tags being completely dropped from a webpage; or Bidders that drops heavily during certain times during the day.
- Provide a health analysis of your Wrapper/Header bidder technology: The HB Analytics logs a lot of information about the calls and the performance related to each site and placement, which make it easy to evaluate your tech providers, and the general state of your header bidders. As you can also set alarms on these metrics, it is a good tool for action.
- Building a Bid-landscape: Based on the all the returns from your call, we create a bid-lanscape, showcasing the winning bids from all the sources in your setup in very detailed breakdowns, which means that you can get a better understanding about how your adapters work, and how they perform during different times of the day or on different websites as an example.
- Creating good call Revenue data: This can be compared with what is actually being consolidated inside the SSPs, through the GUI/API. This gives you deeper insight into how much of your traffic the different sources actually reject after the call has been made.
- Optimisation and testing: The fast feedback, give you an almost instant feedback on effects (please notice that some SSPs and Adservers react differently to changes in your setup!).
- Specific dimensions and metrics, unavailable in APIs from the Adservers and SSPs: Things like losing bid from other sources, and the bid landscape from multiple connections are usually not available from the SSPs or the Adservers. Response times and average renderings are not either. Because the header-bidder can log on custom parameters that can be turned into Dimensions, it can be used for a much more granular performance analysis, on certain things in your websites/Apps
The Ad Revenue Insights module is strong at:
- Show consolidated SSP and Adserver data: The API shows the data that is actually logged and considered as valid at the SSPs and the Adservers. This could differ from what you log in your header, so it is important to be observant of large discrepancies.
- Show the potential Revenue, as understood by the Adservers and the SSPs: The data from the APIs are usually closer to the statement report, than the logged revenue data in the header-bidder, as it partly factors in Adserver and SSP financial "cleaning", so it does give a better forecast.
- Specific dimensions and metrics, unavailable in the Header Bidder returns: Things like Advertiser and Buyer Dimensions can only be proper collected through the APIs, and the same does for Direct campaign information. The data is more consolidated in general, as it is "approved" from the sources and made available in their own systems.
To sum up:
Both products complement each other really well, and it is important to understand, that even though both delivers reports, they report on 2 different things:
- HB Analytics module focuses on the logging and reporting of ad-calls and ad-call returns.
- Ad Revenue Insights module focuses on collecting and reporting on consolidated Bidder and Adserver data.
Both things are important for evaluating performance holistically.