How to set up yield group structure for EBDA

This post was most recently updated on October 26th, 2020

What is EBDA?

Exchange Bidding in Dynamic Allocation or EBDA is commonly known as “Google’s alternative to header bidding.” Technically, EBDA is a server-side solution that gives ad exchanges and SSPs the ability to bid on publisher inventory along with Google Ad Exchange in a unified auction.

Google explains it this way: “ Exchange Bidding lets the Ad Manager ad server communicate directly with third-party ad exchanges in a server-to-server connection, rather than communicating through custom header bidding code implemented in a publisher’s mobile app or webpage.”

Find out more about what is EBDA here.

How can you setup Yield Groups with EBDA?

Before Exchange Bidding in Dynamic Allocation can begin, each publisher and exchanges must have an established contractual relationship with one another as Google is not involved in this contract.

Source: https://support.google.com/admanager/answer/7390828?hl=en

For a publisher to get started with EBDA, do the following:

1. Your Doubleclick for Publisher account (now Google Ad Manager) must be mapped with Ad Exchange and set as “Default Dynamic Allocation.”
2. Google Ad Manager account should have EBDA enabled. If it’s not activated, you’ll have to speak to your Google representative. You can find out if EBDA is enabled to your account by creating a Yield Group under the Delivery option. Choose an ad format and “Web” for the environment. If this option is not available, EBDA is not yet activated.
3. Reach out to Exchange Bidding yield partners as Google is not involved in the contracts. Let them know your Google Ad Manager account has Exchange Bidding enabled and give them your network ID and domain. They will provide you with the next steps to take.
4. Contact Google support (through chat or email) for the manual verification of the domain for EBDA, so the page URL is passed. Once these steps are established, you may now start implementing EBDA.

EDBA set up

Part 1: Once you have completed the steps listed above, it’s time to enable your company for Exchange Bidding. Please note that only ad networks with verified third-party exchanges that have partnered with Google Ad Manager will display the “Enable for exchange bidding” option.

1. Open Google Ad Manager
2. Go to Admin>Companies
3. If the company you wish to use already exists on the list, click on it to edit and proceed to step 7 below.
4. If not on the list, click “New Company,” then choose “Ad Network.”
5. Type in the company name and select from the drop-down.
6. Give it a name.
7. Tick “Enable for exchange bidding.”
8. Click “Acknowledge.” Remember, you can get suspended from Exchange Bidding if you click this button without agreeing with the company or exchange.
9. Save.

Part 2: The Yield Group is where you identify the inventory you want to include in EBDA. This group contains Google Ad Manager and Third-party ad networks with targeting similar to line items.

1. Go to Delivery > Yield Groups.
2. Click Create Yield Group.
3. Enter a unique name descriptive for reporting purposes (e.g., domain.com_EBDA)
4. Select the Ad Format: “Banner” (app or web) or “Interstitial” (app only).
5. Select the Environment: Web (means EBDA enabled) or Mobile App.
6. Enter the size you would like to target.
7. Add “Targeting” to define where in your inventory this yield group can compete for impressions.
8. Click “Add another yield partner” and select the yield partners you created in no particular order.
9. For “Integration type,” choose “Exchange Bidding” to call custom code in your app according to Google’s Android or iOS documentation.
10. Click “Add another yield partner” if applicable.
11. Yield partner/exchange must include your network in their targeting before EBDA can start.
12. Finally, click “Save and activate” to confirm your changes.

Once a yield group has been created and activated, Google Ad Manager is ready to begin sending requests to the listed yield partners.

Confirmation of set up

1. Once Yield Groups have been successfully set up, you will find a summary of all your Yield Groups.

Reporting

All reporting is available in Google Ad Manager. You can pull reports on revenue, CPM and bid metrics by yield group, yield partner (exchanges), etc. Just click the “Reports” Tab. To generate a DFP report for EBDA, follow these query settings:

1. Reporting type: Historical
2. Filter: Yield Group > Select the appropriate Yield group
3. Dimension: Yield Partner; Demand channel (optional)
4. Metrics: Yield Group Impressions; Yield Group Estimated revenue; Yield Group Estimated CPM

We use the Yield partner and Demand channel dimensions instead of the Yield Group dimension to avoid double-counting in case the same yield partner is targeted to the multiple yield groups.

EBDA is an excellent addition to what Google already offers. It’s a reliable way to add up so publishers can make the most out of their site’s ad revenue. While intended to be an alternative to header bidding, EBDA uses a server-to-server (S2S) connection to link with Exchanges.

Conclusion

This type of setup is excellent for reducing page load issues and improve speed, but isn’t well adopted among demand partners, and can limit a publisher’s revenues. It is best to run EBDA alongside traditional header bidding, rather than go at it alone.

Do you need help implementing EBDA, header bidding, and optimizing your ads? Let MonetizeMore do it for you! MonetizeMore is a Google Certified Publisher Partner ready to help take your ad revenue to the next level. Sign up to get started today!

Kean Graham

Kean Graham is the CEO and founder of MonetizeMore & a pioneer in the Adtech Industry. He is the resident expert in Ad Optimization, covering areas like Adsense Optimization,GAM Management, and third-party ad network partnerships. Kean believes in the supremacy of direct publisher deals and holistic optimization as keys to effective and consistent ad revenue increases.