How to get started with Multiplex Ads? [Best Practices Included]

This post was most recently updated on January 18th, 2023

Do you feel like you’re constantly battling for attention on the web? With so much competition for eyeballs, it’s tough to stand out from the crowd. But don’t worry, we’ve got a solution: Multiplex Ads. Our new ad format is designed to help you stand out and get noticed. Plus, it’s easy to use – just pick your size and go! So what are you waiting for?

You may not be familiar with the most effective Multiplex Ads format type if you’re new to header bidding or the programmatic advertising world. Check out the Multiplex Ads format types you can work with.

What are Multiplex Ads?

Multiplex Ads comes in the ‘native ad format’ category and are an ad stack that features multiple ads offering content falling in the niche of the website’s user’s interests, like content recommendation ads. A multiplex ad blends seamlessly with your website’s current content, increasing CTRs and ensuring a great user experience.

This format lets the Publishers customize their ads layout and style according to the look and feel of their website/app. Your readers get additional content that may be useful to them resulting in increased page views, lower bounce rates, more ad impressions, and ad revenue growth. For publishers, the benefits include multiple ad placement options, supreme ad quality, and proper integration with Google.

Multiplex ads auction process:

Google Ad Manager holds independent auctions for each cell in the Multiplex ads. Publishers can set targeted CPM or floor price in the UPR or First look pricing rule for the ad unit(s). Once done, Advertisers will need to bid for the set prices and win the auction to be eligible to serve ads.

Get Started with Multiplex Ads in Google Ad Manager:

The setup for Multiplex ads is similar to native ads in Google Ad Manager. Please note that currently, all Multiplex ads use the fluid size.

1. Sign in to the Google Ad Manager homepage, click Delivery> Native> New native ad and then select Multiplex Ad from the drop-down menu.
2. The default setting is by Google and it selects the best ad layout and Multiplex ad styles on both desktop and mobile devices (recommended).
3. If you want to customize these ads, disable the option ‘Allow Google to upgrade layout’ and then select a layout and the number of rows and columns for the ads to display as explained below:

• Single column (landscape image): For mobile or rail placements only.
• Single column (square image): For mobile or rail placements only.
• Multi-column (landscape image): For desktop layout only.

Finally, you can set the targeting criteria for the Multiplex ads accordingly and click on Save and Activate. The targeting criteria should match with the line item’s targeting.

Important note: Multiplex ad needs an Ad Exchange line item with ‘Native programmatic’ size to serve. So it’s required to add the Multiplex ad unit to the targeting of an Ad Exchange line item with ‘Native programmatic’ as an expected creative.

For MonetizeMore partnered publishers, our AdOps professionals will ensure you serve multiplex ads in an optimal ad layout for your website’s design and niche category.

Reporting for Multiplex ads:

Publishers can measure the performance of Multiplex ads from the Query tool in the Google Ad Manager.

• Under the ‘Historical’ type reporting, the dimension ‘Multiplex style name” shows reports by Multiplex style and determines how ad grids look for segments of ad inventories.
• In the Metrics section, select ‘Total Multiplex cell impressions’ shows the number of times Multiplex ads begin to load and counts an impression for each ad in the grid for a user.

How do Multiplex Ads work?

Publishers looking to get their hands on the multiplex ad format on their website need to partner with experienced google certified publishing partners GCPP like MonetizeMore. Google multiplex ads are currently running in Beta.

• Become a MonetizeMore publisher by signing up.
• We’ll provide detailed reports regarding your current site performance metrics strategizing on the best ways to integrate multiplex ads on your website.
• Through our GCPP ad manager accounts, we do the rest of the heavy lifting which includes checking if your multiplex ads are good to go in terms of ad layout. The needed line item’s targeting is also synced.
• You’ll get tags for your new native ads set up for smooth implementation on your site.
• MonetizeMore allows publishers to get access to the biggest pool of media buyers. The best quality content recommendation ads are served to your site for maximum ad revenue returns.

Benefits of Multiplex Ads

Consider Multiplex Ads as your secret weapon when it comes to serving content recommendation ads on their sites. The benefits include:

• No more banner blindness.
• Combined with Google’s content targeting, you get high visibility & improved chances of conversions.
• Publishers can easily serve programmatic direct and open bidding demands with a multiplex ad layout, which works best for publishers using PubGuru Header Bidding.
• Vacant ad impressions on the website is the last thing to worry about when there are thousands of ad buyers in the open auction market. The ad fill rate with multiplex ads is always high.
• As multiplex ads are run by Google Account Manager, there are no restrictive contracts, unlike other content recommendation ad providers.
• Publishers can always remain assured that their multiplex ad units will have high ad quality since it is run by Google Ad Manager.
• They also offer better brand safety abiding by strict Google content policies.

Multiplex Advertising – Best Practice

Search Intent

When placing ads, it is important to consider user intent, but this becomes even more crucial when dealing with multiplex ads. Publishers need to understand their target audience in order to ensure those multiplex ads serve them relevant and high-quality ad experience.

Post signing up, we will ensure that all the multiplex ads we serve to your site are targeted toward your users and their search intent.

Ad Layout Optimization

• In order to optimize your ad layout, select the ‘Let Google optimize layout’ option in Google Ad Manager or pick your own layout.
• You must test these layouts to select multiplex ad formats that sync well with your website.

Split Testing

Despite the ad quality and ad format type, publishers need to split test all their ad placements. With MonetizeMore, publishers get all the access to our very own PubGuru Reporting dashboard software and vital digital advertising metrics. After that, we conduct split testing for ongoing optimizations.

With these metrics from Pubguru, you can continually improve your programmatic advertising knowledge to serve the most relevant ads to your user base.

Wrap Up

Multiplex ads are easily served through MonetizeMore’s cutting-edge ad technology leading to boosted ad impressions and RPMs. Few of our publishers even saw 30% higher CPMs compared to other native ad formats.

Planning to get started with multiplex ads? Our 200+ AdOps professionals are ready to help you set up multiplex ads once you sign up and get started with us.

Ready to leverage the power of multiplex ads? Let’s talk!

Kean Graham