Contextual advertising
Contextual advertising is advertising that chooses which ad to show according to the content of the page, app or search where it appears, rather than a person’s history or profile
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
For example, an article about hiking shows ads for walking boots. Systems analyse keywords, topics, images or the meaning of the text to select relevant ads and avoid environments unsuitable for the brand.
It differs from behavioural advertising, which uses data on a person’s activity across sites, and from retargeting. Because it relies less on third-party cookies and personal identifiers, it has attracted renewed interest as browsers and regulations tighten privacy. It can be bought per click, per impression or on other models; being contextual refers to how ads are targeted, not how they are paid for.
Also known as
Contextual targeting
Topics