Paid Ads: Display / Banner

Guides display advertising: ad networks, banner ads, and programmatic buying. Use when placing ads on publisher sites (websites, apps) for brand awareness or retargeting.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

What Is Display / Banner

• Ad networks: Aggregate inventory from many publishers; buy placements programmatically or via direct deals

• Banner ads: IAB standard sizes (300×250, 728×90, 160×600, 320×50 mobile); static or animated

• Programmatic: Automated buying via DSPs; real-time bidding (RTB); audience targeting

Formats

Format Use

Display banner IAB sizes; CPM or CPC; brand, retargeting

Native Blends with page content; higher engagement

Video pre-roll Pre-roll on publisher video; see ctv-ads for streaming

Rich media HTML5; expandable, interactive

Mobile interstitial Full-screen between content

Buying Options

Option Use

Google Display Part of Google Ads; automated placements; retargeting

Programmatic DSP The Trade Desk, Magnite, etc.; audience-based; scale

Direct publisher Deal with specific site; guaranteed placement

Ad network Network aggregates inventory; simpler than full programmatic

Metrics

Metric Use

CPM Cost per thousand impressions

CPC Cost per click

CTR Click-through rate; typically low for banners (0.1–0.5%)

Viewability % of impressions actually seen

Completion rate For video; % who watch full ad

Creative

• IAB sizes: 300×250 (medium rectangle), 728×90 (leaderboard), 160×600 (skyscraper), 320×50 (mobile)

• File types: Static image, animated GIF, HTML5

• Message: Clear CTA; minimal text; brand visible in 3 seconds

UTM

Use utm_medium=display or cpc with utm_source (publisher or network name) for attribution. See traffic-analysis for GA4 alignment.

Pre-Launch Checklist

• Creative in required sizes

• Landing page aligned with ad message

• UTM parameters set

• Retargeting audience defined (if applicable)

• Viewability target set

Related Skills

• paid-ads-strategy: Ad formats by medium; when to use display

• google-ads: Google Display Network; retargeting campaigns

• traffic-analysis: UTM for display; attribution

• analytics-tracking: Conversion tracking; viewability