Google Certified Publishing Partners (GCPP) have been vetted by Google to provide quality support to publishers using Google Ad Manager (including Google Ad Exchange), AdSense, and/or AdMob.
In this guide, we cover what it means to be a GCCP, the benefits of working with a GCPP, how to choose the right partner for your needs, and 10 options — including the ad tech and services we provide at Snigel.
Snigel is a Google Certified Publishing Partner that connects you to 40+ of the top SSPs. Get in touch for a free assessment to see how we can help you maximize your ad revenue.
What It Means to Be a GCPP
To be a Google Partner, companies have to prove:
- They are proficient with Google Ads products. Not only do companies have to acquire certifications in each product area, but they also have to pass yearly exams.
- They have a history of success helping publishers achieve their ad monetization goals. Their track record has to be backed up by real data and re-established on an ongoing basis to ensure it reflects the current service provided.
- They have evidence of growth. To maintain their status as a GCPP, companies have to constantly update their strategies and implement innovative solutions to keep up with the latest Google products and features.
You can learn more about how to join the Google Certified Publishing Partner Program here.
Plus, GCPPs have access to additional education material, technical support, and global consumer insight reports that help them stay up to date with the latest technology trends and competitive landscape.
How GCPPs Help Publishers Earn More Ad Revenue
Without the right expertise and training, it can be difficult to know:
- Which Google product(s) you need to maximize ad revenue potential (e.g., Google AdSense vs. Google AdX).
- How to manage your ad strategy (e.g., using different ad formats for web vs. mobile apps).
- What gaps exist in your ad setup and what additional ad tech will fill those gaps (e.g., adblock recovery).
- How to comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulatory requirements like using a Google-certified CMP.
- How to troubleshoot issues with your ad setup with advanced support from a dedicated Google account manager.
- And more!
Since most publishers don’t have the necessary expertise (or resources) to address these considerations, this is where GCPPs are the most beneficial to publishers.
GCPPs will help you choose the right product(s), optimize your ad strategy for maximum revenue, and provide technical support. Plus, most ad monetization partners have developed their own additional software to help you earn more revenue.
For example, here’s a brief overview of Snigel’s ad stack:
- AdEngine is our AI-driven header bidding solution that connects you to 40+ SSPs and ad networks. AdEngine also comes with advanced ad formats (e.g., Adaptive Ads, Parallax Units, Interactive Ads), and ad optimization features (e.g., Smart Refresh, Adblock Revenue Recovery, Dynamic Floor Pricing, AI bidder optimization).
- AdStream enables publishers to display high-quality native video ads on their websites in a variety of customizable units (including instream and outstream videos).
- AdConsent is our IAB-registered Consent Management Platform (CMP) that enables publishers to stay compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulatory requirements without affecting page load speeds.
- AdVantage lets you view real-time ad performance data in one centralized location.
Finally, some GCPPs can give you access to Google platforms that were previously unavailable to you.
For example, Google Ad Exchange (AdX) is notoriously difficult to gain access to (you can learn more about Google AdX and how to join in this post). Typically only large publishers, such as ESPN and Forbes, have the resources in house to join and manage a Google Ad Exchange account effectively. However, Snigel, as a GCPP and Google AdX partner, makes it possible for publishers to access AdX without having their own account.
On average, publishers that switch from AdSense to AdX with Snigel can earn up to 50% more ad revenue. Read the case study here.
How to Choose the Right GCPP for Your Website or App
Although there are certain standards that every GCPP needs to meet, there will still be differences in the services they provide. In this section, we cover seven factors to consider to help you choose the right partner for your business. We’ll also show how Snigel addresses each factor to help kick off your search.
1. Use Case and Vertical Expertise
To maximize ad revenue, your ad strategy should look different depending on:
- If you’re displaying ads on a website or app.
- If your users are viewing the content on a desktop or mobile device.
- The type of content you create.
- Who your target audience is.
- The browsing behavior of your users.
- Where the majority of your users are located (and more).
For example, AdSense typically outperforms AdX in Tier 3 GEOs (e.g., Albania, India), whereas, AdX produces higher CPMs for Tier 1 GEOs (e.g., parts of Europe, United States).
So the first consideration is whether or not the potential ad partner has experience supporting websites/apps like yours. If they don’t have experience (or have limited experience) with similar cases, you’ll likely be missing out on revenue.
Snigel has over 10 years of experience building custom ad strategies for websites and apps where the majority of traffic comes from Tier 1 GEOs. We support mobile and desktop use cases, any target audience, and all verticals.
2. Ad Strategy Support
Even if a company has experience serving websites or apps like yours, you’ll want to make sure that they’ll give you the support that you need.
Many account managers are only available if you reach out. While this may sound like good customer service — “Reach out any time, and we’ll respond promptly.” — it’s only half of the picture. As mentioned above, it takes years of experience and training to know how to fully optimize your ad setup for maximum revenue, and very few publishers have that experience and training. So, you need a dedicated ad expert who is intimately familiar with your website/app and target audience who can make recommendations for how to run your ad strategy.
Additionally, it’s important that they’re also invested in the long-term growth of your site. Too often we see account managers who simply try to upsell you on the latest product or push aggressive ad strategies that aren’t a good fit for your audience and harm the long-term growth of the publisher.
With Snigel, you’ll have a dedicated ad ops specialist who builds and implements an ad strategy to fit your exact needs and preferences.
Unlike many ad managers that use a ‘set it and forget it’ approach, we continue to optimize and diversify your ad strategy to help you achieve ongoing revenue and user experience goals. You can contact your ad ops specialist directly with any questions. They’ll also reach out to you on a regular basis to keep you updated on the latest results and new implementations, along with any issues and how they’re being solved.
3. Technical Support
Many ad tech providers start you off with a standard ad tech setup and then let you make adjustments as necessary from a self-serve portal. In order to maximize ad revenue, most publishers run into situations where they need a custom setup that requires extensive customizations. Without an ad tech expert who knows where to put the ads and the best backend settings to use, you’ll likely be missing out on revenue.
For example, in order to avoid cumulative layout shift (i.e., when content shifts down after the page has loaded to make room for an ad), publishers can insert an ad container (i.e., a box that loads with the site and holds the ad placement until the ad is ready) onto their site. This requires adjusting the underlying code of both the website and the ad tech. While publishers can often handle the website-side of the implementation, very few have the skills to modify the underlying code of the ad tech.
And yet, few ad partners provide adequate technical support. Plus, most self-serve platforms are built for general use cases rather than your specific website. This means the technology will be limited and you won’t have a customized ad strategy that includes floor prices, ad auction settings and ad formats tailored for your audience.
Snigel’s ad tech experts create, implement, and manage a custom ad stack for you so you can focus on creating great content. Plus, you’ll have access to a full suite of advanced ad tech including AI bidder optimization, Smart Refresh, interactive ad units, AI-driven floor pricing, adblock revenue recovery, and much more.
4. Case Studies and Reviews
Reading case studies and customer reviews is a great way to see if a company can back up the claims they make about their service and product.
Here are a couple of success stories that showcase how Snigel has helped publishers like you achieve their ad monetization and user experience goals:
And here are a few customer reviews from TrustPilot — a reputable software review site — where Snigel has 4.7 stars (at the time of writing):
5. Payment Terms and Fees
Instead of charging a flat monthly fee, most GCPPs take 10–25% of your ad revenue. While it may be easiest to compare the cost of various providers just by the revenue share percentage, this isn’t the best way to know which one will earn you the most revenue.
Some providers that charge a higher fee also provide a better service, meaning they dedicate more time to improving your ad setup — which in turn leads to higher CPMs and more revenue overall. Oftentimes, this more than makes up for the higher revenue share.
For example, 10% of $1000 leaves you with $900, whereas 20% of $1500 leaves you with $1200.
With Snigel, all publishers are charged a 20% revenue cost share. Plus, publishers see an increase in ad revenue of 57% on average after switching to Snigel.
6. Contract
Some Google partners will lock you into a monthly or yearly contract and charge heavy fines for breaking that contract early. If you’re unhappy with the services or find a better solution for your website/app, it will be difficult for you to make the switch.
With Snigel, you won’t be locked into a contract. You can try us out on 5–10% of your traffic and leave at any time.
7. Entry Requirements
All GCPPs require publishers to have unique content and traffic from reputable sources (i.e., not bot-driven or fraudulent). Beyond that, each provider will have different requirements in terms of minimum monthly traffic (e.g., pageviews, sessions), where the traffic is coming from (e.g., Tier 1 vs. 3 GEOs), content type, etc.
Snigel works with publishers producing high quality content and making at least $50 USD per day. If you meet these requirements, get in touch for a free assessment to see how we can help you earn more ad revenue.
10 Google Certified Publishing Partners
1. Snigel is a Google Certified Publishing Partner that provides cutting-edge, AI-powered ad tech that can be fully customized to your needs along with a dedicated ad ops specialist who creates, implements, and manages your ad strategy for you. As a Google AdX reseller, we give you access to premium ad campaigns and can help you decide whether AdSense or AdX is the right choice for your website. On average, publishers see 50+% increase in ad revenue when switching from AdSense to AdX with Snigel.
2. GAMOB is a programmatic advertising platform that may be a good fit if you’re looking to monetize an app.
3. Connatix is a video technology company that may be a good fit for creators looking to create, analyze, and monetize video content from one platform.
4. Fluct is one of the largest app and website monetization solutions in Japan. They may be a good fit for digital publishers looking for direct deals.
5. JW Player is a digital content monetization solution that may be a good fit for creators who want to focus on video ads.
6. Adop is an ad tech company that may be a good fit for companies looking for programmatic direct advertising.
7. Primis Tech is another solution for companies looking for video ads and direct deals.
8. Ezoic is a header bidding solution that may be a good option for small publishers who are having a hard time meeting the minimum traffic requirements of other providers.
9. Mediavine is a header bidding solution for small bloggers within lifestyle verticals.
10. YourBow is an ad server and ad management platform for publishers looking to manage multiple aspects of their ad ecosystem from one place.
With Snigel’s next level, AI-powered ad stack and a dedicated ad management expert, publishers see an increase in ad revenue of 57% on average. Get in touch to see how we can help you maximize ad revenue.
Ira is Snigel's Head Of Marketing. She supports our team and publishers by creating awesome guides on the latest adtech trends. Ira's background is in software development, communications, and media.
