Google switches Ad Manager inventory to first price auction

Google last week announced it is changing all display inventory to a unified and first price auction. Sam Cox, Group Product Manager - Google Ad Manager, at Google, says that is expecting the transition to be complete by the end of this year.

The single unified first price auction only impacts display and video inventory sold via Ad Manager.

According to Google, a unified auction will simplify programmatic, removing the complexity of a marketplace where a single ad can pass through a mix of auctions, with different rules, before a winning bid price is selected and an ad is served.

How it will work

• All programmatic buyers will compete in the same unified auction, alongside inventory which is directly negotiated with advertisers.
• An advertising buyer’s bid will not be shared with another buyer before the auction or be able to set the price for another buyer.
• The buyer that wins the auction pays the price they bid.