Ad ranking determines which Sponsored Products are shown when several ads compete for the same placement. Voyado Product Discovery balances bid competitiveness, relevance, and expected clicks to help advertisers compete for visibility while keeping ads relevant to each shopper.
What affects ad ranking?
Three main factors influence how an ad ranks:
Bid competitiveness
A more competitive bid gives your ad a better chance of being shown, but the highest bid does not always win.
Relevance
The system considers how relevant the advertised product is to the current context and shopper. Just like organic product ranking in Voyado Product Discovery, relevance can be personal. Two shoppers viewing the same category page or making the same search can see products ranked differently. The same applies to Sponsored Products.
Expected clicks
The system also considers how likely shoppers are to click the ad. Ads that are expected to receive more clicks can compete more strongly.
How does target CPC relate to the auction?
For Sponsored Products, you set a target cost per click (CPC), which is how much you're aiming to pay for each click.
The auction itself uses cost per mille (CPM) bids, which represent the value of 1,000 ad impressions. Voyado handles this conversion automatically, taking expected clicks into account.
For example, imagine two ads with the same target CPC. If one ad is expected to get twice as many clicks from the same number of impressions, it can compete with a higher CPM bid while still aiming for the same cost per click.
This means that better-performing ads can compete more strongly without requiring a higher target CPC.
Why doesn't the highest bid always win?
Imagine two products competing for a sponsored position on a search for "running shoes."
- One product is highly relevant to the shopper and likely to get clicked. Another advertiser may have a higher bid, but their product is less relevant.
- The first product may still rank higher because Voyado considers the combination of bid, relevance, and expected clicks.
- The result can also differ between shoppers. Two people making the same search may see different organic products and different Sponsored Products because relevance can be personal.
Getting the most from your campaigns
If your campaign is getting fewer impressions than expected, consider three things:
- Your target CPC: A higher target can make your ads more competitive.
- Relevance: Choose products that are relevant to where and when your ads can appear.
- Performance: Products that shoppers are more likely to click can compete more strongly.
Increasing your target CPC can improve your chances of winning impressions, but it does not guarantee a specific position, number of impressions, or share of voice.