What is ROS?

ROS, also referred to as Run of Site, is an advertising term that pertains to advertisers giving up control over the placement of their ads. ROS allows publishers to place ads as they see fit, which typically results in lower costs for advertisers. However, the main disadvantages of ROS are narrowed targeting options, which can result in less leads or sales.

ROS operates on a similar principle to RON (Run of Network). ROS campaigns typically work best when the ad campaign’s objective is creating brand awareness and reaching a vast amount of people. Since there are very few options of targeting with placement, ROS is best used if the ad is relevant to a broad audience, as opposed to a very narrow one. ROS is also successfully used for retargeting and branding campaigns.

Since the ROS approach consists of both on-page placement and the selection of pages on which the ad will be placed, it can be beneficial if all pages and positions on the site are equally relevant to consumers.

Typically, ROS campaigns are paid through CPM (cost per thousand impressions) model, although there are instances of using CPC (cost per click).