Olga Zharuk
Karolina BendrykFor years, the industry has mistaken simplification for progress. Cutting intermediaries didn’t solve inefficiency — it just made it less visible. SPO wasn’t meant to be a trimming exercise; it was meant to build transparency. Yet the ad tech market keeps confusing one for the other.
The result: companies cut middlemen, expecting higher ROI or CPMs, but often end up with the opposite results. The problem is the bidstream: it can still carry 'noise' even after removing all intermediaries. Redundant fields (like duplicated app.bundle or conflicting cat taxonomies), outdated device data, and inconsistent content categories aren’t eliminated when supply paths are shortened. That's why cutting partners doesn't fix the problem — it just hides it.
SPO is about quality, not quantity
Real SPO focuses on the data first, not the length of the supply chain. This requires dealing with the following:
Eliminating bidstream noise
Spoofed URLs, duplicated fields, outdated data, and other noise still travel through supply chains even after most intermediaries are cut. DSPs then either lower their bid or refuse to participate in the auction altogether. Therefore, true SPO requires bidstream optimization. Without it, simply cutting partners is a cosmetic fix — nothing more.
Evaluating traffic value
The more you cut, the higher the risk of losing unique traffic if it’s provided by an intermediary. The same applies to curators who sell high-quality curated deals. Since they are still considered intermediaries, a DSP algorithm configured to prioritize the shortest supply path will automatically disregard their deals.
KPIs synchronisation
The demand side doesn't always use SPO to support their partners' success; they often use it to support their own business models. The same holds for the supply side. The result is constant miscommunication and underperformance.
A DSP's algorithm, optimized to prioritize a minimal response time, will favor a faster SSP, even if it offers less effective traffic. An advertiser aiming for optimal ROI will ultimately lose, because their partner DSP prioritizes a technical KPI (speed) over the advertiser's goal (ROI).
Every unsynced KPI eventually translates into operational loss. If the SSP is chasing CPM and the DSP is chasing ROI, they are not optimizing together — they’re optimizing against each other.
Without KPI synchronization, SPO transforms from a valuable business-scaling tool into an obstacle to your growth.
The future of SPO: Strategic partnership
True SPO cannot exist without transparency — and transparency requires partnership. For years, SSPs and DSPs have been optimized in isolation. That era is ending. The next phase of SPO will be defined not by who’s removed from the chain, but by who’s willing to share data and build feedback into daily operations.
Currently, an SSP often builds its bid request at its discretion. If a DSP doesn't like what it sees, it simply cuts QPS, or stops bidding altogether — often without explanation. The SSP only sees the revenue drop but doesn't know the reason. As a result, its ability to optimize the bidstream is severely limited.
This lack of communication creates an invisible wall between supply and demand. SSPs keep optimizing in the dark, while DSPs filter out inventory they could otherwise value higher — if only they had accurate signals. This is precisely why partnership is essential. DSPs can provide SSPs with actionable feedback and explain their specific requirements: which fields to add, how to populate them, and what data is missing.
DSPs can also share information on viewability, clicks, and conversions. Armed with this data, SSPs can:
Manage their traffic more effectively by focusing on profitable audience segments for advertisers.
Provide publishers with recommendations to optimize ad placements and increase viewability.
This level of partnership allows the SSP to stop guessing. Instead, it gets a clear guide on how to improve signal quality. This is where the real difference lies between short paths and truly optimized ones. In the coming years, SPO leadership will belong to those who treat data as shared infrastructure — not as competitive leverage. That’s the foundation of a transparent, profitable marketplace.
Business outcomes
Building a partnership isn’t an act of goodwill — it’s a revenue strategy. Every signal you share or refine strengthens your economics on both sides of the auction.
For the demand side, partnership means cleaner data, faster auctions, and higher bid confidence. They don’t need to expand infrastructure to filter noise — they start with reliable signals and end with better ROI.
For SSPs and publishers, it means predictable bids and stronger buyer trust — translating directly into higher yield and long-term stability.
The final outcome is a virtuous cycle: better data leads to better performance, which builds trust, which in turn drives sustainable growth for everyone.
This is the real value of modern SPO — not cutting costs, but creating control.
The next phase of SPO
In 2025 and beyond, profitable SPO won’t depend on shorter paths — it will depend on smarter data.
The winners will be those who treat data as infrastructure, not as noise — and who use it to build trust across the supply chain.
Success in this new reality will be driven by proactivity—by those who commit to building new approaches in partnership, communication, and bidstream optimization.
If you are ready to lead this change — and want a white-label infrastructure built for transparency, control, and growth — let’s talk.
