How Content Recommendation Networks Have Changed the Internet

The way we use the Internet has changed shifted over the last five to 10 years. Similarly, the way that the Internet uses us has also changed. One of the biggest alterations we've experienced in recent years is the use of content recommendation networks. There are a slew of companies in this industry that have taken off over the past decade, and in the process, have revolutionized the look and feel of web pages.

To make sure we're all on the same page, content recommendation networks refers to what is known in today's world as native advertising. Companies in this industry work with websites of all sizes and subject matters to place advertisements and content links on a web page. This may sound basic, but content recommendation firms are able to take things to another level by tailoring those advertisements to individual users; hence, they are recommending products and additional content specifically geared toward each user.

Odds are, you've clicked on one of these links at some point, whether you realized it or not. In fact, content recommendation has been around for so long that you've probably grown accustomed to see these links and advertisements, so much so that you just brush it off as part of the website. However, if you take a closer look, you'll definitely notice these recommendation platforms and see names like Taboola and Outbrain beside them, as these are two of the biggest names in the content recommendation industry.

There are a variety of benefits provided by content recommendation networks. For some sites, it's a way to get their product or website in front of more people, helping to increase their traffic and ultimately the amount of business they're able to conduct. For other sites, hosting content recommendation advertisements is a great way to generate additional revenue, as the real estate on a webpage can be quite valuable, and if you have empty space on your page, why not use it to make money? For users, it's an easy way to be introduced to products and pages that you're likely to enjoy.

The process of determining recommendations is utterly fascinating. Firms in this industry use all types of data and algorithms to determine what advertisements will have the most success with particular users. This enables recommendation networks to quickly determine if specific ads or links are being effective and alter them if necessary, doing everything in their power to produce results for their clients.

The content recommendation network that appears to have mastered this better than any other company is Revcontent, which boasts 250 billion content recommendations per month. Revcontent innovates to build a flexible, adaptable platform for media brands and advertisers. Despite being founded in 2013, which was after the industry had already started to take off with Outbrain and Taboola, Revcontent has caught up with its competitors and becoming an industry leader. Revcontent made a decision early in its existence to always put the focus on people, a novel concept for an Internet company. This attitude has helped to catapult Revcontent to the top of the content recommendation network industry in an astonishingly brief period of time, bringing brands like Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc.com on board and putting them at the forefront of an industry that continues to revolutionize the way we use the Internet and the way the Internet uses us.