Display-to-search (D2S)

Display-to-search, or D2S, uses display advertising as the traffic source. The operator runs image or banner ads across websites and apps, pays by the click or by the thousand views (CPM), and lands visitors on a page monetised by a search feed.

In practice the label overlaps with Native-to-search. Some people use D2S for any non-search, non-social traffic, including native widgets and Google's image-led campaign types such as Google Demand Gen. Others reserve it for classic banners. When someone quotes D2S figures, ask which channels they include.

Display traffic carries the lowest intent of the main models. A banner interrupts whatever the person was doing, and banners in mobile apps are prone to accidental clicks. Display inventory also has a long history of bot traffic. For both reasons, feeds examine display-sourced visitors closely, and a D2S operator needs careful placement control, with a blocklist for sites and apps that send visitors who never engage.

The upside is price and reach. Display clicks can be very cheap, so even a modest RPV can leave a spread.