Feed provider

Most newcomers cannot get a search ad contract directly. Search engines sign only with partners they trust, usually larger companies with a track record. A feed provider sits in the gap. It holds the contract, builds the technology, and lets other publishers or media buyers monetise traffic through its account.

In return the provider keeps part of the money. If the engine pays the provider a certain revenue share, the provider passes on a percentage of that to the publisher and keeps its own take rate. Providers often supply ready-made pages, reporting dashboards, a reporting API and compliance checks as well.

The provider is also the one answerable to the search engine. If a sub-publisher sends bad traffic, the engine may punish the provider's whole account, so good providers vet partners through feed approval, limit volume with a feed cap and pass on any clawback. Publicly listed examples of companies in this part of the chain include System1, Perion and Team Internet.

Think of it like this

A feed provider is like a master franchisee: it holds the licence from the brand, sublets it to individual shopkeepers, takes a cut, and is the one who gets the angry call if a shopkeeper breaks the rules.