How is a banner space technically sold, through SSPs or ad networks, to the advertisers?

Question

What data in general does a publisher need to offer to SSP or ad networks?

Does the publisher need to offer:

1. Some sort of html that specifies the ad space located within a web page?
2. Type of content in that web page? or ad network can probe and tell content type like search engines?
3. Any other must data to offer, so ad message can be directed correctly for targeting purpose?

Answer 1

It probably varies by network as the exact details. But generally, you set up your ad spaces on the network site providing things like dimensions, then the network will give you some code such as a javascript that you put in the places that you are going to run ads for that space.

As for targeting, again it depends on the network but an SSP will probably crawl your site and decide what works for that content. They may allow you to pick categories as well.

You may want to search for some videos for how to use Google's Adsense as that is basically how these things work.