Web Browsing History refers to the record of web pages that a user has visited over a certain period of time. This digital trail serves multiple purposes and has various implications. On the positive side, it aids users in finding previously visited pages and allows for the creation of personalized web libraries. In addition, it offers insights into user behavior and facilitates targeted advertising[1] and personalized pricing strategies. However, the collection of such data raises significant privacy[3] concerns, with potential misuse by adware or unconsented tracking by cookies. Some users may resort to providing false information or deleting their data to maintain privacy. Despite measures such as ad blockers and cookie deletion, effective privacy protection remains a challenge. Users’ responses and behaviors towards these issues vary, influencing the dynamics of online advertising[2] and pricing. Current research focuses on developing more secure technologies and enhancing privacy awareness, with an eye towards future advancements in privacy protection technologies.
Terms definitions
1. ↑ targeted advertising.
1 Targeted advertising is a marketing method that focuses on delivering promotional content to specific audiences. This strategy involves gathering and analyzing user data to tailor ads to individuals' interests, behaviors, and demographics. There are several types of targeted advertising, which include internet service providers tracking website visits, search engine marketing, and using platforms like Google's Search and Display Network.The technique also extends to social media, with platforms harnessing behavioral targeting and geotargeting. For instance, Facebook uses micro-targeting based on user data. Additionally, there are various targeted advertising techniques, such as content, contextual, technical, time, sociodemographic, and geographical targeting.Moreover, targeted advertising is prevalent in mobile and television sectors. Mobile ads utilize consumer location and time, while television ads focus on demographics and interests. Cable boxes and over-the-top video platforms also facilitate targeted advertising. All these methods aim to increase advertising efficiency and relevance.
2 "Targeted advertising" is a marketing strategy that involves gathering and analyzing user data to deliver personalized ads relevant to individual consumers. This strategy can be implemented across various channels such as search engines, social media, television, and mobile devices. Companies, internet service providers, and websites collect user data like preferences, behaviors, and demographics to make ads more relevant. Platforms like Google Ads allow advertisers to reach specific audiences, even retargeting specific website visitors. Social media platforms leverage user data for personalized advertising, allowing advertisers to target users based on interests, likes, demographics, and other factors. Television ads can target viewers based on age, gender, location, and interests, while mobile advertising uses location and time data to serve ads tailored to consumer schedules and environments.
2. ↑ online advertising.
1 Online Advertising refers to the method of delivering promotional content to users through the internet. It began in 1995, with significant developments such as the first email advertising in 1978, the introduction of online banner advertising in the early 1990s, and the launch of Google's AdWords in 2000. Various formats and sales models are used, including floating and expanding ads, trick banners and News Feed Ads, often sold in real-time bidding markets. The practice of programmatic advertising uses software to select and target ads, leveraging data from cookies and behavioral tracking to create detailed user profiles. This is complemented by Data Management Platforms, which manage first, second, and third-party data. The process of ad exchange involves ad space offers being sent to an ad exchange, where demand side platforms bid on the space. Social Media Marketing and Mobile Advertising are also prevalent forms, with the latter experiencing significant growth due to increased mobile device usage. These methods aim to increase website visibility, enhance brand engagement, and improve customer reach.
2 Online advertising is a marketing strategy that involves the use of the internet as a medium to obtain website traffic and target and deliver marketing messages to the right customers. It has evolved from the early days of simple email marketing and banner ads to more sophisticated methods like search ads, social media, and mobile advertising. This form of advertising is driven by various sales and delivery models, including direct management by website publishers, outsourcing to agencies, ad exchanges, and automated programmatic advertising. Innovative techniques have emerged over time, aiming to capture user attention and increase engagement. These strategies include floating and expanding ads, trick banners, news feed ads, search engine marketing, and social media marketing. The evolution of online advertising showcases its adaptability to changing consumer behavior and technology advancements.
3 Online advertising, also known as digital advertising, is a modern marketing strategy that uses the internet to deliver promotional content to consumers. It originated around the mid-1990s and has since undergone significant evolution, notably shifting from early restrictions on commercial activities on networks like ARPANET and NSFNet. Online advertising includes various formats such as floating ads, expanding ads, trick banners, and news feed ads. It utilizes advanced technology like programmatic advertising and data management platforms to automate ad sale and delivery, improve targeting, and enhance efficiency. Key strategies under online advertising include Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), sponsored search, social media marketing, and mobile advertising. These strategies aim to increase website visibility, improve relevance to search terms, and deliver ad content across different platforms and devices.
4 Online advertising refers to the use of internet services to deliver promotional marketing messages to consumers. It encompasses a wide range of services, from email marketing, which started in 1978, to modern-day mobile advertising. Online advertising saw significant growth from the early 1990s with the advent of display ads and has since evolved to include various ad formats such as floating ads, expanding ads, trick banners, and News Feed Ads. The industry has also seen a shift towards integrating advertising into editorial content or services, focusing on social media advertising, and increasing mobile ad spending. Data management platforms are used to aggregate and categorize user data, and programmatic advertising further targets ads using this data. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), sponsored searches, and mobile advertising are all critical facets of online advertising. This multi-faceted approach allows for a personalized and targeted advertising experience for users.
5 Online advertising is a digital marketing strategy that uses the internet as a medium to promote products and services. It began its journey in 1995 and since then, it has evolved significantly. Early restrictions on online advertising were lifted when NSFNet ended its commercial use ban in 1991. The first notable online ad was sent in 1978 by DEC and email marketing grew rapidly thereafter. Over the years, various advertising formats and strategies have emerged. These include floating ads, expanding ads, trick banners, and News Feed Ads among others. Online advertising also employs advanced techniques like programmatic advertising, behavioral targeting, and geotargeting. Additionally, it involves a variety of sales and delivery models, with website publishers either serving ads directly or outsourcing them to agencies. Google, with its tools like AdWords, has played a significant role in popularizing online advertising. Today, this form of advertising is an integral part of the digital world, merging with editorial content, social media, and mobile advertising.
Web browsing history (Wikipedia)
Web browsing history refers to the list of web pages a user has visited, as well as associated metadata such as page title and time of visit. It is usually stored locally by web browsers in order to provide the user with a history list to go back to previously visited pages. It can reflect the user's interests, needs, and browsing habits.
All major browsers have a private browsing mode in which browsing history is not recorded. This is to protect against browsing history being collected by third parties for targeted advertising or other purposes.
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