Google Analytics Certification Q&A — Fixed First-Price Auction

Q: You want to enter a fixed first-price auction for inventory across exchanges within Display & Video 360. You're the highest bidder at $10. What will you pay for the impressions?

You will pay $10.00. In a fixed first-price auction, the highest bidder pays exactly what they bid. Unlike second-price auctions, there’s no adjustment based on the second-highest bid.

Q: You want to enter a fixed first-price auction for inventory across exchanges within Display & Video 360. You're the highest bidder at $10. What will you pay for the impressions?

$5.00
$10.00 ✅
$9.99
$10.01

✅ Correct Answer: $10.00

Explanation:

In a fixed first-price auction, the highest bidder pays exactly what they bid for the impression. So, if your bid is $10.00 and you are the highest bidder, you pay $10.00.

This differs from a second-price auction, where the winning bidder pays slightly more than the second-highest bid (for example, $9.99 + $0.01). Google Display & Video 360 has largely moved toward first-price auctions to create more transparency and simplify bidding.

💡 Quick Tip for Your Certification Exam

Always remember: First-Price Auction = Pay Your Bid, while Second-Price Auction = Pay Slightly Above Second Highest Bid. Understanding this distinction helps you answer multiple-choice questions related to DV360 and Google Marketing Platform easily.