Advertising is still about persuasion, and in order to identify the most persuasive opportunities for advertisers on today’s Web, analytics need to go beyond contextual targeting, to understand the nature of the content, the environment, and emotive state of the reader. Analytics are telling us that the advertiser can influence results by being in the right place at the right time with the right content.

This means the big questions for advertisers have become: Are you aligned with the right piece(s) of content and audience to drive a desired result? And is the content relevant to the audience you want to reach? This has driven the need to analyze, pinpoint, and place advertising in the content channels where consumers are in the most receptive (emotional) state to receive their message.

Analytics should confirm that content provides the proper reference and relevance to the audience advertisers want to reach. Then your data should tell a story of how each of these elements are driving an actionable response from your target consumer.