How Search and Advertising Can Work Without Cookies or Personal Data

Search and advertising can work without cookies by relying on contextual placement, semantic analysis, and privacy-first infrastructure that matches ads to content, not users, enabling relevance without personal data tracking.

Reinventing Search Media for a Privacy-First Internet

This episode explores how search media can be reinvented to operate in a privacy-first, distributed, and sustainable way, outside dominant platforms and without cookies.

From Keywords to Contextual Search Advertising

In this episode of Movers & Shakers, we welcomed Yohan El Maalem and Sacha Bouaziz, co-founders of K-words, alongside their partners Harry Levy and Damien Peponnet.

Their approach rethinks the traditional keyword model by allowing brands to sponsor keywords directly within publisher content, using contextual relevance rather than user tracking.

Context Can Replace Personal Data

A key insight shared by the founders is that context often outperforms personal data.

By understanding:

• What content a user is reading
• The semantic meaning of the page
• The editorial environment

Advertisers can deliver relevant messages without collecting or processing personal information.

Semantic Analysis at the Core of Privacy-First Advertising

K-words relies on fine-grained semantic analysis to match ads with content across premium media environments.

This enables:

• Cookie-less targeting
• Strong brand safety guarantees
• Respect for user privacy

Relevance is driven by meaning, not surveillance.

Building an Ecosystem, Not Just a Product

A recurring theme of the episode is the importance of thinking ecosystem-first.

Sustainable search advertising must create value for:

• Publishers, by monetizing content responsibly
• Advertisers, by delivering contextual relevance
• Readers, by preserving trust and experience

This balance is essential for long-term viability.