A viewable impression is an online advertising metric that measures whether a user has viewed an ad. Specifically, a viewable impression is defined as an ad that is at least 50% visible on a user’s screen for at least one second.
This standard was established by the Media Rating Council (MRC), an industry group that sets standards for digital advertising metrics.
Why Viewable Impressions Matter
Viewable impressions matter because they provide a more accurate measure of ad effectiveness than traditional metrics like impressions and clicks.
In the past, advertisers paid for ad impressions regardless of whether a user saw the ad. With viewable impressions, advertisers only pay for ads that are seen, which can help increase ROI and reduce wasted ad spend.
Viewable impressions also matter because they can help to improve the overall user experience. By ensuring that ads are only displayed when they are viewable, you can reduce the number of irrelevant or annoying ads users encounter. This can help to improve user satisfaction and reduce ad blocking.
How to Measure Viewable Impressions
These are some tools and software that are used to measure viewable impressions:
- Third-party viewability measurement vendors: Third-party vendors use various techniques, such as JavaScript code, pixel tracking, and browser-based metrics, to determine whether an ad has been viewed.
- Built-in ad server viewability tracking: Some ad servers, such as Google Ad Manager, have built-in viewability tracking capabilities. These systems use a combination of JavaScript code and pixel tracking to determine whether an ad has been viewed.
- Browser-based viewability tools: Some browsers, such as Google Chrome, have built-in viewability measurement tools that allow users to see whether ads on a page are viewable.
- Viewability reporting from publishers and networks: Publishers and networks may also provide viewability metrics for their ads. However, it is important to note that these metrics may not be independent or standardized and may be subject to manipulation.
- Custom viewability measurement solutions: Some advertisers and publishers may choose to develop their custom viewability measurement solutions.
Optimizing for Viewable Impressions
To optimize for viewable impressions, advertisers and publishers should focus on the following strategies:
- Improve ad placement: Ads placed higher up on the page and closer to the content are more likely to be viewable. Publishers should work with advertisers to ensure ads are placed in the most viewable locations.
- Use the proper ad format: Certain ad formats, such as native ads and in-stream video ads, tend to be more viewable than others.
- Reduce ad clutter: Pages cluttered with ads are less likely to have viewable impressions.
- Optimize for mobile: Mobile devices have smaller screens than desktops, making it more challenging to achieve viewability.
- Monitor performance: Advertisers and publishers should regularly monitor their viewability metrics to identify areas for improvement.
In conclusion, viewable impressions are an important metric for measuring ad effectiveness and improving the user experience. Businesses can increase ROI and reduce wasted ad spend by ensuring users see ads.