Problems Of Low Ad Viewability

By Author: John Z
Total Articles: 61
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Ad viewability rate refers to the percentage of ad impressions that are actually seen by users. There is a difference between delivered impressions and viewable impressions. A delivered impression is counted when an ad is served to a user's device, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the user saw the ad or engaged with it in any way. A viewable impression is counted when an ad was actually seen by a user, usually by tracking how much of the ad was visible on the user's screen and for how long. Different ad servers and measurement companies may use slightly different standards for what constitutes a "viewable" ad impression. However, the industry standard set by the Media Rating Council (MRC) in the United States is that at least 50% of the ad's pixels must be in view for at least one second to be considered viewable. However, other platforms or advertisers may use stricter or more lenient criteria based on their own goals and priorities. A low ad viewability rate can be a problem for publishers and advertisers. We are going to discuss issues that can arise or imply from low ad viewability:

Waste of ad spend
When ...
... an ad is not viewable, its viewability rate is low. It means that many users do not see it, and as a result, it is likely ineffective. This reduces brand awareness and leads to a waste of ad spend because advertisers are paying for ad placements that are not resulting in actual views, clicks, or interactions. Low ad viewability also leads to a lack of conversions and that negatively impacts the return on investment (ROI) for advertisers because they are not seeing the results they were expecting from their ad campaigns.

Difficulty in measuring effectiveness
Low ad viewability can make it difficult to measure the performance of an ad campaign. When an ad is not viewable or viewability is not measurable, it's difficult to determine how many users actually saw it and how many engaged with it. This makes it difficult for businesses to determine the actual ROI of their ad campaigns and make adjustments accordingly. It is like going through a dark tunnel with little data to guide you.

Ad fraud
Low ad viewability is one of the many signs of possible ad fraud because fraudsters can create fake websites or apps and place ads to generate impressions in order to take advantage of advertisers. Overall viewability will be low because these ad placements are often difficult to see or even invisible to actual viewers. The goal of these malicious actors is all about generating revenue from ad serving and not quality content or quality audience. This leads to a significant waste of ad spend, a lack of conversions for businesses and a loss of trust.

Decrease in ad revenue
Low ad viewability can lead to a decrease in ad revenue for publishers because advertisers may not want to pay the same rate for ad placements that are not viewable. If advertisers are willing to run campaigns without this data, they might negotiate to pay a lower rate than paying another publisher with viewability data. This can make it more difficult for publishers to monetize their website or app and can negatively impact their bottom line. Therefore, it is to your benefit to improve ad viewability of your ad placements.

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