What Is Ad Viewability and Why It Matters If an ad loads and no one sees it, does it even exist? That’s the f…
What Is Ad Viewability and Why It Matters
If an ad loads and no one sees it, does it even exist?
That’s the fundamental question behind ad viewability—a key metric that measures whether your ads are actually seen by users.
According to standards set by the Media Rating Council (MRC) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), an ad counts as “viewable” when:
- Display ads: At least 50% of the ad appears on the user’s screen for 1 second or longer
- Video ads: At least 50% of the ad appears on the user’s screen for 2 seconds or longer
Why should you care? Because advertisers certainly do. They’re no longer satisfied with impressions alone; they want assurance that people are actually seeing their ads.
Higher viewability translates directly to:
- Premium ad rates: Advertisers pay more for inventory they know will be seen
- Higher overall revenue: Even with the same traffic, better viewability means better earnings
Our data shows publishers with viewability rates above 70% command CPMs that are 2-3x higher than those having viewability below 50%.
Ready to boost your numbers? Here are five proven strategies that have delivered tangible results for our publishing partners.
1. Place Your Ads Where People Actually Look
Ad placement isn’t just about throwing banners wherever they’ll fit.
It’s about understanding user behavior and showing them ads accordingly.
Above the fold (the part of your page visible without scrolling) naturally performs well, but don’t just slap ads in the header. Users often scroll past before ads fully load. The sweet spot is typically 400-600 pixels from the top of the page, where your readers have settled into content consumption mode.
Mid-article placements are tricky. Our heat mapping studies reveal that users develop “ad blindness” to certain positions, the center of a page being one of them. For example, if you insert a banner ad after every 300 words, frequent readers will quickly learn to scroll right past that section without even glancing at the ad. They expect it, so they tune it out.
What’s the solution?
Instead of predictable placements, try integrating ads right after images, infographics, or videos. These elements naturally grab attention, so your ad is more likely to be seen as users pause to view the media.
Below the fold doesn’t always mean “worthless.” If your content keeps users engaged, ads further down can perform surprisingly well.
The Mobile Challenge
On mobile, stick to the “30% rule”—ads shouldn’t take up more than 30% of the screen at any time.
Go any higher than this, and users will perceive your site as spammy.
2. Choose the Right Ad Sizes and Formats
Ad size has a decisive impact on viewability, but that doesn’t mean “bigger equals better.”
Here’s what works:
Vertical vs. Horizontal
Vertical formats (like 300×600 and 160×600) usually get higher viewability.
This is because users scroll the site vertically, and these ads stay in view longer as users scroll.
Horizontal banners (like 728×90) still have their place, especially as sticky headers.
Newer formats-like in-view units (that only load when visible), responsive ads (that fit any screen), and native ads (that blend with your content)-are emerging as top performers.
The most viewable ad is one that complements, rather than competes with, your content.
3. Page Speed Optimization
A slow-loading page is the fastest way to lose both users and ad revenue.
Nothing irritates users like a slow-loading site. Every second of delay means fewer ads are seen.
While ads load, don’t leave your users unattended. Keep users engaged.
- Use progressive loading indicators that signal value is coming. A subtle loading bar, spinning icon, or even a short animation all help ease that wait. Go creative. A travel blog could use a tiny airplane flying across a loading bar, or a cooking site might show a simmering pot animation while the ad loads. Anything that makes the wait smooth or even cute works.
- Prevent those annoying layout shifts that happen when ads suddenly pop in and push your content around. Use simple, lightweight placeholder images or colored boxes where ads will appear.
4. What if users actually love your ads?
The biggest myth in advertising is that users “just hate ads.”
No, they hate bad ads: irrelevant, intrusive, or ugly ones.
Here is how you can make your users actually like your ads:
Make them interesting:
Remember the iconic Ufone ads?
We all loved them—not just because they were promoting a product, but because they were genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny.
Ufone didn’t just advertise; they entertained us.
Their commercials became part of our daily conversations, inside jokes, and even our childhood memories.
Duolingo is a perfect case study for this approach in today’s digital advertising arena.
The language learning app turned its green owl mascot into a viral social media character.
The brand made its ads funny, relatable, and share-worthy, especially for Gen Z.
They didn’t sell a product; they sold a personality.
Result? Millions of organic views, massive engagement, and brand loyalty — all built through interesting ads.
As publishers, this is a powerful lesson.
If you can work with advertisers to create ads that spark curiosity, make people smile, or touch their hearts, your readers will start to like your ads.
Make them valuable, not just visible:
Users don’t mind ads if those ads actually help them.
When an ad is informative, solves a problem, or offers something useful, it feels like a welcome suggestion, not an interruption.
Take Amazon’s “Today’s Deals” pop-ups.
Instead of running salesy banners, they show time-limited discounts on products users have already browsed or shown interest in.
This helps shoppers get their favorite products for less money.
Result? People desperately look forward to those ads.
Contextual targeting works like a charm here.
This is when the ads are aligned with the content of the site.
For example:
- A travel site displaying hotel deals for the exact destinations mentioned in the article
- A tech review site promoting accessories for devices being discussed
This approach makes the ads a natural extension of the content experience, rather than an interruption.
Transparency wins
Some publishers found success with transparent approaches such as:
- “Sponsored content that helps support our journalism”
- Explaining the value exchange to users (free content in exchange for ad viewing)
Users demand (and reward) transparency.
When they understand the role ads play in funding the content they enjoy, viewability increases naturally.
5. Know Your Audience and Test Relentlessly
User intent matters: A visitor searching for specific information has different tolerance for ads than someone casually browsing.
Adjust ad density and formats accordingly.
The Testing Framework That Drives Results
Implement a systematic testing approach:
- Hypothesis: Form a clear theory about what might improve viewability
- Controlled testing: Change only one element at a time (position, size, or timing)
- Sufficient sample size: Run tests until you have clear results
- Documentation: Record what worked and what didn’t. Double down on the success elements.
The bottom line:
Improving ad viewability is about doing a bunch of smart things together. Each of these five strategies reinforces the others:
- Strategic placement ensures your ads have the opportunity to be seen
- Optimal formats help keep ads visible longer as users scroll.
- Fast-loading pages give ads enough time to appear before users move on
- User-friendly experiences build acceptance and even liking for your ads
- Testing and segmentation fine-tune the entire system
Put these strategies to work on your site to improve your ad viewability and get higher rates for your ad inventory. Or if you’d rather skip the trial-and-error, let experts handle this for you. We know how to make your ads unmissable.
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