The document discusses factors that affect viewability rates of online display ads. It finds that: 1) Vertical ad units and larger ad sizes have higher viewability rates than smaller sizes like banners. 2) While above-the-fold placements are often assumed to be most viewable, many below-the-fold ads are actually viewed; page position alone does not determine viewability. 3) Viewability varies across content categories, with sites that hold user attention the longest having the highest rates.

1. %OFDOMAINS
90–100%
80–90%
70–80%
60–70%
50–60%
DOMAIN AVERAGE VIEWABILITY
40–50%
30–40%
20–30%
10–20%
0–10%
12%
18%
24%
ONE SECOND
FACTORS
of
VIEWABILITY
The most viewable ad sizes are
vertical units. Not a surprise,
since they stay on screen longer
as users move around a page.
State of publisher viewability
Page position matters ...
Above the fold ≠ always viewable
... So does ad size
Viewability varies across industries
1
2
3
5
4
A display ad is considered
viewable when
50% of an ad’s pixels
are in view on the
screen for a minimum
as defined by the
of one second,
Media Rating Council.
Viewability Rates by Ad Size
average
viewability rates
VIEWABLE IMPRESSIONS:
A new industry standard
120 x 240 240 x 400 160 x 600 120 x 600
55.6%
54.9%
53.7%
52.5%
468 x 60
48.2%
970 x 90
45.2%
728 x 90
45.0%
300 x 600
46.3%
300 x 250
41.0%
Viewability rate:
Percentage of
ads determined
viewable out of
the total number
of ads measured.
Page position isn’t always
the best indicator of
viewability.
Not all above-the-fold
impressions are viewable,
while many below-the-fold
impressions are.
ABOVE THE FOLD
BELOW THE FOLD
68%
40%
A small number of
publishers are serving
most of the non-viewable
impressions; 56.1%
of all impressions
are not seen, but the
average publisher
viewability is 50.2%.
Reference
Games
Jobs&
Education
Business&
Industrial
Computers&
Electronics
Science
Internet&
Telecom
Hobbies&
Leisure
While it ranges across
content verticals, or
industries, content that
holds a user’s attention
has the highest viewability.
Source: Google, "The Importance of Being Seen: Viewability Insights for Digital Marketers and Publishers" study, November 2014.
thinkwithgoogle.com
51.9% 48.9% 48.4% 48.0% 47.8%
47.2% 47.1% 46.6% 46.4% 44.8%
Many of the ads served on the web never appear
on a screen. But thanks to new advancements,
we can now measure which digital ads were actually
viewable—on screen. And as advertisers shift to
paying for viewable instead of served impressions,
it’s important to understand what factors affect ad
viewability. We explored this by conducting a study
of our display advertising platforms, including
Google and DoubleClick. Here we size up five
factors of viewability—from page position to ad
dimensions and more.
Popular ad size rates
The most viewable
position is right
above the fold,
not at the top of
the page.
most
viewable
position
PAGE FOLD
Viewability Distribution Across Domains
Online
Communities
Arts&
Entertainment
Most Viewable Position on Page
300 x 250 320 x 50728 x 90