Brands waste millions of dollars buying online ads that site visitors never see -- and Google hopes to change that. The company announced a payment model Thursday that allows advertisers to buy
ads on the Google Display Network (GDN) that Web site page visitors actually view.
The model is based on the Interactive Advertising Bureau's viewable standard, which requires 50% or
more of the ad on the Web site page to remain visible for one second or longer.
Nearly half of online advertisements are placed in spots that site viewers never see because they don't scroll
down the page. The buying option based on Active View, Google's MRC-accredited viewability measurement tool, lets an advertiser bid in the auction as usual, but only pay for the ads that run in slots
deemed viewable.
Advertisers will see a report of how many viewable impressions they received, which can distinguish when ads are in the viewable portion of a screen across desktops,
tablets and mobile phones, according to a Google spokesperson.
Although Google execs already deem this model a success, the company will keep other optional ad payment models such as pay per
click and pay per engagement.
Earlier this year, Google said it would sell reservable inventory on GDN, paying only for impressions that meet the IAB proposed viewability standard -- a method
that would give the industry a universal metric when analyzing and attributing which ads reach an audience.
It's common sense that site visitors can only click on an ad they can see. The
longer the person views the ad, the more likely they will click through to the landing page. In a move toward widespread adoption, the viewable impression will give brand marketers more credibility to
increase online advertising budgets and keep publishers honest by proving the brand's ads are seen. This provides an opportunity to build closer ties with consumers knowing they viewed the
advertisement.