Viewability is a digital advertising metric that measures whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen by users. An ad is considered viewable when it meets industry-defined criteria: typically at least 50% of the ad must be visible in the browser window for at least one continuous second for display ads and two continuous seconds for video ads.
This metric emerged as a response to the realization that many digital ads were being served but never actually viewed by humans due to factors like placement below the scroll line (below the fold) or technical loading issues. Viewability helps advertisers ensure they’re paying for ads that have a genuine chance of being seen.
Major advertising organizations including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Media Rating Council (MRC) have established viewability standards though debate continues about what truly constitutes an effective viewable impression.
Improving viewability rates involves strategic ad placement optimizing page load times implementing lazy loading techniques and designing engaging creative that encourages users to look at the ad area. Viewability is now considered a fundamental metric in digital advertising planning measurement and optimization.
Michael Smith
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