When it comes to ad placement, the immediate response for this question would often be ‘Above the fold’ for apparent reasons. Placing an ad where it’s visible without scrolling, above-the-fold, grabs attention as users land on the page, resulting in better fill rates and eventually better CPMs and overall site’s ad revenue. However, there’s more to effective ad placements than above-the-fold placements, that can significantly impact revenue. Alternative positions have proven their effectiveness in generating substantial revenue;
Integrating ads within the content, strategically placed between paragraphs or within the article text, can have a powerful influence on your site’s ad monetization, even when placed below-the-fold. Also, these ads feel less intrusive, enhancing the overall user experience, which also has a significant impact on your overall revenue.
Other strategic placements, such as in the sidebar, near a call-to-action (CTA), or even in the footer, are also common and when managed properly can be effective in terms of CPMs and ad revenue.
Although placing ads in the sidebar, a traditional yet beneficial approach, may be less prominent than above-the-fold positions, it can still attract attention when well-designed and strategically placed. Positioning ads near a CTA or at the end of an article can take advantage of the user engagement, encouraging them to take the next step and interact with the ad. While placing ads in the footer is an option for less intrusive advertising, user interaction might be lower compared to more visible positions.Therefore, using of a Sticky footer ads, which remains visible as the user navigates through the content, might be a smart move when wanting to use this position.
So, how will you determine what’s best for your site?
Striking a balance between ad viewbilty and user experience is crucial for a positive interaction with both content and ads, and eventually for finding the best way to monetize your website. Understanding your site’s user behavior is the key for a successful balance. While estimates suggest that around 50% – 70% of users engage with content below-the-fold, it’s crucial to know the exact numbers for your site, in order to set the right strategy. Monitoring your users’ behavior using web analytics tools will provide more accurate insights into how many of your users scroll below-the-fold, and will help you decide what are the best positions for your ads. Ultimately, the effectiveness of an ad position is determined through testing and analyzing your users engagement metrics. A/B testing of different placements will also help you in identifying the optimal position for your specific audience and website design.
Whether you decide to go with the above-the-fold strategy, or you know your site’s metrics and users’ behavior well enough to use the below-the-fold positions – we got you covered with our embedded Social media contextual units.
At Carambola, we understand the crucial role user engagement plays in your site’s metrics. Positioning native display ads near engaging and relevant content increases the likelihood of user interaction, ultimately boosting your site’s monetization and ad revenue. This is the reason we’ve developed our social media contextual units. These units authentically embed social media feed into the context, enriching article content and elevating engagement while presenting an ad to the user- the perfect balance that will realize the potential of every position you choose to use.
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