How to Increase Ad Viewability Above 80% for Maximum Revenue

Ad viewability has become one of the most important metrics in digital advertising. Every publisher wants higher ad revenue. Yet many forget that revenue only grows when ads actually appear in front of users. Therefore, increasing ad viewability is not optional. It is necessary.

When your ad viewability crosses 80%, your revenue improves dramatically. Advertisers start trusting your site. Your CPM rates increase. Your fill rates also grow. Because of all these improvements, your total ad revenue reaches higher levels with the same traffic.

In this detailed guide, you will learn how to push your ad viewability above 80%. You will understand why viewability matters. You will also learn practical techniques that work on real websites. Each point includes clear explanations and implementation ideas.

Let’s begin.

What Is Ad Viewability and Why It Matters

Ad viewability tells you how many ads were actually seen by users. The Media Rating Council says an ad is “viewable” when at least 50% of its area stays visible for one second for display ads or two seconds for video ads.

Most publishers focus only on ad impressions. However, advertisers care more about viewable impressions. Ads that never appear on the screen waste money. Because of this problem, advertisers shift budgets toward sites with strong viewability.

When viewability improves, several things happen immediately:

• Advertisers give you higher bids.
• Your Google AdX score improves.
• You attract more premium campaigns.
• You reduce wasted inventory.
• Your revenue per session increases.

Therefore, hitting 80% viewability must be your top goal.

How Viewability Impacts Your Total Revenue

Higher viewability increases revenue in many ways. When more ads load inside the user’s view, you earn more valid impressions. This simple change increases your total ad count per session. Because of this improvement, you also boost your overall eCPM.

Here is how viewability affects your revenue:

1. Higher eCPM: Advertisers pay more for viewable placements.
2. Better fill rate: Google prioritizes high-viewability traffic.
3. Premium campaigns: More agencies trust your site.
4. Better auction pressure: More bidders join the auction.
5. Fewer unsold impressions: Your inventory becomes more valuable.

Because of all these benefits, most publishers notice at least 20–40% revenue uplift after optimizing viewability.

Common Reasons Why Viewability Drops

Before improving viewability, you must understand why it drops. Most websites face these issues:

Poor ad placement

Many ads load below the fold. Users never scroll enough. As a result, those ads remain unseen.

Slow page speed

Heavy pages push ads down. Users bounce before ads load. This slows your revenue growth.

High CLS issues

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) pushes ads around. Users skip content when layouts jump.

Too many ads

A cluttered page distracts users. They leave quickly. Your viewability falls sharply.

Lazy-loading errors

Wrong lazy-loading settings delay ad rendering. Users scroll past the ad before it loads.

Low-quality site layout

A confusing layout reduces scroll depth. This reduces chances of ads appearing.

Because of these issues, your overall ad viewability stays below 60%. Now let’s fix this step by step.

How to Increase Ad Viewability Above 80%

Below are powerful methods used by top publishers. These techniques bring consistent results.

Place Ads in High-Viewability Zones

Ad placement decides at least 50% of your viewability score. You must place ads where users naturally spend time.

Use these high-viewability positions:

• Top of the page (but not the very top)
• Just below the headline
• Mid-content placements
• Right sidebar sticky units
• Sticky footer ads
• In-content ads after every 2–3 paragraphs

Top publishers use a layout that matches user flow. When ads appear in the natural reading pattern, viewability rises immediately.

Use Sticky Ads for Higher Exposure

Sticky ads deliver massive improvements in viewability. They remain visible when users scroll. Because of this behavior, they generate more viewable impressions.

Most effective sticky placements:

• Sticky sidebar ads
• Sticky anchor footer ads
• Sticky header ads (only when allowed)
• Sticky video players

Sticky ads often show 80–95% viewability because they stay inside the viewport for a long time.

Improve Page Speed and Reduce Load Time

Slow websites kill viewability. Users leave before your ads load. Because of this problem, only a small number of impressions become viewable.

To increase speed, try these steps:

• Compress all images.
• Remove unnecessary scripts.
• Use a lightweight theme.
• Reduce CSS and JavaScript.
• Enable browser caching.
• Use lazy loading smartly.
• Use CDN for faster delivery.

When your website loads within 3 seconds, viewability rises sharply.

Reduce CLS for Better User Experience

CLS issues occur when the layout shifts after rendering. Because of these shifts, ads jump down. Users scroll faster. Ads miss the viewable zone.

To fix CLS problems:

• Reserve space for every ad slot.
• Use defined ad sizes.
• Avoid dynamic-size banners.
• Pre-load ad containers.
• Avoid reactive changes without stability.

When CLS drops, your pages feel stable. Users read more content. Your viewability goes up.

Reduce the Number of Ads

Many publishers think more ads mean more revenue. This belief is wrong. When you overload your pages with ads, users leave quickly. Because of this behavior, your viewability drops.

Instead, try fewer but better placements.

Use these guidelines:

• Avoid stacking ads closely.
• Avoid too many units in sidebar.
• Avoid more than one ad above the fold.

A clean page always brings better viewability.

Increase Scroll Depth

If users scroll deeper, more ads load inside their view. Increasing scroll depth improves viewability quickly.

To increase scroll depth:

• Write engaging content.
• Use internal linking.
• Add table of contents.
• Break long paragraphs.
• Add visuals and infographics.

Good content keeps users scrolling. This simple change increases your viewability naturally.

Use In-View Ad Refresh

Ad refresh increases revenue, but only when used smartly. Refresh ads only when they are in view. This method pushes viewability above 80%.

Do not refresh ads when they are out of view. This practice reduces your quality score.

Good ad networks already support viewability-based refresh. Use them.

Use Lazy Loading Properly

Lazy loading improves speed. However, bad settings can delay ad rendering. When ads appear too late, users scroll past them.

Use these rules:

• Load ads only when they reach 50–100px before view.
• Avoid lazy-loading above-the-fold units.
• Test each setting on mobile and desktop.

Proper lazy loading brings higher viewability.

Improve Mobile Page Design

Most users now browse from mobile devices. Because of this trend, your mobile viewability matters the most.

Improve mobile layout by using:

• Clean spacing
• Simple navigation
• Easy scroll flow
• Sticky footer ads
• Mid-content placements
• Fast loading pages

When mobile experience improves, your viewability grows fast.

Use Advanced Ad Formats with High Viewability

Certain ad formats show higher viewability by default.

These include:

• Anchor ads
• Collapsible ads
• Sticky sidebars
• Video out-stream ads
• Rewarded video ads
• Native in-feed ads

These formats appear inside natural reading zones. Because of this behavior, they offer higher viewability.

Fix User Experience Issues

User experience decides how long visitors stay on your site. Better UX always leads to higher viewability.

Try these improvements:

• Reduce pop-ups
• Reduce intrusive banners
• Improve navigation
• Improve readability
• Maintain consistent spacing
• Avoid auto-play audio

When the experience feels smooth, users stay longer. Because of this behavior, more ads become viewable.

Use Heatmaps and Scroll Analytics

Heatmaps show you how users interact with your site. Tools like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity help you understand user behavior. You can see where they stop, click, or bounce.

Use these insights to:

• Adjust ad positions
• Remove low-performing placements
• Improve user journey
• Insert ads where users spend time

This data-driven approach brings strong viewability results.

Apply Header Bidding for Faster Ad Rendering

Header bidding speeds up ad delivery. It also increases competition. When ads load faster, more impressions become viewable.

Use lightweight header bidding wrappers like:

• Prebid.js
• Amazon TAM
• Open Bidding with GAM

A fast auction always improves viewability.

Optimize for Google Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals impact user behavior directly. Better scores lead to lower bounce rates and deeper scrolls. Because of this improvement, your viewability score rises.

Focus on:

• LCP
• CLS
• FID or INP

These metrics influence how users experience your website.

Avoid Heavy Ads

Large creative files slow your pages. Heavy ads reduce viewability. Use ad quality filters to block heavy ad formats.

Use these tips:

• Block oversized creatives
• Block auto-play video in standard display units
• Allow only compressed HTML5 ads

Cleaner ad quality improves user experience and viewability.

Use Google Ad Manager’s Viewability Reports

Google Ad Manager offers detailed viewability insights. Use them to track:

• Viewable impressions
• Viewability by ad unit
• Viewability by device
• Viewability by format

Use this data to remove low-performing placements.

Fix Above-the-Fold Rendering Delays

Above-the-fold ads must load quickly. When they load late, users scroll past them. This issue reduces viewability instantly.

To fix it:

• Preload the ad slot container
• Avoid blocking scripts
• Reduce CSS render time
• Use asynchronous tags
• Prioritize above-the-fold loading

Fast loading improves the first viewable impression rate.

Improve Ad Density Balance

Google recommends keeping ad density under 30% of visible content. High ad density makes users leave. When users leave early, viewability drops.

Reduce unnecessary placements. Align ads with reading flow.

Use Better Content Structure

Good content keeps users engaged. Engaged users scroll more. Because of this behavior, more ads load and become viewable.

Improve structure by using:

• Short paragraphs
• Bullet points
• Proper headings
• Images
• Interactive blocks

Better structure builds natural flow and supports higher viewability.

How Publishers Usually Reach 80%+ Viewability

Publishers that achieve 80%+ viewability follow this pattern:

1. They place ads in the natural reading path.
2. They use sticky and high-performing formats.
3. They improve page design for both mobile and desktop.
4. They reduce unnecessary placements.
5. They use fast-loading pages.
6. They monitor viewability monthly.

This simple formula works for almost any content website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)