Ads Above the Fold Are Not More Viewable So why are they priced at a premium?

AdWeek reporting:

Roughly half of online ads are going unseen, per various reports. This is creating a nightmarish scenario for advertisers who face the prospect of wasted spending while publishers are left having to reassure buyers whose confidence in the medium is shaken.

Google and others are responding with tools that promise to ensure advertisers their ads are being seen. One outcome of this is that the long-held assumption that ads at the top of the page are most viewed is being challenged. That’s potentially worrisome for publishers who have been selling those ads at a premium.

But now, there’s new evidence to that effect coming from an unlikely source. The Washington Post is going public with research showing that visitors scroll quickly on certain types of pages, and when they do, they’re more likely to see ads low down on the page than at the top...

...Based on the research, the Post created an ad unit to combat quick scrolling by following the viewer for the first seven seconds of scrolling. After seven seconds, the “Superview” unit floats back to the top of the page. Tests with four vendors resulted in viewability increases of 9 percent to 19 percent. When one vendor, Moat, tested engagement, it found the unit scored 31 percent higher than the control unit...

...Other publishers have introduced new units and redesigned their sites to maximize ad viewability. Forbes has its “conversation” unit that stays with viewers as they move down the page. Earlier this year, it lowered the position of its leaderboard unit to improve its chance of being seen by quick scrollers. Mark Howard, chief revenue officer, said both units have seen improved views and interaction....

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