Google Lets Advertisers Buy In Real Time

Google debuted a new way of buying ads based on viewability in real time, across its Display network. What this means, in practical terms, is that advertisers can target purchases based upon data about where their ad has been seen. The product works through a system called Active View, that leverages an algorithmic review of publisher websites to place ads in places where they are likely to be viewed; advertisers thereafter only pay for the ads measured as viewable according to the IAB/3MS standard: 50% of the ad visible on the page for one second or longer.  We’ve seen the industry question CTR as a proxy for engagement for awareness campaigns which may move in favor of verified exposures. While we are quite a ways out, look to see if eye-tracking will be supplant viewability as a true metric of attention. Companies like Sticky think so.