Impression (online media)

An impression (in the context of online advertising) is when an ad is seen, and is countable. Clicking or not is not taken into account.[1] Each time an ad displays it is counted as one impression.[2]

Because of the possibility of click fraud, robotic activity is usually filtered and excluded, and a more technical definition is given for accounting purposes by the IAB, a standards and watchdog industry group: "Impression" is a measurement of responses from a Web server to a page request from the user browser, which is filtered from robotic activity and error codes, and is recorded at a point as close as possible to opportunity to see the page by the user.[3][4]

Purpose

Counting impressions is the method by which most Web advertising is accounted and paid for, and the cost is quoted in CPI (cost per impression). (Contrast CPC, which is the cost per click and not impression-based).

Construction

A movement is underway to move from the current standard of served impressions, to a new standard of viewable impressions. [5] [6] [7] The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Association of National Advertisers (ANA), and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) have joined forces in an initiative called 3MS (Making Measurement Make Sense), with the purpose of better defining the value of display media. [8]

See also

References

  1. Yahoo Search Marketing Glossary
  2. Google AdWords Help: Impression
  3. IAB Glossary of Interactive Advertising Terms v. 2.0
  4. Interactive Audience Measurement and Advertising Campaign Reporting and Audit Guidelines
  5. Mane, Sherill. Measuring Return From Interactive Advertising. MASB Summer Board Meeting and Summit, August 2012.
  6. 6.0 6.1 http://www.iab.net/mmms iab. Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS). Cited 13 March 2013.
  7. http://www.measurementnow.net www.measurementnow.net. Making Measurement Make Sense. Cited 15 March 2013.
  8. 8.0 8.1 http://www.rosetta.com/about/thought-leadership/Display-Advertising-Trends-Standardizing-Viewable-Impressions.html Rosetta. Display Advertising Trends: Standardizing Viewable Impressions. Cited 13 March 2013.

External links