Google SERPs: Say Goodbye To The Average Position

Google has implemented hundreds of different changes to AdWords over the years, and they aren’t going to be stopping any time soon. Come September 2019 they’ll be applying a new average SERP position metric for Google Ads. Here’s what you need to know about the coming changes, and how they’ll affect your Google Ads on search engine result pages (SERPS).

The Coming Changes

This metric change may seem to split one familiar metric into many, making Google Ads more complicated than it already is. However, this change will actually help you gauge how your ads perform more accurately than ever before.

Average Position

Say goodbye to average position, as Google is ceasing this function from September of this year as they prepare to bring in the new metrics. Some people believed that average position would show you where your ad was located in general on SERPs, but that wasn’t the intention. In reality, the average position indicated where on the page your ad would be in relation to other ads.

Therefore, if your ad was in the second average position on a search results page, it could also be seen at the end of the page, even though its overall average position was second. The ad in the second position would be one of the first things to be seen by an internet user because it was in direct line of sight. The same ad at the bottom of the page would be dismissed, forgotten, or not seen at all.

What Are The New Metrics?

The average position might have changed, but the intent remains the same. The new metrics are as follows:

•         Absolute Top Impression Share – The definition of this metric is that it refers to how many views your ad receives when it’s in the first position on a SERP. That means that you’ll know when and where your ad will be listed, without the user needing to scroll down. This metric is particularly handy for digital marketers and advertisers who create ads specifically for mobile marketing.
•         Top Impression Share – This metric refers to how many impressions an ad receives if it’s above organic search results, but not in the top position. This is particularly helpful to gauge the views based on your ad in relative to others on the same page.

Conclusion

The coming changes are exciting, and look like they’ll be more helpful for PPC managers, digital marketers and online advertisers than before. However, we can’t tell yet if they’ll be successful or have their intended effect. You have an opportunity to educate yourself about search ads and online advertising so that when the new metrics are implemented in September, you and your clients will be ready.