What is Smart Ad Refresh?

The easiest, simplest, yet the most trickiest advertisement technology that helps publishers gain additional revenue from every session is “Ad Refresh”. But the same technology holds the power to be a buzzkill for both - your users and advertisers. Then, what’s the best way to change this technology into a powerful solution?

Let’s find out. But first thing first.

What Is Ad Refresh?

Ad refresh is a technology that helps publishers serve new ads on an ad slot to the visitors of a web page. The ads get reloaded based on predefined triggers without the page getting reloaded or refreshed again. So, the same user is exposed to two or more ads in the same ad space and on the same webpage during the same session.

This helps publishers generate extra impressions from a single session. The initial impression received is called the “First Impression” and all impressions generated after the first ad are called “Ad Refresh Impressions”. The preset triggers can be custom events, user actions, time, etc.

Another point to remember is that the ad displayed in the refreshed ad slot can be the same ad or a new ad. However, as the refresh has run, the impression will be counted as a new impression.

How Does Ad Refresh Work?

The most commonly used ad refresh technologies, as discussed above, operate on the basis of certain preset triggers. These triggers can be:

Time-based ad refresh operates on a simple timer. Ads on a webpage are set to refresh automatically after a specific time has elapsed, usually 30, 60, or 90 seconds. The primary issue with this method is that it does not account for whether the viewer is actively engaging with the page or not. The page could be minimized or left idle, and ads would still refresh, potentially leading to high numbers of unseen ads. Advertisers might pay less for these ads due to their lower likelihood of being viewed.

Event-triggered ad refresh refreshes ads based on specific actions taken by the user, such as clicking a button, filling out a form, or other interactive behaviors. This method ensures that the ads are refreshed when the user is actively engaged, thereby increasing the chances that the ads are seen. This makes the ads more valuable, and advertisers are generally more willing to pay for these impressions. It's commonly used on dynamic websites where user interaction is frequent.

Viewport-based ad refresh only refreshes ads that are within the visible area of the webpage (the viewport) as the user browses. It’s designed to increase ad viewability by only refreshing ads that are in view. However, it can't determine if the user is actively looking at the ads or if the webpage is just left open in the background. There’s a risk of refreshing ads that are visible but not actually being looked at.

We call these traditional or legacy ad refresh techniques. Legacy ad refresh systems often fall short, creating negative impacts for both advertisers and users. We have discussed these in detail in our blog - Ad Refresh: Publisher's Guide to More Revenue & Happy Users.

Now, the question is, how can you ditch these downfalls? The answer lies in algorithms and AI, and the solution is called - Smart Ad Refresh.

Smart ad refresh is a more advanced technique for updating ads on a website. At Mile, Smart Ad Refresh builds up on “Active Exposure Time” called AXT.

Smart Ad Refresh with AXT is a sophisticated approach that dynamically updates ads based on extensive real-time analysis of user engagement and ad visibility. This method enhances ad viewability, engagement, and potential revenue by ensuring ads are refreshed at optimal times based on user interaction.

The Product

Let’s have a look at how Mile’s Smart Ad Refresh works:

Visibility and Engagement Tracking: Once the ad is served to a user, our platform monitors and calculates Active Exposure Time (AXT) for that particular user. Active Exposure Time measures the amount of time the user spends engaging on a page while an ad is in view.

Active Exposure Time Measurement: The tool starts a timer when an ad becomes visible, and the user is engaging with the page. If the ad remains in view and the user stays active for 15 seconds, Smart Ad Refresh automatically serves a new ad in the same spot. This ensures that ads are only refreshed when they are most likely to be noticed and interacted with, increasing their value.
AXT ensures that ads are only refreshed when they are at least 75% visible on the user's screen. It monitors the time a user actively spends viewing an ad on the page.

Metrics Monitored by AXT:
- User activeness: Tracks whether the user is actively engaging with the page.
- Session time: Monitors the duration since the webpage loaded.
- Active time: Measures the total time a user spends interacting with the page actively. Inactivity for more than 5 seconds pauses the timer.
- Last event: Logs the time since the last user interaction occurred.
- Total events: Counts the number of interactions a user has with the page.
- Ads under view: Tracks the number of ads in view at any given moment.

Continuous Monitoring: After an ad is refreshed, the Refresh timer resets and the process starts over. This cycle continues as long as the user is active on the page and the ads remain visible, maximizing the effectiveness of each ad placement.

The Implementation

Whether you are looking for complete ad management, build an in-house ad tech stack, or improve your current stack, our solution comes with hassle-free implementation. Smart Ad Refresh is a part of the package of our ad management and in-housing solution. However, if you are interested in just using the tech, we provide it as a plug-and-play solution that you can embed into your stack, further optimizing its performance.

Scanning and identification: Once you’re in, we scan and identify the ad units to run Smart Ad Refresh.

Integration: We construct a line of JS code that goes into your header to kickstart the process.

Optimization: Once the Smart Ad Refresh starts, our platform optimizes for everything, starting from the network, latency, time out for bidder partners, and even dynamic floor setup to make sure your impressions earn the maximum possible yield.

The Result

Mile’s Smart Ad Refresh is the game-changer you need. It optimizes your ad experience for both users and advertisers, maximizing your revenue potential.

Ad viewability: Smart Ad Refresh serves new ads only to users actively engaged with the webpage. This increases the chance of ads being more likely to be engaged with, without impacting the UX negatively. Advertisers appreciate such interactions, and thus, your inventory becomes a premium one, attracting higher bids from advertisers.
Ad impression: It increases the number of ad impressions served per user session. This further boosts the revenue per session and upsurges the overall ad revenue.
Competition: Smart Ad Refresh attracts higher bids from advertisers who value metrics such as viewability and relevancy. Also, you can add a header bidding option for this newly created ad inventory, resulting in increased RPM for the web page.
User experience: By ensuring that new ads are served to users actively engaged with the webpage, Smart Ad Refresh can help reduce ad fatigue. This leads to a more positive user experience and increased ad acceptance.

Our publisher, Flickchart, has been reaping the benefits of Smart Ad Refresh for years. Be it bounce rate, session time, or increase in revenue, all metrics are experiencing positive growth. In Q1 of 2024 alone, Smart Ad Refresh delivered 42.68% of the total impressions and accounted for about 45% of the total revenue generated every month.

Full case study: Flickchart Gains 80% Uplift in Revenue With Mile’s Smart Ad Refresh.

Is Smart Ad Refresh A Good Choice for Your Website?

It’s not easy to build an empire of engaged audiences. But once you have it, the next logical step is to generate maximum revenue from the powerhouse. Smart Ad Refresh does exactly the same. Be it programmatic or direct campaigns - Smart Ad Refresh is a must-have tool to maximize your revenue per session.

However, the tool’s effectiveness depends on many factors. For example, always ensure your ad networks and exchanges support smart refresh. Whereas Google Ad Exchange, Rubicon, OpenX, etc., supports ad refresh, Google Adsense, does not allow it. On AdSense, ad refresh is only allowed if the user/visitor has requested it. So, always consult your demand partner policies to avoid account suspension. Other considerations include:

While ad refresh can increase overall revenue, be mindful that CPMs often decrease with each refresh. Strategic application to high-performing units is key.
Auto-refresh can consume more data due to increased HTTP requests. This can impact user experience, particularly in regions with limited bandwidth. Carefully consider your target audience's location.
If you decide to proceed, adhere to network policies regarding refresh intervals, triggers, and declarations. A/B testing is crucial - experiment with different refresh times on a small section of your website to measure the impact before implementing it site-wide.

Ad refresh, when used thoughtfully, can be a powerful tool for publishers. However, a clear understanding of your monetization goals, user experience, and network compatibility is essential for optimal results. Consider partnering with tech experts like Mile to maximize its effectiveness. We analyze your website and ad inventory to determine the optimal implementation strategy for Smart Ad Refresh. Contact us today to learn more.