In case you missed it, Google is removing average position from its reporting. And, it turns out, it’s not what everyone thought it was. We break down everything you need to know about this latest change and what it means for you.  

Everything You Need to Know About Ad Position 

In late February, Google announced it will sunset average ad position this September. While this announcement shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, it is a significant mindset shift since average position has been around for more than 15 years. When Google removed right rail ads in 2016, it made the average position metric even more erroneous, so it was only a matter of time until they removed it entirely.  

Google goes on to explain that average position was never intended to indicate where your ads were necessarily showing on the page, but rather the order your ad appeared in relation to other ads in the auction. This discrepancy is precisely why last November Google rolled out more meaningful metrics to better show what percentage of your ads appear at the top of the page. Top and absolute top will soon be the only (and more accurate) way to tell you the location of your ads on the search engine result pages (or as we marketers call them, SERPs).  

What it Means for You 

First and foremost, with everything else in the marketing world, this is just another example for the need to be flexible. At SilverTech, we embrace the change because we know it will make our reporting on ad performance more meaningful to our clients.  

Additionally, it makes bid strategy even more important. Our team of paid media experts understands when and how to optimize for position. For example, if brand presence is of utmost importance (over conversions or cost), then an automated Target Impression Share smart bid strategy is the way to go. However, it’s not always wise to bid for the top position every time. That’s where our team can work with you to determine the best bid strategy to meet your goals.  

 Not sure how to structure and optimize your Google Ads account? We can help! Contact us today to learn how.