Ad blocking - what does it mean?

AdBlocking is a hot topic at the moment, but what does it really mean?

With the imminent launch of Google Chrome’s inbuilt advertising filtering and their next release for Asia and Pacific, as well as a number of third-party ad blocking technologies, advertisers and publishers alike are needing to be more conscious than ever of how they choose to advertise.

Here at realestate.co.nz we see both sides of the coin. As a publisher, we deliver (and want to continue to deliver) premium results to our advertisers and our marketing team want to ensure we get good exposure on the right sites to the right audiences. 

So why do users install these technologies?

Research suggests three main reasons:

1. Advertising slows page loading times
2. Users are seeing adverts that are not relevant to them
3. Adverts can be intrusive and disrupt the site content

So what can we do to combat this?

• As advertising buyers and planners

Ensure that you have clear objectives for your clients and find publishers that will deliver these objectives for you. Make sure you are buying placements that are most relevant to your intended audience so that your ads are well received. Data is your friend, especially clean data. Find a publisher and challenge them with results, optimisations and strong CTRs. Try different platforms and different offerings on each one. We often find that the ‘most obvious’ unit isn’t always the one that delivers the best results. A recent campaign we ran broke all conventions when the leaderboard (728x90) outperformed the medium rectangle (300x250) by three times the clicks. Challenge your clients to experiment - with both creative and media placement – to hit the most engaged user.

• As marketers

Ask your media team or publisher, how can I best reach people who are looking for what I have to offer? The right people want to hear your message and don’t mind seeing your adverts if it’s relevant to them. It is in a marketer’s best interest not to disrupt or frustrate users, but educate and inform. We should stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what they’re interested in. Find publishers and a media team who can help you do this. 

How do we combat this at realestate.co.nz?

Google Chrome’s update is in line with the coalition for better ads, with the goal being that advertising should reflect a positive user experience. Advertising units that will be blocked in the new release are autoplay videos with sound, pop up ads or flashing banners. In my opinion, this will make the browsing experience more enjoyable for all, as we all have frustrations when these type of advertising units pop up. Page loads need to be monitored as well as placement; if integrated well, an advertisement can really enhance the look and feel of a site and feel as though it’s almost part of the site.

Advertisers can ensure that their banners are well designed, with the right message, tailored to the right audience at the right time. End users have a part to play too - they can help by providing feedback to the website. If an advertisement isn’t creating a conducive user experience or displays an irrelevant message, why not let your users tell you?
We pride ourselves on working with reputable agencies and brands that promote products and services that are relevant to our users. As an example, a banner offering a low rate mortgage to someone browsing our site sits well visually with our content, provides valuable resources to our users and encourages engagement with the brand – ensuring all parties are happy.

All of our advertising units at realestate.co.nz comply with Google’s advertising standards, and in conjunction with our Data Management Platform (DMP) we are able to provide meaningful and relevant messaging to all of our users.