New position metrics in Adwords

Do you know what position your Google Ads ads occupy? And how often do they appear?

Knowing this data is essential so that advertisers can determine the results obtained in their campaigns and make the necessary adjustments to increase the CTR. Google launches four new metrics so you don't miss out on detail.

Until now, the only way to get information about where they appear was by using the average position indicator. This shows the order according to the rest of the auction ads and sets aside its overall position with respect to the search results page (SERP). That is, an ad that has been labeled with the position "1" will not necessarily appear at the top of the page, but this data only shows that this ad will be placed in front of the rest of the ads that have participated in the bid.

Even, as explained from Google, there may be a situation where no ads appear on the organic search results and the promoted content is displayed at the bottom of the page.

Top positions on the search page

It is important to understand the two positions above the Google search page (SERP) that get better click rates:

The absolute top position and the simple top position.

In the photo below you can clearly see the difference.

New position metrics

To put an end to all this confusion, Google has decided to launch four new metrics that provide clearer information about the place of ads on the search results page (SERP).

Two of them refer to the absolute top position, which for many was the "1" tag, and the other two throw information from the ad impressions of the top above the search results, regardless of whether they are first, second or third.

Percentage of absolute top impressions

This is the percentage of impressions that appear in the first position above the organic search results. It reveals how often the ad is the first result a user sees above the organic search results.

Formula:

% absolute top search impressions = absolute top impressions / Impressions

Percentage of impressions on top

This is the percentage of ads impressions that appear above the organic search results. Together with the % of impressions (Absolute Superior), this metric lets you know where your ads are displayed on the page.

Formula: 

%  of upper part impressions = upper part impressions / Impressions

Quota absolute top search impressions

By dividing the impressions of the absolute upper location among all the possible impressions that could have obtained that same position, the probability of being the first ad seen of the SERP can be obtained.

Formula: 

Absolute top impressions quota = Absolute top impressions / Impressions you could have received on absolute top

Quota top search impressions

This is obtained by comparing the impressions you received at the top location (anywhere above the organic search results) with the estimated number of impressions you could have obtained at that location. The quota of impressions for both top and absolute top lets you know if your ads have any chance of appearing in these positions.

Formula: 

Quota search top impressions = Top Impressions / Impressions you might have received at the top

Do you want to improve your ads position?

Using the new two metrics referring to the percentage of impressions it is much easier to detect if the CTR of your ads has been affected by a change of position in the search page. Once you have obtained this information you can use the impression quotas to make new bids and thus improve the position of the ads in your campaign.

Note: Google warns that if you only take into account the metrics regarding the percentage of impressions to make changes in the bids could be a mistake. This is because higher bids do not ensure a better position, but on the contrary you would take part in more competitive auctions which could lead to worse results and therefore a worse location.

Therefore, forget about the average position that you have used for so long for your results and start familiarizing yourself with the new location metrics. There will be no more doubts, with the information obtained you will know exactly where your ads appear and their impact on performance.

Main photo: Thomas Peham