Avg pos. 2.5 page one between pos. 2 and 3 or page 2, 5th position?

[#1]

Is an average ad position of 2.5 page one between positions 2 and 3 of 11 on page one, or an average of page 2, fifth position?

[#2]

If my ad is in position 2.5 and the visitor searching does not go past page 1, is it still counted as an impression?

[#3]

Hi Techmom,

A simple answer for you, No.

An impression is when your ad is shown with the search results. In this case, if the user does not go past page 1 in search results, your ad will not be shown, so there is no impression.

Average position of 2.5 does not necessarily mean your ad always shows on the second page. Position on the page can change throughout the day as the competitive landscape changes.

Pete

[#4]

I thought that an avg. pos. of 2.5 means that most of the impressions were around positions 2 or 3 , which are the top spots from the 11 Search spots. This should count as "on the screen" for most impressions. In the same manner an avg. pos. of 4.5 does not mean impressions on page 4 but on page 1 and most impressions around positions 4 or 5 out of 11, yes ?

[#5]

Yeah, a position of 2.5 means your ads will "generally" be shown on page 1. It will also appear on page 2,3,4 etc but in different positions on those pages as well.

Lets say your ad has an average position of 12 so you dont show on page 1, but it's been eligible to enter the ad auction, if the user only views page 1, you don't get an impression.

[#6]

Thank you for your reply. I am now thoroughly confused. I thought an average position of 2.5 meant position 5 on page 2. All of my ads use to appear as avg 1.X, just recently I've been getting 2.X and 3.X which I assumed meant the avg position was on page 2 or 3, not meaning they don't appear on page 1 but that the average position was page 2 or page 3. Is Google calculating avg positions differently than they used to be calculated?

[#7 · Accepted solution]

Hi Techmom,

Your first instinct is correct. 2.5 is just that, two and a half (between 2 and 3).

https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/14075?hl=en

-Tommy

[#8]

Thank you!! Makes a HUGE difference in reporting results. Don't know how I missed the definition previously.
Thanks to all the forum responses I received on my previous question. I would not have queried the meaning of 2.5 without those responses.
Happy Day!

[#9]

Avg. pos. of 2.5 is just an average from all impressions from the selected time frame. It reflects a majority of quite good positions and should be seen by the visitor since it is in the first spots, which do not require scrolling.  Your Ad was on page 1.

These are some simplified examples of how this average can result :

impressions 1 : position 1 ( for example you bidded very high since the QS is the same)

impressions 2 : position 1

impressions 3 : position 1

impressions 4 : position 6 ( in here you bidded lower or some competitors bidded higher)

impressions 5 : position 6

impressions 6 : position 6

This can happen , just an example, if some competitors bid high for a very short amount of time , for example 3 hours out of 8 , in this time-frame if you keep your bid constant , your position can drop.

The average is (1+1+1+6+6+6) / 6 impressions = 21/6 = 3.5 avg pos.

impressions 1 : position 3 

impressions 2 : position 3

impressions 3 : position 3

impressions 4 : position 3 

impressions 5 : position 4

impressions 6 : position 5

The average is (3+3+3+3+4+5) / 6 impressions = 21/6 = the same 3.5 avg pos.

[#10]

Hi techmom,

Yes, Google did change the way average position is calculated and displayed. I don't really remember when that happened, but I do remember it happened.

Pete