Digital marketers and webmasters have spent years attempting to optimize their websites and search marketing campaigns for Google?s quality score and ranking algorithms and for maximizing their ROI. However, the rapid shift in Internet usage from desktop to mobile devices is impacting this delicate ecosystem. Driven in part by the physical differences between desktop (large screen), tablets (medium
screen), and smartphones (small screen), advertisers are having to adjust.
Figure above highlights the impact of ad position on CTRs (clickthrough rates) for mobile, tablet, and desktop. In mobile, the first position for advertising has become increasingly important for advertisers given its prominence on the small screen. According to the data, this first position receives the strongest CTRs and the highest share of clicks across any platform. Mobile also performs well in Position 2 & 3 (although with the steepest drop-off), but at lower positions desktop outperforms, presumably due to the easier maneuverability that comes with a larger screen.
