In the complex landscape of online advertising, the term Made for Advertising (MFA) can be somewhat misleading. While the designation implies a site's primary motivation for creation, ranging from monetization to genuine content sharing, it's become synonymous with a spectrum of low-quality practices. These practices vary in intensity, from clickbait ads and endless scroll tactics to more polished yet ultimately unsatisfying user experiences. It's crucial to recognize that not all sites labeled as MFAs are created equal—they exist along a continuum of user engagement and ad effectiveness.
Evaluating metrics beyond the surface
When assessing the quality of MFA sites, metrics such as Viewability, Invalid Traffic (IVT), and Attention become indispensable tools. We conducted studies that show MFA sites create a lower impact in performance campaigns. These metrics provide insights into the actual impact of ads on users and the legitimacy of traffic:
- Invalid Traffic (IVT): IVT refers to worthless traffic, such as non-human traffic or fraudulent activity that artificially inflates ad impressions and clicks. MFA sites may manipulate traffic to boost metrics, so discerning between genuine user engagement and artificial interactions is essential. Through our Traffic Intelligence solution, advertisers can measure the impact of metrics like Ad Density. For advertisers seeking meaningful results, this must be an early step in assessing quality.
- Viewability: One of the primary indicators of ad effectiveness, viewability measures the likelihood that an ad is seen by a user. Many MFA sites have low viewability. This is especially true for sites that use endless scrolling. With endless scrolling, ads can be hidden or shown for a very short time. This can be a problem for video ads as well, which may only be shown for a second or two. Our Time in View metric provides more than just a binary insight into Viewable or not, while our Time on Site metric assesses the user's desire to interact with the content.
- Attention Metrics: Beyond mere impressions and clicks, attention metrics gauge the actual impact of ads on users' attention spans. MFA sites characterized by high ad density and poor placement often result in low attention from users, diminishing the value of ad placements despite high traffic numbers.
The role of IVT in shaping traffic dynamics
It's crucial to acknowledge the symbiotic relationship between site design and traffic behavior. Publishers of MFA sites may inadvertently bake traffic manipulation into their strategies, responding to demand-side feedback regarding viewability and engagement metrics. In some cases, attempts to boost viewability may lead to the introduction of non-human viewers, artificially inflating metrics while still failing to deliver genuine user engagement.
Publishers may also create cloaking sites or pages to shape traffic behavior. Cloaking causes users accessing the MFA site via advertising channels to receive a low-quality user experience. In comparison, those who access directly, like ad agency teams, would receive a higher-quality experience. Individuals with direct access are more likely to spend their customer's advertising budgets after seeing the higher-quality site, while the MFA statistics receive inflated traffic meeting KPIs.
We've encountered a publisher that cloaked by geo-IP, providing a low-quality site to most users, but maintaining a better experience for the state where they're headquartered. This tactic seemed aimed at ensuring their own executives and teams don't experience the same issues as regular users.
Enforcing policies and empowering buyers
Recognizing the nuances of MFA sites underscores the importance of informed decision-making and policy enforcement by advertisers. Rather than applying blanket judgments, advertisers should adopt a nuanced approach by evaluating each site based on a combination of objective metrics and contextual factors. This may include implementing policies to avoid MFA sites altogether or negotiating lower rates reflective of the compromised user experience.
Navigating the gray area of MFA sites requires a holistic understanding of the interplay between site design, traffic dynamics, and user engagement metrics. By prioritizing transparency, quality, and user respect, advertisers can mitigate the risks associated with MFA sites and contribute to a healthier digital advertising ecosystem.
Learn more
Please visit our Verification page to learn more about our unique solutions via Protected Media for ad verification, brand safety, IVT, and fraud detection—all built into the Flashtalking ad server.
