Do This to Increase Your AdMob Show Rate

Summary

In this podcast episode, Steve P. Young, founder of AppMasters, discusses strategies to improve AdMob show rates and increase revenue. Joined by Sid Gupa, co-founder and CEO of Appa, they explain the difference between show rate and match rate, and provide insights into optimizing show rates. Sid shares common issues developers face and offers solutions such as using Google's tools, error codes, and Firebase A/B testing. They emphasize patience, experimentation, and understanding key metrics to achieve better results and drive app monetization success.

Takeaways

• 💡 AdMob Show Rate and Match Rate: Key factors for increasing revenue are show rate (how many ads are displayed) and match rate (how many ads Google has available). Developers often confuse these two terms.
• 🎯 Match Rate: It's the percentage of ad requests that receive ads from Google. If 20 requests are sent and only 10 ads are returned, the match rate is 50%.
• 📊 Show Rate: This represents the percentage of ads that are actually shown in the app after being returned by Google. If 10 ads were received and only 2 were shown, the show rate is 20%.
• 📉 Low Show Rate: If your show rate is below 30%, it's considered low, and developers should investigate and improve it. A rate of 30-50% is average, and over 50% is good.
• 🔧 Tools to Diagnose Issues: Google provides tools like the Ad Inspection Tool and Mediation Test Tool to check if ad integration is done correctly.
• 📈 AdMob Network Report: This new report provides various metrics (like platform, format, version) to help developers analyze where show rates are dropping.
• 🛠 Error Codes: Google sends error codes when ads don't load properly. Developers can use these codes to troubleshoot issues with configuration or ad delivery.
• 📱 Firebase for A/B Testing: Firebase is recommended for running A/B tests to diagnose issues with ad placements or versions in real-time.
• ⚠️ Common Show Rate Issues: These include integration problems, ad size issues, ad placement on less-viewed screens, and internet/device issues.
• 🕒 Patience is Key: Improving show rate is a long and tedious process, requiring developers to be patient and run numerous experiments.

Q & A

What is the focus of the podcast episode?

The episode focuses on how to improve AdMob show rates to increase revenue for app developers.

What is the difference between 'show rate' and 'match rate' in AdMob?

Match rate refers to the percentage of ad requests that Google can fill with available ads, while show rate refers to the percentage of filled ads that are actually displayed in the app.

Why is show rate important for developers?

Show rate is a critical metric for developers because higher show rates can lead to increased revenue, as more ads are displayed to users.

What are good, mediocre, and bad show rates according to Sid?

Sid suggests that a show rate between 0-30% is low and requires attention, 30-50% is mediocre but manageable, and above 50% is considered very good and not worth optimizing further.

What tools does Google provide to check for integration issues?

Google provides tools like the Ad Inspector tool and Mediation Test tool, which help developers ensure their ad integration is set up correctly.

How can developers use the AdMob network report to diagnose show rate issues?

The AdMob network report allows developers to analyze show rates by format, platform, version, and ad type to pinpoint specific areas where show rates may be dropping.

What role do error codes play in understanding show rate problems?

When an ad request is sent, Google either sends an ad or an error code. These error codes help developers understand if the issue is with configuration or ad entry.

How can Firebase help in improving show rates?

Firebase can be used to run A/B tests and analyze whether certain ad placements, version updates, or configurations are affecting show rates, allowing developers to test solutions systematically.

What are some common reasons for low show rates?

Common reasons include integration issues, ad placement on rarely accessed screens, user movement through screens too quickly, ad size or format issues, device problems like overheating, and pre-loaded ads becoming outdated.

What is one way to prevent outdated cached ads from affecting show rates?

Developers can use Google's 'isReady' function to check whether a cached ad is still valid before displaying it, ensuring that the ad will be counted as a proper impression.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Introduction to AdMob Show Rate and Revenue Optimization

Steve P. Young from AppMasters.com introduces the topic of improving AdMob show rates and increasing revenue. He is joined by Sid Gupa, co-founder and CEO of APPA, who will share insights on the importance of show rates in ad revenue. They discuss how increasing ad show rates can significantly boost app revenues by filling more ad placements and optimizing ad visibility.

05:00

🔍 Clarifying Key Metrics: Match Rate vs Show Rate

Sid explains the difference between 'match rate' and 'show rate,' two critical parameters for developers. Match rate is the percentage of ad requests that Google can fill, while show rate is the percentage of ads that actually get displayed in the app. For example, if Google returns ads for 10 out of 20 requests, the match rate is 50%, but if only 2 ads are shown, the show rate is 20%. Developers often confuse these metrics, and understanding them is vital for optimizing app revenue.

10:01

📊 Understanding Show Rate Benchmarks and Prioritization

Sid discusses what constitutes a 'good' show rate, although Google does not provide a standard benchmark. Based on Sid's experience, a show rate below 30% requires immediate attention, while 30-50% is considered mediocre but may warrant experiments. Anything above 50% is considered excellent, and further optimization would yield minimal gains. Sid emphasizes focusing on improving low show rates to maximize revenue potential.

🛠 Tools for Troubleshooting AdMob Show Rate Issues

Developers can use Google's 'Ad Inspection Tool' and 'Mediation Test Tool' to ensure their ad integration is functioning correctly. Additionally, the 'AdMob Network Report' provides detailed insights into show rates by ad format, platform, and version, helping developers pinpoint issues. These tools are essential for identifying technical problems that could be reducing show rates, such as ad placement, ad format compatibility, or other integration issues.

⚠️ Using Error Codes to Diagnose AdMob Issues

Sid highlights the importance of using error codes to diagnose issues with ad requests. Google responds with either an ad or an error code, and understanding these codes can help developers determine whether the issue is related to ad configuration or the ads themselves. Integrating Firebase is recommended to run A/B tests and identify if certain versions or ad placements are causing issues.

🚧 Common Problems and Solutions for Low Show Rates

Sid outlines several common issues that developers face, including integration errors, ad sizing problems, and placement issues where ads are placed in hard-to-reach screens (e.g., in games with high difficulty). Other factors include users moving too quickly through screens, device performance issues, and caching problems. Developers are advised to experiment with adaptive banner formats and careful ad placement to address these challenges.

🔧 Advanced Strategies: Caching and Refreshing Ads

Sid delves deeper into issues with pre-loading and caching ads. If ads are pre-loaded and displayed too late, they might not be considered valid impressions by Google, affecting show rates. Developers should use Google's 'isReady' function to ensure ads are still valid when shown. He also advises reducing refresh frequencies for native and banner ads to avoid negatively impacting show rates and eCPMs.

💡 Final Thoughts: Experimentation and Patience

Sid encourages developers to be patient and methodical in addressing show rate issues. Running multiple experiments is key to identifying solutions, and developers should understand that improving show rates is often a time-consuming process. He also reiterates the importance of distinguishing between match rate and show rate. Steve wraps up by thanking Sid and directing listeners to APPA's resources for further help with AdMob and ADX revenue optimization.

Keywords

💡AdMob Show Rate

The show rate refers to the percentage of ads that are actually displayed to users out of the total number of ads available. In the video, improving the show rate is discussed as a crucial factor for increasing AdMob revenue, as more displayed ads can lead to higher revenue generation.

💡Match Rate

Match rate is the percentage of ad requests that Google is able to fulfill by providing ads. It is contrasted with the show rate in the video. A high match rate means Google has a lot of ads available for the developer's inventory, but not all of those ads may be shown, which affects the show rate.

💡eCPM

Effective Cost Per Mille (eCPM) is the revenue generated per thousand ad impressions. It is a key performance metric for app developers using AdMob, as it helps them understand how much money they are earning for every thousand ads shown in their app.

💡Error Codes

Error codes are responses sent by Google when an ad request cannot be fulfilled, indicating what went wrong. The video suggests that developers should monitor these codes to identify potential issues with ad integration or display that may be lowering the show rate.

💡Ad Placement

Ad placement refers to where ads are positioned within an app. The video highlights how poor ad placement, such as ads being placed in sections of an app that users don't often reach, can result in lower show rates and revenue.

💡Ad Requests

An ad request occurs when an app asks Google to serve an ad. The number of ad requests is crucial in determining both the match rate and show rate, as these requests lead to the fulfillment of ads or error codes, depending on availability.

💡Ad Formats

Ad formats refer to the types of ads (such as banners, interstitials, or video ads) that can be displayed in an app. The video mentions how different formats can affect the show rate, with some formats possibly not rendering properly due to issues like device compatibility.

💡Ad Activity Report

The Ad Activity Report is a tool provided by Google to analyze ad performance, including metrics like show rate and match rate. In the video, developers are encouraged to use this report to diagnose issues affecting their ad performance and revenue.

💡Firebase Integration

Firebase is a platform for building and improving apps, and its integration helps with tracking and testing various features, including ad performance. The video recommends using Firebase to run A/B tests to identify problems with ad placements or versions that affect show rate.

💡Adaptive Banners

Adaptive banners are a type of ad format that automatically adjusts to the screen size and orientation of the device, allowing for better ad placement. The video suggests using adaptive banners to increase the likelihood of ads being displayed properly, thereby improving show rate.

Highlights

Introduction by Steve P. Young from AppMasters about improving AdMob show rates to increase revenue.

Sid Gupa, co-founder and CEO of APPA, explains the key metrics for developers: match rate and show rate.

Match rate refers to the percentage of ad requests that are successfully matched with ads from Google.

Show rate is the percentage of matched ads that are actually displayed within an app.

A good show rate is essential for maximizing AdMob revenue, with show rates above 50% considered excellent.

Developers should focus on improving show rates, especially if they are below 30%, as this will affect their revenue.

Tools like Google’s Ad Inspection and Mediation Test help ensure proper ad integration and avoid common issues.

Google’s AdMob Network Report provides valuable insights into ad performance, allowing developers to analyze show rates by platform, ad format, and ad source.

Error codes sent by Google in response to ad requests can help developers troubleshoot configuration or delivery issues.

Sid recommends using Firebase for A/B testing to experiment with different ad placements and improve show rates.

Common issues affecting show rates include improper ad integration, unsuitable ad sizes, and difficult app or game levels.

Ad placements that are rarely accessed by users, such as in hard-to-reach game levels, may reduce show rates and should be reconsidered.

Caching issues can affect show rates; if ads are cached too long, they may become invalid by the time they are displayed.

Preloading and refreshing ads too quickly can negatively impact show rates and revenue, so developers should adjust refresh frequencies.

Sid advises running many experiments and being patient, as improving show rates is often a long process requiring detailed analysis.

Transcripts

what is up app Nation it is Steve p

young founder of app masters.com the

place you go when you want actionpack

content related to helping you grow your

app downloads and your revenues and

today we're going to talk all about how

to improve your ad mob show rate thereby

increasing your admob revenue and

joining me as always for anything

related to admob and adx is Sid gupa he

is the co-founder and CEO at APPA go

check him out it is appa.com

it welcome back thanks Steve how are you

man I'm great my brother so I'm super

interested in this show rates ad mob

revenues super critical I mean show

rates almost like the main component

right it to increasing your revenues

like if you can show more ads and fill

those you know ad placements you're

going to end up making more money so

what have you guys discovered in how to

increase your show rate cool that's a

really interesting thought uh stepen I

like i' like to add like one little

clarification there I think this is one

really interesting fact that a lot of

developers get confused about so there

are two parameters that a developer

should be worried about outside of the

ecpm and the the ctrs these are show

rate and match rate now the first thing

to actually understand is the difference

between each one of them let's take an

example so you've got an ad placement

let's it's a banner placement and there

are 20 ad requests that you generate

from that ad placement now these 20 ad

requests go and hit Google Now of those

20 ad requests if Google says I have ads

for 10 of them so 10 ads come back and

10 became unfilled so 10 out of 20 that

becomes your match rate so match rate in

essence is a total number of ads that

Google has for all the ad requests that

you have that's match rate now once you

have those 10 ads let's say for whatever

ABC reason only two get shown actually

in your app that means of the 10 total

ads only two actually got displayed in

your app so that's 2x 10 that's 20% show

rate so just to simplify uh and repeat

this again match rate is actually the

total number of ads that Google has for

your inventory showed it is a total

number of ads that you actually showed

in your app so there's a little bit of

confusion a lot of time developers

confuse the two terms and it's important

to understand uh each one of them now

what do you talk about match rate great

so we we won't touch match rate match

rate is a problem completely separate

completely different to talk about today

we're going to talk about show rate show

rate and show rate primarily what I try

to do today Steve I I thought I'll uh

try and break it down into a couple of

questions before the podcast I actually

went on the internet I had to search for

a lot of questions people keep asking

and what I've done is I've actually

figured out four or five questions that

people typically ask I've obviously

reframed the language to make it more

simpler and palpable for everybody so I

thought I'll I'll talk about each one of

them and try and address those concerns

so the first question that naturally

comes to mind should I be worried about

show rate yes and no yes because it all

depends on what is the show rate that

you're getting now the next question to

ask is what is a good show rate now

unfortunately there is no standard a

golden number that Google recommends

it's a good show rate but my personal

recommendation my personal learnings

from multiple developers that I worked

with I formed sort of a very Instinct

Baseline that I understand now let's

divide into three different categories

and again this is all my personal

recommendation so please don't quote me

on it or Please Don't Ask Google about

it but this is what I understand and can

say it's a fair Fairly good show rate or

a mediocre show rate or a something to

worry about show rate right let's assume

your show rate is between 0 to 30 now

that's something definitely you should

worth look uh you should look into it is

a low show rate and it affects it will

affect your cpms and revenue to some

extent definitely worth looking into you

can increase them so as to increase some

Revenue definitely if it's 30 to 50 it's

mediocre it's not bad it's not good I

would say bear it out there are a lot of

things lot of experiments that you can

run or spend time in improving your

Revenue I would say put it at the low

part in terms of your bucket when you

have ample time when you have enough

time and you're not working anything

then look at the experiment run it for a

long duration of time and get results

but if it's above 50 don't even think

about touching it it's it's not going to

make much of a difference 50% is

considered really really good uh most

cases I've seen is 50% above they're

able to increment it but only in certain

number of cases and the number of the

chance of increasing it is really really

low there are better ways that you can

increase your Revenue so again should

you be worried about sh it if it's 0 to

50 you should be if it's 0 to 30

definitely spend some time trying to

improve it if it's 30 to 50 find some

ideal time and you don't have anything

in the pipeline and then try try work on

it so let's talk about how do you figure

this problem out how do you go about

solving this problem and understanding

what is the core reason for this what

I've done is I've again uh built a

step-by-step process to help you

understand and sort of reach to a

conclusion or an area where you can sort

of drill down and find the problem so

the first thing and I know it's the most

obvious thing uh I'm just saying it

because a lot of smart folks would have

already figured it out but for the folks

who did not there are a couple of tools

that Google has that allow you to check

if your integration has been done

correctly or not this is an add

inspection tool and a mediation test

tool these are really simple tools that

allow you to add a test device figure

out if the integration is correct or not

I know it seems fairly obvious but

sometimes when you are doing an update

you might have goofed it up just check

it out if it's good let's move on to the

next step the second thing uh which you

might have noticed Google has actually

come up with a new report called an ads

activity report which is a new report

called the admob network report what

they've done is actually given a lot of

new parameters for you to play around

with you can really do a deep dive into

what's working and what's not working

for the show rate try and deep dive

further into multiple parameters and see

where exactly is the show rate going

down right so you can look at uh the

format is it a format problem you can

look at the platform see if it's an

Android or an iOS problem you can maybe

do it in version number so you have

multiple build releases see if there is

a perter build which is leading to a

lower show rate even within the formats

you can further drill down by ad type

that also is really really helpful in

figuring out if maybe it's a sizing

issue right and we'll talk a little more

about that but a lot of times the ads

that are being supplied back might not

be being rendered for an image type or

an ad type particularly right so do that

uh and the final thing you can also

figure out by ad Source a lot of times

the other partners that you've

integrated may not be able to render the

ads for an ABC reason spend some time

drill down on the ad activity report

also called the admob network report and

figure out exactly the case where this

exact drop in show rate is happening

once you've done that the next thing I

would recommend is something called

error codes this is an old capability by

Google which a lot of people use for

different reasons but this is also an

interesting way to sort of figure out

what the cause of show rate drop is when

you send an ad request to Google Google

either responds with an ad or it

actually responds with an error code

there are about 15 16 error codes that

you can look at and each error codes

means something now you can actually add

listeners that allow you to understand

what is the error code that is being

sent back based on that you can actually

figure out if there is an issue with

configuration or if it's an issue with

ADD entry so these are two very

interesting ways that you can sort it

out once you figure out the error codes

uh once you figure out the ad activity

reports the next thing is actually

integrating Firebase I'm assuming you

would have already integrated Firebase

for a couple of other reasons but this

is also an interesting way to actually

solve the problem run a couple of ab

tests see if those placements can be

replaced if it's a version issue trying

disabling the ads see if it works but

Firebase is your answer for running a

couple of ab tests and understanding how

to finally solve that problem now guys I

would recommend be extremely patient

when solving this because this is going

to be a long tedious process it's not

something you can solve quite easy most

people I've seen trying to solve this

have taken a good amount of time to get

to a final solution be patient find out

a time when you have that bandwidth to

solve this issue and then go at it

having said this I also realize a lot of

people ask me man can you at least give

us a couple of ideas on what could be

the possible reasons what am I actually

looking for so have I have some sense of

what am I actually working towards so

cool man I I I've actually built a list

uh helping you understand the common

issues that I have seen I have spoken to

developers about right the first issue I

know again it's quite obvious but a lot

of times we have integration issues so

get that out of the way like just check

it out figure out if it's a version

issue if a certain version is not

performing well figure out what went

wrong and then solve it another very

Corner case in a lot of times when

happens is you might have integrated a

format and when you're actually there

are certain ad sizes which are not being

able to render for example there's a

lack of space you've not you've

integrated the banner or the native in a

size that is actually limiting to

certain devices that can be a problem so

one very interesting way to solve is you

can actually upgrade a lot of your

formats for example if you're looking at

Banner and this particular issue is with

Banner make it an Adaptive Banner uh

these are new formats that Google allows

where the width and the height are

adaptable and that automatically adapts

more sizes so Auto adaption works really

really well uh one simple issue the

second is placement issue a lot of times

we actually Place ads on screens that do

not come always for example if you built

a game and you've got ads after every

level but the game's really hard like

most people crash after third level so

if you've got ads on the fourth or fifth

level which are actually loading but

they're actually not being shown that

can be an issue youve got to figure out

maybe decrease difficulty level uh so

that you can actually make sure the ads

are visible the third is also a problem

where a lot of times when the user moves

through the screen really really quickly

there's not a lot of time and you've

made an ad request but the ads not come

back yet because of that the users move

on to the next screen and the ad's not

loaded yet and because of that the ad's

not visible the fourth reason uh again

something you can't do much about but

there are a lot of time there are

internet issues device overheating

memory issues within the phone these are

issues that I've also heard of can't do

much about it usually a lot of lower end

devices and this issue so when you're

looking and segmenting your problems if

it's lowend devices don't worry about it

my recommendation another issue caching

the issue that I mentioned uh a while

ago was about if you've skipped an ad

placement or if you've skipped an ad

placement because the US a more fast

through it right loading issue now a lot

of time what people do is you do

pre-loading ads you uh load a lot of ads

and show it keep the ads in the memory

and show it when the user actually gets

there you call the ad right when you do

that you actually sometimes developers

load a lot of ads so that can be an

issue because uh your your show rate is

less so reduce the frequency another

interesting thing which I recently read

about is that when you do caching and

you get an ad now you do not know when

you actually show the ad there are

sometimes if your game plays really

really long let's say the user is

playing for 30 minutes and you already

cach the ad when you actually show that

cash ad at that time maybe the ad is no

longer relevant right Google might have

that ad is no longer a valid impression

so if you show that ad Google will not

count it as an impression Google has

actually got a really neat function

called is ready so make sure you load

and call that function to ensure Dash

tags are ready and are still visible if

not move on to the next tag call very

simple problem right refreshing native

and banner another very interesting

problem we have a tendency to load and

refresh native really really quickly so

essentially it automatically affects

your show rate reduce the show rate the

refresh frequency in such a way that it

does not affect your ecpm and revenue so

that's another way way to do it again

guys the key is running as many

experiments as possible and be patient

these are two really really key uh

advice key things I will tell you to you

find the solution and again understand

the difference between matate and short

it uh that's the takeaway I I would like

you to uh leave it I love it that's my

main takeaway said too hey should we

give any how much time should we give

for each test oh so it primarily depends

on the number of AD requests that you're

testing out so essentially as low as

10,000 ad requests you would figure out

what was working out better S anything

else I missed you want to make sure we

cover uh no man I think I've covered all

of them once again it is apr.com if

you're looking to increase your admob

ATX revenues go check them out they have

amazing case studies of apps they've

helped increase their downloads Sid

knows his stuff we've done a lot of

content together so once again it is

apr.com let them know you heard it on

this very podcast so we continue to come

back say thank you so much for coming on

and doing this thanks for calling me

Steve always a pleasure helping you

figure out ideas on how to solve issues

for IOP us you're my go-to guy and every

time I have ad mob questions I always

send people your way all right guys

until next time I'll see you on the next

video