Viewability rates for display campaigns maintained the same level as Q1, with values for banner advertising decreased by one percentage point to 58 per cent in the same period, according to the latest Viewability Benchmarks report from Meetrics.

Compared to other markets, the UK still ranks in the lower half of the table. The best viewability rate was measured in the Austrian market at 73 per cent, followed by Sweden at 64 per cent. The international average was 61 per cent in Q2 2018. UK consumers view display ads for around 26.2 seconds, which is five seconds more than the international average.

“The UK market has historically been in last place for viewability, but optimization measures are finally taking effect,” said Meetrics MD and co-founder, Philipp von Hilgers. “Viewability levels for display are stabilizing, and values are improving over the long-term. Nevertheless, the UK still has work to do to catch up with performance rates internationally.”

The complete Viewability Benchmarks report, including a detailed list of different banner formats, is available to download free here.  In the quarterly reports, Meetrics provides an overview of Viewability rates and average Viewability duration. The basis for Meetrics Viewability Benchmarks is the “50/1” guideline of the IAB and the Media Rating Council (MRC). At least 50 per cent of the advertising space must have been in the visible area of the browser for at least one continuous second. For video ads, the recommendation is “50/2”, which means the video ad must have been viewable for at least two seconds with at least 50 per cent of its area.