-16% in impressions in mobiles after layout design modification

The 'Average viewable time' increased

[guarriman3]

Hi,

On 31.10.2022 I modified the layout design of my webpages. I moved a satellite map and a photo slideshow/carousel from the bottom of the page to the first and second position of the page. These two moved elements are each one with one 300x250 ad (in mobiles) and with one 728x90 (in desktop)

As happened in the previous layout version, these first and second positions are after an introduction (two paragraphs), that places the first 300x250 mobile ad, well below the fold. Additionally (and as happened as well in the previous layout version), the ads are loaded when the user starts to scroll down.

However, I've seen that the ratio impressions/pageviews in these last days, from a 30-day-average 6.4 to 5.5 in mobile. The ratio increased from 5.5 to 5.6 in desktop.

At the same time, the 'Average viewable time' increased in mobiles from 17.5 seconds to 21 seconds. And from 21.7 seconds to 23 seconds in Desktop.

The increase of the 'Average viewable time' makes sense for me, since I understand that visits takes more time to view the satellite map and the photos (in both mobiles and desktop). But I do not understand the drop in the impressions.

Any similiar experience is welcome. Thank you.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Does your above the fold content still satisfy the user intent of people visiting your pages? If images and a carousel dominate the top of the page, even after an introduction which is not what people came to see, Google is going to decide if images best serve the query.

A lower bounce rate is great but the page must still satisfy the search intent and above the fold content is more important than what's down the page.

I recommend some A/B testing of feature locations.

[guarriman3]

Hi @Sgt_Kickaxe, thank you very much for your answer

Does your above the fold content still satisfy the user intent of people visiting your pages? If images and a carousel dominate the top of the page, even after an introduction which is not what people came to see, Google is going to decide if images best serve the query.

I am not sure if I explained the issue well. This is the situation:

Before 31.10.2022:

- Two-paragraph introduction
- Section A
- Section B
- Section C
- Section D
- Section E (satellite map)
- Section F (photo carousel)

After 31.10.2022

- Two-paragraph introduction
- Section E (satellite map)
- Section F (photo carousel)
- Section A
- Section B
- Section C
- Section D

The two-paragraph introduction is the same one before and after 31.10.2022.

Each section includes one 300x250 ad in mobiles (just after the contents of each section), and the first section ('A' before 31.10.2022, 'E' after 31.10.2022) showed/shows the first ad well below the fold.

I'm suspecting that visitors are spending more time now in Sections E and F, and they do not scroll down the webpage, so the number of ads dicreased.

I'm considering to include a 300x50 ad before the contents of sections E and F, just to increase the number of ads. This is, to include one 300x50 ad below the satellite map, and one 300x50 ad below the photo carousel.