Publishers and media sellers often find themselves in a dilemma: how to squeeze the most revenue out of ad inventory without repelling users. Is it a balancing act where one part is a strategy, the other science, and the third genuine art? Partly so, however, the good news is that it is easier to master all of the components when you know the secrets of correct ad placement. When done right, it becomes your secret weapon that unlocks better ad revenue flows thanks to greater performance that advertisers crave.

At SmartyAds, we don’t just dabble in this—we live and breathe publisher success. Our tech is designed to help you run a tighter ship, turning every impression into a high-performing asset. In this guide, we’ll lift the curtain on tried-and-true strategies that focus on what really matters: viewability, ad quality, and flexible tools that do the heavy lifting. Plus, we’ll show you how our custom formats and adaptive features can make monetization feel less like a puzzle and more like a power move.

Viewability: The currency of digital credibility

If an ad plays in the forest and no one sees it, did it ever really exist?

Around 33% of the ads are not getting seen by people. That’s the existential problem of the digital ad world—and it’s why viewability is king. Only if at least 50% of the ad appears visible on the screen within a full second can it be considered visible. Blink and you miss it, but advertisers sure will not.

Why? Because it's the gold standard for measuring the impact of ads. As of early 2024, the global average viewability hit a record high of 76.8%. Ads that clear the visibility bar often earn up to 30% higher CPMs and generate 20% higher conversions. What’s the translation of it? More eyes on ads = more dollars in your pocket. But here's the problem: nearly one-third of digital ads never even get seen, especially when they’re buried in digital no-man’s-land.

Want to level up your ad viewability game? Here’s the smart playbook for this:

  • Quality over clutter: A single, high-visibility banner right below the article's first paragraph can out-earn a graveyard of poorly placed ads at the page’s end. Focus your firepower where it counts.
  • Don’t chase the top, own the scroll: Today, users scroll like it’s an Olympic sport. So instead of relying on top-of-page placements, embed ads mid-article, near the action—think comment sections, inline videos, or anywhere curiosity lingers.
  • Eyes on the prize: If you were a user, where would you pause? Headlines? Interactive elements? Place your ads there. It’s part intuition, and a part UX magic.

Stick around: why sticky ads are the MVP of monetization

Sticky ads are the cling film of ad formats—always in view, never in the way. They follow your users as they scroll, boosting the chance of impressions turning into revenue-generating eyeballs. In fact, sticky ads can elevate viewability rates by as much as 50%. That’s not just sticky—it’s strategic.

Particularly on mobile—where screens are small and thumbs are fast—sticky ads shine. They keep the message front and center without hijacking the experience. Advertisers love them and publishers profit from them. Everyone wins.

SmartyAds offers a toolkit of sticky formats engineered to fit like a glove: available for desktop and mobile web, they’re built to blend, ensuring users stay engaged while your revenue soars.

sticky ads

Think bigger (and smarter) with Adaptive Sizes

Cramping your ad slots with strict dimensions is like only letting size nine shoes onto your shelf—you're turning away a lot of potential buyers. Limiting ad sizes throttles competition, but with this feature on board, you don’t need to think about which size to choose in order to get the best result. Enter SmartyAds' adaptive size technology, which lets ad slots expand or contract, fitting a variety of creatives without breaking your layout.

Why publishers benefit from it:

  • Dynamic fit: Slots auto-resize to host a buffet of ad sizes—from standard banners to snazzy rich media.
  • Zero guesswork: No need to play Tetris with ad placements anymore.
  • Fill-rate rocket boost: The more formats you accept, the more bids you attract. It’s supply and demand at its finest.
  • Seamless experience: Ads don’t stick out—they slot right in across desktop, mobile, tablet, and beyond.
  • Increased auction intensity: For instance, if you support a 300×600 ad slot, you can open up that space to smaller ad sizes as well, letting them participate in the same auction. Formats like 300×250, 160×600, 120×600, or 300×100 can all compete for that placement.

Publishers using adaptive sizing report a boost in fill rates and more revenue, plain and simple. SmartyAds gives you the tools and insights to act on what works, not just what’s familiar.

Flexi Slots: one ad slot, infinite potential

Let’s face it: the old “one ad, one slot” rule is starting to look a little outdated. With Flexi Slots, SmartyAds rewrites that playbook, allowing multiple ads to share one space sequentially or simultaneously. This potentially invites a larger pool of bids.

Example:

Without Flexi Slots: 1 Ad Unit only in an 800 x 200px div block — $1.00 CPM
With Flexi Slots: 3 Ad Units in an 800 x 200px sized div block — $2.05 CPM

It’s like turning a single subway car into an entire train.

Here’s why it’s a revenue game-changer:

  • You unlock multiple impressions per session, multiplying revenue without adding more clutter.
  • High-traffic, low-inventory sites get to maximize every opportunity, making the most of each user interaction.
  • Advertisers love the expanded canvas; users get more variety without feeling bombarded.
flexi-slots-ad-units

Real publishers are already running Flexi Slots with jaw-dropping results. Curious? Check out our showcase gallery of smart ad formats.

Beyond banners: make ads that feel like content (not clutter)

In a sea of sameness, creative formats are your lighthouse. SmartyAds offers visually immersive formats that users don’t just tolerate but love:

  • Scroller Ads: These ride the wave with the user’s scroll, staying in view without shouting for attention.
  • Interscroller Ads: They reveal themselves organically as users move down the page—more surprise than disruption.
interscroller ad
  • Animated Transitions: With gentle motion and style, they refresh without fatiguing the viewer, inviting interaction through elegance.
animated transitions

These formats aren’t just pretty—they perform. They drive longer engagement, increase CPMs, and leave both users and advertisers satisfied.

Let your ads do the heavy lifting

Monetization shouldn’t feel like rocket science. At SmartyAds, we’ve built an SSP that makes earning from your inventory effortless, even if you’re new to the game.

No complex setup. No endless tweaking. Just smart, reliable tools that get the job done.

From sticky and scroller formats to Adaptive Size and Flexi Slots, we’ve created a system that helps you tap every drop of value from your placements, without compromising on user experience or design.

And our support team? They are your relentless helpers in spotting the most efficient ways of monetization, always ready to advise best practices, share insights, and become your reliable partner. And those are not just words – our partners gave us an impressive CSAT rating, with 99% customer service satisfaction.

So whether you’re a seasoned publisher, an up-and-coming app dev, or somewhere in between, your content deserves to pay its way. And we’re here to help make that happen.

Ready to turn every pixel into profit? Let’s make it happen with SmartyAds SSP.