Contents
- The metric measures the share of your impressions that appeared in the very first position above the organic results.
- It replaced average position, removed from Google Ads in 2019 because it poorly described what was actually shown.
- On a brand campaign, it's the defense indicator: being there less than 80% of the time means a competitor is getting ahead.
Definition
The absolute top impression rate measures the proportion of your impressions shown in first position, at the very top of the results.
Formula
Rate = first-position impressions divided by total impressions, times one hundred.
Worked example
A brand campaign shows a 62% absolute top rate. Nearly four times in ten, a competitor bids on the brand name and gets ahead. On this type of campaign, where the click costs little, raising this rate is almost always profitable.
Orders of magnitude
On a brand campaign, aim beyond 80%. On competitive generic queries, rates of 20 to 40% are normal and chasing more costs a lot for little.
The most common mistakes
- Confusing it with the top impression rate, which counts every position above the organic results, not just the first.
- Maximizing it on generic queries. The last positions are paid for at a premium.
- Using it as a substitute for average position. These are two different notions, the old one isn't coming back.
Where to find the metric
In Google Ads, the Abs. top impr. rate and Top impr. rate columns, to enable manually at the campaign and ad-group level.
Frequently asked questions
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