Dive Brief:
- Google has partnered with Cloudflare, a digital security company it has invested in, to integrate its Firebolt tool in the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) initiative, as announced during the Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual Leadership Summit and reported by Ad Age.
- Firebolt delivers ads that are verified by an authorized service at what was described as AMP speed. Cloudflare reported that it has cut load times on native ads for Time Inc. AMP properties from 2.2 seconds to 700 milliseconds, a more than three times improvement.
- Given the load time boost and Cloudflare's security background, the partnership should help alleviate two of the main user experience complaints — malware and slow-loading ads — that can lead to measures like installing ad block software by frustrated consumers.
Dive Insight:
Google's AMP project was launched last February to help improve the mobile user experience when it comes to consuming articles and other content from publishers and quickly expanded with ads and other marketing-related options. Results for how users are engaging with content are promising. However, AMP publishers have expressed concerns that the initiative impacts revenue potential because of its limits on ad inventory and formats like video, per Ad Age.
Offering a higher-speed ad loading option for AMP should be welcomed by publishers as speed is the singular selling point for adopting AMP tech. If ads disrupt that user experience, the value of fast-loading AMP content is mitigated.
According to Time, Firebolt generated more revenue than traditional display units with Kavata Mbondo, VP of digital revenue and operations at Time Inc., stating that those AMP ads are 13% more viewable than standard AMP pages with corresponding boosts in clickthrough rates and eCPMs.
Google needs to continue driving innovation for AMP as Facebook's competitor — Instant Articles — is also doing well and expanding. Additionally, consumers are engaging with content from publishers on Snapchat Discover and other platforms.