Parallax Ads

Parallax ads have been around for a few years, and their popularity is increasing. One of the main benefits of parallax ads is their ability to capture visitor attention and hold it for longer. This is because the scrolling effect is visually engaging and can make the ad feel more interactive.

In this tutorial, you will learn more about different ad formats using parallax effects and how to realize parallax effects in WordPress using Advanced Ads.

What are parallax ads?

The parallax effect in web design is a technique that creates the illusion of optical depth by moving the background images slower than the foreground content when the user scrolls down the page. This interaction can make an advertisement more visually exciting.

Due to the parallax effect and the impression of transparency or optical depth, the result has an attention-grabbing character. Therefore, parallax ads perform well when compared to conventional ad formats, as they are more engaging and interactive, which can result in higher click-through rates and longer dwell times.

Demo banner for Advanced Ads’ Parallax Ads feature

Several ad formats take advantage of the parallax effect, like parallax ads, interscroller ads, or understitial ads. These ad formats are specifically aimed at mobile devices. Their strength only arises directly through the user’s scrolling movement.

So, let’s explain these formats in more detail before we apply a parallax effect to an ad unit of Advanced Ads.

Parallax ads

You can characterize parallax ads by a scrolling effect where different layers of the ad move at different speeds. As visitors scroll through the page, they will see various aspects of the same ad, making it a fun and exciting way to lure them and let the ad stand out.

Parallax ads are complex because they need at least two combined layers. Therefore, usually, large publishers and agencies that have the capacity to create such advertisements use ad formats with parallax effects. The portfolios of most ad networks lack them, and many publishers don’t have access to this ad format.

Interscroller Ads

The interscroller ad format blends the high performance of interstitial ads with scroll interaction.

Interscroller ads let the user look through a gap in the content at an advertisement behind it. When the user scrolls down the placement, it soon covers the entire screen.

The user can dismiss the ad by scrolling further. Hence, these adverts are not as intrusive as the interstitial ad format and should disturb the user experience much less.

Understitial Ads

Understitial ads let the user look through a gap in the content at an ad unit behind it. This ad format is relatively discreet. Unlike interscroller ads, understitial ads won’t take up the entire screen.

However, it still has an attention-grabbing character due to the parallax effect and the feeling of optical depth. Advanced Ads will deliver the full-screen ad in a non-intrusive format, thereby allowing users to keep their reading flow. That is why it is less disturbing than interstitial or interscroller ads.

Add a parallax effect with Advanced Ads

The parallax effect is available for the content injection placement when you activate Advanced Ads Pro. Note that it is exclusively dedicated to ad units with the “Image” ad type.

Navigate to Advanced Ads > Placements and create a new Content placement or edit an existing one. Alternatively, you can click on the “show all options” link of a current Content placement to open the modal that contains extended placement options.

Activate the Parallax Ads checkbox that you can find in the modal. Afterward, you can adjust the effect’s height value to your needs. If you use ads with different sizes on that placement, I recommend not defining a particular height in px but using relative values in % instead.

Parallax Ads settings
Define an absolute or relative height of the parallax effect

I got the best results on mobile devices with a height of 40%-60%. On a desktop device, the effect looked better with a height of 25%-40%. At height values above 50%, the parallax effect lost its distinctive feeling and optical depth.

Parallax ads are an ad format designed for mobile devices. The ad is fully revealed as the viewer scrolls through content on their phone. But parallax ads are suitable for a wide range of banner sizes, making them a great choice also for desktop and tablet devices. 

Unfortunately, it is impossible to make a general statement about the optimal banner size because it depends strongly on the design of the particular website.

Keeping this in mind, you should test different sizes and see how the parallax effect works out for each banner.

From experience, you will get outstanding results with Superwide Skyscrapers (also known as Monster MPU, Half Page Unit (HPU), or Filmstrip) in size 300Ă—600px.

On desktop devices, besides the Superwide Skyscraper, I like the 640Ă—960 (portrait), or 960Ă—640 (landscape) sizes best.

The Parallax Ads effect is restricted to ad units with the image ad type. The Google AdSense policy does not permit applying the parallax effect to AdSense ads explicitly. However, I don’t recommend such integrations to avoid any problems with your AdSense account. 

What else you should know about the parallax effect

The Parallax Ads effect is incompatible with the Refresh on the same spot feature. Although it will let you apply this effect to ad groups, Advanced Ads won’t display the group if you choose the group modes Grid or Ad Slider. But embedding ad groups with the Ordered or Random group type enabled is possible.

You’ll be glad to hear those parallax ads are not more resource-intensive. You won’t harm your page speed scores if you enable this feature for a placement since it won’t increase the loading time of your website.

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FAQ

What is a parallax ad?

A parallax ad is an innovative ad format that leverages the parallax effect to create captivating visual experiences. It involves elements moving at different speeds, resulting in a sense of depth and motion. Parallax ads are particularly effective in grabbing users’ attention and can be used on various platforms, including mobile devices, to deliver immersive and engaging advertising campaigns.

What is the parallax effect?

The parallax effect is a visual technique that produces an illusion of depth by moving foreground and background elements at different speeds. This effect occurs due to the relative motion between these elements as the user scrolls or interacts with the content. By implementing the parallax effect, web designers and advertisers can create visually dynamic experiences that enhance engagement and bring a unique sense of depth and interactivity to websites and ads.

Can I use the parallax effect with Google AdSense ads?

Unfortunately, Google AdSense does not directly support using the parallax effect for its ads. AdSense has specific guidelines and restrictions on ad formats and animations. However, you can explore alternative ad networks or custom ad implementations to create parallax-like experiences on your website. Make sure to review and comply with the policies of the ad network you choose.

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