Explore the top-performing ad formats in Google Ad Manager and learn which formats drive the highest engagement and revenue.

🖋 By Meenakshi – AZAD Architects, Barnala

Which ad formats perform best in Google Ad Manager?

Google Ad Manager supports a wide range of ad formats to help publishers maximize revenue and engage audiences effectively. Choosing the right ad format is critical to balancing user experience and monetization goals. From traditional display ads to video and native formats, each type offers unique benefits and challenges. 

This blog dives into which ad formats tend to perform best within Google Ad Manager and how publishers can leverage them to boost their ad revenue.

Display Ads — The Most Versatile Format

Display ads remain the most widely used and versatile ad format in Google Ad Manager, offering flexibility, broad reach, and strong performance across device types. Whether you're monetizing a blog, news portal, or e-commerce site, display ads can be tailored to fit nearly any layout or screen.

Why Display Ads Are So Effective:

·   Flexible Sizes: From standard IAB formats like 728x90, 300x250, and 160x600 to large impact units like 970x250 and 300x600, display ads can be placed in headers, sidebars, footers, and in-content.

·  Responsive Design: Google Ad Manager supports responsive display units that automatically adjust to different screen sizes and orientations, optimizing user experience and ad visibility.

·   High Fill Rates: Display inventory is easy to monetize because it is supported by a wide range of demand sources, including Google Ads, Ad Exchange, and third-party networks.

·   Custom Styling: Publishers can customize display units to blend with their site’s look and feel, reducing banner blindness and increasing engagement.

Performance Tips:

·   Prioritize above-the-fold placements for higher CPMs.

·   Use ad refresh to re-serve new display ads on long sessions (while staying within policy).

·   Combine static display banners with animated HTML5 creatives for a mix of performance and branding appeal.

Display ads are the foundation of most successful monetization strategies in Google Ad Manager. Their adaptability ensures that whether you are targeting desktop, tablet, or mobile users, you are always delivering high-earning, visually optimized ad content.

Video Ads — High Engagement and CPM Potential

Video ads are among the highest-performing formats in Google Ad Manager, delivering exceptional engagement rates and premium CPMs. Whether displayed before, during, or after video content (in-stream) or embedded within articles (outstream), video ads capture user attention more effectively than static formats.

In-Stream vs. Outstream Video Ads:

·    In-Stream Ads: These play before (pre-roll), during (mid-roll), or after (post-roll) video content. They are most commonly used on video-heavy platforms and can be skippable or non-skippable.

o    Skippable ads boost user control while maintaining monetization.

o    Non-skippable ads offer higher CPMs but require careful placement to avoid user drop-off.

·   Outstream Ads: Also called “in-article” or “native video” ads, these play automatically (muted) when users scroll to them within an article or blog post.

o    Perfect for publishers without video content.

o    Require no video player infrastructure.

o    Great for monetizing content-heavy websites with strong engagement.

Why Video Ads Command Premium Rates:

·   Higher Engagement: Moving visuals with sound create a deeper emotional and cognitive impact, leading to better brand recall.

·   Longer Time in View: Video ads keep users engaged longer, increasing the value of each impression.

·   Advertiser Demand: Brands are increasingly allocating larger budgets to video advertising, especially for awareness and product storytelling campaigns.

Optimization Tips:

·    Use Google Ad Manager with Ad Exchange to access high-paying video buyers.

·    Ensure your site is VAST-compliant and offers good viewability metrics.

·   Test autoplay on scroll for outstream formats but respect user settings (especially on mobile).

If you have the right layout and user behavior data, integrating video ads into your strategy can substantially boost revenue while maintaining content quality.

Native Ads — Seamless Integration for Better User Experience

Native ads are designed to match the look, feel, and function of your website’s content, providing a non-disruptive and highly engaging ad experience. In Google Ad Manager, native formats can be dynamically styled to fit your site's layout, which significantly improves user trust and interaction.

Why Native Ads Perform So Well:

·   Content-Like Appearance: Native ads blend into the content feed or article layout, avoiding the visual disruption typical of traditional banner ads.

·   Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): Because they resemble editorial content, users engage with them more naturally, often resulting in up to 5–10x higher CTR compared to standard display ads.

·   Improved User Experience: Native formats are less intrusive, making them ideal for long-form content, mobile environments, and storytelling-focused websites.

Types of Native Ads in Google Ad Manager:

·   In-feed ads: Appear within content streams, such as blog feeds or news lists.

·   In-article ads: Shown between paragraphs in an article, often labeled as “Sponsored Content.”

·   Recommendation widgets: Placed at the end of posts to suggest paid or internal content.

Best Practices:

·   Maintain consistent fonts, colors, and padding to ensure visual harmony.

·   Clearly label native ads as “Sponsored” or “Ad” to preserve transparency and user trust.

·   Optimize for mobile-first design, as native ads perform exceptionally well on smaller screens.

Native ads offer the perfect mix of monetization and user-friendly presentation. When implemented thoughtfully, they boost engagement, increase revenue, and preserve the integrity of your content experience.

Emerging Formats: Sticky Ads and Rich Media

As user behavior evolves and ad fatigue grows, emerging ad formats like sticky banners and rich media are gaining popularity for their ability to capture attention without being overly disruptive. These innovative formats, supported by Google Ad Manager, help publishers boost engagement, improve viewability, and drive higher revenue.

What Are Sticky Ads?

·         Sticky ads are fixed-position banners that stay visible as the user scrolls.

o    Sticky footer or header banners on mobile keep ads within view at all times.

o    Sidebar sticky units on desktop follow the reader down the page.

·   They deliver exceptional viewability scores, which leads to better CPMs and advertiser demand.

·   Best for: Mobile optimization, news sites, long-form content.

What Are Rich Media Ads?

·   Rich media ads go beyond standard banners by including interactive elements like animations, carousels, expandable panels, video, and hover effects.

o    Examples: Expandable ads that reveal more content on hover, video banners with click-to-play, or gamified ads.

·   These formats typically command higher CPMs due to greater engagement and creative appeal.

·   Best for: Brand storytelling, product launches, and immersive campaigns.

Key Benefits:

·   Boost Engagement: Sticky and rich media ads hold user attention longer than static formats.

·   Increase Interaction: Interactive ads create a two-way experience that improves ad recall and action rates.

·   Enhance UX When Used Wisely: When not overly aggressive, these formats can blend well with content flow and device layout.

Implementation Tips:

·    Use frequency capping and close buttons on sticky units to avoid user frustration.

·    Test performance across devices—what works on mobile may differ on desktop.

·    Ensure compliance with Google’s ad experience guidelines to avoid penalties.

Sticky and rich media formats represent the future of digital advertising—interactive, engaging, and high-earning when executed correctly.

📌 FAQ: Best Performing Ad Formats in Google Ad Manager

1. What are the best ad formats in Google Ad Manager?

The best ad formats in Google Ad Manager include responsive display ads, leaderboard banners (728x90), and in-article native ads. These formats tend to deliver high viewability and strong engagement, especially when optimized for mobile and desktop separately.

2. Which Google Ad Manager formats perform best in 2025?

As of 2025, the top-performing formats include responsive ads, sticky anchor ads, and interstitials. Programmatic native formats also continue to grow in revenue potential.

3. What are the different ad types available in Google Ad Manager?

Google Ad Manager supports banner ads, video ads (instream and outstream), native ads, interstitials, and rich media formats — with both display and programmatic compatibility.

4. Which ad formats get the highest CTR in Google Ad Manager?

Native ads, responsive display ads, and in-feed video formats typically achieve higher click-through rates (CTR) due to better user experience and less banner blindness.

5. Which ad formats convert best for monetization?

Interstitials and native ads often provide better conversions for app and mobile audiences, while leaderboard and sidebar formats convert well on content-heavy websites.

6. How effective are responsive display ads in Google Ad Manager?

Responsive display ads automatically adjust to different screen sizes, boosting mobile performance and fill rate. They also rank among the most revenue-efficient formats globally.

7. What is the effectiveness of leaderboard ad units?

Leaderboard ads (728x90) are highly visible on desktops and often perform well in news or editorial websites in the USA and UK, though they may be less effective on mobile.

8. Which mobile ad formats perform best in Google Ad Manager?

Mobile anchor ads, full-screen interstitials, and responsive display ads top the charts for mobile monetization in 2025. These formats offer better engagement on small screens.

9. How do in-article ads perform in Google Ad Manager?

In-article ads blend seamlessly with content, increasing engagement and reducing bounce rates. They are especially effective on blogs and long-form content in the UK and USA.

10. Which is better: interstitial or banner ads in Google Ad Manager?

Interstitials provide higher revenue per impression but can be intrusive if overused. Banner ads are more user-friendly but often suffer from lower CTR unless placed well.

11. How can I improve ad performance in Google Ad Manager?

Use responsive formats, A/B test placements, target high-performing ad sizes, and analyze performance reports regularly. Focus on viewability and load speed optimization.

12. What are the highest revenue ad formats in 2025?

Full-screen video ads, sticky anchors, and programmatic native placements are among the highest revenue formats for both mobile and desktop traffic in 2025.

13. What are the best programmatic ad formats in Google Ad Manager?

Programmatic native, dynamic banners, and video pre-rolls are top performers for programmatic campaigns, especially when using optimized header bidding.

14. Which ad formats work best for US publishers?

US publishers see strong results with leaderboard banners, in-article native ads, and programmatic video units. These formats align well with user behavior and CPM trends.

15. What ad formats perform best on UK websites?

In the UK, responsive display ads, mobile sticky units, and sidebar banners (300x600) tend to perform well, particularly on editorial and finance websites.

16. How does ad performance differ between the USA and UK?

US traffic generally yields higher CPMs, especially in tech and finance niches. UK audiences prefer less intrusive ad experiences, so native and in-feed formats often perform better.

17. What are the top ad layouts for UK blogs?

Top layouts include in-article native ads, sidebar 300x250 units, and sticky footer banners — designed for mobile-first engagement and better time-on-site.

18. What are the CPM trends for Google Ads in the US?

CPMs in the US remain high for finance, tech, and health verticals, particularly for programmatic video and native ads. Display formats also perform well with niche targeting.

19. Which ad placements perform best on US tech blogs?

Sticky sidebar ads, leaderboard banners above the fold, and native units within content blocks perform best on US tech blogs for monetization and engagement.

20. What are the highest performing banner sizes in Google Ad Manager?

The top banner sizes are:

• 300x250 (Medium Rectangle)

• 728x90 (Leaderboard)

• 320x100 (Large Mobile Banner)

• 300x600 (Half Page)

These formats combine high fill rates with solid CPM performance.

21. How to optimize Google Ad Manager for UK traffic?

Focus on lighter, mobile-first formats like responsive display, limit intrusive ads, and match content with native units. Also, localize creatives and test regional performance.

22. What are average CPM rates by ad format in 2025?

In 2025, average CPMs are:

• Native: $2–$10

• Display: $0.50–$3

• Video (instream): $5–$20

• Interstitial: $4–$15

• Responsive: varies by device & site speed

23. What are the best performing creatives in Google Ads?

Minimalist, fast-loading, contextually relevant creatives with dynamic call-to-actions (CTAs) perform best. A/B testing and seasonal variations also help improve performance.

24. Which is better: display or native ads in Google Ad Manager?

Native ads often outperform display ads in terms of CTR and engagement. However, display ads offer better scalability and fill rate across general inventory.

25. How can I monetize better with Google Ad Manager?

Use high-performing formats, implement price floors, enable header bidding, optimize lazy loading, and use frequency capping for interstitials to balance UX and revenue. 

📌 Thank you!

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