Ad Revenue by Device: A Three-Column Monthly Check

I keep a simple monthly check for ad revenue by device: desktop, tablet, and mobile. I put each device in its own column and read across eCPM, fill rate, and viewability. The point is not to crown a winner. It is to see which part of the page is doing the work and whether a layout change shifted the mix.

My routine starts with the same date range in the ad server and the analytics report. I export by device type, not by browser user agent, so the segments stay stable. Then I reconcile totals. If mobile is 62% of sessions but 41% of revenue, I want to know whether that is an eCPM issue, a fill issue, or a viewability issue. Those are different problems with different fixes.

I use a short checklist each month:

• eCPM by device, compared with the prior month
• fill rate by device, especially on the lowest-traffic column
• viewability by device and by placement
• sessions and revenue share, to see whether traffic mix changed
• any layout or ad-slot change, noted with its launch date

The tablet column is easy to ignore. I don’t. Tablet traffic can be small and still show odd viewability if a sidebar stacks poorly or a sticky unit covers content. Desktop often has stronger eCPM but lower fill on niche placements. Mobile can have solid fill and weaker viewability when an ad sits below a long scroll. I try not to average these away.

When I change layout, I tag the date. Then I compare the same device column before and after. Suppose mobile eCPM moves from $2.10 to $2.45 while fill drops from 88% to 82%; I don’t call it a win until I see revenue and viewability together. I also check the provider’s own current terms before assuming any metric is defined the same way across reports. For my own notes, I keep a running log of device revenue notes and definitions so month three still makes sense.

— Daniel Hayes