Impression
Single instance of content being displayed, regardless of whether it was clicked
Definition
An impression (also called ad impression or view) is counted each time an ad, post, or piece of content is displayed on a screen, regardless of whether the user interacts with it. One user can generate multiple impressions if they see the same content multiple times. Impressions are the top-of-funnel metric measuring reach and visibility. Formula for impression-based metrics: CPM (Cost Per Mille) = (Cost ÷ Impressions) × 1,000; Impression Share = (Impressions Received ÷ Total Available Impressions) × 100. While impressions show exposure, they don't guarantee attention—a user might scroll past without seeing it. This is why impressions are typically analyzed alongside engagement metrics (clicks, views, interactions) to measure effectiveness.
Real-World Example
A Google Ads campaign runs for one month: 500,000 impressions, 5,000 clicks (1% CTR), at $0.50 CPM ($250 total spend). The campaign's impression share is 12%, meaning the ads could have been shown 4.2 million times if budget and ad rank were higher. To increase visibility without raising budget, they optimize ad copy and landing page quality score, raising impression share to 18% while maintaining the same spend.
Related Terms
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Analytics & MetricsPercentage of people who click on a link compared to total who saw it
Engagement Rate
Analytics & MetricsPercentage of audience that interacts with your content through likes, comments, shares, or clicks
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