Google integrates IAB Tech Lab’s Open Measurement standard for third-party viewability measurement

In an effort to provide mobile advertisers with more options for viewability measurement in Google Mobile Ads (GMA) and Interactive Mobile Ads (IMA), Google announced Thursday a new integration with Open Measurement Software Development Kit (OM SDK).

Developed by the IAB Tech Lab, the open measurement SDK provides advertisers with common code and libraries for facilitating third-party access to measurement data.

“IAB Tech Lab’s Open Measurement (OM) initiative makes it easier for ad buyers and sellers to work together for viewability measurement and other verification needs,” said Dennis Buchheim, EVP and general manager of the IAB Tech Lab. “The sell-side has been adopting OM quickly, and we ask brands, agencies, and Demand Side Platforms (DSPs) to get more active and take advantage of what OM offers.” 

Why we should care

Advertisers on GMA and IMA can now measure viewability using third-party measurement platforms such as Integral Ad Science, DoubleVerify, Comscore, and Moat (in addition to the measurement already available with Google’s Active View). To take advantage of the integration, advertisers can add Open Measurement enabled tags to their ad creatives from the viewability vendor of their choice.

Viewability tracks ad impressions that appear “in view” on users’s mobile devices — and have an opportunity to actually be seen by users — as opposed to impressions served, which may load on a page but never enter the user’s view. Selling inventory on a viewable basis also helps publishers offer and charge more for inventory.

Typically, viewability tracking for in-app ads depends on the developer’s ability to integrate a variety of SDKs from different vendors, which often results in inconsistent measuring methodologies and costs.

The IAB Tech Lab’s Open Measurement standard eliminates the need to implement various SDKs, allowing advertisers to measure viewability signals from one single location across display, native and video. Through its integration with Open Measurement, Google mobile app advertisers will have access to universal code libraries that enable an app publisher to provide required measurement data to all measurement providers and advertisers.

“Google’s adoption of the Open Measurement SDK is a huge step in moving the industry forward and creating more transparency for advertisers,” said Sumit Shukla, SVP, Strategic Partnerships of Comscore. “It’s important for brands to consistently measure viewability across the entirety of their media buys.”

More on the news

• Google said it is continuing to work with the IAB’s Tech Lab Open Measurement Working Group to expand Open Measurement capabilities beyond viewability, as well as to other environments such as web video.
• Open Measurement has the potential to create a more transparent and accountable digital media ecosystem across all screens.
• More information on downloading and using the SDK is available here.