The news: Marketers can now see how ad-heavy a website feels to real Chrome users. Google unveiled new metrics in its Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) that show how users are experiencing ads on websites in the browser.

The four new metrics are drawn from data that Google collects from real users worldwide:

• Ad count, or the number of visible ads on a page.
• Ad density, or the portion of a user’s viewport occupied by ad frames.
• Ad weight (CPU), or the total computational load of running ads.
• Ad weight (network), or the total network traffic load of running ads.

The metrics also factor in ad-blocking, so if an ad is shown but isn’t seen by a user, it will not be included in the data, a Google spokesperson confirmed with EMARKETER.

Why it matters: Marketers can avoid sites that overload consumers on Chrome—which is by far the most popular web browser, per StatCounter.

An excess of digital ads contributes to feelings of digital fatigue, which is turning consumers away from their devices. High ad frequency, in particular, alienates consumers from brands.

CrUX’s ad metrics can help marketers pinpoint the exact websites where overload is occurring, giving them the power to pull back from spending in places that could be frustrating consumers. The same metrics can be used to surface sites that are low on ad count and density and may therefore offer a less crowded—and more optimal—environment in which to advertise.

The caveat: AI is rapidly changing how consumers interact with digital ads.

AI search tools like Gemini act as an intermediary between users and web content, screening website ads. Adoption is climbing to 61.6% of US internet users by 2030, per our forecast, which will push marketers to shift away from advertising on websites and toward advertising in AI search tools. The new CrUX ad metrics could lose relevance as that shift plays out.

Recommendations for marketers: Take advantage of the new view that CrUX offers, but don’t over-index on its findings.

• Evaluate CrUX ad metrics for the sites on which you’re already advertising to flag both ad overload and underload.
• Refrain from shifting strategies solely based on these insights; contemplate them alongside other factors, such as performance data and budget constraints.
• Continue testing AI search ads as a longer-term hedge against website advertising disruption.

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