Imagine a world where visiting a website feels less like navigating an obstacle course of pop-ups, sticky ads and autoplay videos, and more like stepping into a space you actually want to hang out in. At Freestar, we believe that publishers can prioritize user experience by significantly reducing ad density and actually make more money from the remaining ads in a relatively short period of time.
For years, we’ve watched publisher profit margins shrink as service fees and reliance on countless must-have tech solutions stack up. Backed into a corner, many publishers turn to adding more ads as a quick fix, which can boost revenue in the short term. But over time, this approach chips away at the long-term health of your site and your brand.
With users becoming increasingly savvy and less tolerant of intrusive ads, poor experiences can damage trust, drive users to ad blockers, or worse, send them straight to competitor websites.
Prioritizing UX
Three key things happen when publishers prioritize a seamless and enjoyable user experience.
- The value of each user increases.
- Advertisers will pay more to reach that audience.
- Engagement and traffic improve.
UX optimizations can include faster load times, intuitive navigation, fewer distractions, accessibility for all users, and content that’s valuable, relevant, and easy to engage with. And yes, sometimes that means fewer ads, which sounds like a bold move for a programmatic ad tech company delivering nearly a billion impressions every day.
Our Hypothesis: Can Less Be More?
Naturally, the assumption is that fewer ads mean less money. However, after examining performance data across our network, we developed a different theory: reducing ad density could maintain—or even increase—overall revenue, assuming the buy-side recognizes the improved quality.
We honed in on a very specific, controllable factor: ad density. Using DeepSee, we identified publishers with ad densities over 30%, typically equivalent to 4–5 ads in-view for a desktop user at any given time. The plan? Simplify the experience, reduce clutter, and measure the outcome.
“We are aware of the potential of an immediate drop in revenue for some publishers because of the decrease in ad impressions, but we believe strongly that the long-term result should be positive. There will be fewer ads but higher CPMs and a better user experience. This is all in the name of doing what is right for our publishers.” – Kyle Peluso, EVP Operations
Starting Small
Before we rolled out any wide-reaching changes, we had just a few strong case studies that hinted we were on the right path. In February, one of our publishers removed 50% of their ad units, which admittedly had us all holding our breath. However, after 45 days with the improved ad layout, ad revenue decreased by just 5%, while traffic from their top five sources increased by 28%. Revenue has since continued to climb and has now surpassed pre-cleanup levels.
Scaling the Test
Encouraged by early success, we expanded the initiative. In just three weeks, we’ve optimized 90% of the ad layouts that averaged over 30% ad density.
The early data aligned with our expectations:
- Even with fewer impressions, total revenue remained flat.
- Pageviews and CPMs both increased by 10%.
- DeepSee data showed a 24% drop in peak ads-in-view on optimized pages.
- Average RPMs held steady due to better-performing formats.
We’re now seeing rising CPMs and a healthier overall ad environment that sets these sites up to surpass prior revenue levels while delivering a better user experience.
Flight to Quality
As Freestar enters this next era of ad tech, shaped by AI advancements, first-party data strategies, immersive ad formats, and emerging programmatic ad channels like CTV, we’ve made several strategic shifts to support higher-quality inventory.
We’ve already tightened our guidelines for network entry and implemented tools to prevent the monetization of bad actors. Every month, we scan all publisher sites for potential high-risk quality issues and work closely with them to resolve any that are identified. Our team of audience development experts regularly meets with publishers to coach on SEO, content strategy and newsletter growth, all aimed at helping publishers build better sites and drive better outcomes.
Stricter control over ad layouts was the natural next step in our flight to quality. We’re evaluating every product and format we offer through the lens of what’s actually valuable for advertisers and what contributes to long-term publisher growth. Because no matter how flashy an ad is, if it doesn’t lead to meaningful user action, it’s not doing its job.
To ensure this continues to be a focus area of our business, we’ve brought on a dedicated ad layout quality analyst to continually audit and enhance monetization strategies across our network.
As more demand partners shift focus from quantity to quality, this move positions Freestar and our publishers for long-term success, with fewer but better ad placements that preserve both site health and advertiser trust.
Final Thoughts
In the end, less really can be more—especially when fewer ad units lead to more meaningful engagement, a better user experience and a healthier bottom line for publishers.
