E-commerce
September 17, 2026
Wondering why Google Ads is dropping the average position metric? The answer lies in one sentence: this metric no longer reflects the reality of search result pages, and Google wants to push you towards automated bidding. For an e-commerce merchant, understanding this change is essential to avoid losing visibility and performance.
The average position simply indicated your ad's rank in the auction, but with the evolution of SERPs, it was becoming misleading. Instead, Google is introducing more relevant metrics: "Impression (Top) %" and "Impression (Absolute Top) %". So, how do you adapt? On the agenda:
Why had the average position become obsolete?
What are the new metrics to track?
How to interpret these metrics for your campaigns?
What impact on your manual bidding strategies?
How can Qstomy help you offset this loss?
Let's get started.
Summary
Why had the average position become obsolete?
The average position, once a key indicator, measured the rank of your ad in the auction. But with the evolution of Google's result pages, it no longer reflects reality. For example, an ad in position 2 can appear below organic results, which heavily reduces its visibility and clicks.
Google therefore decided to phase it out, as it was misleading advertisers. New metrics, like "Impression (Top) %", offer a more accurate view of your ads' actual location. For an e-commerce merchant, understanding this change is crucial for adjusting your strategies and avoiding a loss in performance.
Indeed, the average position did not take into account ad extensions, annotations, or layout modifications. An ad could be ranked first in the auction, but relegated to the bottom of the page due to these elements. The new metrics, based on actual visibility, allow you to know if your ads are truly being seen by users. This fundamentally changes how you evaluate your campaign performance.
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The new metrics: Impression (Top) % and Impression (Absolute Top) %
Google Ads introduces two main metrics: "Impression (absolute top) %" and "Impression (top) %". The former indicates the percentage of times your ad appears in the first position, above the organic results. The latter measures the percentage of times it appears anywhere above those results.
These metrics are more relevant because they reflect the actual visibility of your ads. For example, an ad in position 2 but below the organic results will have a low top impression rate. By tracking them, you can better assess the impact of your bids and ads on visibility.
For e-commerce merchants, these metrics are particularly useful for understanding where your ads stand compared to the competition. If your "Impression (absolute top) %" is high, it means you dominate the first position, which can justify more aggressive bidding. Conversely, a low "Impression (top) %" may indicate that your ads are often relegated to the bottom of the page, requiring quality or bid optimization.
How should these new metrics be interpreted?
To interpret these metrics, start by analyzing your reports. If your "Impression (absolute top) %" is low, it means your ads rarely appear in the first position. You can then adjust your bids or improve your ad quality to gain visibility.
Similarly, a high "Impression (top of page) %" indicates that your ads are well-placed, but perhaps not in the first position. Use this data to refine your keyword strategy and budgets. The goal is to optimize your return on investment by focusing on the positions that generate the most clicks and conversions.
It is also important to track these metrics over time to identify trends. For example, if your "Impression (absolute top) %" gradually decreases, it could signal increased competition or a drop in your ad quality. By monitoring these indicators, you can react quickly and adjust your campaigns before losing market share.
Impact on manual bidding and automation
The removal of the average position directly affects advertisers who use manual bidding. Many relied on this metric to adjust their bids and balance costs and conversions. Without it, it becomes harder to know if a bid increase will unlock more traffic or simply increase the cost per click.
Google is clearly pushing towards bid automation, such as Enhanced CPC or Target ROAS. These options use machine learning to optimize your bids in real time. While this may seem risky, it can improve your overall performance. Test these strategies on a portion of your campaigns to evaluate their effectiveness.
For e-commerce merchants, automation can be a major asset, especially if you manage numerous products. Google's algorithms can analyze millions of signals to adjust your bids based on the probability of conversion. However, it is essential to define clear goals, such as a target ROAS, and regularly monitor performance to avoid budget drift.
Why is Google pushing for automation?
Google is a publicly traded company seeking to maximize its revenue. Bid automation allows it to have more control over costs and optimize its own advertising revenue. By moving away from manual bidding, Google can potentially increase its margins.
Additionally, Google's machine learning is designed to improve your performance, but it remains a black box. You have to trust its algorithms. For an e-commerce merchant, this means agreeing to delegate part of your bidding strategy to Google, in exchange for potentially better results.
However, this trust must be informed. It is recommended to start with low-budget campaigns to test the effectiveness of automation. Analyze the results over several weeks and compare them with your past performance. If the results are conclusive, you can gradually extend automation to all of your campaigns.
Adapt your reports and automated rules
With the disappearance of the average position, you must review your reports and automated rules. Replace the columns based on this metric with the new "Impr. (Top) %" and "Impr. (Abs. Top) %". Set up alerts to track these indicators and adjust your campaigns accordingly.
For example, if your "Impr. (Abs. Top) %" drops, you can increase your bids or improve your ad relevance. Similarly, if you use automated rules, update the conditions to be based on these new metrics. This will allow you to maintain precise control over your performance.
It is also wise to create custom reports that combine these new metrics with other key indicators, such as click-through rate and cost per conversion. This will give you an overview of the health of your campaigns and help you make more informed decisions.
Limitations of the new metrics
The new metrics are not perfect. They do not tell you exactly where your ad is on the page, but only if it is above the organic results. For example, an ad in position 3 but above the organic results will have a high "Impr. (Top) %", but not a high "Impr. (Abs. Top) %".
In addition, these metrics do not take into account layout variations across devices. On mobile, results are often different. It is therefore important to use them in conjunction with other indicators, such as click-through rate and cost per conversion, to get a complete view of your performance.
It is also essential to understand that these metrics are percentages, not absolute values. An "Impr. (Abs. Top) %" of 50% means that your ad appears in the top position in half of the auctions. This can be excellent or poor depending on your industry. Compare your numbers to those of your competitors to assess your relative position.
Schedule and Action Plan
The deadline is September 2019. This gives you time to familiarize yourself with the new metrics. Start by adding the "Impr. (Top) %" and "Impr. (Abs. Top) %" columns to your reports. Analyze them over a few weeks to understand their behavior.
Next, adjust your automated rules and bidding strategies. If you were using average position to make decisions, replace it with this new data. Test different approaches to see what works best for your online store. The faster you adapt, the less you will be impacted by this change.
Take advantage of this transition period to train your team on these new metrics. Organize training sessions or create internal guides. A well-informed team will be better able to react effectively to changes and maintain the performance of your campaigns.
Pitfalls to avoid
A common pitfall is to focus solely on "Impression (absolute) %" and neglect other aspects. For example, an ad in the top position may have a low click-through rate if it is not relevant. It is therefore essential to combine these metrics with click-through rate and conversion rate.
Another pitfall is comparing these metrics across different campaigns without considering the context. Sectors and keywords behave differently. Take the time to analyze your data to establish internal benchmarks. This will help you make informed decisions.
Finally, do not overlook the importance of ad quality. A well-written and relevant ad can improve your "Impression (absolute) %" even with lower bids. Invest in creating quality ad content to maximize the impact of your campaigns.
Impact on return on investment
Removing the average position can have an impact on your ROI, especially if you were using this metric to optimize your bids. Without it, you could be spending more without knowing if your ads are well-placed. The new metrics help you better understand visibility, but they require adaptation.
By carefully tracking "% Impr. (Top)" and "% Impr. (Abs. Top)", you can adjust your bids to maximize clicks and conversions. This can improve your long-term ROI. Remember to test different strategies and measure the results to find what works best.
It is also important to monitor your cost per acquisition (CPA) and your return on ad spend (ROAS). These indicators will give you a clear view of your campaign profitability. By combining this data with the new visibility metrics, you can optimize your budgets more effectively.
How Qstomy can help you
Qstomy, as a Shopify AI agent, can help you optimize your advertising campaigns by focusing on conversion. Thanks to its intelligent product recommendations, it increases the value of every click, compensating for any drop in visibility. By guiding visitors to the right products, Qstomy improves your conversion rate.
In addition, Qstomy can track packages and manage after-sales service, which reduces costs and improves the customer experience. By automating these tasks, you can focus on optimizing your ads. With over 100 merchants using Qstomy, you benefit from a proven solution to boost your e-commerce sales.
Qstomy integrates easily with your Shopify store and provides you with detailed analytics on your customers' behavior. This data can be used to refine your advertising campaigns and target your audiences more precisely. By leveraging AI, you can maximize your return on ad spend.
Checklist for a successful transition
Here is a checklist to help you make a smooth transition:
Add the new columns to your Google Ads reports.
Analyze your data over several weeks to understand trends.
Update your automated rules to use the new metrics.
Test automated bidding on a portion of your campaigns.
Use Qstomy to improve conversion and customer service.
In brief
Average position is disappearing, but the new metrics offer a more precise view. Adapt quickly to stay competitive.
FAQ
When will average position be removed? In September 2019.
Which metrics are replacing it? "Impr. (Top) %" and "Impr. (Abs. Top) %".
Do I have to switch to automated bidding? Not necessarily, but test it to see if it improves your performance.
To go further: Why use social media for e-commerce customer service? - Qstomy, E-commerce SEO strategy for category pages - Qstomy, How to optimize an e-commerce site for Google (step-by-step guide) - Qstomy, Paid advertising guide: Google Ads, Meta and other channels - Qstomy, Training an e-commerce chatbot with Shopify: using the right data without creating wrong answers - Qstomy, AI Chatbot for size guides: reducing returns in fashion e-commerce - Qstomy, Product recommendation by AI for more sales - Qstomy.
Enzo
September 17, 2026
