The effect of ad blocking on website traffic and quality

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Shiller, Benjamin; Waldfogel, Joel; Ryan, Johnny
• 署名单位: Brandeis University; University of Minnesota System; University of Minnesota Twin Cities; National Bureau of Economic Research
• 刊物名称: RAND JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0741-6261
• DOI: 10.1111/1756-2171.12218
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 43-63
• 关键词: markets; sales

摘要

Ad blocking software allows Internet users to obtain information without generating ad revenue for site owners, potentially undermining investments in content. We explore the impact of site-level ad blocker usage on website quality, as inferred from traffic. We find that each additional percentage point of site visitors blocking ads reduces its traffic by 0.67% over 35 months. Impacted sites provide less content over time, providing corroboration for the mechanism. Effects on revenue are compounded; ad blocking reduces visits, and remaining visitors blocking ads do not generate revenue. We conclude that ad blocking poses a threat to the ad-supported web.