For search campaigns (like text ads on Google Search), Google Ads defines an impression as the moment your ad is rendered and served on a results page, regardless of whether it’s actually seen by the user. When a search triggers an ad auction and your ad wins a spot—say, position 15 on page 3—the ad’s code is embedded in the page’s HTML and sent to the user’s browser. That’s it; impression logged. Google doesn’t require the ad to be scrolled into view or clicked for it to count, unlike display or video ads where viewability (e.g., 50% of pixels visible for one second) matters.
This stems from how search ads are tracked: the focus is on delivery, not visibility. Once the SERP loads with your ad included, Google’s ad server registers it as an impression. Whether the user sticks to page 1 (where most people stay—about 90% of clicks happen there) or flips to page 3 is irrelevant. The ad was eligible to be seen, and that’s what counts. This is different from Google Search Console’s impression logic for organic results, where an impression only logs if the result appears in the user’s viewport, but Ads prioritizes ad placement over user behavior.
Why this matters: it’s tied to how Google Ads optimizes and bills. Impressions feed into metrics like Impression Share (how often your ad shows up compared to total opportunities), but you’re only charged for clicks in a cost-per-click (CPC) campaign, not impressions. So an ad on page 3 might rack up impressions without costing you unless someone clicks through. That said, ads on later pages tend to get fewer impressions overall because users rarely venture that far—page 3 might see 1-2% of total search traffic, if that.
In practice, if your ad’s stuck on page 3, it’s technically getting impressions but likely not driving much value since almost no one’s seeing it. Google’s data backs this: click-through rates plummet beyond page 1. So, yes, it counts, but it’s a hollow victory unless you’re just aiming for raw impression numbers. Want tips on bumping that ad up to page 1?