Activity: Placement Change List

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Now it’s time to take notes on what you need to change about your existing ad layout! Copy the ad layout plan template provided with this lesson to begin building your plan.The template has a tab for each category of ad units you’ll be evaluating: sticky ad units, in-content units, sidebar ad units, and high impact ad units.

Start by navigating to the sticky units tab. Here you’ll see a column where you can write in the page template you’re working on. Select the device for the experience you’re trying to build (either desktop or mobile). From there you’ll select the unit you want to focus on. 

In the next column you’ll select the action you’re taking. This is where you can define if it is a new ad unit you want to add for the first time, or if you want to change something about an existing sticky unit. Use the notes section to outline any special comments or to remind yourself what you want to change about the unit.

Do this for each page template you have and outline all of the sticky units you want to add or change across both device categories.

Next, navigate to the in-content units tab. Here you’ll have a similar experience, where you can begin by denoting the page template and selecting the device you’re focused on. Next, choose the appropriate type of in-content unit for which you are building a plan. 

In the next column, select what action you want to take. Again, this is where you’ll choose if you are adding a new ad unit or changing something about an existing unit. Here you’ll also see you can select to remove a unit if you’ve found you have an in-content unit that needs removal or replacement with something else.

In the placement column you’ll note where you want to put it. As you can see from the examples in the template, it is often easiest to denote it by section name, saying something like “add this unit just beneath the recommended content section.”

In the other notes column, you can denote additional things you want to remember or may choose to put notes about the frequency of injecting in-article units or the use of scrollable containers.

Just like with the previous tab, do this for each page template you have and outline all of the in-content units you want to add or change across both device categories.

Next, navigate to the sidebar units tab.

Again, you can start by entering the page template. You’ll notice the device column isn’t present in this tab. That’s because in almost all cases sidebars are only present and displaying content on desktop devices and thus are not applicable on mobile devices.

In the next column, select which unit type you want to add or change.

Next, you’ll want to select what treatment that unit will have in the sidebar of your page. “Static above sidebar content” is essentially a single ad unit you’ll inject above any other sidebar content you have. “Sticky at end of sidebar content” means you’ll inject a unit at the end of your existing sidebar content that will then stay sticky to the top of the screen as the user scrolls down the page. “Stacked sticky treatment” means you’ll stack multiple sticky units in your sidebar, below your existing sidebar content, that will continue to scroll into view as the user moves down the page.

In the notes column, you can make any other notes you might have about what you’d like do with that unit in the sidebar.

Just like with the previous tab, do this for each page template where you have a sidebar present.

Next, navigate to the high impact units tab. 

Again, select the page template you’re focused on. Then choose the unit you want to add or change.

Note the action to take: either adding a new unit that you don’t currently have or changing something about an existing unit. From there, make notes about what you want to do with the specific unit if there are notes to take.

Just like with the previous tab, do this for each page template you have and outline all of the high-impact ads you want to incorporate into your site experience.