What are skyscraper ads?

What are skyscraper ads and what are the advantages to this form of advertising?

Skyscraper ads are one of the most popular forms of online advertising formats on many different websites. They are usually thin and long vertical ads which can be positioned and run on either side of web pages.

It seems that a general hindrance to a lot of surfers is the fact that certain web pages display adverts which get in the way of the main content of the page. With Skyscraper advertising they are usually contained in a border which is placed alongside the main content and does not usually intefere with the reading and browsing experience of the user. Added to this, the ads will be used on contextually related pages and the content of the ads will match the text and subject area of page.

Website owners also seem to like this format as it fits in well with the design of most pages and they can run down the full length of the page when the space allows them to do so.

The usual width of a skyscraper advert is 120 pixels and some of the more popular contextual advertising examples from Google are 600 pixels deep. This is usually enough space to carry a decent image or around five small text content adverts from different advertisers.

In a world where people seem to be in a mad rush to get information, skyscraper ads don't seem to hinder the experience of most surfers looking for relevant information. It is also quite an attractive and clean format for people to take in the message displayed on web pages.

For more information on other advertising formats, take a look at our other advertising guide pages and specific pages on internet advertising, online advertising and web advertising