Impression Share (IS)
Understand impression share and diagnose lost impressions. 50%+ is strong. See budget vs rank causes.
Updated July 2026.
The percentage of available impressions your ads received out of total eligible impressions. Shows market share capture.
Formula
Your Impressions ÷ Total Eligible Impressions
Benchmark range
100% = all available demand. 50%+ is strong for competitive markets. Below 30% = significant lost opportunity.
Why it matters
Lost impression share has two causes: budget (not enough money) or rank (not competitive enough). Check 'Search Lost IS (Budget)' and 'Search Lost IS (Rank)' to diagnose. Google restricted auction insights export in August 2024, limiting competitive analysis.
Where it applies
- Google Ads
The Ad Spend
Use Impression Share (IS) as shared language for account reviews—not as an isolated dashboard label. The Ad Spend keeps account changes, performance movement, and decision context in one reviewable record, so paid-media decisions remain explainable after the dashboard changes. See Product overview.