Why users don't notice ads
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:43 am
Firstly, Internet users are used to dividing information on websites into two categories: necessary/important/interesting and “blind spots”, which include any content that resembles advertising, including subscription forms. To help the user calmly perceive the content, browsers even offer “Reading Mode”, which contains only text and illustrations for articles and no elements that interfere with reading.
Secondly, people are used to a certain arrangement of blocks on the page. They know, for america phone number list example, that the necessary information is located on the left and in the center of the screen. And they view content only in these zones, because they found the answer on other websites there. The rest for them are “blind spots”, what is and what is not.
Here is a heat map created using eye tracking.
When a user first lands on a site, they linger on the top left corner. They then scan the page along a route that resembles the letter "F" and simply do not see the side banners, especially on the right. Some people scan the content, involuntarily following a pattern that resembles the letter "X" or "G".
Secondly, people are used to a certain arrangement of blocks on the page. They know, for america phone number list example, that the necessary information is located on the left and in the center of the screen. And they view content only in these zones, because they found the answer on other websites there. The rest for them are “blind spots”, what is and what is not.
Here is a heat map created using eye tracking.
When a user first lands on a site, they linger on the top left corner. They then scan the page along a route that resembles the letter "F" and simply do not see the side banners, especially on the right. Some people scan the content, involuntarily following a pattern that resembles the letter "X" or "G".