Key attention metrics explained

Attention metrics are your lens into the minds of your audience. They go beyond the surface to show if, how, and when people engage with your ads, and reveal the effectiveness of your efforts. Here are four attention metrics every marketer needs to know:

1. Active Attention Seconds

Think of this as the holy grail of attention metrics. It measures the moments when viewers are actively focused on your ad. Why does this matter? Because active attention is directly tied to higher brand recall, stronger emotional connections, and an increased likelihood of purchase. Hitting 2+ seconds of active attention is a sign you’re making a lasting impact.

2. Passive Attention Seconds

Sometimes, being nearby is just as important as being in the spotlight. Passive attention measures the time viewers spend looking near, but not directly at, your ad. While it doesn’t have the same punch as active attention, it’s invaluable for reinforcing brand awareness, especially for well-established names. Think of it as keeping your brand top-of-mind in a world where distractions are everywhere.

3. Viewability

Viewability is where it all begins. It tells you whether your ad meets basic visibility standards, like having at least 50% of the ad in view for 2 seconds. But let’s be honest – viewability is just table stakes. It shows your ad could be seen, but it doesn’t prove anyone paid attention.

4. Active Attention % to Ad Length

Active Attention % to Ad Length reveals how much of an ad’s runtime viewers stay actively engaged, giving you insight into both your creative performance and the attention-grabbing power of specific ad formats. It’s a great way to see if certain formats hold attention better than others or if tweaks are needed to keep viewers hooked throughout. This can help you refine your creative and focus on the formats that deliver the most value.

Why attention metrics matter

Attention metrics aren’t just nice-to-have, they’re your competitive edge in a crowded, noisy world. And here’s just a few of the benefits they can provide for you:

  • Enhance Brand Recall: Active attention is proven to boost memory and strengthen brand associations
  • Drive Conversions: When people are focused, they’re more likely to act – whether it’s clicking a link or making a purchase
  • Maximise ROI: Pinpoint your best-performing placements and focus your spend where it truly counts.

How to leverage attention metrics

Want to turn insights into action? Here’s how to make attention work harder for your campaigns:

  • Optimise Creative: Design ads that stand out in high-attention environments. Bold visuals, early branding, clear messaging, and engaging storytelling are your best friends
  • Focus on Performance: Use attention data to spot underperforming placements and reallocate budgets to high-impact formats
  • Align with Objectives: For short-term wins, prioritise active attention. For long-term growth, lean into passive attention to build awareness.

Tools to Help You Activate Attention Insights

At Amplified, we’ve built a flexible, human-led platform that helps you turn attention data into smarter decisions, whether you’re planning, testing, or optimising.

Test what resonates

Gain deep insight into how your creative performs across formats and channels. With second-by-second attention metrics, you'll understand when and where engagement peaks and how to refine for greater impact.

Plan with purpose

Strategically allocate media where it matters. Amplified’s platform helps you map placements, formats, and creative approaches that are most likely to earn and hold attention, so every impression works harder.

Measure in the moment

Track live campaign performance through the lens of human attention. Understand what’s landing in real time, optimise on the fly, and validate outcomes beyond surface-level metrics.

Go deeper with tailored studies

From bespoke research to custom analytics and integrations, Amplified’s service offerings help you explore attention in your unique context, giving you the tools to lead with insight, not assumption.

The bottom line? Attention isn’t just another metric, it’s the one that connects what people see to what they remember, and what they do next.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to scale your strategy, Amplified can help you make attention work harder for your brand.

Want to learn more? Let’s talk about how to bring attention insights into your next campaign.