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Publishers’ Google Accelerated Media Pages traffic going unrecorded by Nielsen

Audience measurement firm Nielsen has conceded that it is not measuring digital audiences of sites using Google’s AMP service despite having told publishers that it is able to do so.

Google’s Accelerated Media Pages allows publishers to deliver faster mobile page loading by hosting an AMP version of their pages with Google.

However, a number of publishers have told Mumbrella they are becoming increasingly concerned that audiences reading their content in this way are not been recorded.

This is despite Nielsen’s Australian digital content ratings handbook specifically telling publishers that it does cover AMP, along with Facebook Instant Articles which works on a similar principle. The company tells publishers its software development kit (SDK) has the capability.

 

 

Nielsen’s DCR Handbook from July 2017 outlines the capabilities

While Facebook Instant Articles and Facebook video can be measured with publisher opt-in, Mumbrella understands a number of publishers have been informed their audiences are still not being measured, whilst others were informed that they were.

In the handbook published in July last year, Nielsen said: “The Nielsen SDK can measure ‘off platform’ audiences, and attribute those audiences back to the publisher within reporting. This does require a custom implementation of the SDK. Currently, content appearing in Facebook Instant Articles and Google AMP is measurable. Other major platforms (e.g. Apple News) may be available in future.”

Publishers using Google AMP locally include Fairfax Media, Bauer Media, Conversant Media, Daily Mail Australia and The Guardian.

Google AMP is used by a number of Australian publishers

In the US, Nielsen is already able to measure this capability.

When asked by Mumbrella whether it was measuring AMP pages in its Australian Digital Content Ratings, Nielsen conceded that it was not, with a carefully worded statement saying: “The measurement capability exists and has existed since the launch of DCR. However, we are finalising beta testing before we roll out broadly to market.”

Mumbrella understands those publishers who have been informed about the ongoing process keep experiencing delays.

“Off-platform content consumed via Apple News, Snapchat and Instagram is currently unable to be measured,” said Nielsen. “Current off-platform measurement requires the Nielsen SDK to be integrated by the publisher and covers Google Search in-app browsing, Facebook Instant Articles, Facebook Video and any other publisher video or non-video content shared via Facebook and consumed on the Facebook platform. ”

But Nielsen justified including the service in its DCR handbook, as – although it is not actually provided locally, the measurement capability “exists”.

“As with any new feature or functionality, we conduct thorough beta testing which at times leads to divergence between a capability being developed and when it is released to the market as a whole and reflected in market data,” a Nielsen spokesperson said.

“Publishers are aware that the capability is in testing and will be rolled out shortly. We regularly update our client service team and the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) on the status of testing and when we expect to roll out to market.”

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