Understanding and Improving Google Ads Impression Share in 2026
Impression Share (IS) is the percentage of eligible impressions your ads actually won. If IS is 40%, you missed 60% of auctions you could have entered. The diagnostic step is whether you lost IS to budget or to Ad Rank.
Key impression share metrics
| Metric | What it tells you | If it is low |
|---|---|---|
| Search IS | % of Search auctions won | Raise budget and/or improve QS |
| Search Lost IS (budget) | Missed for budget | Increase daily budget if ROAS allows |
| Search Lost IS (rank) | Missed for Ad Rank | Improve QS, bids, or ad relevance |
| Top IS | % above organic results | Aim high on brand (e.g. 80%+) |
| Abs. Top IS | % in position #1 ad | Priority for brand campaigns |
Targets for eCommerce (2026)
- Brand keywords: Aim for very high Search IS (e.g. 90%+) and strong Top IS — missed brand impressions are competitor opportunities.
- Hero high-margin products: ~70%+ IS where profitable.
- Non-brand category: ~40–60% can be healthy if ROAS holds; do not chase IS at the expense of margin.
- Remarketing: ~70%+ for cart abandoners and warm lists.
How to improve IS
- Quality Score: Tighter keyword-to-ad relevance, faster clearer landing pages, better CTR from copy + assets.
- Budget: If Lost IS (budget) is high and ROAS beats target, increase budget until efficiency or volume caps out.
- Bid / tROAS trade-offs: Sometimes lowering an overly aggressive tROAS increases IS by allowing more competitive bids while staying profitable.
Related: Improve CTR · Campaign types guide · Pillar guide