Case: in-image ad overlays on a photo-gallery site

Case: in-image ad overlays on a photo-gallery site

What it did: added in-image ad units (small overlay banners on large photos) across galleries that previously monetized only with two display slots.

— Setup effort: 2/5 (in-image vendor tag on img elements)
— RPM lift seen: page RPM $7.90 → $9.85 (+24.7%) — galleries had tons of unmonetized image real estate
— Viewability 83% because users actively look at the images the ads sit on

Pros: monetizes attention you already have; doesn't add layout shift if sized to the image.
Cons: clearly an overlay — UX purists hate it, and a few image-heavy verticals see slightly higher bounce; cap to large images only.

Lift: ★★★★☆ — Risk: ★★★☆☆
Verdict: strong fit for galleries and photo content, wrong for text sites. Best for: image-first verticals. Skip on text-heavy or premium-brand sites.