Lazy-loading every slot vs eager above-fold + lazy below

Lazy-loading every slot vs eager above-fold + lazy below

What it does — both manage when ads request. 'Lazy everything' defers all units including the top one; the hybrid loads the above-fold ad eagerly and lazies the rest.

Setup effort (1-5) — Lazy everything: 2. Hybrid: 3 (per-slot eager/lazy flags).

RPM lift seen — Lazy-everything looks faster but the top unit misses early viewability and you lose the most valuable impression: -8-15% on the leaderboard. Hybrid eager-loads the top ad (best eCPM) and lazies the rest for speed: +6-12% net vs lazy-everything.

Pros / Cons —
Lazy everything: best raw page speed, but starves your highest-value above-fold slot.
Hybrid: protects the money slot and keeps below-fold fast, but you must flag slots correctly.

Verdict — Never lazy-load the above-fold unit, it's your top earner and it's already in view. Eager-load it, lazy everything below with a 200px rootMargin.

Lift: ★★★★☆ — Risk: ★★☆☆☆
Best for: every multi-slot page. Skip lazy-everything, it's a speed-score vanity trap.