<b>Anchor unit: the close-button decision</b>

<b>Anchor unit: the close-button decision</b>

What it does: the dismiss 'X' on a mobile anchor ad. Whether it's there, how big, and what reappears after dismiss is a real RPM lever, not just UX polish.

Setup effort: 2/5 — controlled in the anchor config or a small CSS/JS tweak.

RPM lift seen: removing the close button keeps the anchor billing longer (+revenue) but spikes accidental bounces and policy complaints. A clear, properly-sized X with a 'reappear on next page' rule keeps ~80% of the revenue and most of the goodwill.

Pros
— Keep button: better UX, lower bounce, policy-safe
— Reappear-on-navigation: recovers revenue without trapping users

Cons
— No button = Google policy risk (ads must be dismissible-ish) + user rage
— Tiny X = accidental clicks = invalid traffic flags

Verdict: always show a real X (min 44px tap target), let it reappear on the next pageview. Lift: ★★★☆☆ — Risk: ★★★☆☆
Best for: all mobile anchor users. Skip the no-button hack entirely — it's not worth the risk.