WebProNews

Younger Internet users between the ages of 12-17 years old are accustomed to less online advertising on the Web sites they visit than adults of all ages, according to a new report from Nielsen Online.

An analysis of online advertising clutter found that Internet users 65+ were exposed to the most clutter, while children 2-11 experienced the least.

Since Web sites geared towards children have little to no advertising, it is not unusual that the youngest Web site visitors are usually exposed to a low level of advertising clutter.

Even teens, which are the highest indexing age group on MySpace, come across relatively low clutter levels.

 From a content standpoint, more specialized Web sites, which attract smaller audiences, tend to have higher clutter.

"For decades, advertisers and publishers have struggled to define the right balance of content and advertising," said Jon Gibs, vice president, media analytics, Nielsen Online.

"Used in conjunction with other metrics, such as unique audience, the clutter measure provides a relative benchmark to help media buyers understand the Web sites that provide the optimal level of impressions within an acceptable amount of clutter."

Nielsen Online's new proprietary advertising metric comes from its syndicated Web audience, engagement and advertising data, including ad impression, page view, time spent and ad pixel figures.

"The best strategy with this new metric is not simply to find Web sites with the lowest advertising clutter, but to leverage the right combination of Web traffic, advertising volume and demographic targeting," said Gibs.

"While today's teens have grown up with a lot of advertising, for example, it is still important to advertise online at a clutter level they are comfortable with to ensure your message gets through."