Definition of above the fold
Above the fold content is any content on a web page that’s displayed immediately before the user scrolls down. The idea is for marketers to display their most important content above the fold so that people see it as soon as they land on the website.
Above the fold vs. below the fold
Any content that users need to scroll down to see is considered to be “below the fold”. Users are more likely to consume content that’s above the fold than below the fold.
The history of the fold
In the pre-internet era, journalists used “above the fold” and “below the fold” to describe where articles were placed in a newspaper. Most newspapers were displayed folded, and so journalists had to make sure that their main headlines were shown “above the fold” so that they’d be easy to see.
Above the Fold FAQs
Just like journalists used to put their main content above the fold so that they’d catch people’s attention and sell their papers, digital marketers put their main content above the fold so that they can display their most important content first.
In most cases, the above the fold section should include calls-to-action and whichever content is most likely to help you to achieve your business goals. Any supplementary information can be placed below the fold so that people can access it if they want to read more.
- 81% of visitors look at the first paragraph on a webpage, but only 32% read as far as the fourth one. [SOURCE]
- Web visitors spend 57% of their browsing time above the fold. [SOURCE]
- According to Google, ads appearing above the fold have 73% visibility, while those below it have only 44% visibility. [SOURCE]
- In 2022, the most common screen resolution is 1920×1080. [SOURCE]
The placement of the fold varies from website to website and device to device. It’s generally around 600 pixels beneath the top of the page, but that figure changes drastically if you switch from a desktop to a smartphone or from one browser to another.
One way to tell where the fold is for the majority of your visitors is to check your website’s analytics. It should provide you with information showing the most common screen dimensions that your visitors are using.
Another thing to bear in mind is that a lot of publishers have tried to game the system by pushing their ads above the fold and forcing the content of their website to below it. Google (and other search engines) have grown wise to that and have started penalizing websites that try to do it. Don’t get caught out!
