The addition of another 20 sites in recent weeks has boosted the number of ABA audited websites to 120 entrenching the growing importance of audited web audience data in the local industry. The catalyst for the latest increase in membership is the growing advertiser awareness of the major impact on page impressions and session duration created by auto-refresh inflation.

New members who have committed to the accountability and transparency that audited data delivers include publishers such as Allure Media, DMG Radio and MCM Entertainment as well as niche publishers Campaign Brief and Gizmag.

Chris Janz, Managing Director, Allure Media commented “Despite being the most measurable medium, some web publishers have, for too long, engaged in tricks that artificially inflate audience numbers and means metrics can’t be trusted. The ABA audit provides much-needed transparency and ensures publishers compete on a level playing field. We’re proud to have earned our ABA green tick and know advertisers can now have absolute confidence in our audience numbers.”

Commenting on their recent commitment to the audit process Mohit Bhargava, Digital Product Marketing Manager, DMG Radio Australia added “Being audited helps reinforce our premium positioning online and places us among a group of trusted online publishers that are being proactive in instilling best practice in Australia. In addition, as an audited site, our advertisers can feel more comfortable with their investment in our media, this level of trust is important to our business.”

Key to the development has been the Digital Watchdog Committee which has proved an important forum for web publishers, advertisers and media buyers along with industry groups MFA, AANA and IAB to work together to set the standard for the delivery of transparent, comparable and credible audited web audience data.

Gordon Towell, ABA CEO, welcomed the addition of sites in the entertainment and music industry “The recent growth shows that web publishers understand the importance of providing independently audited data to their clients. Independently audited media is the only media that can provide media buyers and advertisers with credible and comparable data.”

March Audited Web data is now available through ABA’s eData online portal. Publishers can join anytime and have their audited web audience data published monthly on ABA’s eData portal and Nielsen’s Market Intelligence where all audited sites are listed with a Green Tick .

Contact the ABA by phone on +61 2 9954 9800 or email to marketing@auditbureau.org.au for further information.