Criticism of digital advertising and tips for a better ROI
- System Problem: Digital advertising built on wrong foundations - clicks, views, volume
- User Resistance: Ad blockers, cookie banners, skip buttons as self-defense against pollution
- Laziness Epidemic: Superficial metrics, content for algorithms instead of people, no real value
- Solution Direction: Content as a product, optimization for interaction, owned assets, UX focus
- New Paradigm: Trust is the new reach - earning instead of buying attention
We need to talk about it. Digital advertising in 2026 increasingly feels like a pyramid scheme. Not because advertisers have malicious intentions, but because the entire system has been built for years on the wrong foundations: clicks, views, and volume. And we are paying the price for that today.
How It All Began: Attention as Currency
Advertising on the internet began with a simple logic: whoever attracts attention can sell. But what once started with banners on the side of news websites has since evolved into an intrusive cocktail of pop-ups, pre-rolls, cookies, trackers, and content written solely to please algorithms.
“Ad blocking solutions are expected to cost publishers $54 billion in lost ad revenue in 2024, representing approximately 8% of total digital ad spending.”
If you look at the average B2B company today, you'll see banners no one clicks, whitepapers no one reads, and sponsored content so generic it could have come from an AI copywriter in 2019. Meanwhile, users are flooded with messages but rarely feel addressed.
The real problem? Laziness disguised as strategy
Digital advertising has become lazy. The model rewards superficiality. A pageview? Great, there's your CPM. Whether someone read the piece or even stayed for a second doesn't matter, let alone if it had any real impact.
The result: a landscape full of digital noise. And users are becoming increasingly adept at ignoring it. Ad blockers, cookie banners, skip buttons... These aren't random trends; they are self-defense mechanisms against a polluted ecosystem.
“Worldwide, 31.5% of internet users use ad blockers at least occasionally when online, with over 912 million ad-blocking users globally in Q2 2023.”
The reader is not the problem. We are.
When websites beg you to turn off your ad blocker because you're 'destroying' their journalism, they primarily show how dependent they've become on a model that no longer works. The truth is: people don't hate ads. They hate irrelevant, intrusive, slow-loading ads that add no value.
The problem is not the user, but the fact that we've started creating content for algorithms instead of for people. We build sites for robots and measure success with metrics that say nothing about real impact.
“Nearly a third of Americans (32.2%) use ad blockers, with desktop leading at 37% and men blocking more ads than women (49% vs 33%).”
What's the solution? Building ownership, trust, and relevance
The path forward is not easy, but it is clear. Brands that want to survive must treat content as a product, not a marketing trick.
Create content that helps your target audience, not disrupts them. Clear formats, persona-based segmentation, valuable insights, no bullshit.
Optimize not for views but for interaction. Scroll depth, time on page, returning visitors: these metrics indicate relevance.
Use retargeting with moderation and respect. If someone showed interest, give them a reason to return. No spam.
Ensure your UX is frictionless. Users don't want a jumble of banners, sidebars, trackers, and autoplay videos. They want speed, clarity, simplicity.
Invest in owned assets. Think of valuable evergreen content, a strong newsletter, templates, tools, podcasts, or gated hubs. Build an ecosystem where people voluntarily return.
“The most cited reason for ad blocking is that websites are more manageable without banners, but consumers also want to avoid irrelevant or offensive messages and prevent tracking.”
Advertising is not dead, but it needs to be reinvented
The shift we are currently experiencing is painful but necessary. Anyone who continues to pour budget into generic banners and display ads without a strategy today is burning more than just money: they are eroding brand trust.
The future belongs to brands that dare to embrace long-term thinking. Brands that focus on authority, relevance, and empathy. That understand trust is the new reach. And that the only metric that matters is: will you return?
So let's stop buying attention and start earning it.
“Advertisers reported a 22% decrease in return on investment (ROI) for digital campaigns in markets with high ad-blocking percentages.”
As an SME, do you want to build sustainable marketing results that actually work? Then it's time for a different approach. At ClickForest, we're happy to help you leave that old model behind.
🚀 More leads, higher conversion, better ROI
This article provided you with insights. Now it's time for action. Whether you want to build a profitable webshop, generate more revenue from performance marketing or SEO, or grow with AI marketing - we provide concrete support to help you move forward.
💬 Discuss your challenge directly with Frederiek: Schedule a free strategy consultation or send us a message
📧 Prefer to email? Send your question to frederiek@clickforest.com or call +32 473 84 66 27
Strategy without action remains theory. Let's take your next step together.
Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Advertising in 2026
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Because the model relies too heavily on superficial metrics like pageviews and impressions, instead of real impact or user relevance. This results in content that serves algorithms but provides no value.
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The current system is oversaturated, slow, impersonal, and often disruptive. Many ads are blocked, ignored, or perceived as annoying. The result? A lack of trust and conversion.
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No. They are a reaction to poor user experiences. They compel marketers to devise better, less intrusive strategies that users actually appreciate.
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Scroll depth, time on page, returning visitors, conversion rates, and engagement (such as shares or comments) are better indicators of real impact.
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Because they are rarely relevant, are visually ignored, and often detract from the brand experience. They create noise instead of value.
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By focusing on owned assets (such as newsletters, tools, guides), thought leadership, and empathetic content that addresses the needs of their target audience.
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Not if approached correctly. Semantic SEO, structured data, and content clusters that answer real questions are essential to remain visible and relevant — without resorting to clickbait.
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You consider its form, distribution, target audience, timing, and value. Just as you would with a software tool or service. Content must be useful, discoverable, and sustainable.
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Yes, provided it's done respectfully. No spam or obsessive repetition, but relevant follow-up based on genuine interest or behavior.
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Audit your current ads. Invest in UX. Focus on owned platforms. Create educational or useful content per persona. And think long-term: building trust takes longer, but yields much better returns.
Sources & References
Ad Fraud and Programmatic Waste:
Runner Media: ‘Why $26.8 Billion in Ad Spend Was Lost – The Hidden Programmatic Crisis of 2025’ – https://runnermedia.pl/why-26-8-billion-in-ad-spend-was-lost-the-hidden-programmatic-crisis-of-2025/
eMarketer: ‘Programmatic ad waste grows 34% in two years, per ANA’ – https://www.emarketer.com/content/programmatic-ad-waste-grows-34--two-years--per-ana
Banner blindness, ad blockers, and user experience:
Cropink: ‘Ad Blockers Usage Statistics 2025: Who’s Blocking Ads & Why?’ – https://cropink.com/ad-blockers-usage-statistics
Marketing automation and ROI:
Digital Silk: ‘Top 30 Marketing Automation Statistics for 2025: ROI, Trends & More’ – https://www.digitalsilk.com/digital-trends/marketing-automation-statistics/
inBeat: ‘70 Marketing Automation Statistics Every Marketer Must Know in 2025’ – https://inbeat.agency/blog/marketing-automation-statistics
