Above the Fold

What is Above the Fold?

Above the fold refers to the portion of a webpage visible in a user's browser window without scrolling — borrowed from print newspaper layout where the most important stories appeared on the top half of a folded front page.

Above the Fold In Practice

Above-the-fold placement is the most visible location on any page, but not automatically the highest-converting location for affiliate links. Visibility and intent are not the same thing. A reader who arrives on a review page through the query 'GreenGeeks affiliate program review' has explicit intent — an above-the-fold CTA link immediately after the verdict performs very well because the reader arrived ready to evaluate. A reader who arrives through a broader informational query is still in a research phase — an above-the-fold affiliate link before any content has been consumed feels premature and can reduce overall engagement and trust. The practical rule: above-the-fold affiliate links work when placed after the stated verdict, not before it. A brief verdict statement followed immediately by a CTA — all visible before scrolling — combines the position advantage with the intent-matching that makes the placement convert. Above-the-fold real estate is also the first area to trigger banner blindness for display-style placements; editorial text links above the fold outperform banners by 10x or more in the same position.

Example of Above the Fold