Native Ads Sample – How to Create Ads That Blend In and Convert

Patrick Coyle
6 days ago
3 min read

Thumbnail with text “How to Make Ads People Actually Click,” a large red click button, and a man in a suit in front of a dark background.

If your ad looks like an ad, you’re already losing half the battle. Native ads are different – they’re designed to blend seamlessly into the content environment of a publisher site. When done right, they don’t just attract attention; they earn clicks from the right people. In this post, I’ll walk you through a native ads sample and break down exactly how each element works – plus some proven pro tips.

What Are Native Ads?

Native ads are advertisements placed on publisher sites – think news outlets, blogs, and content hubs. They often appear below articles, disguised as “recommended” or “related” stories. Platforms like Taboola (with its Realize interface) make these placements possible at scale.

The magic of native ads is that they borrow the credibility and trust of the publisher’s environment. They don’t scream “I’m an ad,” which means banner blindness is far less of a threat.

The Native Ads Ecosystem

The heavy hitters in this space – Taboola and others – connect advertisers with vast networks of publishers. Your ad could be shown under a breaking news article on Monday and under a lifestyle blog post on Tuesday.

Placement is everything: most native ads live under articles, in feed-style content blocks. The format helps them look like editorial content rather than paid promotion.

Native Ads Sample Breakdown

Taboola native ad sample with its five key elements.

Image

Standard format: 16:9 is the go-to for best performance. Other placements may require 1:1 or 2:1. Avoid text and logos on the image – keep it clean and editorial-looking. Center the core subject so it crops well in all formats. Use the Taboola Ads Manager to adjust framing per placement or leverage AI-based tools to resize/extend images for different aspect ratios.

Content ideas: Human faces, relatable scenes, or even animals linked to the ad’s theme.

GIF option: Short looping GIFs (a few seconds) can increase CTR, but prioritize static image ads first for stability and clarity.

Headline

Ideal length: 60–70 characters for the best performance. Technically up to 100 allowed, but shorter headlines often win. Start with the main problem your product addresses (e.g., “Hair Loss Solution Works in Just Weeks”). Consider dynamic keywords: insert city names, weekdays, or regions for hyper-relevance (see Taboola’s guide).

Goal: Spark curiosity without revealing everything, prompting the click.

Bonus Resource: I’ve put together a free PDF with 100 proven native ad hook ideas you can swipe for your own campaigns. These hooks are designed to grab attention in the first second and push your CTR higher.

Download here 👇

Description

Max length: 250 characters.Best practice: Use the first sentence from your editorial or landing page content – it creates a smooth narrative bridge and keeps the reader engaged.

Visibility note: Not all publishers display the description, so don’t rely on it as your primary message.

Brand Area

Doesn’t have to be your exact brand name – you can use CTR-boosting phrases relevant to your audience.Speak directly to your target demographic here for extra engagement.

Call-to-Action Button

Preset options: Taboola offers dropdown choices like “Read More” or “Learn More.”Pick the option that naturally fits the content promise in your headline.

After the Click: Turning Attention into Action

The ad’s job is to get the click. The landing page’s job is to deliver on the promise.

For performance campaigns, the post-click experience must align with the ad. If your ad feels like an editorial but drops users on a product page, you’ll kill the momentum. That’s why high-performing advertisers often send traffic to a listicle or advertorial first. These warm up cold traffic before leading them to a product page or lead form.

Conclusion

Native ads work because they fit in – but the best ones stand out just enough to earn the click. Study any strong native ads sample, get your image, headline, and post-click flow right, and you’ll have a campaign that blends in while cashing out.

Extra Tip: Taboola Trends

Need inspiration for your titles or your images?Then I highly recommend using Taboola Trends.

It’s a free tool that shows you current top-performing creatives so you can adapt proven concepts for your own campaigns. Or check out my blog post where I break down exactly how to use this incredibly helpful, no-cost tool to generate better ad ideas instantly.