The score and the revenue estimate are calculated differently — a higher score doesn’t automatically mean higher revenue. The revenue estimate is based on:
RPM × estimated monthly views for that zone
So a lower scored ad slot could earns more because it gets more views — for example, readers always see the header, but not everyone scrolls far enough to see the in-content zone. Even though the in-content zone may have a higher attention score (meaning the people who do see it engage more deeply), fewer total visitors reach it.
Think of it this way:
- Score = quality of attention from visitors who reach that zone
- Revenue = quality × quantity — how many people actually see it multiplied by your RPM
So a header with a score of 77 that 100% of visitors see will often out-earn an in-content zone scored 88 that only 60% of visitors scroll to. The in-content being marked “best” means it has the highest attention score, not the highest revenue estimate.
If you want “best” to reflect revenue instead of score you can change attentiq_best_slot_method in your WordPress options from score to revenue — that’s what that setting is for.