Your test campaign has ended, and now you’re seeing a drop in traffic and conversions. How can you turn it around? One of the most common questions we get at Adsterra is, “How can I increase traffic on CPA campaigns?” While there isn’t a magic button to flood your campaign with impressions instantly, there is a smarter way. By using data-driven strategies and the proven tips I’m about to share, you can effectively boost your campaign’s performance.
When Does Your Ad Traffic Start to Drop?
You typically notice a drop in ad traffic when conversions start to decline, which makes sense. This can occur in several scenarios:
Traffic Acquisition: Essential Insights for CPA Campaigns
There are two main methods for acquiring CPA traffic:
How to Purchase Traffic on Adsterra's Self-Service Platform (SSP)
With the SSP, you can launch a campaign at any time, regardless of circumstances
Your campaign will go live after it clears our review process (unless you choose to keep it inactive).
A key step is determining your test budget. Our CPA test budget guidelines by country can assist you in making the right decision.
How Adsterra Enhances CPA Traffic During SSP Test Campaigns
When your campaign is launched, you'll initially receive CPM traffic, meaning you’re charged for impressions rather than conversions. This approach allows you to quickly reach a broader audience.
Here's how the cost per 1,000 impressions is determined: We analyze the average eCPM for your specific targeting and vertical over the past week. This ensures that the CPM is optimized to attract high-quality traffic.
The test phase concludes once your budget limit is reached, or if the total conversions multiplied by CPA exceed the test budget.
Post-test, the eCPM is adjusted based on the actual traffic and conversions generated by your campaign. From this point forward, you’ll only be charged for successful conversions.
Purchasing Traffic Through Managed Accounts
Managed CPA campaigns are handled differently. In this setup, your manager does the campaign creation based on your specifications, including targeting details, offer links, previews, and budgets.
Unlike SSP campaigns, managed accounts don’t need test budgets. You begin working directly for conversions. We either run ads with a CPA model or explore alternative pricing options, such as CPM, depending on what aligns with your marketing goals. If the alternatives don't meet your needs, you can always switch to the CPA model on Adsterra's SSP.
In highly competitive markets, it's crucial to assess the viability of your offer against competitors. That’s why we may recommend CPM pricing, especially for verticals like iGaming, Finance, and E-commerce, where complex user actions (such as depositing funds) are required.
For example, one of our advertisers, an iGaming platform from Romania, shared a case study showcasing how they successfully doubled player deposits by purchasing CPM traffic.You can visit our blog and see that case study.
Which Campaigns Typically Receive the Best Ad Traffic?
To get more traffic volumes, you need to win the bidding wars. Just like in any auction, the highest bid typically wins. This principle applies to CPA marketing as well.
However, there’s another crucial factor at play. When users visit a website, the ad network’s algorithm has already selected the most relevant ad for them. But how does it determine which ad is the best fit?
Consider users who are on a site watching a live sports event. Their likelihood of converting is highest when:
Next, let’s explore how eCPM influences the volume of traffic you receive.
In a CPA campaign, your expenditure is calculated based on the total number of conversions multiplied by the CPA. You are billed solely for conversions, but this applies once the CPA SSP test is completed.
In the end, a higher eCPM leads to more valuable ad impressions and increased traffic, as it ensures that your ads are given priority and reach a larger audience.
Maximizing Traffic for CPA Campaigns: A 6-Step Strategy with a Mathematical Approach
1. Review Traffic Chart to Confirm Your eCPM is Competitive
As we've established, eCPM significantly impacts CPA traffic volumes. On Adsterra, eCPM is equivalent to CPM, so you can always refer to our Traffic Chart tool to view recommended rates. This tool provides insights into current competitive rates and traffic volumes for the countries you’re targeting.
2. Communicate with managers
Hold on a moment! While SSP advertisers manage their campaigns themselves, anyone can reach out to our support team for assistance with competitive rates for specific targeting. Simply send us a message in the chat requesting information on average and top rates.
Even if your eCPM isn't quite where you want it to be, don't give up. There are still strategies you can implement to increase your traffic!
3. Boost Your Rates with Smart Strategies and Data
Once you’ve finished the first or second step, it's time to start raising your rates. This is the most straightforward and effective approach to optimizing your eCPM. Let me show you why!
Let’s do some math:
After running a campaign, you got 150 conversions with a CPA of $2. The spend is $300, and you received 130,000 impressions. Your eCPM is 2.3 according to the formula I left above.
When you inquire with your Adsterra manager about the top eCPM for your target, and they tell you it's currently 2.5, this indicates that your competitors are either bidding higher CPA prices or achieving better conversion rates. So, how can you secure a winning position?
Let’s turn to math for the answer! We need to determine the optimal CPA, denoted as x. We'll use the data provided earlier, but now with an eCPM of 2.6.
Let’s simplify the equation by dividing both sides by 1000.
The simplified equation will be:
Now, let’s find the X value:
4. Find Ways to Improve Your CR (Conversion Rate)
In the earlier math example, your offer achieved 150 conversions out of 130,000 impressions, resulting in a conversion rate of 0.11%. This metric is known as the CR (conversion rate) or I2C (impressions to conversions ratio).
In general, as the I2C ratio improves, so will the eCPM of your campaigns. How can you enhance this metric? The key is to continually update and upload high-converting creatives.
Prelanders
Prelanders are intermediary pages designed to engage visitors and filter out those less likely to convert. Typically used in Popunder campaigns, they can also be effective with other ad formats.
A well-crafted prelander helps to prepare and motivate users, increasing their likelihood of completing an action such as subscribing, installing, or making a purchase.
I suggest experimenting with multiple prelanders—set up a rotation in your tracking system and analyze their performance. After testing, deactivate the ones with the lowest conversion rates (CR). This approach will boost your overall CR and, in turn, enhance your eCPM.
Ad Creatives Beyond Prelanders
When it comes to ad formats like In-Page Push, Interstitials, Native Ads, and others that rely on creative visuals, the same principle applies: test a variety of creatives to find the most effective ones. On Adsterra SSP, you can upload up to 15 creatives per test to maximize your options.
Unsure about which image or headline to use? Reach out to your account manager for creative examples to inspire you, or opt for a managed campaign where we’ll help select and apply the most suitable visual assets for your needs.
5. Change targeting settings
It might seem obvious, but it’s important to highlight: expanding your targeting settings is one of the simplest ways to increase your traffic.
Review your current targeting parameters, such as OS versions, browsers, time ranges, and languages. If you’re restricting these, consider launching a new campaign with fewer limitations. To mitigate potential ROI drops, try slightly lowering your bid rates.
If your product or service permits, broaden your geographic targets. Don’t forget to use the Traffic Chart to check current traffic volumes and recommended bids (CPMs) for new regions. Our account managers are also available to provide insights on CPA rates and offer statistics for similar campaigns.
6. Expand Your Reach with Alternative Ad Formats
Popunder ads are often a go-to choice for starting promotions, but don’t overlook the Social Bar ad unit, which boasts a staggering 9.9 billion monthly views. This innovative ad format blends display and push ads, offering opportunities to create highly engaging creatives.
Just like with Popunder ads, you can easily run CPA campaigns with Social Bar ads and experiment with various templates. Additionally, don’t miss out on testing Interstitial ads. Compatible with a wide range of verticals, this format can significantly enhance your conversion rates.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through the numbers! As we've seen, growing CPA traffic isn't about magic—it's about strategy and optimization. Adsterra’s team is dedicated to helping you with competitive rates and practical advice. Dive in and maximize your CPA traffic potential!
When Does Your Ad Traffic Start to Drop?
You typically notice a drop in ad traffic when conversions start to decline, which makes sense. This can occur in several scenarios:
- A test campaign has just concluded.
- Your bids haven't been adjusted in some time.
- The traffic segment is too limited, leading to a peak in conversions.
- You didn’t manage to achieve a competitive eCPM.
- A new, strong competitor has entered the scene, increasing the competition.
Traffic Acquisition: Essential Insights for CPA Campaigns
There are two main methods for acquiring CPA traffic:
- Launch a campaign through our Self-Service Platform.
- Opt for a managed campaign.
How to Purchase Traffic on Adsterra's Self-Service Platform (SSP)
With the SSP, you can launch a campaign at any time, regardless of circumstances
Your campaign will go live after it clears our review process (unless you choose to keep it inactive).A key step is determining your test budget. Our CPA test budget guidelines by country can assist you in making the right decision.
How Adsterra Enhances CPA Traffic During SSP Test Campaigns
When your campaign is launched, you'll initially receive CPM traffic, meaning you’re charged for impressions rather than conversions. This approach allows you to quickly reach a broader audience.
Here's how the cost per 1,000 impressions is determined: We analyze the average eCPM for your specific targeting and vertical over the past week. This ensures that the CPM is optimized to attract high-quality traffic.
The test phase concludes once your budget limit is reached, or if the total conversions multiplied by CPA exceed the test budget.
Post-test, the eCPM is adjusted based on the actual traffic and conversions generated by your campaign. From this point forward, you’ll only be charged for successful conversions.
Purchasing Traffic Through Managed Accounts
Managed CPA campaigns are handled differently. In this setup, your manager does the campaign creation based on your specifications, including targeting details, offer links, previews, and budgets.
Unlike SSP campaigns, managed accounts don’t need test budgets. You begin working directly for conversions. We either run ads with a CPA model or explore alternative pricing options, such as CPM, depending on what aligns with your marketing goals. If the alternatives don't meet your needs, you can always switch to the CPA model on Adsterra's SSP.
In highly competitive markets, it's crucial to assess the viability of your offer against competitors. That’s why we may recommend CPM pricing, especially for verticals like iGaming, Finance, and E-commerce, where complex user actions (such as depositing funds) are required.
For example, one of our advertisers, an iGaming platform from Romania, shared a case study showcasing how they successfully doubled player deposits by purchasing CPM traffic.You can visit our blog and see that case study.
Which Campaigns Typically Receive the Best Ad Traffic?
To get more traffic volumes, you need to win the bidding wars. Just like in any auction, the highest bid typically wins. This principle applies to CPA marketing as well.
However, there’s another crucial factor at play. When users visit a website, the ad network’s algorithm has already selected the most relevant ad for them. But how does it determine which ad is the best fit?
Consider users who are on a site watching a live sports event. Their likelihood of converting is highest when:
- They see a new ad (the first exposure within the past 24 hours)
- This ad is actually placed in the top spot, ahead of other ads.
Next, let’s explore how eCPM influences the volume of traffic you receive.
In a CPA campaign, your expenditure is calculated based on the total number of conversions multiplied by the CPA. You are billed solely for conversions, but this applies once the CPA SSP test is completed.
In the end, a higher eCPM leads to more valuable ad impressions and increased traffic, as it ensures that your ads are given priority and reach a larger audience.
Maximizing Traffic for CPA Campaigns: A 6-Step Strategy with a Mathematical Approach
1. Review Traffic Chart to Confirm Your eCPM is Competitive
As we've established, eCPM significantly impacts CPA traffic volumes. On Adsterra, eCPM is equivalent to CPM, so you can always refer to our Traffic Chart tool to view recommended rates. This tool provides insights into current competitive rates and traffic volumes for the countries you’re targeting.
2. Communicate with managers
Hold on a moment! While SSP advertisers manage their campaigns themselves, anyone can reach out to our support team for assistance with competitive rates for specific targeting. Simply send us a message in the chat requesting information on average and top rates.
Even if your eCPM isn't quite where you want it to be, don't give up. There are still strategies you can implement to increase your traffic!
3. Boost Your Rates with Smart Strategies and Data
Once you’ve finished the first or second step, it's time to start raising your rates. This is the most straightforward and effective approach to optimizing your eCPM. Let me show you why!
Let’s do some math:
After running a campaign, you got 150 conversions with a CPA of $2. The spend is $300, and you received 130,000 impressions. Your eCPM is 2.3 according to the formula I left above.
When you inquire with your Adsterra manager about the top eCPM for your target, and they tell you it's currently 2.5, this indicates that your competitors are either bidding higher CPA prices or achieving better conversion rates. So, how can you secure a winning position?
Let’s turn to math for the answer! We need to determine the optimal CPA, denoted as x. We'll use the data provided earlier, but now with an eCPM of 2.6.
Let’s simplify the equation by dividing both sides by 1000.
The simplified equation will be:
Now, let’s find the X value:
You can use a simplified equation in Google to find the answer 
This means you only need to raise your CPA payout from 2 to 2.25 to come out on top!
4. Find Ways to Improve Your CR (Conversion Rate)
In the earlier math example, your offer achieved 150 conversions out of 130,000 impressions, resulting in a conversion rate of 0.11%. This metric is known as the CR (conversion rate) or I2C (impressions to conversions ratio).
In general, as the I2C ratio improves, so will the eCPM of your campaigns. How can you enhance this metric? The key is to continually update and upload high-converting creatives.
Prelanders
Prelanders are intermediary pages designed to engage visitors and filter out those less likely to convert. Typically used in Popunder campaigns, they can also be effective with other ad formats.
A well-crafted prelander helps to prepare and motivate users, increasing their likelihood of completing an action such as subscribing, installing, or making a purchase.
I suggest experimenting with multiple prelanders—set up a rotation in your tracking system and analyze their performance. After testing, deactivate the ones with the lowest conversion rates (CR). This approach will boost your overall CR and, in turn, enhance your eCPM.
Ad Creatives Beyond Prelanders
When it comes to ad formats like In-Page Push, Interstitials, Native Ads, and others that rely on creative visuals, the same principle applies: test a variety of creatives to find the most effective ones. On Adsterra SSP, you can upload up to 15 creatives per test to maximize your options.
Unsure about which image or headline to use? Reach out to your account manager for creative examples to inspire you, or opt for a managed campaign where we’ll help select and apply the most suitable visual assets for your needs.
5. Change targeting settings
It might seem obvious, but it’s important to highlight: expanding your targeting settings is one of the simplest ways to increase your traffic.
Review your current targeting parameters, such as OS versions, browsers, time ranges, and languages. If you’re restricting these, consider launching a new campaign with fewer limitations. To mitigate potential ROI drops, try slightly lowering your bid rates.
If your product or service permits, broaden your geographic targets. Don’t forget to use the Traffic Chart to check current traffic volumes and recommended bids (CPMs) for new regions. Our account managers are also available to provide insights on CPA rates and offer statistics for similar campaigns.
6. Expand Your Reach with Alternative Ad Formats
Popunder ads are often a go-to choice for starting promotions, but don’t overlook the Social Bar ad unit, which boasts a staggering 9.9 billion monthly views. This innovative ad format blends display and push ads, offering opportunities to create highly engaging creatives.
Just like with Popunder ads, you can easily run CPA campaigns with Social Bar ads and experiment with various templates. Additionally, don’t miss out on testing Interstitial ads. Compatible with a wide range of verticals, this format can significantly enhance your conversion rates.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through the numbers! As we've seen, growing CPA traffic isn't about magic—it's about strategy and optimization. Adsterra’s team is dedicated to helping you with competitive rates and practical advice. Dive in and maximize your CPA traffic potential!
FAQs:
Can I increase traffic to my ads from specific sources?
If you're hesitant to raise the CPA payout across your entire campaign, consider using the Custom Bid tool. This feature lets you boost bids for specific sources that have shown strong conversion rates.
A crucial tip: conversion tracking is essential for all CPA campaigns. Set up S2S tracking and include the ##PLACEMENT_ID## in your offer URL to track the performance of each placement.
Another strategy is to create a whitelist of top-performing sources. Analyze your results, combine them into a whitelist, and share it with your account manager to confirm that there is enough traffic on those placements. Ask for an eCPM recommendation and adjust your CPA accordingly. Increasing your eCPM will help attract more traffic, just as you aimed for.
