What Makes a Good CPA Offer? The Metrics Pros Watch
When you first open a CPA network’s offer list, your eyes are immediately drawn to one column: Payout. It’s tempting to grab the offer that pays $50 per conversion over the one that pays $2. But this is one of the most common—and costly—mistakes a beginner can make.
The payout amount tells you almost nothing about how much money you will actually make.
Truly successful affiliates know how to look past the payout and analyze the metrics that signal a genuinely good offer. This guide will teach you what to look for, so you can pick winners like a pro.
Metric #1: EPC (Earnings Per Click) – This is King
If you only look at one metric, this is it. EPC stands for Earnings Per Click, and it represents the average amount of money all affiliates running the offer are making per click.
- How it’s calculated: Total Network Earnings for the Offer / Total Clicks Sent to the Offer
- Why it matters: An offer with a $2 payout but a $0.75 EPC is infinitely better than a $50 payout offer with a $0.10 EPC. The high EPC on the first offer tells you that a huge percentage of clicks are converting. It’s a proven winner that is making money for people right now. A low EPC on a high-payout offer tells you it’s extremely difficult to convert.
- What to look for: Look for offers with the highest EPC in their category.
Metric #2: CR (Conversion Rate)
Conversion Rate is the percentage of clicks that result in a paid action.
[Image 2: Funnel diagram illustrating a 15% Conversion Rate]
- How it’s calculated: (Number of Conversions / Number of Clicks) * 100
- Why it matters: This tells you how easy or hard the offer is to convert. A simple email submit offer might have a CR of 25%, while a complex credit card trial offer might only have a CR of 1%. For beginners, starting with a high-CR offer is crucial for building momentum and confidence.
- What to look for: Networks sometimes display this as a network-wide average. A higher CR is generally better, especially when you are just starting.
Beyond the Numbers: Reading the Fine Print
Data is crucial, but the offer’s rules are just as important. Ignoring them can lead to zero commissions and getting banned from the network.
Before you run any offer, check the restrictions:
- Allowed Geographies (Geos): Which countries are you allowed to promote this offer to? Don’t send US traffic to an offer that only accepts UK leads.
- Allowed Traffic Sources: Does the offer forbid certain types of traffic (e.g., “No Email,” “No Incentivized,” “No Social Media”)? Make sure your planned traffic source is allowed.
- Caps: Does the offer have a daily cap (e.g., a maximum of 100 conversions per day)? This is important to know before you scale a campaign.
Conclusion: A Smarter Way to Choose
Don’t be seduced by a high payout. A truly “good” offer is a combination of strong metrics and favorable terms. Your selection process should be:
- Filter offers in your niche.
- Sort by the highest EPC.
- From the top EPC offers, choose one with a simple conversion (like CPL) and a decent Conversion Rate.
- Read the restrictions to ensure it’s a fit for your traffic plan.
By following this data-driven process, you’ll avoid dead-end offers and dramatically increase your chances of profitability.
