Entering the world of CPA marketing can feel like learning a new language. Everyone is throwing around acronyms and jargon that can leave a beginner feeling completely lost. But to succeed, you need to speak the language.
This glossary is your go-to reference. We’ve compiled the most essential CPA marketing terms and translated them into simple, plain English so you can navigate your dashboard and conversations with confidence.
A
- Affiliate Manager (AM) Your personal contact at the CPA network. Their job is to help you succeed by recommending offers, providing tips, and resolving issues. They are your most valuable resource. [Image 1: Graphic defining Affiliate Manager]
B
- Bridge Page A simple webpage you create that sits between your ad (or traffic source) and the CPA offer page. Its purpose is to “warm up” the visitor and persuade them to convert.
C
- Conversion The specific action a user must complete for you to earn a commission. This could be submitting a form, installing an app, or making a sale.
- Conversion Rate (CR) The percentage of people who click your link that go on to complete the conversion. If 100 people click your link and 5 convert, your CR is 5%.
- CPL / CPI / CPS See Offer Types.
- Creatives The actual ads you use to promote an offer. This includes banner images, ad copy, videos, and email templates.
E
- EPC (Earnings Per Click) One of the most important metrics. It tells you the average amount of money you make every time someone clicks on your affiliate link. It’s calculated as:
EPC=Total ClicksTotal Earnings
A high EPC indicates a profitable campaign or offer. [Image 2: Visual formula for EPC]
L
- Landing Page Often used interchangeably with “Bridge Page.” It’s the destination URL you send traffic to before they see the advertiser’s offer.
N
- Niche The specific market or category you focus on, such as weight loss, pet insurance, or mobile gaming.
O
- Offer The specific product or service you are promoting in exchange for a commission.
- Offer Types (CPL, CPI, CPS)
- CPL (Cost Per Lead): You get paid for a lead (e.g., email submit).
- CPI (Cost Per Install): You get paid for an app install.
- CPS (Cost Per Sale): You get paid when a product is sold.
P
- Pixel A small piece of code placed on the advertiser’s “Thank You” page. When a user lands on this page after clicking your link, the pixel “fires” and reports the conversion back to the network. This is how your commissions are tracked. [Image 3: Diagram illustrating a Conversion Pixel]
- Payout The amount of money you earn for a single conversion.
T
- Traffic The visitors or users you send to your affiliate links. This can come from search engines (SEO), paid ads, social media, etc.
