You are getting traffic. Your Google Analytics shows the numbers climbing. Yet, when you check your ad dashboard, your revenue isn’t moving at the same speed.
This disconnect is the number one frustration for digital publishers. It happens because traffic volume is often a vanity metric. It tells you how many people arrived, but not how much those people are worth.
To solve this, you need to stop obsessing over page views and start tracking the “Truth Metric”: RPM (Revenue Per Mille).
Here at AdRevHub, we built this guide and calculator to help you do more than just count visitors. We want to help you understand the actual value of your inventory so you can make data-driven decisions that increase your bottom line.
What is RPM and Why Does It Determine Your Site’s Value?
RPM stands for Revenue Per Mille (“mille” is Latin for thousand). It is a metric that estimates the total revenue you earn for every 1,000 page views or impressions.
Unlike CPM (Cost Per Mille), which is an advertiser-focused metric, RPM is purely for publishers. It is the great equalizer. It allows you to compare the monetization efficiency of different channels, page types, and ad networks apples-to-apples.
If you have two websites with vastly different traffic levels, RPM tells you which one is actually performing better at monetizing that traffic.
The RPM Calculator: Estimate Your Earnings Instantly
Use the AdRevHub calculator to instantly compute your RPM. This tool helps you benchmark your current performance or forecast future earnings based on traffic goals.
How to Use This Tool
- Estimated Earnings: Enter the total revenue from your ad dashboard (AdSense, Ezoic, Mediavine, etc.) for a specific period.
- Page Views: Enter the total number of views or impressions for that same period.
- Calculate: Hit the button to see your RPM.
Note: You can also work backward. If you know your average RPM and traffic goal, you can estimate your potential monthly income.
The Formula: How to Calculate RPM Manually
While our calculator is fast, understanding the math helps you diagnose revenue drops. The formula is simple:
RPM = (Estimated Earnings / Page Views) * 1,000
A Practical Example
Let’s say you earned $150 yesterday.
Your website received 50,000 page views.
- Divide $150 by 50,000 = 0.003
- Multiply 0.003 by 1,000 = $3.00
Your RPM is $3.00. This means for every 1,000 visitors, you put $3 in your pocket.
RPM vs. CPM vs. eCPM: Clearing the Confusion
This is where most new publishers get stuck. Why is your RPM lower than the CPM advertisers are paying?
CPM (Cost Per Mille) is what the advertiser pays.
RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is what you keep.
Between the advertiser and you, there is an ad exchange (like Google) or a header bidding partner. They take a cut (revenue share). Additionally, not every page view results in an ad being shown (fill rate issues).
Here is the breakdown:
| Metric | Stands For | Whose Metric Is It? | What It Measures |
| CPM | Cost Per Mille | Advertiser | The price paid to show an ad 1,000 times. |
| eCPM | Effective CPM | Publisher (Mix) | Average earnings per 1,000 impressions (often used interchangeably with RPM). |
| RPM | Revenue Per Mille | Publisher | Actual revenue earned per 1,000 page views. |
The Reality Check: If an advertiser pays a $10 CPM, but you only have a 50% fill rate (ads only load half the time), your RPM might only be $5.
What is a “Good” RPM? (2025 Industry Benchmarks)
“Is my RPM good?”
The answer depends entirely on your niche, traffic source, and geography. A tech blog will always have a higher RPM than a celebrity gossip site because the advertisers are selling more expensive products.
Here are general benchmarks for US-based traffic in 2025:
- General News / Humor: $1.00 – $5.00
- Gaming / Apps: $2.00 – $8.00
- Lifestyle / Food / Travel: $6.00 – $18.00
- Finance / Insurance / B2B: $15.00 – $50.00+
If your site is in the Finance niche but your RPM is $3.00, you have a monetization problem. If you run a meme site and have an RPM of $4.00, you are doing exceptionally well.
5 Proven Ways to Increase Your Page RPM
If the number on the AdRevHub calculator is lower than you want, don’t panic. RPM is not fixed. You can optimize it.
1. Focus on Viewability (Above the Fold)
Advertisers pay for ads that are seen. Ensure at least one ad unit loads “above the fold” (visible without scrolling). However, do not push your content down so far that Google penalizes you. Balance is key.
2. Increase Content Length & Dwell Time
Google tracks “Time on Page.” Longer, engaging content keeps users on your site. This gives ads more time to refresh (if you use sticky sidebars) and increases the chance of multiple impressions per session.
3. Target “High Intent” Keywords
Write content that answers specific buying questions. An article about “Best Credit Cards for Travel” will have a massively higher RPM than an article about “History of Credit Cards” because the user intent is transactional.
4. Improve Site Speed (Core Web Vitals)
If your site loads slowly, ads load slowly. If a user scrolls past an empty ad slot before it loads, you earn zero. Optimizing your Core Web Vitals directly impacts your fill rate.
5. Experiment with Ad Formats
Don’t rely solely on banners. Interstitials (ads between page loads) and sticky footers often have higher CPMs, which drives up your overall Page RPM.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the exact formula to calculate RPM?
To calculate RPM, divide your estimated earnings by the number of page views, then multiply by 1,000.
The formula is: RPM = (Estimated Earnings / Page Views) * 1,000. This gives you the revenue value of every 1,000 visitors to your site.
What is the difference between RPM and CPM?
CPM is what the advertiser pays; RPM is what the publisher earns.
CPM (Cost Per Mille) measures the cost of 1,000 ad impressions for the buyer. RPM (Revenue Per Mille) measures the actual income the website owner receives after fees and unfilled ad spots are accounted for.
What is considered a good Page RPM in 2025?
A good RPM typically ranges between $5 and $15 for most content-based websites.
However, this varies by niche. General news may see $2–$5, while high-value niches like finance or insurance can see RPMs exceeding $40.
Does Page RPM affect AdSense earnings?
Yes, Page RPM is a direct indicator of your AdSense efficiency.
A higher RPM means you are extracting more value from your existing traffic. Increasing your RPM is the fastest way to grow AdSense revenue without needing to acquire new visitors.
Why is my RPM suddenly dropping?
RPM drops are usually caused by seasonality (January slump), lower advertiser spend, or a decrease in ad viewability.
It can also happen if you receive a spike in traffic from countries with lower ad rates (Tier 2 or Tier 3 geographies) or if your click-through rate (CTR) has declined.