How do I read EPC and conversion rate?

Conversion rate (CR) is conversions divided by clicks. Earnings per click (EPC) is total earnings divided by clicks. EPC is the more useful number for decisions, because it captures both how often clicks convert and how much each conversion is worth.

Why EPC beats CR for decisions

Two placements can have the same conversion rate and very different value. On CPA, a placement sending Tier 1 traffic earns more per conversion than one sending lower-tier traffic, because CPA is geo-tiered. On RevShare, users who renew and buy tokens are worth more than one-time buyers. EPC reflects those differences; CR does not.

For paid traffic, EPC also gives you your break-even: if your cost per click is below your EPC, the placement is profitable on the data so far.

Compare like with like

• Same source. Push, SEO and email have completely different CR profiles. Compare placements within a source.
• Same geo. Group by country before comparing, especially on CPA.
• Same period. A weekend-heavy week and a weekday-heavy week are not comparable.

In Everflow, open Analytics → Flex, add Source ID as a column (then Country, or sub2 to sub4 for creative and placement), and sort by EPC. Use a Clicks > 300 filter so thin segments do not mislead you. To check whether a change helped, use the Variance Report (Analytics → Variance) rather than comparing two date ranges by eye.

RevShare EPC grows over time

On 40% lifetime RevShare, a cohort of users keeps paying as they renew and buy more. The EPC you see in week one understates what that traffic will earn. Compare RevShare placements over longer date ranges, and check performance history for the same Source IDs month over month. CPA EPC, by contrast, is mostly fixed once conversions are approved.

Count approved, not just recorded

Pending is a forecast, not a result. When you make budget decisions, check the status column in Reporting → Conversion to see how much of a placement's earnings are approved. A placement with a high EPC driven by conversions that are later rejected is not actually performing.

Sample size

EPC on a small number of clicks is noisy. One conversion can swing it wildly. Most campaigns need 100 to 500 clicks before the first conversion, so give a channel 200 to 500 clicks before cutting it. If you are unsure what is normal for your source and geos, ask your affiliate manager, who sees performance across many partners.

What to do with the numbers

• High CR, low EPC: traffic converts but in low-value geos or plans. Consider RevShare, or shift targeting toward Tier 1.
• Low CR, high EPC: few but valuable buyers. Work on the lander or angle to lift CR.
• Both low: check targeting and the lander match before giving up on the source.

Related

• Reporting
• Which landing page should I use?
• Hybrid CPA and RevShare