How this calculator works
Page RPM is the revenue a site earns for every thousand page views, after the ad network takes its share, and it already accounts for how many ads were filled and what they paid. Multiply page views by RPM and divide by 1,000 to estimate revenue. Page views come from visits multiplied by page views per visit, so an engaged audience that reads several pages earns more from the same number of visits. Ad revenue moves with seasonality, geography, device mix and the ad auction, so a single RPM is a planning assumption rather than a guarantee. The reverse modes size traffic goals: the page views and visits a revenue target needs at a given RPM, or the RPM implied by known page views and revenue.
Formula
Page views = visits x page views per visit. Revenue = page views / 1,000 x page RPM. Page views needed = target revenue / page RPM x 1,000. Visits needed = page views / page views per visit. Page RPM = revenue / page views x 1,000.
Worked example
50,000 visits with 2.5 page views per visit produce 125,000 page views. At a $4 page RPM the site earns 125 x $4 = $500. To earn $900 at a $3 RPM you need 300,000 page views, which is 120,000 visits at 2.5 views per visit. Earning $500 from 125,000 page views implies an RPM of $4.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between RPM and CPM?
CPM is what an advertiser pays per thousand impressions. RPM is what the publisher receives per thousand page views, after the network share and including ads that were unfilled or paid different rates. RPM is therefore the better planning figure for site revenue.
Why does revenue rise more slowly than traffic?
Ad demand is limited. As a site adds impressions, fill rates and prices can fall, so the RPM usually declines at very high traffic. Recalculate with a lower RPM for large traffic projections instead of assuming the current rate holds.
Should I use visits or page views?
Use page views for revenue because ads are shown on pages. Use visits to understand the audience and to plan acquisition. The page views per visit figure links the two and prevents the common error of multiplying RPM by visits.