Let’s first look at some data regarding low CPC. If you are getting low CPC, you might identify with this data! We have collected this data from a randomly chosen seven client websites and we are presenting an average here.
Low CPC in January 2016
Most of the AdSense users usually begin January with a dropping CPC rate. All seven of the websites were affected with low CPC.
Total websites: 7 Total Pageviews: 2.1 million CPC: $0.11 Impression RPM: $1.23 Page RPM: $2.78 CTR: 1.12%
Experts generally attribute low CPC in January to the low remaining budget after spending binge during holiday period of December.
Low CPC in February 2016
In February, only one the seven sample websites picked up and the pickup was really sharp. So, we decided to exclude this website from the following results to avoid skewed data.
Total websites: 6 Total Pageviews: 1.2 million CPC: $0.11 Impression RPM: $1.29 Page RPM: $2.62 CTR: 1.23%
As you can see, average CPC remained same in February also. Many people believe that advertisers tend to spend less in the first quarter of the year because they have already utilized most of their budget in the last quarter of the previous year.
Low CPC in March 2016
The CPC of the excluded website dropped. So, we are giving here the average of all seven sample website.
Total websites: 7 Total Pageviews: 2.0 million CPC: $0.10 Impression RPM: $1.39 Page RPM: $2.99 CTR: 1.37%
March is the last month of the financial year -therefore budget available for spending remains at its lowest. As we can see, CPC dropped significantly in the month of March.
Low CPC in April 2016
A hope for rise in CPC begins when April starts. It is the first month of the new financial year. So, advertisers have their fresh budget allocated for advertisements.
Total Websites: 7 Total Pageviews: 2.2 million CPC: $0.09 Impression RPM: $1.14 Page RPM: $2.23 CTR: 1.22%
But hopes were smashed and the overall CPC dropped even further in April. Now that we have some idea what we are dealing with, let us try to understand reasons behind low CPC. You should analyze your AdSense control panel and you’ll find the CPC rate for various the ad units you have got. Lets see what are points that determine CPC. The first and foremost factor that determines CPC rate is keywords. Some keywords may bring you dollars and some will fetch just a few cents. For those who are not initiated, let me explain what are the keywords in this context. Well, keywords are the words and phrases which appear on your webpage which Google picks up and display ads based upon these keywords. For example, if you have written a review about the new camera you’ve bought –probably the most important keyword on that page will be “camera” and Google will try to show ads from camera manufacturers or other related businesses. The second factor that affects CPC is how much money advertisers are paying for a keyword. Competition among advertisers grow as the number of advertisers willing to buy a keyword go up. Consequently the bid amount also tend to go up and you get high CPC. Placement of ads is another important factor. If you’ve 5 ad spaces on your page –there is high probability that the ad with highest CPC will be served in the first space. The CPC decreases towards the bottom of the page. So, if clicks are coming from the 4th of five ad spaces –it is likely that you’ll get a low CPC. THIS POST BELONGS TO OUR GOOGLE ADSENSE BIBLE (a must read for AdSense success aspirants) Ad types can also affect CPC. Some ad types perform better than others. The foundation of this argument is that Google wants to make money. So, it will invariably push ads with higher bids. Lets say the highest bidder has only an image based advertisement. Now, if you are forcing Google to show ONLY text ads in your space you’ll lose the ad with highest bid and will have to make do with the ads having lower bids. So, it is better to put fewer restrictions on your ad spaces. One more little known factor is the season! Yes, advertisers tend to place low bids during the holidays and weekends. So, if your CPC is low during these times –don’t worry, it’s just seasonal! Highest bids usually come during the work hours of the day and work days during the week. Just like time, advertisers can also target certain geographical regions. This is something you don’t have much control on. If the high bidders have chosen to show their ads only in, say, Europe and if most of your visitors are from Asia –it is unlikely that you’ll get good CPC. Advertisers are also allowed to select ad spaces. For example, an advertiser might say something like “I want to show my ad ‘towards the top of the page’ ” –and if your page has ad placement only towards the bottom of the page –you might lose that advertiser. These are some of the reasons why your website is attracting low AdSense CPC. Low CPC is a very significant cause of low Google AdSense revenue. If you have carefully read the article, by now you do have an understanig of how CPC is determined! Don’t you? :-) All the best! Thanks Really a big thanks. I have been running my blog for the past 6 years and adding valuable content. The issue is that earlier there used to be great earning with the cpc of 0.05 $ and 0.06 $ but in the past year I have never seen more than 0.02. It is always 0.01. I know that my ad placement is wrong but I have never found anyone who could genuinely help me. I read your article and found a lot of great info. I am really sorry to trouble you and I want your advice on paid baisis. Please help me and observe that what is wrong with my ad placement of mine. Thanks and regards. Great article and have lot to increase a knowledge of newbie like me. :P Just have few question and would like to connect with you to discuss further. If you don’t mind, can we connect. Brilliant stuff. Thank you for helping others with your tips and tricks. Page views: 7,487 Clicks: 301 Earnings: €1.97 That means less than 1 cent per click! How is that possible? Thanks Thanks, Any opinion on why that is? Could it be that the image ads I see are not the same as the ones my visitors see? But copying content and putting it on your site will not take you anywhere anyway! can you provide more information and some good source confirming this ? CPC depends on a lot of factors. Some of those I have described in this article. I guess, the art of increasing CPC lies in balancing the above given factors in a way so as to the outcome becomes the best. As I said the article, CPC also depends a lot on what you write about. If your content does not attract high CPC contextual ads -then you’ll have to make peace with low CPC. But then, if you’ll keep producing good content (on whatever subject), other factors will step in and they might increase your CPC. All the best! Thanks for this one. Wd definitely love to get some more insights regarding adsense in future. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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