How website ad revenue is actually calculated

Pageviews do not equal paid impressions. A page may carry several placements, some of which never load or appear in the visible viewport. Advertiser demand can also leave inventory unfilled.

A practical estimate starts with pageviews, placement count, fill rate, viewability and an assumed net CPM. Multiplying these inputs provides a scenario, not a contractual rate.

Your observed page RPM — revenue divided by pageviews times 1,000 — is often easier to compare across months than individual format CPMs. Account for visitor experience, ad blockers and invalid traffic adjustments.

Compare networks only with the same audience and time window. Test changes carefully, record all fees and avoid assuming a single successful week predicts future returns.