What RPM means
RPM strips out the effect of site size, so a small site and a huge one can be compared fairly. It's calculated as your ad earnings divided by your pageviews, multiplied by 1,000.
“Page RPM” (pageviews) and “Impression RPM” (ad impressions) are the two versions you'll see reported. This calculator uses page RPM, the more commonly quoted figure, since it doesn't depend on how many ad units are on the page.
What counts as a good RPM
There's no single good number: it depends entirely on niche and visitor location. A finance site with US visitors might see $20 to $40. A general entertainment site might see $2 to $6. Compare your RPM against sites in your own niche, not against the internet as a whole.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good RPM for AdSense?
It varies enormously by niche: $2 to $8 for entertainment, $5 to $15 for general content, and $10 to $40+ for finance, insurance or legal content, with US and UK traffic well above the global average.
How do I increase my RPM?
The biggest levers are ad placement and count, targeting a higher-paying niche or topic, growing the share of visitors from high-value countries, and qualifying for a premium ad network once your traffic supports it.
Why does my RPM change day to day?
Advertiser demand shifts constantly, and RPM is sensitive to small changes in your visitor mix (country, device, traffic source), so day-to-day swings are normal. Look at a weekly or monthly average instead.