If you know a website's traffic, you can estimate its ad revenue within ±25% using a single formula and the right niche RPM. This guide gives you both — plus a worked example and a free calculator that pulls real traffic data from DataForSEO.
The formula
RPM is the revenue a site earns per 1,000 pageviews. Note: pageviews ≠ visits. A typical blog has 1.5–2.5 pages per session, so 100k visits ≈ 150k–250k pageviews.
Step 1: Get real pageview numbers
For your own site, GA4 shows exact pageviews. For any other site, paste the domain into SiteWorthIt's free traffic checker and multiply the monthly visitors by your niche's pages-per-session average (see next section).
Pages-per-session by site type
| Site type | Pages / session | 100k visits → pageviews |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS blog | 1.6 | 160k |
| Personal blog | 1.8 | 180k |
| Recipe blog | 2.1 | 210k |
| News site | 2.8 | 280k |
| Forum / community | 6.5 | 650k |
| E-commerce | 5.0 | 500k |
Step 2: Pick the right RPM
| Niche | Low RPM | Avg RPM | High RPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance / investing | $12 | $22 | $45 |
| Insurance / legal | $18 | $35 | $80 |
| SaaS / B2B | $10 | $18 | $30 |
| Health / wellness | $8 | $14 | $22 |
| Home / DIY | $10 | $20 | $35 |
| Food / recipes | $10 | $18 | $28 |
| Travel | $6 | $12 | $20 |
| Tech / gadgets | $5 | $10 | $18 |
| News / politics | $3 | $7 | $14 |
| Entertainment | $2 | $5 | $10 |
| Gaming | $2 | $4 | $8 |
Geography multiplier: US / UK / CA / AU traffic is worth 2–4× tier-3 traffic. If the site's top country isn't US/UK/CA/AU, shade toward the "low" column.
Step 3: Apply the formula (worked example)
264,000 × 22 ÷ 1,000 = $5,808 / month from display ads alone.
Finance-heavy sites typically 2–3× that with affiliate revenue on top, so blended gross = ~$15,000–$18,000/month. That matches what similar sites report on public Flippa listings.
What can throw off the estimate
- Ad density. 1 unit per page vs 6 units per page = 6× difference at the same RPM.
- Ad network. AdSense floor vs Mediavine/Raptive premium. Raptive is typically 2–3× AdSense for the same site.
- Traffic source. Organic search pays more than social (better engagement). Social-heavy sites come in below niche average.
- Seasonality. Q4 (Oct–Dec) is 1.5–2× Q1 for most niches.
- Page type. Commercial-intent pages ("best X for Y") monetize 3–5× better than pure informational.
Skip the math
Our free website checker calculates all of this automatically from DataForSEO data — visits, niche, country-mix, estimated RPM → revenue range. Takes 3 seconds, no sign-up. For owned sites, use the Revenue Calculator to stress-test different RPM and ad-density scenarios.
When to demand real numbers
For acquisition due diligence, estimate-based revenue isn't enough. Demand:
- Google Analytics 4 read-only access
- Last 12 months of AdSense / Mediavine earnings screenshots
- Affiliate dashboard exports (Amazon, Impact, ShareASale)
- Stripe / PayPal statements for digital-product revenue
Frequently asked questions
How do you estimate ad revenue from website traffic?
Multiply monthly pageviews by niche RPM ÷ 1,000. Example: 200k pageviews × $15 RPM / 1,000 = $3,000/month.
What is a good RPM for a website?
Finance/insurance $18–$30, tech/SaaS $10–$18, recipes/travel $12–$18, gaming/entertainment $3–$6. US/UK/CA gets 2–4× tier-3.
How accurate are ad revenue estimates?
±25% if you know niche + ad density. Off by 3–5× with generic RPMs. For owned sites, use AdSense/Mediavine dashboards.