Traffic Quality and Advertiser KPIs
Traffic quality and advertiser KPIs are what any advertiser checks before volume: qual rate, deposits, retention, hold speed. Here's what metrics a buyer should track, and how to avoid getting scrapped when numbers suddenly dip.
Which KPIs advertisers actually watch
Advertisers almost never look at one metric in isolation — they read install-to-registration, registration-to-deposit (quals), overall deposit share, D1/D7 retention, and how fast and consistently holds clear. One strong number surrounded by weak ones won't save you; the network reads the whole picture. It helps to track the same metrics in your own tracker instead of hearing about a problem from a manager after the fact.
What getting scrapped means and how it happens
Traffic gets scrapped when metrics deviate sharply from the norm for that geo and vertical: a conversion collapse at steady volume, IP geo that doesn't match the declared targeting, or postbacks that don't line up with actual user actions. This is often not intentional fraud but a technical mismatch — a misconfigured postback or a stale geo list. Having your own logs and numbers makes it far faster to untangle a scrap flag than relying only on what a manager tells you.
Keeping KPIs stable over time
Segment your stats by creative, geo and source separately — a blended campaign average hides the segments actually causing trouble. Warm up new funnels and domains gradually instead of dumping full budget on day one, which lowers the odds of an anomalous pattern that reads as suspicious. Watch cohort trends, not just daily totals — a slowdown usually shows up in cohort data before it's visible in the day-to-day number.
Postbacks and S2S as your transparency layer
A correctly configured postback is what turns your stats into stats the advertiser trusts: events need to arrive without delay or duplication and match real user actions exactly. APEX's S2S link between Keitaro and ad platforms, including FB CAPI, passes events directly server-side, skipping the browser-side data loss that widens the gap between your numbers and the advertiser's.
What to do when KPIs dip
First rule out a technical cause: a broken postback, a changed offer condition, or geo overreach. Then check for creative fatigue and geo saturation — both naturally lower conversion with zero fraud involved. Don't hide a dip from the advertiser's manager; flagging it early almost always works in the buyer's favor, while silence tends to read as something being hidden.
FAQ
- What counts as a good qual rate?
- There's no universal number — it depends heavily on vertical, geo and offer, so use the benchmark the advertiser or manager actually gives you. Consistency over time matters more than the absolute figure.
- How fast does an advertiser notice a KPI dip?
- On meaningful volume, anomalies are usually visible within a day or two, so going quiet with your manager at that point only hurts you. The earlier you flag the issue yourself, the faster it gets resolved without a hold.
- Can you rebuild trust after getting scrapped?
- Yes, but only by showing clean stats on new volume over some period — a one-time explanation without numbers to back it up rarely works. Gradually ramping volume back up with transparent postbacks is the standard path back.
- How do APEX postbacks help keep KPIs under control?
- Direct S2S event delivery — to Keitaro, FB CAPI and others — removes the delays and data loss that make a buyer's numbers drift from the advertiser's. That makes it much easier to have a fact-based conversation if a manager questions a specific traffic segment.
Cloaking, anti-bot, push, split tests and your own domains — in one service.
Get started free