Affiliate Metrics Explained: CTR, Conversion Rate, EPC and Retention
The numbers every promoter should read: click-through rate, conversion rate, earnings per click and retention, how to calculate them and what to do when one is low.
Most promoters only look at how much they earned. The ones who grow look at why. Four numbers tell you where your money comes from and where it leaks.
The four numbers
| Metric | Formula | Tells you |
|---|---|---|
| CTR (click-through rate) | clicks ÷ views | Does your content make people curious? |
| CR (conversion rate) | sign-ups ÷ clicks | Does the hand-off work? |
| EPC (earnings per click) | earnings ÷ clicks | What one click is worth |
| Retention | customers still active after N weeks | Is your traffic quality traffic? |
What to do when one is low
- Low CTR: test new hooks, titles and thumbnails. The content isn't stopping the scroll.
- Low CR: check the link, the bio and the landing page. People click but don't commit.
- Low EPC with good CR: the offer or the deal is weak. Talk to your Wingman about terms.
- Low retention: you may be pulling curious clicks, not real fans. Change the audience, not just the volume.
A weekly habit
Every Monday: write down these four numbers per channel, cut the worst placement, double the best one. Small weekly decisions compound faster than any single trick. Read how tracking links work to get clean numbers in the first place.
A worked example
Say one account got 20,000 views this week, 400 clicks and 12 sign-ups, and you earned $60.
- CTR = 400 ÷ 20,000 = 2%
- CR = 12 ÷ 400 = 3%
- EPC = $60 ÷ 400 = $0.15 per click
- Earnings per 1,000 views = $60 ÷ 20 = $3
Now you can compare accounts and channels fairly. An account with half the views but double the conversion rate earns just as much, and is usually the better one to scale.
What "good" looks like
Benchmarks change a lot by platform, niche and offer, so compare yourself mainly to your own past weeks. The trend matters more than the number: a CR going from 2% to 3% is a 50% raise for the same work.
A simple weekly sheet
| Link | Views | Clicks | Sign-ups | Earned | CTR | CR | EPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reddit-main | 20,000 | 400 | 12 | $60 | 2% | 3% | $0.15 |
| x-bio | 8,000 | 260 | 11 | $55 | 3.3% | 4.2% | $0.21 |
In this example X earns more per click even with fewer views, so it deserves more of your time.
FAQ
What is a good conversion rate for affiliate traffic?+
It depends on the platform and offer. Track your own conversion rate per link and aim to improve it week over week rather than chasing a universal number.
What does EPC mean in affiliate marketing?+
Earnings per click: your total earnings divided by your total clicks. It tells you what one click is worth and lets you compare channels fairly.
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