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What is CPM? A Complete Guide for Publishers

Understand the CPM (Cost Per Mille) concept and how it affects your shortlink earnings.

Shortlinkmu Team
Feb 12, 2026
6 min read

Understanding CPM (Cost Per Mille)

CPM stands for Cost Per Mille, meaning cost per thousand ad impressions. In the context of shortlinks, CPM determines how much you get paid for every 1,000 times a visitor views an ad through your link.

For example, if the CPM for Indonesia is $2, that means you earn $2 for every 1,000 clicks from Indonesian visitors.

Factors That Affect CPM

Geographic location of visitors is the biggest factor. Traffic from the US, UK, and European countries has the highest CPM ($5–$15), while Southeast Asian traffic is typically $1–$3.

Other factors include device type (desktop is usually higher than mobile), visit timing (business hours tend to be higher), and traffic quality (organic visitors vs. bots).

How to Calculate Your CPM Earnings

Simple formula: Earnings = (Number of Clicks / 1,000) × CPM Rate. So if you get 10,000 clicks from the US with a CPM of $8, your earnings = (10,000 / 1,000) × $8 = $80.

On Shortlinkmu, you can view the latest CPM rates for 35+ countries on the Payout Rates page. Rates are updated regularly to reflect ad market conditions.

Strategies for Getting High-CPM Traffic

Create content in English to attract visitors from high-CPM countries. Product reviews, tech tutorials, and finance tips are very popular in global markets.

Leverage platforms like Reddit, Quora, and international forums to reach a global audience. Make sure your content provides real value so it's not considered spam.

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What is CPM? A Complete Guide for Publishers | Shortlinkmu | Shortlinkmu