Impressions and clicks are vanity metrics. What really matters is conversions - actual leads, sales, or signups that generate revenue. This case study shows how one buyer used PopTrades SDK to finally see which traffic sources were actually making them money.

The Problem

A media buyer was running popunder campaigns to a simple landing page with a signup form. They faced a common challenge:

Blind optimization - They could see clicks and CTR but not which clicks converted
Placement mystery - Some placements had great CTR but unknown conversion performance
Wasted spend - Money going to sources that generated clicks but no real value
Gut-feel decisions - Pausing or scaling placements based on assumptions, not data

Without conversion data flowing back to PopTrade, they were essentially optimizing for the wrong metric. A placement with 2% CTR and 0% conversion rate was treated the same as one with 1% CTR and 5% conversion rate.

What They Did

The buyer implemented PopTrades SDK conversion tracking on their landing page:

Step 1: Generated SDK Code

In the PopTrade dashboard, they used the SDK Generator to create tracking code:

Selected their campaign
Configured conversion parameters
Generated the JavaScript snippet

Step 2: Installed Base Tracking

They added the PopTrade SDK script to their landing page header. This script:

Captures the click ID from URL parameters
Stores it for the user session
Prepares for conversion event firing

Step 3: Added Conversion Event

On their thank-you page (shown after successful signup), they added the conversion call:

Fires when the thank-you page loads
Sends the conversion back to PopTrade with the original click ID
Optionally includes conversion value for revenue tracking

Step 4: Verified Integration

Before scaling, they tested thoroughly:

Completed test conversions from different placements
Verified conversions appeared in PopTrade statistics
Confirmed attribution was working correctly

Step 5: Analyzed and Optimized

With conversion data flowing, they could finally see:

Conversion rate by placement
Cost per conversion by source
Which placements to scale vs pause

The Result

Conversion tracking transformed their campaign management:

Data-driven decisions - Every optimization backed by real conversion data
Hidden winners discovered - Some low-CTR placements had excellent conversion rates
Budget vampires identified - High-CTR placements with zero conversions got paused
Improved ROI - Budget shifted to placements that actually generated revenue
Smart Rules automation - Set up rules to auto-pause placements below conversion thresholds

The buyer discovered that their assumptions about placement quality were often wrong. The data revealed a completely different picture than click metrics suggested.

Key Takeaways

CTR Lies, Conversions Dont

High CTR can indicate engaged users or it can indicate bot clicks, misleading placements, or accidental clicks. Only conversion data tells you whats actually valuable.

Integration Is Simpler Than You Think

Adding SDK tracking is typically just two code snippets - one on landing page, one on conversion page. Most developers can implement it in under an hour.

Test Before Scaling

Always verify conversions are tracking correctly with test transactions before making optimization decisions based on the data.

Enable Smart Rules Once Data Flows

With conversion data available, you can automate optimization - pause placements below target CPA, scale those exceeding targets.

When to Implement SDK Tracking

Conversion tracking is valuable if:

You have a measurable conversion event (signup, purchase, lead form)
Youre currently optimizing based on clicks or CTR alone
You want to use Smart Rules based on conversion performance
You need to calculate actual ROI per traffic source
Youre scaling spend and need confident optimization data

Technical Implementation

Landing Page Code

Add the SDK script to capture incoming click parameters:

Place in the head section of your landing page
Loads asynchronously (wont slow your page)
Automatically captures click_id from URL

Conversion Page Code

Fire the conversion event when user completes desired action:

Call on thank-you page or after form submission
Include optional revenue parameter for value tracking
Can fire on any event (button click, page load, etc.)

Server-Side Option

For higher security or complex funnels, use server-side conversion API:

Send conversions from your backend
Harder for fraudsters to fake
Works with multi-page conversion flows

Debugging Tips

Check browser console for SDK errors
Verify click_id parameter passes through your funnel
Test with PopTrades conversion log viewer
Allow a few minutes for conversions to appear in stats

You cant optimize what you cant measure. SDK conversion tracking gives you the visibility needed to make every advertising dollar count.

Case Study: How SDK Conversion Tracking Revealed Which Placements Actually Convert