Understanding the Publisher Reputation System
Your reputation score is your most valuable asset on PopTrade. It determines which campaigns you can access, how much advertisers are willing to pay for your traffic, and your visibility in the marketplace. Understanding how it works is key to maximizing your earnings.
How Reputation is Calculated
Your reputation score ranges from 0-100 and is calculated from three distinct components:
1. Traffic Quality (40 points maximum)
This component measures the actual performance of your traffic:
Conversion Rate Score (0-20 points)
How often does your traffic convert for advertisers? Higher conversion rates earn more points. This is calculated across all campaigns running on your placements.
Fraud Rate Score (0-20 points)
What percentage of your traffic is flagged as fraudulent? Lower fraud rates earn bonus points. This includes bot traffic, click fraud, and other invalid activity detected by our antifraud systems.
2. Buyer Reviews (40 points maximum)
Advertisers who run campaigns on your placements can leave reviews rating you on four dimensions:
- Overall Experience - General satisfaction working with you
- Traffic Quality - Did the traffic perform as expected?
- Communication - Were you responsive and helpful?
- Reliability - Did you deliver consistent volumes?
Each dimension is rated 1-5 stars. Your average rating is converted to points (5 stars = 40 points, 3 stars = 24 points, etc.)
3. Platform History (20 points maximum)
This rewards long-term, active publishers:
Account Age (0-10 points)
How long have you been on PopTrade? Longer history builds trust. Points accumulate gradually over months and years.
Transaction Volume (0-10 points)
How many successful payouts have you received? More completed transactions demonstrate reliability and scale.
Score to Stars Conversion
Your numerical score converts to a star rating that advertisers see:
| Score | Stars | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 80-100 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent |
| 60-79 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Very Good |
| 40-59 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Good |
| 20-39 | ⭐⭐ | Fair |
| 0-19 | ⭐ | Poor |
Benefits of High Reputation
Auto-Bundle Inclusion
Premium auto-bundles have minimum reputation requirements. High-rep placements automatically qualify for these bundles, which often have better CPM rates and more consistent demand.
Marketplace Visibility
When advertisers browse the marketplace, higher reputation placements appear first. More visibility means more campaign requests and opportunities.
Premium Campaign Access
Many advertisers set minimum reputation requirements for their campaigns. A 4+ star reputation opens doors to premium campaigns you'd otherwise miss.
Higher CPM Bids
Advertisers bid more aggressively for trusted traffic. The same impression can earn 20-50% more from a 5-star publisher than a 3-star one.
Private Deal Invitations
Top advertisers often send private campaign invitations to high-reputation publishers. These exclusive deals can offer better terms than public marketplace rates.
How to Improve Your Reputation
Improving Traffic Quality
- Clean traffic sources - No bots, no incentivized traffic, no click farms
- Implement fraud prevention - Use your own measures alongside PopTrade's
- Remove bad placements - If a placement consistently underperforms, remove it
- Monitor your statistics - Watch for anomalies that might indicate issues
Getting Better Reviews
- Respond quickly - Answer advertiser messages within hours, not days
- Be transparent - Honest about your traffic volumes and characteristics
- Honor commitments - If you promise volumes, deliver them
- Communicate proactively - Let advertisers know about any issues before they discover them
- Ask for reviews - After successful campaigns, politely request a review
Building Platform History
- Start small - Build trust with smaller campaigns first
- Stay consistent - Regular activity beats sporadic bursts
- Complete payouts smoothly - No disputes or chargebacks
- Be patient - History points accumulate over time
What Hurts Your Reputation
- High fraud rates - Biggest negative factor
- Low conversion rates - Traffic that doesn't perform
- Negative reviews - Unhappy advertisers tank your score
- Policy violations - Can result in reputation penalties
- Inconsistent delivery - Promising volumes you can't deliver
Recovering from Low Reputation
If your reputation has dropped:
- Identify the cause - Check which component is dragging you down
- Address the root issue - Clean up traffic, improve communication, etc.
- Focus on new campaigns - Recent performance weighs more heavily
- Request review removal - If a review is unfair, you can dispute it
- Be patient - Reputation rebuilds gradually with consistent good performance
Your reputation is an investment that pays compound returns. Protect it fiercely, nurture it consistently, and it will drive higher earnings throughout your PopTrade journey.