does high payout per click means traffic converts well

[joelgreen]

Would you assume your website traffic converts well on advertiser's side if website's eCPM is high?

Would very low eCPM mean site is useless for advertisers?

[Hobbs]

Yes,
No

[europeforvisitors]

First of all, are you talking about EPC or eCPM? They're different critters. A site could have a low average earnings per click (EPC) but a high enough clickthrough rate (CTR) to result in a high eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions).

Second, some topics simply earn more than others do. If you have two sites with identical traffic--one about hitchhiking, the other about luxury tours--the luxury-tour site will almost certainly have a higher EPC than the hitchhiking site does, just because the average sale and profit for the advertiser will be higher.

[jomaxx]

No, neither of those things is necessarily true (depending on the exact meaning of "very low", I suppose). You're oversimplifying way too much.

Think through what eCPM measures -- also who the pool of advertisers consists of, how bids are determined, and how ads are targeted to your web pages.

[joelgreen]

Thanks for your answers!

Do you think it is possible to measure importance of the site for advertisers in some other way (except speculating on eCPM/EPC)? Based on data from AdSense account.

[jomaxx]

Based on data from the AdSense account? No, although a longterm downward trend in EPC would probably be a red flag.

IMO it all comes down to the actual value advertisers could receive from exposure on/clicks from your website. Try to visualize the selling proposition you would need in order to sell ad space directly to advertisers. Alternatively, explore the world of affiliate sales and see whether your site has potential. Going through this process in your head, better yet doing it for real, will give you a good idea what the potential of your site is and where you may want to refocus your efforts.

P.S Don't frame the selling proposition in terms of AdSense - e.g. "clicks from my site cost only half of what Google charges". This is lazy thinking. You need to put it in terms of actual, quantifiable, bottom-line benefits to the advertiser.