Popunder ads have been around for years, but they’ve recently gained more attention. To understand why popunders are rising in popularity, we spoke with Rimma, the COO of HilltopAds, who shared valuable insights on this ad format.
| About HilltopAds HilltopAds is a leading popunder ad network, helping advertisers reach global audiences and publishers monetize their traffic. With over 11 years of experience in affiliate market, HilltopAds offers advanced targeting options, campaign optimization tools, and the highest CPM rates for publishers. Their in-house anti-fraud solutions and 100% fill rate ensure top-quality traffic, making them a trusted partner for advertisers seeking high ROI and long-term success. |
The Popunder Format: What Makes Them So Great?
Popunder ads differ from traditional ad formats as they operate quietly in the background of a user’s browsing experience. Unlike intrusive pop-ups that grab immediate attention, popunders open behind the active window, waiting for the user to engage once they’re ready.
“Popunders are incredibly effective because they’re subtle yet powerful,” says Rimma. “They don’t interrupt the user’s primary activity, and as a result, they often see better engagement from high-intent users who come back to the ad when they’re ready.”
This method stands in stark contrast to formats like banners or interstitials, which demand immediate attention. Popunders, Rimma notes, avoid “ad fatigue” and give users the space to interact with the content when they’re most receptive — providing better results.
Why Popunder Ads Work: Key Advantages
Popunder ads grew in popularity for a number of reasons — the most notable one is the ability to deliver high-quality traffic and measurable ROI. They are less intrusive than traditional pop-ups and work well for a wide range of niches:
- Dating
- iGaming
- Sweepstakes
- VPNs and utilities
- Mobile apps and games
- eCommerce
“Popunder ads are especially beneficial for businesses looking to generate impressions and increase brand awareness,” says Rimma. “They’re ideal for broad audience offers, but less so for highly niche or targeted campaigns.”
Another advantage? Popunder ads bypass ad blockers, which helps advertisers reach a broader audience. This is particularly important today as ad blockers are becoming more common.
Optimizing Popunder Campaigns: Key Metrics and Best Practices
Evaluating the success of a popunder campaign involves tracking several key metrics:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measures how many people clicked on your ad after seeing it. A higher CTR means the ad is catching attention.
- Conversion Rate (CR): Indicates the percentage of users who took action after clicking the ad. Higher conversions suggest the ad is resonating with the audience.
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Shows the cost of acquiring a customer through the campaign. The lower the CPA, the more cost-effective your campaign.
- Return on Investment (ROI): Measures the profitability of your campaign. A positive ROI means your popunder ads are paying off.
“Monitoring traffic quality is essential,” adds Rimma. “Advertisers should focus on the geographic and device breakdowns of their traffic and use fraud detection tools to ensure that they’re reaching real, human users, not bots.”
For optimal results, HilltopAds recommends using White/Black lists to fine-tune traffic sources. These allow advertisers to continuously improve campaign performance by focusing on the best-performing zones and excluding underperforming ones.
With tools like Auto Optimization and CPA Goal, the process of optimizing popunder campaigns becomes much simpler, enabling advertisers to make data-driven decisions.
Case Studies: ROI of 221% from Popunder Ads
Popunder ads are not just a theory — they’re delivering tangible results. Rimma shared some fascinating success stories, including one where their client achieved an impressive 221% ROI in just three days. With a $45 investment in HilltopAds, he got $144 in revenue.
How? By targeting the dating vertical with precision, focusing on Android users in the U.S., and using smart bidding strategies. His approach proves that even with limited budgets, popunders can drive incredible profits.
And that’s not all. There are two more stories Rimma’s shared with us:
These examples highlight the power of popunder ads across niches, making them a game-changing tool for affiliates and advertisers.
Advice for New Popunder Advertisers
Rimma advises newcomers to start small, experiment with targeting, creatives, and placements, and focus on clearly defined campaign objectives. Working with trusted networks like HilltopAds ensures access to high-quality, fraud-free traffic. Regular A/B testing and real-time analysis are essential for refining campaigns.
Finally, maintaining a balance between ad frequency and user experience is crucial. Frequency capping helps ensure ads don’t overwhelm users.
The Future of Popunder Ads and Emerging Trends
As the advertising evolves, so does the popunder format. Rimma highlighted several trends shaping the future of popunder advertising:
- Better Targeting with AI and Machine Learning: AI-driven insights are helping advertisers fine-tune their targeting strategies, ensuring that ads are more relevant and personalized.
- Focus on User Privacy: With increasing concerns around privacy, advertisers are using more sophisticated tools to comply with privacy regulations while still delivering effective campaigns.
- Mobile-First Strategies: With mobile traffic dominating the internet, optimizing popunder ads for mobile devices is now a top priority.
- Smart Frequency Capping: To avoid user fatigue, advertisers are leveraging advanced frequency capping techniques to ensure ads aren’t shown too often.
HilltopAds also prepare for exciting new updates. This year, they introduced the MultiTag Video Slider, which lets publishers run popunder ads alongside video content.
As for the next year, the company plans to roll out a new ad format that will offer even more customization and flexibility for advertisers and publishers.
Conclusion
Popunder ads are a powerful, cost-effective tool for digital advertisers, offering high ROI and better engagement. Success stories from HilltopAds show how well these ads perform across different niches.
If you want to boost your advertising performance, now is the perfect time to explore popunders with HilltopAds. Combine them with Keitaro Tracker for real-time performance analysis and take your campaigns to the next level!
