If your In-Page Push Ads are running but not skyrocketing your profits, it’s time to rethink your approach. This article reveals the insider tactics that top media buyers use to squeeze maximum performance from In-Page campaigns, from killer creatives and smart targeting to automation that works while you sleep. Master these optimization hacks and turn every click into real profit with HilltopAds.
In-Page (In-Page Push/IPP) is one of our ad formats that looks like a push notification but appears right on the page while a user is browsing. Unlike classic pushes, In-Page doesn’t require a subscription and is visible on all devices (yes, including iOS).
That means a broader reach and a native, attention-grabbing presence. But if you want your In-Page campaigns to deliver maximum conversions and profit, launching alone isn’t enough – you need smart, end-to-end optimization.
This guide is all about hands-on optimization – no fluff. You’ll learn how to scale, test creatives the right way, tag traffic with the {{adid}} macro, set up Postback tracking, and turn on auto-optimization rules. Let’s dive in!
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Creative Variety & Ad Testing
The first rule of a high-performing In-Page campaign: test lots of different creatives. Don’t stop at one or two ads – add as many variations as you can (ideally 5-10 unique combinations of headlines, descriptions, and images) within a single campaign. The wider your creative spread, the higher the chance you’ll find a combo that really takes off with your audience. The winner is often the one you least expect – and you’ll only discover it through A/B testing.
When building your ad set, stick to creative best practices:
Refresh creatives regularly
Even after launch, keep adding new ads. Audiences get banner fatigue fast, and fresh creatives keep engagement up.
Keep headlines short and punchy
You don’t have much space (~30 characters), so every word must work. Use intrigue, questions, or a clear CTA. Keep the description concise too (~100-120 characters) to support the headline.
Use clear, high-impact visuals
A 192×192 px icon/image is a key part of an In-Page ad. Avoid tiny details – your visual should read at a glance. Contrasty, on-theme imagery (prize icon, dating cue, warning, etc., depending on offer) earns more clicks.
Match ad to landing page
Your landing must deliver on the ad’s promise. If the creative mentions a special offer, make sure users see it immediately on the page. Consistency boosts conversion.
Test different angles and messages
Try informational tone, emotional hook, or personalization. Some advertisers use chat-style prompts like “🔥 You have a new message!” or “💬 Someone nearby wants to connect.” These mimic personal notifications and can lift engagement.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Add the maximum number of diverse creatives and texts for testing right from the start. Aim for 5-10 distinct variants in one campaign to accelerate finding winners.
With 5-10 varied ads prepared, you’ve laid the groundwork for effective optimization. When launching multiple creatives, make sure your budget can produce usable stats for each. If the budget’s too small, some ads won’t gather enough impressions/clicks to judge fairly. Allocate spend so each creative gets a meaningful sample (e.g., a few thousand impressions) and, ideally, at least 5-10 conversions across the campaign before calling winners and cutting losers. Creatives ready? Let’s move on to reach and audience settings.
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Broad Targeting at Launch
Before you launch, get your targeting right. In the early stage, go as broad as possible to collect diverse traffic and spot the segments that actually convert. In practice, that means:
Don’t narrow too early
Set only the essentials (GEO, platform) that match your offer and avoid extra restrictions. If the offer is allowed in several countries, test them all – separately or together, where it makes sense. Cover both mobile and desktop (or run separate campaigns per device). In-Page performs well across all browsers and OS, so don’t skip iOS – unlike classic pushes, you can reach iPhone/iPad users here.
Use broad traffic channels
In HilltopAds, you can choose site categories (by quality or topic). For a first test, enable High and Medium sources – this balances quality and volume. Don’t stick to premium-only: mid-tier sources can also convert, and there are more of them, which expands reach. At the data-gathering stage, volume matters, so tap more sources. (If your offer is Adult/18+, pick the adult channel to avoid mismatched audiences.)
Keep filters to a minimum
Disable extra filters that shrink delivery (browser, ISP, dayparting, etc.) unless you have a strong hypothesis. Let the campaign run broad first – learn where and when users respond best, then tighten targeting based on those findings.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Use broad targeting at launch. Don’t over-restrict GEOs, devices, or sources before you have data.
A broad start helps the ad network’s algorithms pair the right creative with the right audience faster. You’ll get more impressions and clicks, which accelerates the stats you need for optimization. The key is budget fit: broad targeting without sufficient budget spreads spend too thin – you’ll get a little from many segments but not enough to reach statistical significance anywhere. Align daily budget and bids with your audience scale; it’s better to cover slightly fewer GEOs or sources and get solid data than to dilute results.
Once your campaign is live with broad reach and diverse creatives, move to the crucial next step – tracking performance and acting on the data.
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Tracking results: Analytics & Macros
To optimize effectively, you must track each ad and each traffic source. Without proper tracking, you’re flying blind. Here’s what to do:
Set up analytics (a tracker) and use macros in your URLs. When creating an In-Page campaign in HilltopAds, add a parameter that passes the ad ID to your landing URL. Use the {{adid}} macro. For example:
http://your-tracker.com/click?offer_id=123&adid={{adid}}
Now every click carries the ID of the creative that was shown. In your tracker or in-platform reports, you’ll see exactly which ad generated the click and the subsequent conversion. Besides {{adid}}, make sure you also pass the click ID(e.g., {{clickid}}) for postback tracking – you’ll need it for automation later.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Add the {{adid}} macro to campaign links from day one. It’s the fastest way to attribute performance per ad in platform and in your tracker.
Even if you don’t use an external tracker and rely on HilltopAds stats, adding {{adid}} is still useful – you can reconcile in-platform reports with your analytics. HilltopAds also breaks down performance by creatives (ads) and sources, so you can assess each ad’s efficiency right in the dashboard.
Monitor your campaign KPIs. From day one, watch the essentials: impressions, clicks, CTR, conversions, CR (click-to-conversion), and eCPA. Analyze these per creative and per source. For example:
Which creative has the highest CTR?
A high CTR means the ad grabs attention – but don’t stop at clicks. A flashy, click-baity ad can drive curiosity clicks without real actions/sales.
Compare CR and eCPA across ads
An ad with fewer clicks can be more qualified if it attracts the right users. Example: Ad A gets 100 clicks and 2 conversions (CR=2%), Ad B gets 50 clicks and 5 conversions (CR=10%). Despite fewer clicks, B brings more results at a lower cost per conversion. You only see this through careful analysis.
Track trends over time
Is CTR stable or declining (creative fatigue)? Does overall conversion improve after changes? Continuous monitoring helps you catch trends early and adjust course.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Check in-platform stats by ad daily at launch. Spot winners early and cut obvious underperformers before they drain budget.
Check reports regularly (e.g., daily at launch) and note which ads and traffic segments lead or lag. Those insights power your next optimization moves.
Pause & Refresh
Once you’ve got enough data, move into active optimization: double down on what works and cut what doesn’t – starting with creatives.
Pause weak ads
If certain creatives clearly lag – e.g., much lower CTR or zero conversions despite sufficient impressions – put them on pause. There’s no point burning budget on ads that don’t deliver. Free up delivery for stronger variants.
Don’t pull the plug too early though: make sure each ad had a fair shot (enough impressions/clicks). As a rule of thumb, wait for ~1,000+ impressions per creative or a few conversions across the campaign. If a creative has already spent 2-3× your target CPA without a single lead – go ahead and pause it.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Pause poor performers, replace them with new creatives continuously to avoid fatigue and keep the average performance climbing.
Diagnose the “why”
Whenever possible, figure out why a creative missed. Was it not eye-catching enough? Was the offer weak? Was the message wrong for that audience? These lessons inform your next batch.
For instance, if out of five headline styles the most specific offer (“50% off today”) wins while generic hype doesn’t – there’s your audience preference.
Backfill with fresh creatives
Optimization is continuous testing. Replace paused ads with new variations so your pool keeps evolving. This is especially crucial for In-Page (and push) where audiences fatigue quickly.
By constantly rotating headlines, visuals, and offers, you increase your odds of eventually catching a wave – finding a creative with standout ROI. Aim to always run a mix of proven winners + fresh tests so you can scale while still exploring new gains.
Work your creatives this way (cut losers, inject new tests) and your campaign’s average performance will climb. Each optimization cycle removes waste and amplifies returns. In parallel, shift budget toward the assets that are pulling ahead.
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Scaling winners: Ads & Segments
When you identify the best-performing creatives and angles, it’s time to scale the success – i.e., push more budget and traffic into the elements that deliver.
Increase campaign budget (gradually)
If out of 5-10 creatives you’ve got 2-3 clear winners (high CR, acceptable eCPA), raise the daily budget and/or bids to feed those winners more volume. Early on, budget was spread thin for testing; now the lion’s share should go to champions. Scale gradually – sudden jumps can destabilize delivery. A good cadence is +20-30% per day, watching conversion trends. If ROI holds or improves, keep going.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Increase budget on top-performing creatives as soon as you confirm stable CR and acceptable eCPA. Scale in controlled steps.
Spin out a winners-only campaign
Another scaling path: clone the setup into a separate campaign that includes only the top creatives. Give it a higher budget and more aggressive bids to capture additional volume. This separation helps you track winners cleanly and optimize streams differently (e.g., auto-rules in one, alternate tweaks in the other).
Expand GEOs & targeting
Growth isn’t just more budget – it’s wider reach. Test new GEOs or adjacent audiences where your winning messages are likely to resonate. If Spain performs, try Portugal with the same creatives (assuming offer relevance). Expand progressively and with spend controls.
Mind your frequency cappin
As you scale, avoid overexposing the same user. If the platform supports it, set a cap (e.g., 1-2 impressions per user/day) so you don’t trigger banner blindness or irritation. Many advertisers skip this while scaling and then watch CTR sink as the audience gets saturated.
As you scale, keep a close eye on unit economics. Volume can shift traffic mix – and with it, quality and eCPA. Don’t stop monitoring the key KPIs. And remember: scaling is iterative, not one-and-done. You expand reach → gather fresh data → optimize again (pause/add) → expand further. That loop lets you grow steadily without nasty surprises.
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Postback&Auto-rules
Manual tweaks are great, but to squeeze the most out of your In-Page campaigns you need automation. HilltopAds offers built-in Auto-Optimization that takes the heavy lifting off your hands and manages ad zones for you. Here’s how to put it to work:
Set up Postback to pass conversions
Auto-algorithms only shine when they know which impressions and clicks convert. Connect your tracker or affiliate program to HilltopAds via a Postback URL. In your tracker, grab the HilltopAds Postback and insert the required macros (e.g., {{clickid}} from HilltopAds and a revenue parameter). When a conversion fires, your tracker pings that URL so HilltopAds learns which click (and from which source/creative) converted – and for how much.
Helena
Senior sales manager HilltopAds
Set up Postback and enable an auto-rule inside the campaign to optimize sources automatically. Start with no-conversion and expensive-conversion rules.
Without Postback, auto-optimization is running half-blind: the system won’t see conversion counts or value. If setting up Postback is tricky, at minimum pass {{adid}} (as above) and analyze manually – but full automation will perform far better.
Turn on auto-optimization rules
Inside your campaign, open Auto-Optimization and define the rules that will adjust your traffic automatically. The most common scenario is auto-blacklisting unprofitable zones. You set conditions; when they’re met, the zone goes to the Blacklist and stops receiving your traffic. For example:
- No-conversion rule: If a zone gets 1,000-1,500+ impressions and zero conversions within the lookback window (e.g., 1 day), auto-add it to the Blacklist. This protects budget from dead inventory.
- Expensive-conversion rule: If eCPA on a zone exceeds your threshold (e.g., your target CPA), blacklist it – even if conversions exist, they’re simply too costly.
You can combine multiple rules and run them simultaneously. For instance, one rule filters zones with no conversions, another filters zones with eCPA above target. Rules work on an OR basis – if any condition is met, the zone is blocked. Also set a lookback period – commonly 1 day or 3 days – to react quickly to underperformance.
Let the algorithm handle the grind – while you supervise
Once enabled, the system updates your campaign’s Blacklist daily according to your criteria. That’s hours of manual checks you no longer need: no more scanning hundreds of zones for zero-conv or poor ROI – the algorithm does it. Heads-up: the first results appear after the selected lookback window closes (e.g., with a 1-day window, pruning starts the next day after ~24h of data). Keep an eye on things even with automation: you may want to soften or tighten thresholds depending on how aggressively traffic is being cut. The goal is a smart balance – filter the truly bad zones without choking off promising ones.
Postback + Auto-Rules dramatically amplify In-Page optimization. It’s like switching on a 24/7 copilot for your ROI – constantly monitoring, reacting in real time – while you focus on strategy: new creatives, scaling, and offer testing.
Launch your In-Page campaign with HilltopAds and take advantage of:
- Advanced targeting options
- Direct traffic sources
- Self-serve platform
- Fully-managed service
- Postback tracking
Сonclusion
Optimizing In-Page campaigns is a continuous cycle of analysis and improvement – and it directly impacts your profit. We’ve covered the core techniques: launching wide with plenty of creatives, digging deep into analytics, systematically cutting weak elements, and layering on automation. Below is a quick recap of what to do and what to avoid when working with the In-Page format:
| Do for optimization | Avoid (common mistakes) |
| Test many creatives at once (5+ ads) with varied headlines and images. | Don’t limit yourself to 1-2 look-alike ads – you’ll miss the winning angle. |
| Use broad targeting at launch (reach as much of the relevant audience as possible, including iOS). | Don’t narrow targeting prematurely (don’t cut GEOs, zones, or devices without data). |
| Set up tracking: add the {{adid}} macro (and Postback for conversions) to attribute performance per ad. | Don’t launch blind – without tags and tracking you won’t know what works, and you’ll waste budget. |
| Review stats daily (CTR, conversions, eCPA) by creative and by source. Quickly pause weak ads and unprofitable zones. | Don’t ignore the data – don’t keep funding creatives or sources that clearly underperform. |
| Regularly add new creatives to replace paused ones and prevent fatigue. | Don’t let the campaign stagnate – performance drops over time without fresh ideas. |
| Increase budget and bids on winning combos (scale what’s profitable). | Don’t lock the budget too low – scale winners or you leave money on the table. Also don’t overspend without checking ROI. |
| Use auto-optimization (Postback + auto-rules) to manage traffic sources. | Don’t rely on manual control only – without auto-rules you can miss wasteful spend, especially in large campaigns. |
Apply these practices and you’ll materially lift In-Page performance. With the right optimization, the format delivers high CTR and a steady flow of conversions thanks to its native look and broad reach. The key is a proactive mindset: keep testing, measuring, and improving. Even the best campaigns need attention and fine-tuning – especially as you scale.
Bottom line, optimization is time invested in analysis and setup that pays back in higher ROI. As you launch your next In-Page campaign, lean on this end-to-end guide – from creative strategy to auto-rules. This holistic approach will help you outpace competitors and achieve standout results on the HilltopAds network. Good luck – and high conversions!