One of the most common questions I get is how I track which safelists are working for me.
It’s a good question—because with so many safelists out there, and dozens of emails flying every day, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. For years, I just kind of guessed which sites were performing based on the occasional burst of traffic or a random signup. But guessing isn’t tracking, and I eventually realized I needed a more reliable system.
Now, I want to be clear: I don’t claim to be the ultimate expert on tracking stats. I’ve just found a method that works well for me, and maybe it’ll help you too.
What I Actually Track (And Why)
I focus on conversions first. That’s what matters most. A conversion means someone saw my ad and actually took action—usually joining my list. That’s the ultimate goal.
After that, I look at response rate, which tells me how many people clicked through to my site after reading my email. I use LeadsLeap for this, and I love how it gives me both the raw clicks and the engagement data.
Lastly, I consider total traffic, but only after I know the other numbers. Just sending a flood of visitors doesn’t mean much if nobody’s taking action.
My Tracking Habits
I’m a bit of a stat junkie—I check conversions throughout the day. Not obsessively, but yeah, I like to see if anything’s working.
But I only do a deep dive once a month. That’s when I review which safelists and which ads actually brought results. It gives me a solid 30-day view that smooths out the ups and downs of daily fluctuations.
What I Look For in a “Bad” Ad
Not every ad is going to be a winner. If one of my emails gets lower conversions and lower click-throughs than others, that’s usually a sign it’s time to retire it—or at least rework it.
I don’t throw everything out. Sometimes, I’ll rotate older ads back in just to see if they still perform. Some of them surprise me.
What Makes a “Good” Test
I try to test different ads across the same safelists. That way I can isolate the variable. Was it the ad that underperformed—or was it the safelist?
Still, it’s tough to get clean data. Safelist traffic tends to be up and down, and mailing schedules aren’t always consistent. That’s why I try to track over the long haul, not just after a few days.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be a data nerd to track your results. You just need a system that helps you see what’s working and what’s not.
I’m still refining my own process all the time. But the more I track, the more I learn—and the easier it is to make smart decisions with my time and my traffic.
If you’re new to safelist marketing or want to learn how I turned safelists into one of my most consistent traffic sources, check out this post:
Why Most Safelist Marketers Fail (And How to Do It Right)