The phrase "actual popularity" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the true or genuine level of popularity of something, often in contrast to perceived or assumed popularity.
Example: "The actual popularity of the new movie was surprising, as it received mixed reviews but still drew large crowds."
Alternatives: "true popularity" or "genuine popularity".
"Citizen Kane" is a popular masterpiece — not in terms of actual popularity but in terms of its conceptions and the way it gets its laughs and makes its points.
Does the promotional effort correspond to the show's actual popularity?
However, translating streaming success into actual popularity is by no means a given.
The entertainment business has always worked this way — an illusion of popularity can beget actual popularity.
However, the influence that Mad Men has had, and the ardour it has inspired among its hardcore fans, has always been disproportionate to the show's actual popularity.
Lockwood believes it could be an ideal tool in booking comeback tours, where no one really knows whether an act who's been away for 20 years will sell 500 tickets or 5,000 tickets, or for assessing the actual popularity of buzz bands.
"Some of the bad side effects have been sock puppetry, the new wariness of Waterstones about hosting author events, and attempts by some individuals to boost their books in Amazon rankings by methods – largely beyond my comprehension – that have little to do with the work's actual success or popularity.
Yet the actual usage and popularity of such modalities amongst Australians remains relatively unknown.
In the run-up to Season 2, the show's popularity among actual D.C. pols has generated light amusement — as if this fact gives some clue to how they'd prefer to behave.
What is clear is that whenever political debate turns to Mr. Bush's actual record in office, his popularity sinks.
De Beer admits that many pageants she's observed usually do have some shady machinations going on, in which judgments are more about local social concerns and popularity than the actual criteria of the event.
