The paper focuses on the accuracy improvement of industrial robots by means of elasto-static parameters calibration. It proposes a new optimality criterion for measurement poses selection in calibration of robot stiffness parameters. This criterion is based on the concept of the manipulator test pose that is defined by the user via the joint angles and the external force. The proposed approach essentially differs from the traditional ones and ensures the best compliance error compensation for the test configuration. The advantages of this approach and its suitability for practical applications are illustrated by numerical examples, which deal with calibration of elasto-static parameters of planar manipulator with rigid links and compliant actuated joints.