Traffic Arbitrage in 2025: Key Tools and Traffic Sources

What is traffic arbitrage? Key sources and new tools for arbitrage marketers in 2025.

This article is useful not only for beginners who are completely new to traffic arbitrage and its nuances, but also for experienced professionals looking to stay updated on market trends and developments.

If you're a beginner, be sure to review the content thoroughly. However, if you're more experienced, I recommend jumping straight to the sections "Key Tools for Traffic Arbitrage in 2025" and "Traffic Sources" you may find valuable insights to refine your strategies.

What Is Traffic Arbitrage

Traffic arbitrage is the promotion of an advertiser’s products or services in exchange for a commission. The essence of this activity lies in placing advertisements for the advertiser—on platforms like Facebook or others—and then charging the advertiser for the targeted actions performed by users.

The advertiser pays a predetermined amount for each targeted action, such as 80 cents for an app installation, 30 cents for a website registration, or 5% of the purchase amount.

Key Terms in Advertising Traffic Arbitrage

Here are the key terms you might come across in other articles about traffic arbitrage:

  1. Affiliate Marketing. A performance-based marketing strategy where affiliates promote products or services in exchange for a commission on sales or leads.
  2. CPC (Cost Per Click). The amount advertisers pay for each click on their ad. It's a key metric in PPC advertising campaigns.
  3. CPM (Cost Per Mille). The cost per thousand impressions. Used in display advertising, it measures how much it costs to show an ad to 1,000 people.
  4. CPA (Cost Per Action). A pricing model where advertisers pay for a specific action, such as a sale, lead, or sign-up.
  5. CPL (Cost Per Lead). A subset of CPA where advertisers pay specifically for leads, such as completed forms or inquiries.
  6. ROI (Return on Investment). A measure of the profitability of a campaign. Calculated as (Revenue - Cost) / Cost × 100%.
  7. CTR (Click-Through Rate). The percentage of people who click on an ad after seeing it. Calculated as (Clicks / Impressions) × 100%.
  8. Conversion Rate. The percentage of users who take a desired action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a service. Calculated as (Conversions / Clicks) × 100%.
  9. Ad Campaign. A coordinated set of advertisements aimed at achieving a specific goal, such as generating leads or increasing sales.
  10. Landing Page. A standalone web page designed to convert visitors by focusing on a single goal or call to action.
  11. Split Testing (A/B Testing). Comparing two versions of an ad, landing page, or email to determine which performs better.
  12. Ad Copy. The text or content in an advertisement designed to attract attention and drive clicks or conversions.
  13. Offer. The product, service, or incentive being promoted to users in a campaign.
  14. Funnel. The path users take from the first interaction with an ad to completing a conversion, often broken into stages like awareness, interest, decision, and action.
  15. Traffic Source. The origin of website visitors, such as search engines, social media platforms, or ad networks.
  16. Native Ads. Ads designed to match the style and format of the platform they appear on, making them less intrusive.
  17. Push Notifications. Clickable messages sent directly to users’ devices via web or mobile apps, often used for retargeting.
  18. Popunder Ads. Ads that appear in a new browser window or tab behind the current one, intended to be viewed after the main content.
  19. SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Optimizing a website to improve its organic ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
  20. PPC (Pay Per Click). A model where advertisers pay for each click on their ad, commonly used in search engine and social media advertising.
  21. Social Media Advertising. Promoting products or services on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, often targeting specific demographics.
  22. Media Buying. The process of purchasing ad space on websites, apps, or other platforms to display advertisements.
  23. Ad Network. A platform that connects advertisers with publishers, allowing advertisers to display ads across multiple sites or apps.
  24. Programmatic Advertising. Automated buying and selling of ad space using algorithms and real-time bidding.
  25. Retargeting (Remarketing). Showing ads to users who have already interacted with a brand, aiming to encourage them to complete a desired action.
  26. Pixel Tracking. A small piece of code placed on a website to track user behavior and conversions.
  27. UTM Parameters. Tags added to URLs to track the performance of campaigns in analytics tools like Google Analytics.
  28. Click Fraud. The act of repeatedly clicking on ads to waste an advertiser’s budget, often done maliciously.
  29. Black Hat Techniques. Unethical or non-compliant marketing practices, such as misleading ads or fake traffic generation.
  30. White Hat Techniques. Ethical and compliant marketing practices, focusing on transparency and long-term results.
  31. Affiliate Network. A platform connecting advertisers (merchants) with affiliates who promote their products or offers.
  32. Campaign Optimization. The process of analyzing and improving an ad campaign to increase its efficiency and profitability.
  33. Geotargeting. The practice of targeting ads to users in specific geographic locations.
  34. Creative Testing. Experimenting with different ad designs, formats, or copy to determine the most effective creative assets.
  35. Bot Traffic. Non-human traffic generated by automated systems, often detrimental to campaign performance.
  36. EPC (Earnings Per Click). A metric that shows the average earnings generated per click on an affiliate offer.
  37. Traffic Quality. The value of traffic based on engagement, conversions, and relevance to the campaign goals.

Traffic Sources in Advertising Arbitrage

Traffic sources are platforms used by arbitrage marketers to drive visitors to a target website. The quality of traffic depends on the chosen source, and its selection is influenced by the offer conditions in the affiliate network and the available resources.

Types of Traffic in Arbitrage

  1. Organic Traffic refers to users who visit a website independently through search engines, without the influence of ads or referral links. This type of traffic is a result of strong brand recognition or successful SEO.
  2. Semi-Free Traffic lies on the border between organic and paid traffic. While it doesn’t require direct investments in advertising, you still need to spend money and time on creating and publishing content, as well as on purchasing or farming social media accounts.
  3. Paid or Non-Organic Traffic refers to users who visit a target resource through advertising campaigns. This includes banners, push notifications, contextual or native ads, and sponsored integrations. In this case, you pay for advertising the promoted offer, essentially purchasing traffic.

Traffic Sources in Arbitrage

Organic and Semi-Free Traffic

  1. Search Traffic. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Search traffic can be generated not only through your own websites but also via blogs and social media channels. The primary goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to create unique content and use relevant keywords to ensure that the site ranks at the top of search engine results.
  2. ASO (App Store Optimization). Suitable for: Gambling, gaming, dating. Description:  involves optimizing mobile applications to improve their ranking in search results within app stores like the App Store, Google Play, and others. ASO helps attract motivated users who are already interested in downloading the app.
  3. Viral Marketing. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Viral marketing is a strategy for driving traffic through content that users actively share on social media or via personal messages. It can be used to attract users to websites, Telegram channels, or to grow social media followers.
  4. Facebook. Suitable for: Various niches, if paid advertising is not involved. However, the platform's algorithms are sensitive to gray verticals (dating, adult, pharmaceuticals, iGaming). Description: Traffic can be generated through personal accounts, company pages, and thematic groups. While Facebook allows promoting offers from different verticals, caution is required when working with sensitive niches to avoid account restrictions.
  5. Instagram. Suitable for: Various niches, if advertising is not purchased. However, the platform's algorithms are sensitive to gray offers (dating, adult, pharmaceuticals). Description: Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for influencer traffic. This involves attracting users through collaborations with influencers and bloggers.
  6. TikTok. Suitable for: All niches, though moderation may block accounts for suspicious activity. Description: TikTok offers vast potential if you learn how to appear in recommendations. You can integrate collaborations into videos, host live streams, and attract followers to your profile. Links in the bio are commonly used to redirect users to pre-landing pages, Telegram, or Instagram, which helps mitigate the risk of account bans.
  7. Telegram and Other Messengers (WhatsApp, Viber). Suitable for: All niches. Description: Telegram and other messengers are often used to create and promote channels or groups that can become sources of targeted traffic. Due to minimal moderation, messengers often act as intermediaries. They are also widely used for spam distribution—either via direct message blasts or comments on posts. The popularity of messengers varies across GEOs, so it’s essential to analyze statistics or try different options to avoid losing leads due to extra steps, such as installing an unfamiliar app. Public channels in messengers are frequently used to attract "scheme traffic" (traffic generated through strategies promising guaranteed winnings) in betting and gambling. Users are offered a strategy—a sequence of steps that "guarantee" winnings. Learn more about tracking traffic in Telegram in this article.
  8. X (formerly Twitter). Suitable for: All niches. Description: A key element of promotion on X is using trending hashtags and participating in popular threads. Regular tweets, retweets, and provocative comments can effectively grow your profile and attract an engaged audience.
  9. YouTube. Suitable for: All niches, though gray offers (gambling, adult) require careful navigation of platform rules. Description: Promotion on YouTube involves SEO optimization of video titles and descriptions to align with popular search queries. The most popular content format is short vertical videos (Shorts), often featuring stickers with promo codes for online casinos and betting platforms. Referral links to offers are typically placed in the channel description or comments. Full-length videos can also be utilized effectively. Additionally, YouTube's vertical livestreams are gaining traction, particularly among casino streamers and advertisers.
  10. Streaming Platforms. Suitable for: Gambling, betting, e-commerce, adult content. Description: While traditionally focused on gaming content, streaming platforms offer broader opportunities. The lack of strict moderation enables creators to warm up their audience with live streams featuring sports betting, casino games, and even channels promoting adult content or dating offers.
  11. Pinterest. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Pinterest allows posts to be indexed by search engines, enabling promotion not only within the platform but also through Google. Unlike many other platforms, the number of followers on Pinterest is less critical. Effective promotion involves researching and organizing relevant keywords that accurately reflect the profile's content.
  12. Reddit. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Reddit operates under a policy where users are responsible for their own content, resulting in minimal platform-wide moderation. Each forum (subreddit) is governed by its own rules set by admins, which can range from very strict to more lenient. Users can also create their own subreddits. Participation in discussions and commenting on existing threads is a common strategy. However, it’s crucial to follow the rules and share relevant content to avoid being flagged or banned.
  13. Dating Apps. Suitable for: Dating, adult content, e-commerce, nutra. Description: Dating apps like Tinder or Badoo are often used to gather and redirect traffic to other platforms for building engagement with the audience. Links to Instagram or Telegram can be added to profile descriptions for further engagement and conversion.
  14. Crowd Marketing. Suitable for: Nutra, e-commerce, dating, betting, and gambling. Description: Crowd marketing involves placing links and information on forums, blogs, and in comments. Arbitrage marketers often pose as regular users, sharing comments, recommendations, and reviews about products and services. Suitable platforms include Q&A services, niche forums, and review websites. Marketers can also create their own discussion threads and lead conversations around the promoted offer, embedding advertisements seamlessly.
  15. Classified Ads Platforms. Suitable for: E-commerce, nutra, finance, education, HR. Description: The advantage of classified ads platforms is their warm audience, already prepared to make a purchase. To work effectively, you may need multiple SIM cards to post different products under various listings.

Paid Traffic

  1. Contextual Advertising. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Contextual ad networks display advertisements to users actively searching for relevant information. The largest network, Google Ads, covers almost all GEOs and supports not only websites and search ads but also video advertising on YouTube. For Russian-speaking audiences and CIS countries, Yandex.Direct is a reliable alternative. For the U.S. and some Tier-1 countries, Microsoft (Bing) Ads is a viable option.
  2. Targeted Advertising on Social Media. Suitable for: White offers, gray offers, and scheme traffic. Description: Social media platforms allow the promotion of both white and gray products and services. However, promoting gray offers often requires a cloaking solution to bypass moderation. Most major social networks have their own advertising platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, VK, TikTok, Likee, and X (formerly Twitter). These platforms offer robust tools for targeting specific audiences, making them highly effective for driving traffic when used strategically.
  3. Push Notifications. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Push notifications are small pop-up messages or alerts that appear in the bottom-right corner of a desktop screen or in a smartphone’s notification feed. Clicking on a push ad redirects users to a target website, offer landing page, messenger, or app. The primary advantage of push notifications is their high visibility—they are nearly impossible to ignore, making them a powerful tool for driving traffic.
  4. Pop Traffic. Suitable for: All niches. Description: Pop-up, click-under, and pop-under ads are aggressive advertising formats that automatically open a landing page or pre-landing page. These formats are effective for grabbing attention quickly but may be seen as intrusive by users, requiring careful targeting and creative strategies to maximize conversions while minimizing negative feedback.
  5. Influencer Marketing. Suitable for: Primarily white offers, with betting and gambling allowed in certain countries. Description: Influencer marketing involves promoting offers through popular bloggers and opinion leaders. By leveraging their audience and trust, brands can effectively drive traffic and increase conversions, particularly in niches where direct advertising may face restrictions.
  6. Teaser and Native Advertising. Suitable for: All niches, but primarily used for nutra and finance offers. Description: Teaser and native ad networks rely on provocative messages and clickbait headlines to grab users’ attention. These formats blend seamlessly with content, making them less intrusive while maintaining high engagement rates.
  7. In-App Advertising. Suitable for: All niches, with utilities, dating, gaming, betting, and gambling being the most popular. Description: In-app traffic refers to users directed to a target resource through advertisements within the interfaces of mobile applications. This format is highly effective for reaching engaged audiences in specific niches.
  8. Apple Search Ads (ASA). Suitable for: White apps, iGaming, crypto. Description: Apple Search Ads (ASA) is an advertising platform for promoting mobile applications in the Apple Store. Unlike ASO, ASA boosts search rankings through paid advertisements. The platform enforces moderation rules, prohibiting the promotion of gambling and betting apps, as well as apps promising quick earnings or easy money. However, with a careful approach to avoid bans and by exploring alternative methods, such apps can still be promoted effectively.
  9. Google UAC (Universal App Campaigns). Suitable for: Utilities, crypto, gaming, gambling, betting, adult, finance. Description: Google UAC is a platform designed to promote mobile applications for Android devices. Ads are displayed in the Play Market, Google Search, and on YouTube, offering a comprehensive reach across Google's ecosystem.

There are numerous traffic sources suitable for arbitrage. However, it’s important to note that platform rules are constantly evolving, and strategies that worked yesterday might no longer be effective today. To avoid losing money, it’s essential to explore alternatives, test various sources for traffic acquisition, and stay informed about new trends and updates.

Key Tools for Traffic Arbitrage in 2025

A skilled and experienced webmaster working in this field utilizes a wide range of tools. Here are some of the most essential tools for success in this field:

  • Trackers. Trackers are tools that enable marketers to monitor statistics, optimize spending, and increase profits. They provide insights into campaign performance, allowing for adjustments to improve ROI. One of the most popular trackers in 2025 is XTracker, which offers advanced analytics, seamless integration with traffic sources, and user-friendly reporting features. Trackers like this are essential for staying competitive in the traffic arbitrage industry.
  • CPA Networks. CPA (Cost Per Action) networks act as convenient intermediaries between advertisers and webmasters. They provide access to a wide range of offers, ensuring reliable payouts and smooth communication. A popular CPA network in 2025 is Admitad, known for its extensive catalog of offers across various niches, transparent payment system, and user-friendly interface.
  • Landing Page Builders. Landing page builders are essential tools for creating quick and efficient single-page websites tailored for specific campaigns. These platforms allow marketers to design, customize, and deploy pages without requiring advanced coding skills. For example, Jusl is widely recognized for its ease of use.
  • Content Creation Services
    Services for content creation include tools and platforms that assist with writing texts, creating visuals, and managing social media pages.In this category, Freelancehunt stands out as a platform where you can find skilled freelancers specializing in content creation.
  • Chatbots. Chatbot services greatly simplify communication with potential clients by automating responses and enhancing engagement. For example, XTracker, ManyChat, and Chatfuel were among the most popular options in 2024. These tools allow marketers to build conversational flows and handle inquiries efficiently.
  • Deep Linking Services. Deep linking services create links that direct users straight to specific app pages or websites, enhancing user experience and boosting conversions. A notable example is Jusl, which not only allows users to create single-page websites for promoting services while also offering redirect link generation.

Conclusion

  • Traffic arbitrage is the promotion of an advertiser’s products or services with fixed compensation for each targeted action. An arbitrage marketer is someone who promotes these products and services for a reward. They spend their own money on promotion and are not bound by specific performance quotas.
  • With traffic arbitrage, it’s possible to earn an average monthly salary in just a few days under the right conditions.
  • Starting in arbitrage becomes easier if you already know which traffic source suits you best or have some experience in internet marketing.
  • Traffic arbitrage is impossible without specialized tools, such as trackers or deep links.