What is Search Arbitrage and how is it different from SEO?

Hello, community! Have you ever searched for something on Google and landed on a page filled only with links, with no real information? If so, you’ve encountered a phenomenon called Search Arbitrage. What it is and how it works — we explain in this review. 

Before we begin, a quick reminder that we recently covered how to get free traffic from Reddit. Worth a read!  

Is Search Arbitrage about SEO?  

If the word “Search” makes you think this is all about organic traffic — it’s not. Or rather, not exactly. Or, to be even more precise — we’ll clarify now. 

So what is Search Arbitrage anyway? Traditional affiliate marketing is about using advertising to help sell a product. Our profit is the difference between ad spend and revenue from conversions. 

What is search arbitrage?

Search Arbitrage is about selling search traffic that we buy from ad networks. You can buy ads on, say, TikTok, direct that traffic to a landing page, and your profit is the difference between the CPC you pay to buy the click and the CPC you earn when you sell the click via your page.  

The flow is as follows:  

Traffic source (an ad network or even free traffic, really) — Search feed — Ad click — Count the profit 

We buy on TikTok, and we sell on the landing page, when a user clicks the ads we display. The difference between the cost per click and what we earn from that click is our net profit.  

It’s crucial to drive quality traffic. Priority sources are TikTok or Facebook. Native ads (e.g., Taboola) also work well. The source will influence your effective CPC, so correct math is essential. 

Some affiliates ignore these requirements and pour trash traffic hoping it “just works.” Because of this, getting access to the niche can be extremely difficult — if possible at all. More on that in a bit.  

Native2search and Search2Search models 

There are two key models in search arbitrage. The first is Native2search. Here, an affiliate buys native ads in specialized networks, then directs that traffic to a search feed — essentially a results page with search listings. If a user clicks one of the results, we earn revenue. 

Search2Search is the rerouting of traffic from one search feed to another with more profitable keywords. 

Features of Search Arbitrage 

The main advantage of search arbitrage is the ability to run across multiple verticals — but not all of them. There’s dedicated policy documentation outlining which products can be promoted via this ad type. 

Payouts are also straightforward because the payment model is CPC. You’re effectively paid for every click. That’s arguably easier than getting a user to register, let alone buy something.  

You can send as much traffic as you want. The key is ensuring quality. Otherwise, you can quickly lose access to the feed. 

Be prepared to wait for payouts, though. Because traffic quality is scrutinized, the hold can be 30–45 days. 

Getting paid also isn’t simple. Advertisers typically pay via bank transfer to a foreign company account only. So you’ll need to register a company — otherwise, you won’t get into the niche. 

Testing consists of finding profitable keywords, and that can require a very large budget. Finding “the” winning setup is hard. And even if you do, insane ROIs tend to get exposed quickly. Competitors will fast-follow your work.  

Driving traffic to a search feed 

Here’s how it works: an affiliate buys ads in cheaper networks — say, push — and directs that traffic to a search feed.  

A search feed is the equivalent of a search results page. In our case, it’s a script that can mimic Google’s results while embedding Google AdSense ads. We add the script to a site, and it looks something like this:  

And that’s the entire site. The user lands on a page of links, clicks one, and we earn money. Sounds simple, right? In reality — it’s not simple at all. 

How to start with Search Arbitrage — what’s the entry barrier? 

Here’s the big question. How do you get started? Bad news first — it’s extremely hard. 

First, as mentioned, you need to register a company in the US or EU. That means significant costs, opening a bank account, and a lot of legal hurdles that are hard to solve from Ukraine. 

Second — the budget. Testing here is not “three ad campaigns with a $50 daily spend and a few creatives.” Teams spend tens of thousands of dollars just to find profitable keywords — and that’s only the beginning. 

So yes, the entry barrier is very high. For a typical solo affiliate, this niche often isn’t practical. There are more profitable niches with much friendlier requirements.  

Why is there so little info on Search Feed Arbitrage? 

If you start researching this topic, you’ll encounter some oddities. For example, here’s a comment from a provider service: 

It’s a bit odd to call the niche “secret” when it’s discussed everywhere — including here.  

Things become clearer once you try to get a Search Feed yourself. You just won’t find an obvious way to obtain and connect it.  

Search engines are obsessed with traffic quality and prefer organic. Still, they will work with affiliates — typically teams — that can deliver high-quality traffic, so Google or Yahoo (whose feeds are most commonly used) don’t run into advertiser issues later. 

There’s also chatter that to get feed access you must sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Is that just conspiracy? Maybe. However: 

1. It’s based on claims from people who say they’ve worked with feeds. 
2. It would explain why there’s so little information about this type of affiliate marketing online. 

There are ways to access a search feed via intermediaries. Some partner programs offer not only scripts but also “recipe” guidance for setups. Of course, there’s also plenty of scam offering the same. We strongly advise against paying random people for a feed.  

Conclusion 

Search Feed Arbitrage is a cool, somewhat mysterious, and sometimes extremely profitable niche. That aura of secrecy attracts not only newcomers but also seasoned pros. And it’s understandable: how can something be so closed-off in such an open field as affiliate marketing? 

That said, it’s absolutely possible to find real case studies of how search arbitrage works — and to stumble upon such landing pages yourself. Happens to the best of us. 

But if you’ve decided this is your path — think twice. Getting your own feed is very, very hard. Especially if you’re a solo affiliate with no prior experience. 

What other legends or real facts about Search Feed Arbitrage have you heard? Share your experience in our Telegram community! 

As always, with respect — your Geek! 

What is Search Arbitrage FAQs