Advertising Credits
The currency used within a traffic exchange to display your promotional materials. Different types of credits exist for different ad formats: surf credits for page views, banner credits for banner ads, and text ad credits for text advertisements. You earn credits by surfing other members' websites or by purchasing upgraded memberships.
Autosurf
A traffic exchange model popular in the early-to-mid 2000s where websites automatically loaded in sequence without requiring manual interaction. While autosurfs generated high view counts, they became largely obsolete due to near-zero engagement rates, association with investment scams, and bans from major advertising networks. Modern traffic platforms focus on manual surfing with active engagement for higher quality traffic and better compliance with advertising standards.
Autoresponder
An automated email marketing system that sends pre-written email sequences to subscribers on a scheduled timeline. After someone joins your mailing list, the autoresponder automatically delivers your emails (Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, etc.) without manual intervention. This allows you to build relationships, provide value, and promote offers consistently while you focus on other tasks.
Banner Ad
A graphical advertisement displayed on websites to promote products, services, or affiliate programs. Common sizes include 468Ă—60 (full banner), 728Ă—90 (leaderboard), and 125Ă—125 (square button). Banner ads are purchased using banner credits in traffic exchanges and are displayed to members as they navigate the platform.
Bridge Page (or Capture Page)
A simple, intermediary page that you own which "bridges" the gap between a traffic source and an affiliate offer. Since you control the code of a bridge page, it will always load perfectly in iframes and rotators. It also allows you to collect an email address before sending the visitor to the final offer, ensuring you never lose a potential lead even if they don't buy the first product.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on your advertisement or link compared to the total number who view it. CTR is calculated by dividing clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100. A higher CTR indicates more effective advertising and better engagement with your target audience.
Commissions
Earnings you receive when members you refer (your downline) upgrade their memberships or make purchases. Commission structures vary by platform but typically range from 10% to 50% of the sale value. Building an active downline can create passive income as your referrals continue to upgrade and use the platform.
Credits
The internal currency of traffic exchanges used to display your advertisements to other members. Credits are earned by viewing other members' websites (surfing), referring new members, or purchasing upgraded memberships. Different credit types (surf, banner, text) are used for different advertising formats.
Downline
Members who join a traffic exchange or program using your referral link. Your downline generates commissions for you when they upgrade or make purchases, and may also contribute to your advertising credit earnings through downline surf bonuses. Building an active downline is key to maximizing income from traffic platforms.
ExitCred™
The official traffic exchange system of Traffic Odyssey that utilizes "Exit Intent" technology. ExitCred™ allows members to promote their primary business URLs while earning advertising credits simultaneously. When a visitor attempts to leave a member's tracking link, an elegant popup appears showcasing ads from other members in the network.
Exit Intent
A technology used by platforms like ExitCred™ that monitors a visitor's behavior (such as mouse movement toward the browser tab or a back-gesture on mobile). When the system detects the visitor is about to navigate away, it triggers a final advertisement. This captures "lost" traffic that would otherwise have left the site without engaging with your offer.
Iframe (Inline Frame)
An HTML element that allows you to display one website inside another. Link trackers and ExitCred™ use iframes to show your promoted page while keeping tracking tools active in the background. Note that some major websites (like Google or Facebook) use "Frame Breaking" security to prevent being displayed this way, which is why Splash Pages are recommended for maximum compatibility.
Link Tracker
A tool that creates unique tracking URLs to measure advertisement performance by counting clicks before redirecting visitors to your destination page. Instead of promoting your site directly, you use a tracking link which provides detailed statistics about which ads and traffic sources generate the most clicks. Link trackers help you identify your best-performing campaigns and optimize your advertising strategy.
Manual Surf
A traffic exchange system where members must actively click a button or enter a validation code to proceed to the next website. This ensures viewers are paying attention to each page, resulting in higher-quality traffic compared to autosurfing. Manual surf systems typically include a timer (10-30 seconds) before allowing progression to the next site.
Mailing List
A collection of email addresses from people who have given permission to receive your messages. Building a mailing list is fundamental to online marketing because it creates a direct communication channel with interested prospects. Unlike social media followers, you own your list and can contact subscribers anytime. The common saying "the money is in the list" reflects how valuable an engaged email list is for generating sales and building long-term customer relationships.
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing)
A business model where distributors earn commissions both from their own sales and from sales made by people they recruit (their downline). Legitimate MLMs focus on selling actual products or services to customers, with recruitment as a secondary benefit. However, many programs blur the line into illegal pyramid schemes where income comes primarily from recruiting rather than product sales. Before joining any MLM, research thoroughly, verify that real products are sold to actual customers (not just to recruits), and understand that most participants earn little to no money.
Matrix Programs
A compensation structure where members are placed in a fixed-width matrix (such as 2Ă—3, 3Ă—7, or 5Ă—5) and earn when the matrix fills with paying members below them. The first number represents width (how many people on your first level), and the second represents depth (how many levels deep). Matrix programs promise passive income as your "spillover" from upline members fills your matrix automatically. However, most matrix programs fail because they require exponential growth that's mathematically unsustainable, and late joiners rarely profit.
Opt-in Form
A web form where visitors enter their email address (and sometimes name or other information) to subscribe to your mailing list. Opt-in forms are the gateway to list building – they appear on landing pages, websites, and within content to capture leads. The form typically connects to an autoresponder service that manages the subscription and sends your email sequences.
Popup Ad
An advertisement that opens in a new browser window or tab when a user visits a website or clicks a link. In traffic exchanges, popup ads are typically purchased with popup credits and display when members surf or navigate the platform. While popups can be effective for capturing attention, they should be used judiciously as excessive popups can frustrate users and reduce engagement.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
An advertising model where you pay only when someone clicks on your ad, rather than paying for impressions or views. PPC platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Bing Ads allow you to set budgets, target specific audiences, and track return on investment precisely. Unlike traffic exchanges where you earn views through surfing, PPC requires monetary investment but typically delivers more targeted traffic.
PTC (Paid-to-Click)
A business model where members earn money by viewing advertisements. Unlike traffic exchanges that use credits, PTC sites pay small cash amounts (typically $0.001 to $0.01 per ad) for each advertisement viewed. Members must watch ads for a specified time (usually 10-30 seconds) before earning their payment. While PTC can generate income, the traffic quality is often lower than manual surf exchanges because viewers are primarily motivated by payment rather than genuine interest in the advertised content.
Referral
A new member who joins a platform using your unique referral or affiliate link. Referrals become part of your downline and may generate commissions when they upgrade or make purchases. Most traffic exchanges provide each member with a unique referral URL to track signups and credit you with commissions.
Rotator
A system that automatically cycles through multiple destination URLs each time someone clicks your rotator link. Instead of promoting a single website, you can add 5-10 different pages and distribute traffic evenly or by custom percentages. Rotators are ideal for testing multiple offers, promoting several programs simultaneously, or maximizing exposure across your portfolio.
Safelist
An email marketing platform where members agree to receive promotional emails from other members in exchange for being able to send their own. Unlike traditional email marketing, safelists operate on mutual consent – everyone is both a sender and receiver. This ensures compliance with anti-spam regulations while providing targeted traffic from people interested in online marketing. Many modern safelists offer a hybrid traffic exchange mode where members can read emails directly on the website and earn credits by clicking the links within them, combining the benefits of email marketing with active engagement.
Sponsor Roll-up (Inheritance)
A unique system used in the Traffic Odyssey directory where ad slots or benefits "roll up" to the next active person in the referral chain. If a direct referral has not set up a specific tool or slot, the system "walks the chain" to find the first active sponsor. This ensures that active mentors are always rewarded for the growth and activity of their entire downline.
Splash Page
A simple, single-purpose landing page designed to capture attention and generate a specific action (typically an email signup or click-through). Splash pages are popular in traffic exchanges because they load quickly, deliver a focused message, and guide visitors toward one clear call-to-action without distractions.
Surf Timer
The countdown period (usually 10-30 seconds) that members must wait while viewing a website before they can proceed to the next page and earn credits. Surf timers ensure members actually see each advertised page rather than clicking through rapidly. Upgraded memberships often include reduced timer durations as a benefit.
Surfbar
The interface or frame displayed within a traffic exchange that shows member websites and controls for navigation. Surfbars come in two main types: dedicated surfbars that require the browser window to remain active and focused to count views (preventing members from surfing in the background while doing other tasks), and standard surfbars that allow background surfing. Dedicated surfbars typically offer higher credit ratios as compensation for requiring full attention.
Text Ad
A text-based advertisement consisting of a headline, description, and destination URL. Text ads appear on member pages, login screens, or in dedicated advertising sections. They cost fewer credits than banner ads and can be highly effective when well-written, especially for viewers who prefer content over graphics.
Traffic Exchange
A platform where members view each other's websites in exchange for having their own sites viewed by others. Members earn credits by "surfing" (viewing other members' pages for a set duration), then spend those credits to display their own pages to the community. Traffic exchanges operate on a barter system – you give traffic to receive traffic. Most modern exchanges include additional features like rotators, banner advertising, text ads, and referral commission systems to create comprehensive traffic generation and income opportunities.
Traffic Rotator
See Rotator – a traffic rotator and standard rotator function identically, distributing clicks across multiple destination URLs.
Upgrade
A paid membership level that provides enhanced benefits compared to free membership. Upgrades typically include more advertising credits, faster surf timers, higher commission rates, priority ad placement, and additional features like extra rotators or tracking links. Upgrading increases both your advertising reach and earning potential through higher commissions.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator – the web address of a page you want to promote or direct traffic to. In traffic exchanges, you submit URLs for your websites, affiliate links, or tracking links to be displayed to other members. Always ensure your URLs are properly formatted (including https://) and lead to working pages.
Weighted Rotation
A sophisticated method of URL rotation where you assign different "weights" (importance) to your links. If you have two links and set one to weight 10 and the other to weight 1, the first link will receive 10 times more traffic than the second. This is the ideal way to "A/B test" a new offer against a proven winning page.
X Tracker
The specialized tracking endpoint used by the ExitCred™ system (formatted as trafficodyssey.com/x/ID). The X Tracker is a dual-purpose tool: it serves your primary website to the visitor while simultaneously monitoring for "Exit Intent" to trigger the credit-earning popup. Unlike standard link trackers, the X Tracker is the heart of the Traffic Odyssey passive credit economy.
X-Frame-Options
A security header used by modern websites (like Google, Facebook, or ClickBank) to prevent their content from being displayed inside an Iframe. This is a security measure to prevent "Clickjacking." If your tracking link shows a blank screen, it means the destination site has this header enabled. The best solution is to use a Bridge Page or Splash Page as your target URL.