How to Get Free Website Traffic From Abandoned Links

Most marketers believe you need ads, SEO, or social media to drive traffic. But here’s the truth: the internet is full of abandoned links — dead domains that still get clicks every single day.

And if you’re smart enough to register those domains, you can own that traffic stream instantly.

This is the hidden side of traffic generation that almost nobody talks about.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• What abandoned links are (and why they exist).

• Why they’re one of the most underrated sources of free traffic.

• The manual way to find them.

• How tools like Clicky Leaks make the process effortless.

• Monetization strategies to turn abandoned link traffic into revenue.

  By the end, you’ll know exactly how to get free website traffic from abandoned links — and you’ll never look at the web the same way again.

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  What Are Abandoned Links?

  An abandoned link is any link on the internet that points to a domain that no longer exists.

  For example:

• A YouTube video description from 2017 links to a website that was never renewed.

• A blog post from 2012 points to a company that shut down.

• A Reddit thread recommends a tool that no longer exists.

  But here’s the kicker: those links still get clicked.

  - The video still gets views.

• The blog still ranks in Google.

• The forum thread still drives curiosity.

  And when users click the link? They hit a dead end — unless you’ve registered the domain first.

  That’s abandoned link traffic.

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  Why Abandoned Links Are Gold

  Think about how much work goes into creating traffic normally:

• Writing blog posts.

• Paying for ads.

• Ranking on Google.

• Posting endlessly on social media.

  Now compare that to registering a $10 domain that’s already receiving traffic because of someone else’s effort years ago.

  It’s like moving into a store where customers are already lined up outside.

  Why it works

• Content doesn’t die – Old YouTube videos, blogs, and forums stick around.

• Creators quit – Many domains get abandoned when projects end.

• Clicks keep coming – Audiences don’t care if the site is dead; they’ll still click the link.

  For affiliate marketers, SEOs, and entrepreneurs, this is a traffic hack hiding in plain sight.

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  The Manual Way to Find Abandoned Links

  You could find abandoned links manually. Here’s how:

  1. YouTube Search

- Look for videos in your niche. - Open the description. - Copy outbound links. - Check if the domain is expired.

2. Blog Hunting - Google “top [niche] blogs.” - Run link checkers to see if outbound links are dead. - Register the ones that are free.

3. Forum & Reddit Dives - Search Reddit or niche forums for tools, guides, or tutorials. - Spot broken outbound links. - Check availability.

This method works, but it’s painfully slow. You might spend hours for one decent find.

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Why Automation Wins

That’s where automation changes the game.

Instead of clicking through YouTube descriptions or scanning blogs by hand, tools like Clicky Leaks do it for you.

- Scans YouTube videos across dozens of niches.

• Extracts outbound links automatically.

• Checks domain availability in real time.

• Delivers fresh abandoned domains daily.

  What used to take hours of painful manual searching now takes seconds.

  That means more time building funnels, less time chasing dead ends.

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  Real-World Example: The Keto Niche

  Let’s make this concrete.

  - You find a YouTube video from 2018: “Top 10 Keto Diet Hacks.”

• In the description is a link to ketoplanweekly.com.

• The domain expired in 2023.

• The video has 300,000 views and still gets traffic today.

  You register ketoplanweekly.com for $12.

  Now you have two options:

• 1. Redirect it to your keto affiliate landing page.

• 2. Build a simple squeeze page that captures emails, then forwards to a ClickBank keto offer.

  Result? Free, targeted traffic from an abandoned link.

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  Monetization Strategies for Abandoned Link Traffic

  Once you own an abandoned link domain, you need to make the most of it. Here are the top ways:

  1. Direct Redirects

Send traffic straight to your affiliate offer or website. Instant monetization.

2. Pre-Sell Pages

Build a bridge page that educates, then pushes to your affiliate link. Higher conversions.

3. Lead Capture Pages

Use a simple email opt-in to capture leads before redirecting. Builds long-term assets.

4. Flipping for Profit

Domains with traffic are valuable. Resell them on Flippa, Sedo, or to private buyers.

5. Authority Mini-Sites

Turn the expired domain into a small niche site monetized with ads and offers.

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The SEO Angle

Abandoned links don’t just send traffic — they also often carry backlinks.

That means:

• Direct traffic from live videos or blogs.

• SEO juice from old inbound links.

  You can:

• Build on the domain.

• Redirect it to your money site.

• Leverage its backlink profile.

  It’s traffic and authority rolled into one.

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  Step-By-Step Guide: Getting Free Traffic From Abandoned Links

  Here’s your practical blueprint:

  1. Pick a Niche

Focus on areas with strong affiliate monetization (crypto, health, finance, software).

2. Find Abandoned Links - Manually: search YouTube, blogs, and forums. - Automatically: use Clicky Leaks for daily leads.

3. Check Availability Use a registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy) to confirm.

4. Register Immediately Good domains get snatched fast. Don’t hesitate.

5. Monetize the Traffic - Redirect. - Build a landing page. - Capture leads.

6. Track Results Use analytics to see which domains deliver the best ROI.

7. Scale Up Repeat the process across multiple niches.

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Scaling the Strategy

The real power comes in scale. One domain is nice, but ten domains across different niches can create:

• Multiple traffic streams.

• Passive leads flowing daily.

• Steady affiliate commissions.

  Imagine owning 20 domains, each pulling 50–100 visitors a month. That’s 1,000–2,000 visitors you didn’t pay for.

  And that’s just the beginning.

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  The Future of Abandoned Link Traffic

  This strategy isn’t going away. If anything, it’s growing:

• More YouTube videos published every day.

• More blogs being abandoned.

• More links breaking over time.

  Each one creates an opportunity.

  Affiliate marketing is all about finding edges — and abandoned link traffic is an edge few people are exploiting.

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  Final Thoughts

  If you’re tired of burning cash on ads or competing in crowded SEO battles, this is your chance to tap into an overlooked traffic source.

  Abandoned links are everywhere. You just need to know where to look — and how to act fast.

  And with Clicky Leaks, you don’t have to hunt manually. The abandoned links with traffic are delivered straight to you.

  So the next time someone tells you “free traffic is dead,” you’ll know better. Free traffic is alive — it’s just hiding in abandoned links.