\n<\/p>\n
I asked 11 affiliate marketers for their top affiliate marketing tips in\u00a02024.<\/p>\n
Here are the tips they shared and how to do\u00a0them.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nTrack out-of-stock products and update their affiliate links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nKeep a tight inventory of your affiliate links to ensure they\u2019re working, and replace them when products go out of stock. This is like running a real retail store\u2014you wouldn\u2019t let your shelves go empty without noticing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nDon\u2019t try to do this manually. Use a WordPress plugin to automate it.<\/p>\n\n\nI use Lasso (an affiliate plugin I helped develop) and Genius Link to track\u00a0links.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nNeither of these are expensive. Genius Link starts at $6 per month for up to 2,000 affiliate clicks with extra clicks costing just $2.50 per 1,000. Lasso starts from just $8 per month (annual pricing).<\/p>\nRecouping this investment is easy if your site gets, well, pretty much any traffic whatsoever.<\/p>\nFor example, this list of the best dehumidifiers gets an estimated 4,400 monthly search visits according to Ahrefs SEO Toolbar<\/a> and recommends an out-of-stock product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nSince the site owner earns $10-$15 per sale, recovering just one commission would make using the plugin worthwhile.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild trust by recommending the best products, not just the ones with the highest commissions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAlways prioritize products you trust over those with the highest commissions. This builds long-term trust with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019m afraid I have bad news for those looking to make an easy buck because you need to actually test products for real. There\u2019s no other way to know if they\u2019re worth recommending.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s an anecdote from Matt showing just how powerful building this trust can\u00a0be:<\/p>\n\n\nWhen I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nDid you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\nKeep a tight inventory of your affiliate links to ensure they\u2019re working, and replace them when products go out of stock. This is like running a real retail store\u2014you wouldn\u2019t let your shelves go empty without noticing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nDon\u2019t try to do this manually. Use a WordPress plugin to automate it.<\/p>\n\n\nI use Lasso (an affiliate plugin I helped develop) and Genius Link to track\u00a0links.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nNeither of these are expensive. Genius Link starts at $6 per month for up to 2,000 affiliate clicks with extra clicks costing just $2.50 per 1,000. Lasso starts from just $8 per month (annual pricing).<\/p>\nRecouping this investment is easy if your site gets, well, pretty much any traffic whatsoever.<\/p>\nFor example, this list of the best dehumidifiers gets an estimated 4,400 monthly search visits according to Ahrefs SEO Toolbar<\/a> and recommends an out-of-stock product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nSince the site owner earns $10-$15 per sale, recovering just one commission would make using the plugin worthwhile.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild trust by recommending the best products, not just the ones with the highest commissions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAlways prioritize products you trust over those with the highest commissions. This builds long-term trust with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019m afraid I have bad news for those looking to make an easy buck because you need to actually test products for real. There\u2019s no other way to know if they\u2019re worth recommending.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s an anecdote from Matt showing just how powerful building this trust can\u00a0be:<\/p>\n\n\nWhen I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nDid you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Keep a tight inventory of your affiliate links to ensure they\u2019re working, and replace them when products go out of stock. This is like running a real retail store\u2014you wouldn\u2019t let your shelves go empty without noticing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Don\u2019t try to do this manually. Use a WordPress plugin to automate it.<\/p>\n
\n\nI use Lasso (an affiliate plugin I helped develop) and Genius Link to track\u00a0links.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nNeither of these are expensive. Genius Link starts at $6 per month for up to 2,000 affiliate clicks with extra clicks costing just $2.50 per 1,000. Lasso starts from just $8 per month (annual pricing).<\/p>\nRecouping this investment is easy if your site gets, well, pretty much any traffic whatsoever.<\/p>\nFor example, this list of the best dehumidifiers gets an estimated 4,400 monthly search visits according to Ahrefs SEO Toolbar<\/a> and recommends an out-of-stock product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nSince the site owner earns $10-$15 per sale, recovering just one commission would make using the plugin worthwhile.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild trust by recommending the best products, not just the ones with the highest commissions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAlways prioritize products you trust over those with the highest commissions. This builds long-term trust with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019m afraid I have bad news for those looking to make an easy buck because you need to actually test products for real. There\u2019s no other way to know if they\u2019re worth recommending.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s an anecdote from Matt showing just how powerful building this trust can\u00a0be:<\/p>\n\n\nWhen I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nDid you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
I use Lasso (an affiliate plugin I helped develop) and Genius Link to track\u00a0links.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Neither of these are expensive. Genius Link starts at $6 per month for up to 2,000 affiliate clicks with extra clicks costing just $2.50 per 1,000. Lasso starts from just $8 per month (annual pricing).<\/p>\n
Recouping this investment is easy if your site gets, well, pretty much any traffic whatsoever.<\/p>\n
For example, this list of the best dehumidifiers gets an estimated 4,400 monthly search visits according to Ahrefs SEO Toolbar<\/a> and recommends an out-of-stock product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nSince the site owner earns $10-$15 per sale, recovering just one commission would make using the plugin worthwhile.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild trust by recommending the best products, not just the ones with the highest commissions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAlways prioritize products you trust over those with the highest commissions. This builds long-term trust with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019m afraid I have bad news for those looking to make an easy buck because you need to actually test products for real. There\u2019s no other way to know if they\u2019re worth recommending.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s an anecdote from Matt showing just how powerful building this trust can\u00a0be:<\/p>\n\n\nWhen I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nDid you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Since the site owner earns $10-$15 per sale, recovering just one commission would make using the plugin worthwhile.<\/p>\n
\n\nAlways prioritize products you trust over those with the highest commissions. This builds long-term trust with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019m afraid I have bad news for those looking to make an easy buck because you need to actually test products for real. There\u2019s no other way to know if they\u2019re worth recommending.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s an anecdote from Matt showing just how powerful building this trust can\u00a0be:<\/p>\n\n\nWhen I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nDid you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Always prioritize products you trust over those with the highest commissions. This builds long-term trust with your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I\u2019m afraid I have bad news for those looking to make an easy buck because you need to actually test products for real. There\u2019s no other way to know if they\u2019re worth recommending.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an anecdote from Matt showing just how powerful building this trust can\u00a0be:<\/p>\n
\n\nWhen I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nDid you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
When I was shopping for a litter box for my cat, I bought a $400 fancy one. My wife thought it was insane. So I decided to do some research and found Wirecutter recommended a $30 black plastic tub. They gave all the reasons why it was better than a fancy one. And it was the best and cheapest purchase I\u2019ve ever made. I now skip Google and go straight to Wirecutter whenever I want to buy something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Did you catch that? Matt now bypasses Google and goes straight to Wirecutter <\/strong>because they prioritize practicality and simplicity over commissions\u2014unlike most affiliate sites.<\/p>\nEven if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Even if a small fraction of their millions of monthly visitors are like Matt, they\u2019ve likely earned thousands in commissions from people who trust them over Google\u2019s top results.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nNegotiate better rates with affiliate managers<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\nEverything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Everything is negotiatable in affiliate marketing. However much a vendor is paying, they always have room to increase their\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nMy number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nPut in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
My number 1 tip is to simply ask for more money, wherever you have leverage to do\u00a0so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Put in the work to build genuine relationships with affiliate managers.<\/p>\n
\n\nMy number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nIf this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
My number one tip for affiliate marketers is to pick up the phone and build relationships with the affiliate managers of the brand you promote. Or even better, meet them in real life if you\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
If this kind of networking sounds like your worst nightmare, try partnering with someone more extroverted who has sales experience.<\/p>\n
\n\nAre you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nJamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\nFor example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Are you an introvert who would rather die than pick up the phone? Then hire someone with sales skills to help on a revenue share basis. Your business can really snowball when increasing commissions is someone\u2019s main\u00a0focus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Jamie\u2019s point about leverage is also important. If you can show affiliate managers how much your site is growing or how much traffic you\u2019re sending to their competitors, they\u2019ll be more inclined to want a good relationship with\u00a0you.<\/p>\n
For example, I recall Pat Flynn used to consistently recommend Bluehost back in 2013-2016. Given that his site consistently attracted 70K+ monthly search visits back then, I\u2019d imagine the folks at Bluehost were pretty keen to maintain a strong relationship with\u00a0him.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nBuild product comparison hubs with internal links<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\nAs an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nJames explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
As an affiliate marketer running a portfolio of websites, the most powerful, but often overlooked strategy is internal linking. It\u2019s about connecting your website\u2019s pages in a smart way. Especially for affiliate pages, which are notoriously hard to build links for gaining external relevance and\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
James explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n
\n\nStart with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Start with a pillar post. This is your cornerstone content\u2014a comprehensive \u201cBest X\u201d article that covers a broad topic in depth. From there, create smaller, targeted posts. These \u2018smaller\u2019 posts, often referred to as \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles, should strategically link back to your pillar post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
For example, if you\u2019re in the mattress niche, you might have a pillar post targeting \u201cbest mattress\u201d surrounded by smaller, targeted posts like \u201cbest mattress for back pain\u201d or \u201cbest mattress for side sleepers.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not sure what keywords to target for smaller posts, plug your pillar page keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>, go to the Matching terms<\/strong> report, cluster by Parent Topic, then look for\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
James also notes that you can simply audit your existing content and create comparison hubs retrospectively.<\/p>\n
\n\nAudit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nReverse-engineer affiliate links to find proven content ideas and products to promote<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Audit your content. Identify your pillar posts and start linking them with relevant \u201cBest X for Y\u201d articles. Align everything with search intent. This simple strategy can set you apart in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nReverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nFind a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Reverse engineering is the best strategy in affiliate marketing. It helps you base your content and tactics on proven success. My favorite (and often overlooked) method is reverse affiliate linking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Find a competing website in your niche, plug it into Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>, then go to the Outgoing links<\/strong> report. This shows you all the pages the website is linking to.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNext, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n\nAmazon:<\/strong> amzn.to<\/li>\nAwin:<\/strong> awin1.com, tidd.ly<\/li>\nPepperjam:<\/strong> pjatr.com<\/li>\nCommission Factory:<\/strong> cfjump.com<\/li>\nShareASale:<\/strong> shrsl.com<\/li>\nFlexOffers: <\/strong>clkmg.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n\nSidenote.<\/p>\n Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\nNot only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Next, filter for links to shortened domains commonly used by affiliate networks.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a quick list to get you started:<\/p>\n
Sidenote.<\/p>\n
Make sure to toggle \u201cAny rule\u201d when doing\u00a0this.<\/p><\/div>\n
Not only will this reveal all the products and stores the site is promoting\u2026<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\nFor example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\u2026 but it will also reveal low-hanging affiliate opportunities.<\/p>\n
For example, this sustainable living site gets an estimated 2.5K monthly organic visits to a product review. As the page only has links from two referring domains, it should be pretty easy to compete with.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nJames also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
James also uses this method to find content ideas to promote specific products<\/strong>. He does this by plugging a specific product\u2019s affiliate link into Ahrefs then seeing who links to\u00a0it.<\/p>\nFor example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
For example, I recently bought an indoor herb garden from a company with an affiliate program. Their affiliate links have this footprint: clickandgrow.com\/?sca_ref=. If I plug this into Site Explorer<\/a> and go to the Backlinks<\/strong> report, I see over 19K pages promoting this product:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
If I then filter for pages with few referring domains on relatively low DR sites, I can find some low-hanging fruit affiliate content ideas. For example, this beginner\u2019s guide to apartment gardening lives on a low DR site, has few backlinks, and gets an estimated 146 monthly visits:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDon\u2019t rely 100% on SEO; diversify your traffic sources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\nIt\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nI\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear that Google currently has a declaration of war against the content website model. This was marked by industry-wide losses in traffic in the September 2023 HCU update resulting in penalties that were never lifted by the content sites that were affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I\u2019d start by building an email list, and many affiliate marketers I asked\u00a0agree.<\/p>\n
\n\nFocus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Focus on retaining your audience by collecting email addresses and consistently engaging them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nDon\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nMatt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Don\u2019t just think like an affiliate, think about the user and focus on delivering what they need, don\u2019t be scared to grab details, come up with some type of magnet to grab email addresses as this will increase the website value if you wish to sell down the\u00a0line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Matt does this effectively on Swim University by offering a free pool care cheat sheet in every\u00a0post.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nAccording to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\nFor example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
According to his homepage, this has helped him to build a list of 175K email subscribers\u2014people who he can market offers to anytime he\u00a0likes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also seen people having huge success driving traffic from platforms like TikTok and Instagram\u2026<\/p>\n
For example, Sammie Ellard-King<\/a> has built a following of over 150K on Instagram for his personal finance brand, Up the Gains<\/a>. He uses engaging video content to drive followers to his free \u201cmoney personality\u201d quiz in his bio, which then recommends the best content (some of which promotes affiliate products) for each person.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDemonstrate a product\u2019s value before pushing coupons and bonuses<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\nI\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
I\u2019d say my tip for affiliate marketers is to not burn all your bullets right off the bat but actually make promotion tools feel special.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
If you\u2019re promoting offers via email, it\u2019s all about tracking and follow-ups:<\/p>\n
\n\nPromote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Promote your offer at full price via email, then track those who clicked the link and opened the email and promote the bonus\/discount in a follow-up email (allowing me to promote twice, not just\u00a0once).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This is easy to do in most email marketing software. For example, you can create a simple automation rule in ConvertKit that subscribes a user to an email sequence when they click a specific link:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
If you\u2019re promoting offers on your site, Gael suggests using exit pop-ups:<\/p>\n
\n\nOn a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nYou can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
On a web page, that would be promoting the full price\/no bonus version in the main copy of the page and adding the bonus on an exit pop up, maybe with a timer, again to emphasize that this promo is special \/ limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
You can even go a step further and add genuine scarcity to your offers with a plugin like Thrive Ultimatum<\/a> that lets you create individual time-sensitive offers. For example, you could give anyone who clicks your link 24 hours to use the discount or claim the\u00a0bonus.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nRank guest posts to boost commissions and\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\nRanking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nA great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\nFor example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Ranking your guest posts helps you dominate page one for key terms and boosts your relevance and authority, ticking crucial EEAT signals (and yes EEAT is more than just on-page, from our\u00a0tests).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A great way to start is by offering to refresh posts with declining search traffic where linking to affiliate content or products would feel natural.<\/p>\n
For example, if you\u2019re an affiliate for an indoor garden product, it would make perfect sense to update this guide<\/a> on growing lettuce\u2014especially since its search traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n\nSearch for an industry term (e.g., \u201cgardening\u201d) in Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\nFilter out posts from big sites by setting the DR filter to max\u00a070<\/li>\nFilter for pages with search traffic (e.g., 100+ monthly visits)<\/li>\nExclude homepages and subdomains<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/figure>\nFrom there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to find posts that fit the\u00a0bill:<\/p>\n
From there, look for posts that make sense to refresh where traffic is declining:<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nNote that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\nDrive people to your site with digital PR, then promote affiliate offers to\u00a0them<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
Note that even if the site owner agrees to an update, they may not be comfortable with you including affiliate links in the post itself. If that happens, link to affiliate content (such as a product review) on your site instead. This should help to boost its rankings and traffic.<\/p>\n
\n\nI can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nHow to do\u00a0it<\/h3>\nSacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
I can\u2019t believe more people aren\u2019t using digital PR to build powerful links and drive hundreds of thousands of clicks to affiliate pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sacha explains it\u00a0best:<\/p>\n
\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/p>\n\nThink of a newsworthy idea (with an affiliate angle)<\/li>\nBuild a dedicated landing page for\u00a0it<\/li>\nPitch the idea to relevant journalists<\/li>\nIntegrate a related affiliate offer into your content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nFor example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
In a nutshell:<\/p>\n
For example, last year Sacha launched Nahbucks!<\/a>, a microsite showcasing independent coffee shops on an interactive map.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\nThe site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
The site got featured in several publications including Business Insider, Yahoo, and more. This led to a huge spike in referral traffic, which is when Sacha took the opportunity to promote an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n
\n\nI deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nOf course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n
I deployed a subtle exit intent popup promoting a coffee subscription program. This campaign alone earned several thousand dollars in affiliate commissions within days of going\u00a0live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Of course, coming up with and creating a newsworthy idea is the hardest part. If you\u2019re struggling with that, check out the examples in my list of link building strategies. There are some real inspiring campaigns that should help get your creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n
![\"Our](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/our-affiliate-marketing-experts.jpg?resize=1626%2C2048&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n