You need to have different types of domains for different use cases. I like to buy domains when I come across the them. I buy for a rainy day or for an idea I had when food shopping. They stack up and I suggest reviewing your domains once a year to cull the ones you don’t use.
Types of Domains:
EMD Exact Match Domain
Branded Domain
Expired Domain
Dropped Domain
Alt TLD like the .gg .xyz. io.ai
Domain Tools, Registrars, Tips for Finding Names
It’s very important that you choose the right name for your business. This is because your business’s name will lead customers to your business. You’ll also learn what a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is and what your USP options are.
Important factors to consider when choosing a domain name:
1) Use your main keyword in your domain name. If your niche topic is rose gardening, you want to get the words “rose gardening” into the domain name.
2) Don’t cut corners. Register extensions other than .com.
3) Make your domain name as short as possible. Long domain names are hard for people to remember.
4) Avoid using dashes in your domain name. If the name www.cheapbluray.com isn’t available and you buy www.cheap-bluray.com, you’ll likely be paying for advertising to send YOUR customers to the guy that has the domain name without the dash.
5) If you find a good domain name, buy it, and also buy the dashed version simply to keep someone else from getting it.
6) When you’re choosing a domain name, be sure to print it out exactly like it will be used in the address bar and see whether any double meaning can be attached to it.
Other factors to consider that can make your domain name memorable:
It should suggest the nature of your product or service.
It should serve as a strong trademark. This prevents competitors from using your business name or buying a domain name similar to it in order to steal customers.
It must be free of legal conflicts with trademarks belonging to other businesses.
Great Tools for Helping you Pick a Domain Name
Google Adwords Tool – https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal – The Google Adwords Tool will help you see which keywords are getting searches. Take the strongest performing keyword in your niche and put it in your domain name! Can’t buy the one word your looking for? Switch to phrase matching and see if you can find a short phrase that isn’t taken.
DomainsBot – http://www.domainsbot.com – Allows you to see the availability of all the extensions, all in one search.
Registrars
There are many places to register your domain name. Here is a list of just a few of them!
If you are not sure what type you need it pays off to review your competitors and a Google search to see what else is floating around in your niche. The domain is a big part of your online success.
What is it? Well it’s exactly what it sounds like.
You’re going to rank for somebody’s product before it launches and “jack” their launch. I actually don’t like the term “jacking” or “jack” because it makes it sounds like we’re doing something wrong. But trust me the product creators love and encourage us doing this. (As long as you’re not giving their product shit which is frowned upon.. I mean unless it’s a complete scam)
FINALLY THE METHOD GUARANTEED TO MAKE SOME CASH
So what I like to do is go look for Clickbank products that are about to be released using a few websites that people use to announce their launches (You’ll find them listed below)
I’ll find ones that I think are good and will sell really well. You’re going to want one that you think a lot of people are going to be interested in because if nobody is interested in it well nobody is going to Google it and you’re not going to make any sales. (I stick to business/internet marketing niches)
The reason we want products that aren’t released yet is because nobody else is doing SEO for these terms yet which means… You’ll get #1 EASY I mean that’s what it’s all about minimal work and major returns.
Then you’ll want to build either a page or website around the product.
You’ll be targeting two keywords that should look like this “product name” and of course “product name review” . Depending on how Googles mood is at the time of the launch the domain matters. You can get exact matching domain names to product launches or you can get relevant domains to use when targeting the launch. Just know what Googles doing with domain names and keywords at the time you build this out.
Information! Don’t be scared to contact product creators and ask them for a review copy or anything can help you. A review copy will help you weed out the crap and see if it’s something you truly want to promote. 99% of the time they’ll be happy having you promoting their product and will help in any way they can.
Here is a list of websites you can use to find upcoming Clickbank Launches
http://www.cb-analytics.com/new-products.php
http://www.jvnewswatch.net/
http://jvlaunchcalendar.com/
http://jv.affiliatex.com/
http://www.clickbanklaunchforum.com
Attention! I bookmark the product launch calendars and any aggregator sites that show me when these products launch so I can come back regularly and scout opportunity for launch jacking. Organisation in this method will add extra $$ to your commission payouts.
Really we boil down launch jacking to having really good SEO so that you rank high for the product terms before the actual product release date. This comes down to having really juiced up web pages and some authority in Google’s eyes already so you are on Google page 1 for any search terms and keywords associated to the product.
To start you can not get anywhere without a website. You need a website, in most cases it doesn’t have to use keywords that the product would use. That tactic might work depending on the time you apply it/ Google is one temper-mental beast if you get it wrong.
There are methods where you can use other websites to promote the offers but these require some more SEO knowledge up front.
So first off comes the on page SEO
On Page SEO For Affiliate Websites
Meta Tags
Alright so I set the Meta Title to “Far From It Review” even though the keyword I’m targeting is “Far From It” I did this just because it’s got Far From It in it still and I thought it would look extremely fishy if I used only Far From It and then I included my brand name in the title as well so it looked like this “Far From It Review – Money Mindset”
Now for the meta description I just put a nice little description in there and included the words “far from it” twice within the description. I like to include my main keyword twice ALWAYS in the meta description now I could have also done “far from it” once and “far from it review” once that would have worked as well.
So in short
“Far From It Review” Meta Title + My Brand Name (Money Mindset)
“Far From It” twice in the meta description
Alt Tags
I included two images on the page both of which I utilized the Alt Tags. This is an SEO must so hope all you aspiring internet marketers are using it. For the image at the top of the page the Alt Tag I used was “Far From It” and the one I used towards the bottom of the page was “Far From It Review”
Two images both with alt tags, one read “Far From It” the other “Far From It Review”
Keyword Density
In the article you shouldn’t focus on keyword density AT ALL. In my example I wrote the article just for what I thought would convert best not once should you consider “Keyword Density” you need to focus on conversions. But for the sake of statistics I used the term “Far From It” 3 times in 500 words so the density was .6% I bet your articles is still using the standard 3%
Never focus on keyword density
In the end my keyword density was .6%
H1, H2, H3, Bold and Italic
Again you should feel the same way about using Heading tags and bolding your keywords. Over optimization is a real thing and you never want to fall prey to it. Don’t focus on bolding your keywords unless it fits the article. Don’t use heading tags unless it’s in your title or the title of a new paragraph. Just use them where they fit! Make your articles for the reader not for what you think will rank best because chances are that won’t rank best. In my article I used the H1 tag once and didn’t use any other headings. I didn’t use Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or underline once in my article.
Never over focus on these things one H1 tag is enough
I used one H1 tag and no other heading tags the keyword was “Far From It”
I didn’t bold, Italicize, underline any of my keywords.
Affiliate Links
This time I actually did things a little differently because usually you’ll use hyperlinks within the text but for some reason I decided to only use my images as affiliate links (though one of the images is just big text that reads “Get It Here” in large blue text) So I have three affiliate links all together. One of them is in the top left of the article (The Hotspot) which is the headshot of the two authors of the book. The second is actually embedded within a video review which is on the page (I Used Simple Video Pro WordPress plugin to do this) then the last affiliate link is the one I explained above “get it here” at the bottom of the article in large blue text.
Three affiliate links on the page
Two of them are IMG links
One of them is embedded in the video review
Text links are still great I just chose not to use them because I thought they might have made it a little bit more difficult to rank and the original purpose was to win the competition.
Off Page SEO
Preparing your website is 70-80% of the work. There is still something else required when launch jacking, big powered up juicy backlinks from other domains. These help tell Google that your web pages mean something. It’s like a show of trust from other domains to yours.
I look at it 2 ways when building these links:
First: I need social trusted links
Second: I need a mix of backlinks from other websites, press, media, images, video sites and social sites
Method 1: My Social Shield of safe backlinks that I can control and point to parts of my website as I please. This is me building profiles, comments, sharing and writing content to links to something I want to rank. I control these and can switch them at any time. This is very manual I usually pay a link builder to do this.
Method 2: External backlinks from websites, editors, mentions, press or paid for link exchanges or guest posting articles on other blogs. Ill do as many guest posts and paid link exchanges as I can before launch date. Ill also look at hiring a link building to write about me site and product promotion to send me traffic and authority signals that Google can see, and in turn reward me with higher rankings.
It takes me usually (Google owns the rank leaderboard) around 8-18 days to get some rankings that I can start to monitor and push as I get more content and backlinks working. Sometimes they rank in 8 days or so but most take 2-3 weeks to move.
You wont start day 8 on Google page 1 that will happen but you need to be persistent with the work prior to the launch. If you put in that work it will move the needle, your first couple of attempts you will learn a lot about how Google behaves.
What Results can you expect?
Before anyone can answer that there are some variables that are at play. Launch weeks are usually the big money earners and then your sales should trickle in as you get to 2 weeks onwards.
How much commission does your chosen product pay up front?
How much commission is paid if theres a funnel being used? This means you could make 2-5 times more from 1 paying referral.
Where in Google do you rank for the main keywords? How much traffic does it drive you?
What other keyword rankings do you have and what traffic do they bring in?
When you can answer these you can look at it this way to find your answer.
I get xx traffic from the main keywords
I get xx commission for someone buying the front end product
I get xx commission for any other sales during the sales funnel for that customer
Typically you should calculate conversions as 5% of your total web traffic for the first purchase
Then if theres a funnel its 5% of the previous 5% number that may convert again.
Thats your answer
Launch Jacking Niche Sites Lifespan
Most launch jacking sites will churn and burn out. They are all ranked and converting during launch month and then slowly die off as the affiliate moves onto another product launch or affiliate product.
Some launch jack websites will stay ranked for a period of time ongoing after the product launch, as long as that sales page is still active you should leave your sites active just ticking over. They can make you money months and years after the product release. Just schedule a 6 month review of the website so that it gets some TLC and can continue to rank and bank.
Expenses of Building a Launch Jacking Affiliate Website
This can vary but depending on how aggressive you want to go.
If you are doing your first launch jacking campaign you may want to have a website and a landing page set up. Id say you have no sales funnel software at your disposal so you are doing manually. If you want to try sales funnel softwares try these recommendations: GoHigh Level and Click Funnels.
Manually:
Buying a domain $9-18
Buying web hosting $4-20 per month
Time to build and theme your website will be your own time or a contractor for $$$
Content for your website you can use a contractor for $40-80 per article or ChatGPT for free
You will need social links that you can build with time or use a Fiverr or Upwork link builder for $20
You will need external links ranging from $40-1000 depending on how hard and powerful you go. These links could scale up depending how fast you want to rank. Some links sell for $2k+
Advertising budget if you want to run paid advertising to the landing pages – $100-10,000
You could get started for as little as $300 or as much as you have at your disposal.
Some experienced affiliates go hard with a 5-20 niche sites all targeting the product. This is aggressive and usually the more experienced affiliates who have systems and teams do this method. This is a bit more expensive hence the seasoned affiliates taking this road.
They spend it knowing they will make back 2x at least.
IT SCALES SO DAMN EASY anyone can do it and it MAKES so much money if you scale it.
Do yourself a favor go out and try this for yourself see how easy it is. You’re going to make money and you’ll get addicted to how EASY this truly is no need to over complicate it!
The only thing holding you back is you not taking action. If you pay attention, monitor where the money intelligence is and take action you can get a slice of the new product pie. Rank web pages before products get released in a nutshell thats as simple as it gets.
In the ever-evolving landscape of affiliate marketing, the key to triumph lies not only in your own strategies but in the insights gleaned from your rivals. Welcome to the realm of competitive affiliate research, a dynamic and powerful approach that unveils the hidden strategies, untapped opportunities, and potential pitfalls within your niche.
Just as ancient explorers navigated uncharted waters to discover new lands, affiliate marketers today embark on a thrilling journey of discovery, delving deep into the tactics, trends, and triumphs of their competitors. Join me as we chart a course through this captivating world, revealing the compass that guides your path to unparalleled success in the affiliate marketing arena.
Was this too much of an intro? 🙂 if you cant tell I’m excited to share my strategies for competitor research for affiliate markets. Competitive research is a crucial aspect of affiliate marketing that can help you gain a competitive edge and make informed decisions.
As we delve into the nuances of competitive market research for affiliates, prepare to equip yourself with a comprehensive toolkit for success.
My competitor research stack
Google Sheets (Free)
Google Search (Free)
Ahrefs SEO tool (Free trial or paid accounts)
Similar Web (Free trial or paid account)
WayBack Machine (Free)
SimilarMail monitors domain email newsletters
Depending on the task at hand I usually have a web browser profile for different use cases loaded up with important bookmarks, browser extensions and presets so I can use laser focus to learn the dirty little secrets about my competitors websites and web traffic.
Affiliate Marketing broswer profile
Ecommerce & Dropship broswer profile
SEO and Paid Advertising browser profile
Each browser profile should have some key bookmarks of places and tools that you are monitoring and using. Maybe you also assign a different gmail identity to each browser profile for real segmented monitoring of these competitors.
Things That I look for in competitor websites
Web traffic and demographics
Placement of products
Linked products and networks used
Product pricing and review count
Marketing tactics like Google Ads, Facebook Ads etc and SEO
Do they use marketing pixels, tag managers and other code snippets
Any hidden subdomains
One of the most powerful command for Google search is site:competitordomain.com *use their actual domain without the https:// parts or www. This will reveal all indexed pages and show some often forgotten pages where you might see a bit more than they want you to.
Take it a step further and use site:*competitordomain.com to show any subdomains or landing pages they could be using for paid advertising campaigns. See below where the popular ClickFunnels software has several subdomains in use that you can not navigate to, this shows you more than they want you to see.
Discover how to decipher your competitors’ conversion strategies, unveil the nuances of their content creation, and strategically position your brand for maximum impact.
Here are the key topics to focus on when conducting affiliate marketing competitive research:
The importance of competitive analysis for affiliate marketers.
How competitive research influences your strategy and tactics.
When we do competitive research on affiliate niche sites we want to be looking for tell tale signs that the niche site is successful. We want to know that this affiliate blog belongs on our competitor shortlist. If its just a rinky dink blog with less than 1,000 monthly web visits we dont bother monitoring it.
What you learn you can use to adjust your strategy and avoid targeting niches that are too small or just do not convert. Watching successful affiliates in action will help you see what they do, what they say, how they present the offers and how they close the sale. Never sleep on successful competitors.
2. Identifying Your Competitors:
Identifying direct competitors in your niche.
Analyzing both established and emerging competitors.
Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each competitor.
You have to know who is a competitor and who is a bottom feeder. There are people who are successful and theres people who are not. Spend time assessing the successful people. You can find them by following this guide on affiliate market competitor research.
Keep tabs on the big players in your niche and any new up and comers. They may teach you new strategies and ways to promote the offers. Don’t hate on TikTok its worth a look, new tech and AI will help evolve your affiliate game to new levels.
3. Analyzing Affiliate Programs and Offers:
Researching the affiliate programs your competitors are promoting.
Understanding the commission structures and payment methods.
Evaluating the attractiveness of their affiliate offers.
Every affiliate niche blog guru will point you towards the Amazon Associate/Affiliate network as a starting point. But truth is you should avoid that steaming pile of monkey poop and unsubscribe from that guru asap. Look for more reputable networks.
Instead look at networks like JVZoo, Share A Sale, CJ (Commission Junction) and Max Affiliate. Theres plenty more but I spend time here with positive results. Get familiar with the payment rates, dates and any nuances about each program to stay compliant. I bookmark these and organise everything in a Google sheet with my affiliate links and all related details. Thats a good starting point
4. Studying Affiliate Marketing Strategies:
Invesring your competitors’ content marketing approaches.
Analyzing their use of email marketing, social media, and paid advertising.
Identifying the keywords and niches they target.
5. Evaluating Affiliate Websites and Landing Pages:
Reviewing the design and user experience of competitors’ websites.
Analyzing their landing page elements, such as headlines, call-to-action buttons, and testimonials.
Assessing the quality and relevance of their content.
If a niche site pops up on my radar and at first glance its structured well and has good content and CTAs Ill usually crawl it (using Screaming Frog SEO software) to understand the structure and linking patterns. Ill also take a look at the traffic and estimations on revenue.
Assess how the website is presented, words, headings, button text, colours and links. You can reuse their placement and wording if you have product offers that are not converting well. The benefit of monitoring others is that you can test and learn fast, they may be using conversion strategies and you can see them play out in the space of a week.
It’s also worth understanding if they use their website or a landing page strategy. Some promotions are best place on landing pages and with conversion funnels to help get that sale.
Mapping out the customer journey on your competitors’ websites.
Analyzing their conversion funnels and sales processes.
Identifying potential areas for improvement or optimization.
7. Understanding Audience Engagement:
Monitoring your competitors’ social media engagement.
Analyzing their audience interactions, comments, and shares.
Identifying the types of content that resonate with their audience.
8. Exploring Affiliate Product Reviews and Recommendations:
Examining the products or services your competitors are reviewing or recommending.
Analyzing the tone, format, and depth of their reviews.
Identifying gaps in their coverage that you could address.
9. Using Competitive Insights to
Incorporating learnings from competitive research into your own affiliate marketing strategy.
Identifying opportunities to differentiate yourself from competitors.
Implementing improvements and optimizations based on your analysis.
10. Staying Ethical and Authentic:
Avoiding unethical practices such as copying content or mimicking strategies directly.
Using competitive insights as inspiration for your unique approach.
Prioritizing authenticity and adding value to your audience.
When you set out its your mission usually, to provide the voice of reason in the affiliate space, never promoting scammers or bad quality products. And you can stick to that for a while but its very easy to assess products by their payout figures and ignore the rest. Stay true to you and keep your ethics and values. Highlight them in your product reviews and niche sites. Its refreshing to see people with values.
Some successful affiliate have used their stern beliefs and values to carve out a niche of followers that align with them and they use that to promote to some levels of success. Don’t sell out for the mighty $, stick to your beliefs.
I like buying products that I review. I enjoy taking my hobby a step further and helping others find solutions for their problems. I don’t mind getting paid to do that but I really at the end of the day just want a high quality product for a reasonable price.
11. Leveraging Tools and Resources:
Exploring competitive research tools for affiliate marketers.
Utilizing keyword research tools to uncover competitor strategies.
Gathering data and insights from affiliate networks and forums
Bookmark interesting sites, people who are in similar topics as your market, and any cool creative or copywriting that you come across. Save it to your own mood board or swipe file of things that stopped your scroll on social media, online or in the real world. Secret sauce right now is I look at catalogues and bus signs for copywriting inspiration. You can too, the brands spend millions making ads why cant you leverage that tried and tested formula.
This 5 day lead challenge by ClickFunnels team is one of their most successful campaigns. They have x6 different creative banner designs and styles for this. The one below was one of the winners that they went on to scale spending millions on Google and Facebook ads. It’s worth analysing what they said, what they did, and what they presented to get the clicks that they did.
12. Continuously Evolving and Adapting:
Recognizing that the affiliate marketing landscape is dynamic.
Regularly revisiting your competitive research to stay updated.
Adapting your strategy based on changing competitor behaviors and market trends.
13. Ethical Considerations and Best Practices:
Respecting the intellectual property and copyrights of competitors.
Avoiding unethical tactics and focusing on ethical competitive analysis.
Complying with legal and industry regulations in your research.
By delving into these key topics, you’ll be equipped to perform comprehensive and effective competitive research in the realm of affiliate marketing. This knowledge will guide your decision-making, optimization efforts, and strategy refinement, ultimately leading to a more successful and impactful affiliate marketing journey.
Market Research: A Guide
At its core, competitive market research is about peering beyond the surface and into the heart of your niche’s dynamics. It involves meticulously analyzing the playing field – from the affiliate programs your rivals endorse to the keywords they target and the platforms they dominate. This exploration provides a panoramic view of what’s working, what’s not, and, most importantly, the whitespace you can capitalize on.
Keyword Competitive Analysis
Keyword competitive analysis is critical if you want to earn money with SEO. If you want your website to rank highly for the top competitive search terms, you need to use every resource available to you. Keyword competitive analysis is an important step that needs to be addressed early on if you want to avoid missing out on future opportunities.
First, you need to decide what industry you are working in. These are the topics that your customers or clients will type into the search engines. Where you are working in is important to your keyword promotional strategy. The seller of anchor square widgets can sell the top ranking engine optimization company a dozen of handcrafted ranking powerhouses in their industry. What you are trying to do is find where a keyword based SEO opportunity can be realized in the competitive domains.
For example, Suits is a fairly vague keyword phrase. There are plenty of competitors for that word already. In contrast, maybe Suits for people who like to shop around for the best offers is a highly targeted opportunity. Now lets look at the other group of keywords, like nuggets. Now fill in the other round of the criteria checklist. Which of the keywords is an industry specific term for nuggets?
Are each of the words in the keyword phrase formed into a sentence? Is the phrase in any way rhyming or overlapping?
Now start looking at the sites and pages indexed by the major search engines. If you arent already there, which keywords would you expect to be found there? Is it the general term for your business in your industry? Does the landing page of the organic result for the specific keyword phrase describe the URL in any way? If the site does not meet the keywords for which you are optimizing, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Include the URL in a Google ad word and you might be on your way to converting a visitor into a paying customer.
Once you have the keywords, its time to start analyzing the rankings of the major search engines. Keyword competitive analysis is a thorough process that requires onsite and offsite optimization. You need to consider any necessary changes for the visible content and structures of the site. Youll need to create the content for the tags you need, write the page descriptions, evaluate what target keywords are being used quickest in the search engines, and find creative ways to pass these competitive pages.
Now you are ready to begin your keyword competitive analysis, which should be performed monthly or as often as you wish.
Once you know which keywords are in demand in the search engines and getting the right kind of traffic, your site will commence enjoying measurable improvements. You will also be able to figure out what type of competitive keyword is your future goal and which keywords to fine-tune-up on the fly, based on what works.
Keyword Competitive Analysis
Finding products with related keywords is one of the best ways to market a product or service to a targeted market. In information marketing, you are the one who provides a solution or information, and carrying relationship with them and finding out what they want is the key to a successful campaign. You have to know how to market this much (and if you’re not completely aware of it, then it might be time for a keyword competitive analysis).
If you are an online entrepreneur, then the first step you must do is to research for companies that can provide the commodity, particularly online, to a targeted or specialized market. You get your competitors by typing a keyword (the action one is typing the word into a search-box like safelists, Google, Domains etc); again directed at your target audience.
If your keywords are too broad, you start to hit up with a ton of pages of results; each optimizing their own page to put their advertisements out there. If your keywords are to specific, you will find people looking for that. The drawback of a broad search is that your target audience will fail to find what they are looking for mostly because they are using the word to search.
When you are designing a keyword focused campaign, you have to put yourself in the minds of your market, and imagine whom they are, what they want, what words they will use to search for what they are going to find, and how they are going to get to you. Now, here comes the keyword competitive analysis and the two best keywords that they use to search.
Scrape your competitors URLs with a software like ScreamingFrog SEO analysis scraper.
After collecting a list of keywords, then take a close look at your list; you need to do some of your brainstorming and grocery list so you your organization. What are some of the broad keywords you have collected (you just typed in the word computer, so you have some competition for that already), next, how many people search each day, what rate of conversion are you getting, and what cost per conversion for the advertisers is this a profit?
The competitiveness of your keywords and your competition is very important to know, because it is important to find keywords that are easy to rank for, but that you can be profitable on too, because it is more hard to gain more traffic. One easy way to analyze your competition is to go to the source url of your competitor’s website; and look at how they are trying to get better page rank with Google. Look those over, where exactly do they rank to get page rank, what is the keyword rich title for their page, and how are their html meta tags?
Look to see what they are doing with content on their website. If you are interested in finding out what they are doing, and making sure that you are not doing the same thing, then do an analysis, look for the keywords they are using to get their page rank, and compare it to the keyword you are using to find the appropriate keywords. Be careful to run a free analysis as not all the good tools are going to carry. Even if it is the free kind, you always have the option to upgrade.
8 Quick wins for OnPage
1 Fulfil the searchers goal and satisfy the search query intent
2 Speed wins, if you aint first you last.
3 Keyword Targeting
Title
Headline
In content
External anchors
Alt tags
URL
Img names
Internal links
4 Provide a positive UI & UX & boost trust and engagement
5 Review popups, side bars, banner ads, chat boxes and distractions
6 Targeting related topics
7 Optimise for the rich snippet – format, schema, publish date, instant answer
8 Unique Value + Amplification
what makes this page better than others?
what value does this provide that other pages in the SERPs don’t?
why will this be hard for others to replicate or beat?
who will help amplify the and why?
Closing Thoughts
In the realm of affiliate marketing, success is intricately tied to your ability to outmaneuver competitors and capture the attention of your target audience. Throughout this guide, we’ve embarked on a journey into the dynamic world of competitive affiliate research, uncovering a treasure trove of strategic insights that can shape your path to excellence.
Competitive affiliate research is more than a mere observation of your rivals – it’s a calculated exploration that sheds light on the strategies and tactics driving their success. By dissecting their affiliate programs, content strategies, and engagement approaches, you’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and unique selling propositions.
Throughout our exploration, you’ve learned how to strategically decode your competitors’ messaging, pinpoint high-impact keywords, and capitalize on untapped opportunities. Armed with this knowledge, you now possess the tools to refine your affiliate approach, innovate your content creation, and position your brand for maximum resonance within your niche.
As you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of affiliate marketing, remember that competitive research is not a one-time endeavor, but a continuous process that empowers you to adapt, refine, and excel. By harnessing the power of competitive insights, you’re equipped to steer your affiliate endeavors toward new horizons of success, leaving an indelible mark in the world of digital marketing.
Today I’ll let you in on a little secret. I used to be a massive nerd for the SEO tactics and strategies that push web pages up through the ranks of Google and other search engines. The thrill and journey of taking a website that had either low grade rankings or was brand new and getting on the Google leaderboard (Page 1) for my targeted keywords was a pure satisfaction that not many people can understand.
It adds gravity of the accomplishment when money starts to correlate with those rankings. As an affiliate operator I would be looking to rank pages that help promote my product offers and have web traffic on my pages where I am running display ads. This all adds up and makes it highly valuable to focus on SEO instead of paid advertising for clicks.
So now let me take you on a journey to the depths of Search Engine Optimisation.
Title tags
These tell both search engine spiders and human visitors what your page is about. Your title tag should definitely include your main keyword.
This is what goes into your <title></title> HTML. Also known as your Title Meta. Most people use the popular WordPress Plug-In’s “SEO Framework” or “RankMath” to create individual titles for each page.
You want it to be readable to the user and you want to use the keywords sparingly
# Example: Apple Computers – Buy Them Here
Keep your title short, and to the point and each page should have a unique title.
Meta Description
This specific html element falls under the category of a “meta tag,” and gives specific infomation about what your page is about. You should use the meta description to convince people to click through your site. Here’s what a meta description looks like in the Google search results:
Meta tags – these html elements live in the <head> of a web page, and basically tell the search engines what you page is about. Meta tags can also entice people to choose your page, over another page in the SERPs.
H Tags
These tags are used to structure the information on your page. The search engines definitely use this as a ranking metric. These are better known as “heading” tags, like <h1>, <h2> <h3> these are used to classify the topic h1 and sub topics h2 OnPage.
My preference is to use the plurals of the keyword example Hairdresser & Hairdressers
and use the one with higher search vol in the critical spots with the lower search vol in H2, image titles, content.
Here’s how to take advantage of H tags:
H1 – The role of the H1 tag has changed over the years. Previously, “best practices” would tell you to always put your main keyword in the H1 tag. But now, it depends on whether or not your are doing any link building. Let me explain. If you are NOT doing any link building (such as, you’re not using our RankBOSS service), then you should put your main keyword in the H1 tag.
If you are doing link building (a.k.a. using our service), you should Not put your main keyword in the h1 tag.
Why?
This will likely lead to an over-optimization penalty.
So, with that being said, the rest of this email will be under the assumption that you ARE building links. For the examples below, I’ll be using the “Apple Computers” keyword example.
–back to that H1 tag… since you are building links to this page, you want to keep your H1 tag generic. Use “branding” or “generic” keywords in the H1. For example:
<h1>Check Out Our Full Selection Below</h1> — notice there is no mention of “Apple” or “Computers.”
H2 Tags – These are for the main sub-headings within your content. This is where I’d recommend using your main keywords. For example:
<h2>Our Apple Computers On Sale</h2>
<h2>The Macbook Air</h2>
<h2>Macbook Pro Retina</h2>
<h2>Desktops</h2>
H3 Tags – Sub-sub headings. Examples:
<h3>13”</h3>
<h3>15″</h3>
Other tags – You don’t really need them, but feel free to use them if you have an actual need for the structure. If nothing else, they look good!
Here’s how you might structure a page targeting the “Apple Computers” keyword.
IN DEPTH HEADER TAGS
Use Heading tags to organise the ideas in a page of content. The overall idea of the article can be expressed in an H1. Then major “sub-ideas” in H2. Ideas that are part of an individual H2 Topic can be expressed under an H3 heading, and if that idea goes more granular then that sub-topic can be titled with an H4 and so on
I always imagine it as a folder structure. Here’s how I visualise it:
The red box is H1
Yellow folders are H2
Blue folders are H3
Green folders are H4.
You can arrange these in a visual way, then make them linear as you put them down the page, planning your article.
For example:
H1. How to write an article
H2. Intro
Content
H2. Section 1 – Folder A
Content
H3. Folder A1
H4. Folder A1a
Content
H4. Folder A1b
Content
H4. Folder A1c
Content
H3. Folder A2
Content
H3. Folder A3
Content
H2. Section 2 – Folder B
H3. Folder B1
Content
H3. Folder B2
H2. Conclusion
Adding some structure helps readers and Google bots read and understand the hierarchy of your articles. This makes the experience on the front end more enjoyable and easier to follow along with.
Optimise Pages For Multiple Keywords:
When it comes to OnPage optimisation, certain places are more valuable to have your keywords in than others. Based on my tests, in order of impact, from most valuable keyword real-estate to least valuable:
URL
SEO Title Tag (i.e.: <TITLE></TITLE>)
H1 (i.e.: Page title)
H2, H3, H4…
Content
Alt text
We can use this knowledge to our advantage, if we have multiple keywords that we want to target on a single page, which in our profession is standard operating procedure.
Let’s say we have the following keywords we want to target on the homepage in order of importance:
dog training
dog obedience
puppy school
potty training for dogs
dog walking training
We’ll start with our URL, making a branded domain, with an inner page targeting however many keywords we can fit in the URL without looking spammy. The following URL covers our two most important keywords.
Now for the SEO title tag. Again, let’s try to get as many keywords as possible in there, remembering the rules from the above.
SEO Title Tag: Dog Training and Obedience School | Pet Pros
Next comes our Page Title. Definitely get our top keywords in there, and lets also try to get some of the words that we haven’t included so far. Additionally, we’ll use a synonym “Canines” to get some semantic advantage.
Page Title: Dog Training School for both Puppies and Adult Canines Whatever we can’t fit, whether it be to length issues or it just not making sense for our sales copy, we can fit on
H2’s and H3’s. H2: Potty Training
H2: Walking your Dog Lastly, in the event that we have a long list of keywords, make sure to put them in the content somewhere.
Pro tip: Let’s say you’re trying to rank for the keywords “____ review” and “____ reviews”. You’ll need to include both ‘review’ and ‘reviews’ somewhere on your page. If these are important keywords, then definitely drop them in the URL, SEO Title Tag, or Page Title.
Keyword Density:
There is varied opinion about the exact number to aim for. My thoughts are between 1-1.8% for your main keyword. There is no magical number that is and represents the secret sauce every niche and keyword has competitive values that differ from others.
Pro Tip: Individual words of a keyword phrase matter too
Many people come to me and ask if they’re over-optimised. They only have “dog training” on their page 4
times, but “dog” is used 40 times and “training” is used 30 times. This has Panda-penalty written all over it.
Pro Tip: Keep keyword phrases down to only 2-3 occurrences:
once in a <header tag> and 1-2 times in the body of the content on the page.
Pro Tip: Keep individual words down to less than 15. What to do instead? Use synonyms.
(The above recommendations are for a 500-word article.)
I also suggest writing naturally and for humans not Google robots.
Using Synonyms
Synonyms are the most under-utilised tool in the OnPage arsenal.
Use synonyms to establish semantic relevance for a page without risking over-optimisation.
In the dog training example, we can use the following words instead of “dog” and “training”:
canine
k9
puppy
pooch
obedience
learning
instruction
Since our page is going after “dog training”, we can use “canine” and “instruction” with no worry.
We don’t care if we’re over optimised for these keywords because hardly anyone is searching for “canine instruction.”
But ninja tactic is to use these words to establish a high degree of relevance for the page.
Content Word Count:
People debate over how many words per page is optimal. No one has the exact number, because this matters on a per-niche and per-keyword basis.
For example, pages in the health niche (competitive), typically require more words to rank than others.
However, based on my testing experience and recent studies, the minimum amount of words you want on a page is:
Regular page: 500+ words
Product page: 500+ words & Bullet points that highlight features
Competitive term: 1,500+ words
To be safe, I’d recommend writing any page you want to rank with 1000 words or more helping your cause.
This can not be achieved every time, some clients may have highly graphical pages.
Stuffing pages for the sake of it won’t look right, think of the UX stick to the rules above.
There are limits on how many words you want on a page and it depends on the niche.
Imagine you are working on a local landscape clients website.
You have 3,000 words on the keyword target page, but every other competing ranked page has 700 words.
You my friend, are in overkill mode. Google likes content that is concise & to the point.
URL Structure (Permalinks):
Whenever possible, keep short and simple URL slugs, and have your keyword in the URL of the page. For example:
www.yourwebsite.com/buy-apple-computers
This part is pretty dependant on your site and your CMS, but optimally you want your URLs as short as possible with as much keyword stuffing as possible.
go with /%postname%
the shorter the URLs, the better – This also remove the trailing slash from every post and page. Make sure to set your custom URLs in your posts and pages though and don’t just use the title of the post/page or you’ll end up with massively long URLs.
Breadcrumbs:
Types of breadcrumbs. I like to use location based.
Location Based Breadcrumbs
show the user where the current page is located relevant to the whole structure of the site.
example: See All Departments > Electronics > Auto Electronics >
In-Dash Stereos
Path Based Breadcrumbs
visualise the user’s path which brought him to the current page. These breadcrumbs are dynamic and are usually based on the search results. With this type of breadcrumbs one and the same page can be accessed through several paths:
Consulting > Services > Implementation > Service A
Consulting > Services > Optimisation > Service A
Consulting > Services > Upgrade > Service A
Attribute Based Breadcrumbs
list the attributes of the current page
Best Uses of Breadcrumbs
Only use breadcrumbs when they help a user: for large, multi-level websites. These are for user first of all; if they also help SEO – that’s an additional benefit. Don’t add breadcrumbs just for the sake of adding good internal anchor text.
Do not link the current page to itself (the last step in the breadcrumbs should be un-linked);
Do not replace main navigation with breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs visualise your website structure horizontally while the main navigation shows its vertical structure listing its other categories and content types);
Use breadcrumbs consistently (this makes the user browsing your website feel safer and allows him to faster familiarise himself with how the site is structured)
Do not use breadcrumbs in the page <title> tag (this makes the title too long and untargeted)
Here is a cheatsheet for building well structured web pages that will help your affiliate products get some traction with Google.
Elevate your SEO game by implementing the following advanced techniques that not only sidestep spammy practices but also leverage Google’s sophisticated semantic synonym recognition to enhance your page’s relevance to a specific topic.
Mastering URL Structure:
Incorporate your primary keyword once within the URL.
Prioritize brevity while ensuring keyword representation.
Recent experiments indicate that shorter URL slugs deliver superior results.
Opt for concise, impactful URL structures both for homepage and inner pages.
Example:
Effective: http://www.goodboyk9.com/dog-training
Less Effective: http://www.goodboyk9.com/dog-training-guide-for-new-owners-of-puppies
Strategic Title Tag Placement:
Embed your keyword in the title tag, positioning it towards the beginning.
Optimize for conciseness and relevance.
Recent studies highlight the superiority of shorter title tags.
Delay the use of “click bait” words until achieving higher rankings (#1-#5).
Example:
Optimal: Dog Training Guide for Beginners | Obedience Tips
Suboptimal: Dog Training – How to train your dog – Dog Training Tips
Maximizing Meta Description Impact:
Leverage the meta description to enhance click-through rate (CTR).
While Google doesn’t directly rank meta descriptions, they indirectly affect rankings by influencing CTR.
Craft persuasive descriptions that entice clicks from search engine results.
Employ curiosity-invoking strategies to engage users and prompt clicks.
Experiment with capitalization and trigger words to stimulate interest.
Aim for a meta description length of no more than 156 characters.
Example:
Compelling: These sneaky Dog Training Tips will work on ANY dog. You’ll DEFINITELY want to check out our FREE …
Bonus Tip: Enhance intrigue by adding a “…” (dot dot dot) to incite curiosity and drive clicks.
As you wield these advanced techniques, remember that your affiliate marketing journey is an evolving process. By harnessing the power of precise URL structuring, impactful title tags, and enticing meta descriptions, you equip yourself with the tools to amplify your affiliate efforts and rise above the competition.
Page Speed
Fast sites rank better. But even more important, your visitors will not stay on slow sites for very long waiting for the page to load. There are many things you can do to increase your site’s speed.
First, check your site’s speed. Go here: http://tools.pingdom.com, or http://GTmetrix.com. Get a baseline of where you’re at, so you’ll know how much you’ve improved. You really want to see your site loading at least 80% better than other sites (as measured by Pingdom), and a total loading time of less than 2 seconds. You can work hard to make your site even faster than < 2 seconds.
If your site is slow, Pingdom will give you suggestions on how you can improve it. If you’re on WordPress, you’re in luck! There are some dead simple steps you can take to get some massive speed improvement within three minutes.
How to drastically improve your (WordPress) site speed in 3 minutes or less:
First, do basic site clean up, ie empty the trash, delete duplicate or unused images from the media library. Install a good caching plugin like W3 Total Cache. Install a great compression plugin (I use G-Zip Ninja Compression, which is free and works great). Literally install and activate, nothing more to do for this.
1. Install the W3 Cache Plugin & Activate it.
2. Once it’s been activated, in the WordPress dashboard, go to: Performance > General Settings
3. Enable “page cache” and “minify” Save it.
4. Now check to make sure your site is working properly. “Minify” can sometimes mess up a site. If it DID, deactivate “minify” and the problem should be solved instantly.
5. Check your page speed again to see your improvement, and how quickly your site is loading.
Pingdom Tools or GT Metrix will show what is causing the latency and is good to run before and after to gage results.
If your site has a lot of images, they could be really slowing your site down. Here are some things to consider:
Image Size:
Make sure your image file sizes are compressed (not necessarily the size of the image, but the file size. This will make your site load fast.
Alternatively install a great image optimiser (ideally, images should be optimised before uploading to the library but let’s face it, not many of us do that). I use Tiny PNG plugin, free for up to 500 compressions per month, and it works awesome. Install, activate, leave the default settings as they are. Register as a user and insert the API code that is emailed to you into the plugin settings.
Hover over the media library in the dashboard, select “bulk optimise” and let it do its thing. I’ve brought sites down from 22 seconds to under 3 seconds with just these 3 free plugins that take maybe 5 minutes to install and run.
Something to remember: using smaller images (the size of the image, not the file) will help with load times as well. Huge images are just SLOW.
If you have a lot of images, check out the “lazy load” plugin (http://wordpress.org/plugins/bj-lazy-load). This plugin will delay the loading of an image until a visitor scrolls toward that image. So, say you’ve got a nice, long post, filled with images. By using the lazy load plugin, the page will load quickly, displaying only the images at the beginning of the post. As the visitor scroll down the page, those images further down the page will load. This means that the page can load quickly, and will load images a few at a time, instead of trying for all at once.
Alt-Text:
Adding alt text to images is often overlooked but we know better and can use these to take advantage of the extra room to describe our website images.
Important – Alt text keywords DO contribute to overall page word count and keyword density.
For example, if you had the word “dog” in your content 10 times, and “dog” was in two alt tags as well, then your total count is 12 times.
Use alt text as if you were describing the image to a blind person. Don’t keyword stuff but you can include long tail or synonyms into the description.
Avoid having images that have “_” or “|” and instead look at using “-“ to seperate words.
What are alt tags actually for? Alt tags were designed for screen readers that help visual-impaired folks read webpages.
When the screen reader comes to an image, it reads the alt tag to describe what that image is.
Essentially, Google wants us to simply describe the picture.
If it’s a picture of a girl smiling, then label the alt tag “picture of girl smiling.”
Using the alt tags as intended is another reason I mostly choose not to optimise them. Think about your SEO strategy if you do optimise alt tags or not.
Geo Tag Images:
In local search we want to provide our clients with the best local relevance that we can. Using geo tags to add location points into the exif data of images will help us do this.
There is a significant amount of traffic that comes from google images search, and google maps images just look at the GMB insights of your clients. Don’t be surprised and instead act on this as a source of traffic others may not be exploiting. In some cases 5% or less traffic will result from images so in that scenario you can de-optimise the alt text so you only worry about keyword density OnPage and not on two fronts.
The bad news is geo tagging will be stripped when you compress images, a choice needs to be made to have more geo tagged images or faster loading websites.
Tip: add geo tagged images to Google my business and maps and leave compressed images for the website.
Process > Geo tag images then upload to GMB > Then compress and upload to the website.
Images OnPage:
Opinions differ about the specifics that there should be a specific ratio of HTML code (namely images) versus raw text, in order to make the search engines happy.
Based on my tests, I have never concluded on a magic number of how many images should be present per a given word count. But I do indeed recommend a simple rule of thumb that I’ve garnered from extensive conversion rate optimisation and split test experiments:
Never have a wall of text on the page.
There should never been a segment of your page where all the reader can see is simply a top-to-bottom block of text, with no graphics or structured markup (e.g.: table or list). Following this rule will keep you within safe bounds regarding both:
1) Keeping the search engines happy
2) Keeping your visitors interested in your page
Sitemaps:
the Google XML Sitemaps plugin on WordPress sites.
To keep it simple create a sitemap, if you can go advanced then split the sitemaps into into categories, priorities & frequency aren’t a must but make sure you use change dates.
Make sure once you’ve setup this plugin, that you submit your /sitemap.xml to Google’s Webmaster Tools – This is the main sitemap, and Google will then index each sub-sitemap on it’s own, you don’t need to submit each sitemap this plugin makes.
Googlebot is on your site for a couple of seconds at max at a time. Remove any unnecessary files that don’t need to be on your site – You want the pages you want ranked to be crawled, and having files like backups & unused PDFs just hurts your crawl rate.
Each website has a crawl budget per month and its important that if a client makes a lot of updates and changes that the crawl budget be spent wisely. This means fetch and render only when you need too.
Robots.txt:
Don’t Use The Default Robots.txt
Here’s the WordPress Robots.txt file that I use to keep these pages hidden.
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Disallow: /wp-content/
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
Sitemap: http://seoguide.com./sitemap.xml
You can also add in any link checking bots you want to block via this pastebin.
You’ll have to manually upload a robots.txt file with this code in to overwrite the default WordPress one.
Pingbacks:
Turn On Pingbacks
Don’t allow people to post pingbacks to your site, but notifying other blogs when you link to them helps get traffic and visibility.
Go here: /wp-admin/options-discussion.php for WordPress.
And check the “Attempt to notify any blogs linked to from the article” box.
Link Functions:
An essential way to establish relevance for a page is to link out to an authority page in you niche.
What’s an authority page? Think WebMD.com, CNN.com, etc. Something with Domain Authority 70 or higher.
The ranking benefit of linking to authority sites is in the user reading enhancements. You are providing more value.
Pro tip: Don’t use Wikipedia for your authority links. This is what every other SEO on the planet is doing. Remember, Google doesn’t like SEOs, so don’t look like one.
For every page that you’re trying to rank, throw up an authority link somewhere past the fold. Putting it anywhere above the fold increases the chance that the reader will actually click on it and bounce from your page.
There’s considerable debate about whether or not to make the link dofollow or nofollow. The nofollow team wants to keep all their link juice on their site and refrain of leaking it off the page.
Since it hasn’t been empirically proven which one works better, I opt to keep it dofollow since the disadvantage of having no authority link on the page wouldn’t be worth it. If you’re worried about ranking another page, simply link to an authority page (DA 70+) that doesn’t rank higher than you already, or isn’t on the first page.
Pro tip: Create your authority links to open in a new window. This keeps your bounce rate low; in case the reader decides to click on the authority link. Example: <a href=”http://www.cnn.com/dog-training” target=”_blank”></a>
Using a Macro vs Micro OnPage Focus:
Macro – This refers to what you’re doing at the site level, such as your site structure, levels, links etc. This is the overview of your site from a crawlers perspective, as well as the perspective of the user.
Good Macro on-page revolves around making good decisions for both UX and SEO. You can use data to back up a lot of your decision making here, and it’s often THE MOST overlooked aspect of on-page with some of the bigger sites.
When we’re working with eCommerce clients, this is often what we’re spending hours and hours on in the first few months.
When auditing the macro level you need a human eye to find areas that are weak, and need improvement.
Micro – This refers to what you’re doing on the page level, this is what most on-page tutorials, articles etc talks about. Using the right markup, longer content – you know the drill. This is often where most people get things right, however there’s a tendency to focus on the wrong things.
At the micro level you can improve rankings for a specific page and linked pages, opposed to macro level where you’ll often see sitewide ranking improvements.
When auditing the micro level you’ll often use tools to achieve this such as ScreamingFrog.
Broken Links and 404’s
Use browser extension (chrome) broken link checker to check your pages for broken links. 404’s and broken links are a negative ranking factor as the user experience is not enhanced but disadvantaged by the browsing problem.
Indexing:
Double check index with Screaming Frog
Finally, check your site for major errors by running a search using the Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool. It’s free, and an awesome, powerful tool. There’s TONS of things you can look for, but the most important will be making sure the status codes say either “200” or “301.” If you see anything else, then you or someone you know more knowledgeable should take a look at getting those fixed. They can cause really big problems.
Ninja Tip – Embed google properties on your client website, Google loves Google and embedding a Google property on a website is one way to tell Google the page/site exists. Think Youtube videos and Google Maps.
Plugins
Check your plugins. If you have a plugin installed that you’re not using (even if it is deactivated), delete it. Plugins can slow your site way down.
For some recommended plugins (WordPress) see the resources at the bottom of this document.
Content Delivery Network
If you’re not afraid of something slightly more involved, then looking into a content delivery network (CDN), such as CloudFlare or MaxCDN. Using a CDN can give your site a big speed boost right away. Here’s how: a CDN distributes your content to multiple servers around the world. When someone visits your site, a server closer to their location can serve the page.
CDNs are not complicated; I really recommend you set one up. Seriously, the set up time will be like five minutes. If you’re running a media rich site, switching over to a CDN can cut your load time in half. HALF!
Managed Hosting
If you’re using WordPress, you absolutely should be using a service like WP Engine to host your site.
Why? An all-in-one managed WordPress host can speed up your site instantly. Caching and CDNs are built into the hosting service. It’s also completed managed for you, so you’ll never have to deal with another WordPress upgrade again.
SSL:
Should your website have SSL – Secure socket layer
If your client website takes payment online or collects personal data of its users then the answer is yes.
Note: October 2017 Google will show all http websites as insecure in the search results to add to the update from March 2017 where they began to show the browser URL as “Not Secure” for http websites where the https websites were shown with a green “Secure”.
Review Stars:
Another type of rich snippet is the review star. Having review stars on an affiliate product review page, for example, can be a significant factor in stealing clicks from the SERPs.
Example of review stars:
Getting review stars is extremely easy. I simply use the WP Structured Data Schema for WordPress. As of the time of this writing, review stars are only available for inner pages.
Warning: Google has been passing out manual penalties based on spammy structured data. As of now, most of the reports I’ve seen have been about manipulating location using schema, but I’m sure using fake ratings is a hot spot too.
Testing:
I’m a big believer of testing and having test “sandbox” sites to test techniques on that mimics real world client sites. Creating a mirror site to test on, not an exact replica but very similar but more lightweight.
BONUS: How to Rank Images in Google (Step by Step)
Ranking images in Google is very similar to ranking a Youtube video.
In fact ranking images is actually easier because the competition is lower (not many people are intentionally aiming to rank photos).
Here are the steps to rank an image…
1) Alt text: The alt text of the image needs to match or be a partial match keyword to what you’re aiming to rank for.
2) Content: The content surrounding where your image is hosted needs to be closely related to your target keyword.
3) Authority: This is relevant to the competitiveness of the keyword you’re trying to rank.
4) Syndication: Taking your image and embedding it on a network of websites, social media sites, image sharing sites and other web pages helkps boost the relevance of your keywords and image topic. This has helped me drive thousands of extra eyeballs to my product offers and view my display ads on my niche blog.
Think of sites like Flickr, Pinterest, Diig, Google Images and many more that all help push the relevance of the image. Monitor your progress and don’t stop with 1 image. If you can blanket Google Images search results with your image target thats a big opportunity that you should not waste.
SEO is a powerful strategy to use for your affiliate niche blogs, ecommerce websites and dropship stores. It might sound technical and a bit spammy but it gets results and it takes less money to start than advertising. Don’t sleep on SEO.
When it comes to purchasing niche products, navigating the unique features and specifications can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or a newcomer to the niche, this ultimate buying guide aims to provide you with the insights and knowledge you need to make informed purchasing decisions. From understanding the key factors to consider to tips for finding the best deals, this guide has you covered.
I always try to define the use case of the product that I’m about to review. This helps the user connect to their own problems and information seeking for solving their problems. If Im saying that the VPN I am reviewing helped me get passed geo content restrictions and the reader has that same issue then we have common ground.
The niche of the product needs to be relevant for the reader. If you have regular readers then you should stay within your niche or at least very close using shoulder niches. I couldn’t on this blog start reviewing Gym gear or supplements because it makes zero sense to connect my readers to that niche. Your product niche must be relevant to your blog topic.
Understanding Your Needs
Identifying Your Requirements
Assessing Compatibility
What are the criteria markers for evaluating this product? how have you chosen them and what weight does each one have against the final score? these are all questions you need to frame. Failing to set the scene results in the scoring not having enough weight to hook the reader.
You should call out any specifics of the product so the reader can assess their eligibility (do they have the minimum requirements) this gives the readers who may convert even more confidence in your review, it now says to them you have the right requirements if you purchase this product.
What do I mean by this?
If software what devices can it work on, what operating systems are compatible
If car parts what models and makes is the accessory compatible with
Researching Niche Products
Exploring Available Options
Reading Expert and User Reviews
Before you settle in on the actual product to review, assess what else is out there and pick a shortlist that you can review later, or use in a comparison review article. One good strategy is having 5 products that you review and then creating a master review article that compares each one for a best of article a little like this best web hosting review article.
Before I start my review articles I like to see what other people are saying by reading a handful of reviews. I also like to see what actual product reviews there are from people who purchase the product. This is key in getting pros and cons of the product. People are weird and this is a great note to never forget, everyone is different with different use cases and expectations.
This is a gold mine for you when creating review content and if you do not own the product it can help you get real insights from real owners.
Comparing Features and Specifications
Highlighting Essential Features
Weighing Pros and Cons
Always call out the best features early on in your product review.
Tell people how you assess the pros and cons, why the pros work for you and why somethings a huge con. This helps set the weighting and reason.
Setting Your Budget
Determining a Realistic Budget
Considering Long-Term Value
As I go about product selection for a review I will narrow down a list and assess my own interest case. If I use the product, want to use it or have heard about it from friends or colleges Ill purchase the product and spend a week or two with it testing and pushing the limits so I know whats what. My budget for the product is anywhere from $20-$199 on average unless its something more expensive like a Playstation 5 for my tech niche site.
Note: In the day of AI that we live in right now Ive come across a lot of reviews that are incorrect, out dated since September 2021 (ChatGPTs cut off date) and don’t make sense. This is lazy marketing and poor user effort. Don’t be that guy/girl
I don’t have an endless budget for all my hobbies and to go testing every product that I have on my wish list. It would nice too but I don’t have that on standby. I like products that fill an immediate need, are personalised to me or at least come in my size and I like products that will last a year at least. Im about the long term value is the purchase is higher than $100.00.
Physical products that you get from these sellers do not typically last more than a year:
AliExpress / AliBaBa
Wish
Kogan
Finding Reliable Sellers
Checking Reputable Retailers
Examining Seller Ratings and Feedback
I consider my reviews my word, I don’t want people getting scammed or having a poor experience on something Im telling them is amazing. Thats poor behaviour on my part, I work with reputable retailers. For the most part I have contacts at the places I recommend, its part of network building and getting better deals is reaching out and being an extension of their marketing team. Check that your retailers you recommend are reliable and not scammers, read their reviews, do some background checks.
The seller reviews on marketplaces, networks and in Google can help you very quickly see that the product you want to sell is shit hot or just shit in general. Examine those reviews like you are Sherlock Holmes, no stone unturned. It takes time but it could save you a lot of headache by avoiding poor quality products or retailers.
Utilizing User Feedback and Recommendations
Tapping into Online Communities
Learning from Others’ Experiences
Ensuring Quality and Authenticity
Identifying Counterfeit Products
Verifying Certifications and Labels
Considering After-Sales Support
Exploring Warranty and Return Policies
Evaluating Customer Service
Making the Purchase
Finalizing Your Decision
Securing Payment and Personal Information
Tips for Getting the Best Deals
Watching for Sales and Discounts
Bundling Options for Savings
Maintaining Your Niche Product
Proper Care and Maintenance
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Conclusion
Purchasing niche products can be a rewarding experience when armed with the right information and guidance. By following this ultimate buying guide, you’re well-equipped to navigate the intricate world of niche products confidently and intelligently. Remember, thorough research, understanding your personal needs, and considering long-term value are all essential steps to ensure that you find the perfect niche product that aligns with your preferences and expectations.
I do not recommend fake reviews, scammy reviews or stealing other peoples reviews and passing them off as your own. People are getting smarter and you hurt the industry as a whole when you take shortcuts.
So, whether you’re delving into a new passion or expanding your collection, make your buying journey a seamless one by utilizing the insights provided in this guide. Happy shopping and here’s to discovering the perfect niche products that enrich your lifestyle!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What exactly are niche products?
A1: Niche products are specialized items that cater to specific interests, hobbies, or needs. These products often serve a smaller, dedicated audience and may offer unique features not commonly found in mainstream products.
Q2: Why should I consider purchasing niche products?
A2: Niche products are designed with a specific audience in mind, offering tailored solutions and features. They can enhance your experience within your chosen niche and provide a deeper level of satisfaction compared to generic products.
Q3: How do I identify the right niche product for me?
A3: Start by understanding your needs, preferences, and the purpose of the product within your niche. Research thoroughly, read reviews, and consider features that align with your requirements.
Q4: How can I be sure of the quality of niche products?
A4: Look for reputable sellers and brands within the niche. Verify certifications, check user feedback, and research the product’s authenticity to ensure you’re purchasing a genuine and high-quality item.
Q5: What’s the best way to find reliable sellers for niche products?
A5: Search for established retailers known for their expertise in the niche. Additionally, explore online forums and communities related to the niche; fellow enthusiasts often share recommendations for trustworthy sellers.
Q6: Are niche products typically more expensive?
A6: Niche products can vary in price, but they often offer unique features and customization that justify the cost. It’s important to set a budget and consider the long-term value and benefits of the product.
Q7: How do I maintain and care for my niche product?
A7: Refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines for proper care and maintenance. Regular cleaning, storage, and adherence to usage recommendations will help prolong the lifespan of your niche product.
Q8: Are there ways to save money on niche products?
A8: Yes, look out for sales, discounts, and bundle deals offered by sellers. Additionally, consider purchasing second-hand niche products from reliable sources, if applicable.
Q9: What if I encounter issues with my niche product after purchase?
A9: Familiarize yourself with the product’s warranty and return policies. Reach out to the seller’s customer service for assistance and troubleshooting steps.
Q10: How can I stay up-to-date with the latest developments in my niche?
A10: Join online communities, forums, and social media groups dedicated to your niche. Engaging with fellow enthusiasts will help you stay informed about new products, trends, and innovations.
![The Ultimate Buying Guide for [Niche] Products](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxNDk2IDk2NiIgd2lkdGg9IjE0OTYiIGhlaWdodD0iOTY2IiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGY2xpY2tidWNrcy54eXolMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjMlMkYwOCUyRk5pY2hlLW1hcmtldHMtLnBuZyIgZGF0YS13PSIxNDk2IiBkYXRhLWg9Ijk2NiIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)
