TRAFFIC & STRATEGY
The reality is that , in the affiliate business , there have always been ways to profit without adding a great deal of value . Topping a lucrative keyword search is often enough , regardless of what you deliver to those who click through
When you are focused on growth , there ’ s not always a lot of time to sit back and think about the bigger questions . But it ’ s a mistake to not find some .
I ’ d like to share three such questions I ’ ve had on my mind lately , which I believe get to the very heart of what it means to build an affiliate business that can succeed in an uncertain future .
I don ’ t necessarily think that you need fully formed answers to these questions , but I ’ d absolutely insist they should be informing how you run your business . You need to ask each one of them every time you make an important decision .
This isn ’ t about trying to predict what ’ s coming next . I ’ m not even sure that ’ s possible . Instead , it ’ s about building in a way that means you are ready for whatever this wild industry throws at you .
Are you delivering real value to your audience ?
This can be a tough question to ask yourself . Instinctively , we all like to think we ’ re moving the needle and offering something genuinely worthwhile .
The reality is that , in the affiliate business , there have always been ways to profit without adding a great deal of value . Topping a lucrative keyword search is often enough , regardless of what you deliver to those who click through .
But in light of March , and Google ’ s wider commitment to prioritising quality content , we don ’ t see a long-term future in this kind of thinking .
Let me give you one example . We acquired PokerListings a few months ago . It ’ s obviously a legendary asset , but its popularity was on the decline .
The old ways were becoming less and less relevant to the modern world . We talked to a lot of poker players , and they simply weren ’ t interested in template reviews , lists and site comparisons .
They weren ’ t engaging with the content in any depth , even if some were still clicking where they were told to click .
We wanted to think beyond the usual review portal template , with a greater focus on entertaining video , in-depth content and community building . We ’ re only a few months into the revamp but video is excelling , we ’ ve successfully launched into new geographies , and the PokerListings audience is once again excited to see what we ’ ve got to offer . Of course , that reflects in the quality of traffic we can send to our partners . It ’ s a win-win-win scenario for everyone involved .
Are you using technology to improve your product ?
The affiliate industry has talked a big game on tech for as long as I can remember . But I ’ d argue that the reality has all too often been underwhelming .
That ’ s not a criticism – it ’ s tough to innovate in meaningful ways . Going all in on new tech can be a dangerous distraction from your core mission . As a result , we often see technology used to plug gaps rather
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