One of the little known secrets of search engine optimization is leveraging affiliates. Affiliates work day in and day out providing information about your brand and products and attach hyperlinks that direct traffic to your website. While the benefit is not as good direct back link from a high-quality website, the search engines value conversation. Keywords that relate to your website in the same content provide value to your SEO program.
When evaluating and or recruiting affiliates it is important to look for social affiliates. Social affiliates are bloggers and or YouTube vloggers (video bloggers) and or individuals that interact within communities. The conversations and interaction in the social networking websites drive value. Monitor these affiliates closely though to be sure that they are providing value to the websites they frequent and link from. If you find conversations that are off topic and appear to be direct advertising, expire the affiliate. Well-trained social affiliates are aware that their interactions and comments must be on topic and must provide value to the website they are visiting.
Bloggers that maintain content on their own websites where they are writing about a topic they are passionate about make the best affiliates for acquiring good customers and obtaining SEO value. Passionate writers are typically not alone as it relates to passion about a specific topic. Their passion is typically shared by a large number of people seeking information and or communities where their views are shared. Content websites such as blogs are considered high quality websites in terms of back links. Of course they must be established and be in good standing with the search engines, but a well-established blog maintained by an individual passionate about the subject will likely lead to a positive impact in the search engines.
One other common affiliate type is coupon affiliates. Coupon affiliates are websites that post coupons for various websites in hopes that you will click through, use the coupon, and complete a purchase on one of their partner websites. When this occurs they are provided a commission for the sale and everybody wins. Coupon affiliates can positively impact your SEO program as well. For example let’s say an important term for you is car stereos. It is very likely that your coupon affiliates will optimize to car stereo coupons. Now a listing that will eventually drive traffic and sales to your website is present in the search engine. Keep in mind for every affiliate that is in the search engine pushing your brand it is one more spot where you competitor is not present.
All in all affiliates do impact more than traffic and sales. A well-designed affiliate mix can place your brand in areas of the world-wide-web that you could not previously reach on your own. Embrace and reward good affiliates and let them share in your success. Offer commissions that are competitive in the marketplace, but be sure you are leaving yourself enough margin for a profitable sale. If the affiliate is a content affiliate that has authority in your industry you may consider providing a higher commission. The mentions from this website along with the higher quality of traffic is worth the limited additional acquisition expense.