The next biggest mistake is for people to rush to look for “high paying” keywords. What does that mean really? It means that some advertiser is willing to spend a lot of money to gain a lead. Does this really help you if you just focus on high paying keywords? NO! Why? Because if you are going to compete with that person/company you are going to spend a ton of money buy your traffic. And if you are an affiliate marketer you may be surprised to learn that just because a keyword costs a lot doesn’t mean it pays a lot! And again you are dealing with a ton of competition.

So lets talk about the Adwords Keyword Tool now!

Why should you use the Adwords Keyword Tool and not some other Keyword Research Tool?

Answer: Because Google has the most Search Engine Traffic they have the largest pool of keyword research data. So as you “dig deep” into your industry niche you’ll find that Google’s numbers provide you with the most accurate data and the data is World Wide!

No matter how elaborate or sophisticated the tool, the bottom line is it is only as good as the data set it accesses. People use Google to find what they are looking for and this provides you as a marketer with a wealth of information.
How to use the Adwords Keyword Tool

Almost every Online Marketer knows about this free tool, but few really know how to dig in and use it. For my example I am going to use Keyword Research Pro which is a nice piece of software that makes accessing the Adwords Keyword Tool very simple.

Now here is what you want to do… in my example I chose the word “Keyword”… remember this is just an example. What you want to do is type in a keyword you believe is used to find your product or service.

Start with just one keyword. Remember what you think people use to find your product is NOT what is important, what they actually type into the search engines is… but you have to start somewhere.

Keyword Research takes time! You may spend all afternoon, or even a day or two to get to the real gems that if used properly will really make you money. Don’t be in a hurry, this is the most important thing you can do in the Online Marketing equation.

So you type in your keyword. it’s time to analyze the keyword…

Here is what you want to know:

1. Number of keyword variations – including related keywords (Synonyms)
2. The amount of Searches for each Variation
3. The Number of Competitors *

* Just typing in a keyword phase in a broad search in Google will tell you the number of “Instances” a keyword appears in the Google Database in any order. This is not your competition. Putting the phrase in quotes will tell you the number of instances a keyword appears in exactly the order you typed it within the quotes. But this is also not your competition. Your competition is the number of people who are actively trying to rank for a particular phrase. This is where you use “allintitle” and “allinanchor”. If a keyword phrase appears in a Title Tag then that person is likely trying to compete for that phrase. This may not be true in Broad Niche Phrases… which is why you want to dig deep for what is called the “longtail” keyword pharse. If a keyword phrase of 4 words or more appears in exact order in the Title Tag you can bet that didn’t happen by accident. The “allinanchor” is also a good indicator, but probably not as reliable.

So should you search for “broad” or “exact”. That is the million dollar question. And in my view it’s best to use the “broad” search when doing keyword research because this is a better indicator of people looking for products. If you use the “exact” phrase you may go too narrow and miss part of your market. Use both and see what kind of results you get. Just putting an exact keyword phrase on your webpage doesn’t mean that Google is going to give you magic ranking points.

Calculating KEI From Adwords Keyword Results

One indicator used to determine if a Keyword will be easy or difficult to rank for is called KEI or Keyword Effectiveness Indicator. And here is basically what KEI does and how it is calculated. KEI compares the number of searches for a keyword with the number of search results and returns a ratio.

KEI is calculated like this:

Seaches x Searches divided by # of results

Example using numbers from the Keyword Graphic Above:

If Google Adwords Tool says there are 1,600 searches per month for your keyword and 3,370 results (Pages with the Phrase) you would calculate the KEI like this:

1,600 x 1,600 = 2,560,000

now divide this by the number of results

2,560,000/3,370 = 759.64

So your KEI in this example is 759.64

If you look in the Graphic Picture I uploaded above you can actually see this is a real world example for the Keyword phrase “Most Searched Keywords”.

So a high KEI is an indicator of a keyword that has higher searches and less competition. Remember this is just an indicator but helpful in picking a phrase with the potential to rank better than another.

You still have to beat out the guys on page one for that phrase, but KEI will help you determine if this is really possible. If the top 10 results for that phrase are large companies with 1,000′s of backlinks, reputation, high PR, etc. Then you may still want to skip that phrase. KEI is a quantity indicator not a quality indicator.

You can do all these calculations using the Adwords Tool and a Spreadsheet that reads the CSV files, but it’s very time consuming which is why I use Keyword Research Pro.

What to do with Your Basic Keyword List

Once you have selected your basic keyword list it’s time to dig deeper to see if there are related keywords or keyword phrases between 3 to 9 words. These will often bring you in even more targeted and valuable traffic. So essentially you repeat the process until you have a list that meets your own marketing goals.

I’d suggest that most people in most niches focus on phrases that are 3 words or longer and have less than 10,000 competing sites. This is not a rule, it’s a suggestion.

Once you have that list of keywords go get the Firefox Plug in SEO Quake or the Free SEO Tools plug in from SEO Book.

You want to now take your keywords and type them directly into Google and analyze your competition. I actually use a product called SEO Elite to do this faster, but both of the free plugins should work just fine for you.

What you want to know now is the Page Rank and number of Back Links pointing to your competitions site. SEO Elite allows me to quickly and easily dig into the same data the plugins dig up but in an easy to read report format.

Look at your competitors, and determine if you can beat them. If you can then you have done your research correctly, if not… start the cycle over for new keywords and niches.

Good luck and keep at it!

Website: Super Affiliate Handbook

Notice to Skeptics: This is not some bullshit review placed here to dupe you into buying another fluffy e-book. I own this book; and anyone who has read my work knows I like to buy what I promote so I know what the hell I’m talking about. My reputation relies on it. There would be no point in pushing this book to try and make a buck if it wasn’t everything I say it is because the Author offers an 8 week money back guarantee and is very well respected among her peers.

What is the Super Affiliate Handbook and How It Can Help You

The Super Affiliate Handbook is a Step-by-Step Plan that any dedicated Affiliate Marketer can follow. This is the one Affiliate Guide that shows you exactly “How to” develop your own unique online marketing business. And it’s not about selling one type of product or service. You can sell or promote anything you want – the principals and instructions are far reaching.

Let me preface this review again with a simple matter of fact statement – I don’t recommend e-books, well almost never recommend e-books. I believe your money is best spent on software not e-books. This is the only e-book I’ve purchased in the past 5 years that really delivers – the rest of them have been over hyped junk full of misinformation and useless schemes that don’t work.

Now if you’ll allow me to explain why this is the one e-book I do recommend. And YES it’s one of the few I laid down my own cash to buy. Rosalind did not give me a promotional copy and she has not asked me to promote her book.

Rosalind Gardner is a REAL Super Affiliate. She doesn’t just push the same old “Make Money from Home” crap you find littering the Forums. She sells REAL products and REAL Services. She has been there and done that for years. In short she has EXPERIENCE, and a writing style that is easy to read.

The Super Affiliate Handbook is no lightweight. It’s several hundred pages of solid up-to-date online marketing information that YOU can actually put into practice. Rosalind shows you how she has done it step-by-step. You’ll get more ideas and learn more about Internet Marketing from this one publication than reading all the babble in a dozen of the most popular forums.

This is the “Guide” that every new online marketer should own. In fact I took my copy on a disk and had it printed and bound so I could refer to it as I worked. You should do the same. It’s about $15 to have it printed and bound at most places like OfficeMax, Kinkos, etc.

Please if you are even Slightly Skeptical

A Money Back Guarantee Like No Other

8 Weeks! That’s right use the Book for 8 Weeks and if you don’t think it’s worth every penny ask for your money back. Rosalind is not a fly-by-night operator. In fact I purchased my copy back in 2003!

Get Your Copy Today – It’s the Best Investment You Can Make In Your Own Affiliate Marketing Career.

Overview – Outline: Affiliate Marketing Business Model

1. Ideas and Brainstorming – You have to come up with an idea for a product or service to sell. Think about products you use in your everyday life, think about products you WANT, think about the things you have purchased for yourself, friends, and family. Pick products and services you know about and/or are interested in; this makes your time spent marketing more enjoyable and helps you sell.

2. Market Research – Does your idea for a product or service have a market? You MUST MUST MUST know if a viable market exists or you are totally wasting your time.  People who rely on luck nearly always lose!

Do not build a site then try to figure out how to get people to come to your site with the hope they will buy something.  Make sure you have a viable product or service to offer first.  And don’t guess… do your research. You want to make money right?

* Keyword Research – What words and phrases are used to find your product or service? I write about tools used to find these keywords on other parts of the Internet Marketing IQ site. What is important here is that you take the time to see how people are finding what they are looking to purchase.

* Affiliate Research – Are there companies willing to pay you to sell these products and services (You’ll be joining these programs AFTER you have your site working properly)? An Affiliate Marketer works on commission so you must select industries with companies willing to pay you.

* Competition Research – Who else is selling in your niche market? How many websites already exist selling what you want to sell? Are they huge companies or mom and pop operations? Don’t be discouraged by competition – you need it; it shows there is a viable market. But don’t think you can just step right in and knock the big boys out of the top spots either. Make sure you know your competition so you can develop a realistic marketing plan.

* Legal Research – Is there any liability to sell in the marketplace? Don’t pick a Market that is “sketchy”. You might find online gambling, pornography, and pharmaceuticals look profitable, but it could come back to bite you.

3. Internet Access and Computer - High Speed Internet Access is mandatory you must budget for it in advance. You’ll also need a computer  – Mac’s and PC’s are both great, except you’ll find many more customized programs for the PC. Some very valuable marketing software will only run on a PC.

4. Site Creation Software – (Choose BEFORE you select Web Hosting service to be sure your selected host will support your needs. My preference is for WordPress because it’s free, powerful, and easy to learn. I would NOT recommend using a FREE host like Blogger or WordPress.com because you do not control your destiny.  At any moment your account could be deleted and all your work gone! What do you do then? Own your destiny!

5. Site Optimization and Copywriting Skills - Your site needs to have Headlines and text that BOTH sells and allows search engines to find you.  This is exclusive of other Search Engine Optimization methods which are external to your site.  You’ll need to learn those as you build  your business. There are some very powerful WordPress Plugins (Many of them free) to help you accomplish SEO.

6. Affiliate Link/Product implementation – Don’t go crazy here… start with a couple of products. Too many new affiliate marketers try to take on too much at once, and the result is unprofessional sites cluttered with advertisements and links.

7. Domain & Web Hosting – You need to think about what the name of your site will be and purchase the domain. Do not take this lightly!  I have written a helpful article on Domain Name Selection to help you brainstorm.

I always recommend “.com”, as that is what people doing business expect to see from other people doing business.  Make sure the Web Hosting Service you choose supports the Web Design Software you choose. Once you install a script like WordPress it can be a hassle to move your site later. You want a host that keeps up with technology so your site continues to operate smoothly into the future.

8. Promotion Skills – Promotion is a key part in your success; you must find ways to get people to visit your site. Think of your Web Site as an Address… how are you going to let people know you are open for business at your address?  In the “Real World” you have the potential advantage of location, location, location… in the Online World you need to create it!

You can also purchase links from other sites, or participate in Pay Per Click (PPC) programs where you purchase clicks based on the keywords you select. This is a fast way to get traffic to your site, but if you don’t know what you are doing it’s also a fast way to lose a lot of money.  You’ll need to brand your site, our offer, and make  yourself stand above the competitors sites and offers.

9. Statistical Tracking – You need to know where, how, and when people come to your site. You use this information to figure out what they buy and why. You can use the built in statistical reports your Webhost provides, purchase services from vendors, or participate in Analytic services like Google Analytics (The best FREE Analytics service). This is a CRITICALLY IMPORTANT part of affiliate marketing. People who learn how to understand site metrics will make a lot more money than those who do not.

10. Business – Once you start to make money you’ll need to choose a business model – Proprietor, Partnership, Corporation. Guess What? Taxes are owed on affiliate income. So in order to pay them, and track your expenses to write off against your income you need to be a business. This all depends on how much you make.  As you grow you will  need to talk to a tax professional or learn what is required on your own

Conclusion

A well conceived Business Plan will help you enormously. People can and do make money with Affiliate Marketing.  The big Affiliate Money Payouts  go to people who develop a plan, then put it into action!

This Affiliate Marketing Business Model outline has shown you the Basic Skills required to get into Affiliate Marketing, the rest is up to you. You don’t get rich quick, most don’t get rich at all. But if you have a good idea, a good site, and good marketing plan you can make a real living.

Everyone has their own work style, so you will likely rearrainge the order of the above and that’s okay. That is the great thing about working from home for yourself; you get to make the decisions. If you take only one thing from this article it should be this:  Make sure you have done your Marketing Research BEFORE you start building your sites.

This is it! Don’t waste your time searching for links manually. Plug in to the power of automated blog commenting software.

Website: Blog Linking Comment Management Power Tool
The Free Version should be sufficient for most Online Marketers

Here is how it works:

1. Type in your keywords
2. Software finds Blogs automatically
3. Write you comment
4. Click Submit Comment
5. Go to next Blog

It really is that simple. But the real power lies in the interface of the software itself. It ranks sites by Domain Page Rank AND Page Pagerank (The latter is very powerful as this is what is important to your one way link). In addition the software shows you the number of outbound links and if the page is “DoFollow” or “NoFollow”, plus the most recent comment date.

Blog Finder is blog commenter software that provides you with a great way to get backlinks for your sites without using any risky tactics that could destroy your search engine rankings. Blog Finder is designed to search for blog posts that rank in Google for a particular phrase and makes it easier to comment on them. Blog Finder searches for quality blogs that accept comments. It brings up blogs with both “dofollow” and “nofollow” tags. It also shows the Google PageRank for each domain and blog page post and has options that can be tweaked to filter by Domain PR, Page PR, link type, date and user note.

Tip to Increase the Power of Your Comments and Traffic Back to Your Site: If you liked the Blog you commented on, do not forget to submit it to social media sites using Share It button. This will give more exposure to the Blog Posts that you have commented on and increase traffic to them. Some of the traffic will trickle down to you, giving your comment more impact. This is especially true if your comment is one of the first 3 on the page!

Personal Notes about Using the Blog Commenting Tool

You can download and use the software free of charge from the above link. However the free version is limited to 50 blogs. This should be enough for any web marketer to generate some very high quality targeted keyword links. For those of you who really want to push your ranking you’ll want to consider the “Gold” version. The great thing about this software is you get to really take it on a hard (and useful) test drive and then decide if the Gold Version is for you. I highly recommend this as a terrific way to jump start your incoming link building.

Installation Notes: It took me less than 5 minutes to download, install, and register the program. Registration is reuqired in order to get the activation key to run the program. Easier than Comment Kahuna as it does NOT require .NET to be installed. Get it, try it, use it and start ranking!

Directory submission should be only a small part of your SEO Campaigns. Why?  Because there are only a few general directories that are able to send you real link love.  Most directories are just link dumps.  And while a link is a link, it only matters if it gets crawled.

Most people focus on Google and in my thinking if you are doing Directory Submissions solely to rank in Google you are probably wasting time going after anything more then the top Directories in your Selective Niche and it takes a long time to submit and wait for a response.  And the directories that can help you in Google typically have annually recurring fees.  So you’ll need to be selective.  Your link building strategy should always focus on quality and delivering real targeted traffic not just SEO.

The flip side to this is that Google is not the only player.  Sure they have the most search volume, but they are not exclusive. And directory links as long as they are crawled may help you in other Search Engines.  The “trick” if there is one is to automate and not over do it.  If you are a small marketer you don’t want you link ratio to include a disproportionate number of Directory Links.  And you should take the time to make sure that your Directory Titles and Descriptions provide Highly Relevant and Useful information to the categories in which you submit.

I have tested mass submission services and they almost never bring in enough traffic to justify even the minimal cost of participation.

Having said that if you are interested in mass directory submissions…. I’d suggest you keep reading on how to automate the process.

Free, Fast, Powerful, Easy-to-Use One Way Link Building

Free directory submission software is absolutely the best SEO technique because it allows you optimize your new and existing websites as frequently as you would like and doesn’t cost your anything. It really is free the only catch is you can only submit to a limited number of Directories with the free version. Don’t worry about that you can still submit to more than 100 for free and just a few minutes of your time.

Suggested Submission Software: Fast Directory Submission Software

Why Submit Your Website to Directories?

Because it is an easy way to generate targeted, consistent traffic to your web site every day. And you don’t have to rely on anyone but yourself to make it happen! Whether you created a new web site that you want to promote, or you want to give more exposure to a long living web site, link directories are valuable means of increasing your link popularity, Google page rank, traffic and overall online presence. Thus, more visitors coming to your web site and more online sales. We recommend link directories as the general concept of the link building strategy for your new website or the website you would like to give more exposure to. What you can expect from submitting your website to link directories:

• Higher Website Rankings in Search Engines Higher the search engine ranks your website for its related search terms, more free traffic your web site will receive. To have your website on the first page for your related keywords, you need a good supporting link structure. This is what the directories can do.
• Direct Traffic to Your Website Maybe the general directories are not as popular with Internet browsers as they were before, but niche and local directories are widely used as a source of finding information, products and services. As well as assisting your search engine rankings these directories will have the additional benefit of channeling targeted traffic directly to your website.
• Increase Your Website Branding More your website is seen, more it is remembered and used. People will remember your website name and one day potential customers can turn into the existing and most faithful purchasers.
• Links from Related Sites Other webmasters often use links directories to find suitable link partners. Links from related sites will have a similar effect as links from directories – they will assist your search engine rankings, provide a direct source of traffic, increase your branding and again increase your exposure to other webmasters.

Here is how it works:

1. Click on Create and Account and fill in
2. Click Add Campaing and fill in your site information
3. Click on Express Submit or Manual Submit
4. Repeat the Process.
5. Focus on 10 to 15 new listings a day; which should take just a few minutes

It really is that simple. If your site is new be sure not to submit too many listings too fast when using any one strategy (How much is too much?  Good Question – I’d say more than 30 of any one type per day).  It’s my own personal belief this only applies to sites less than 6 months old and only to sites Google does not yet consider to be authoritative. I do not believe a seasoned site that is already receiving ranking in Google has anything to worry about. After all large sites can acquire 1,000′s of links from a single news release.

I believe your strategy should be more about the link source, the age of your site, and not getting tripped up in a Google Filter, not just the actual number of links. It’s all about what Google refers to as “Natural Links”.

What I don’t want is for people read this and Say Internet Marketing IQ says that you shouldn’t get too many links at once, and this other site says… bullshit. If you read this and draw that conclusion you are totally missing the point.  What I’m saying is diversify, and if you are new and not diversified don’t put all your eggs in one basket.  Develop a strategy that gets you links from directories, blogs, forums, news releases, social sites, etc.  You want a MIX of links and you want them from sites that people are visiting.  That simple!

Besides making your link building efforts a bore, too many listings to Google at once will send up a red flag. I know this flys in the face of logic, and it may or may not be relevant (After all how many of these directories will be crawled by Google each day and will Google really see and single out your new site?). It’s just a good strategy to work on. Consistency is the key.

Web directories. Directory submission is one of the best ways to get natural quality links for your website. The more directories you list your website with, the more inbound links you have. The easiest and quickest way to submit the site to web directories is to use a directory submitter tool. Directory submission software already has a large database of directories included within the program and automates the process of site submission. So, it is also the more time saving method of link building because you don’t waste your time by searching the Internet for themed directories. You can find many companies offering fast, easy and free directory submission software on the Internet. Conduct a search for “Directory Submitter” or “Link Directory Submitter” in Google, Yahoo or MSN and you will find many websites that offer these types of programs.

How Do you Choose a Directory to Submit Your Website To?

If you created a website and wish to submit it to link directories, analyze the following factors before submitting your link because not all the directories are worth to submit to, especially if you are placing a reciprocal link or pay a submission fee. Evaluate the link directory from these sides:

• Directory page rank You’ll want PR 4 or higher. But when the submission is free and doesn’t require a reciprocal link exchange, then you may submit to a directory with a lower PR especially if this is a highly related niche directory which has a lot of very targeted traffic.
• Directory link popularity Good directories care about increasing their links value which in turn increases their attraction to webmasters. Fast Directory Submitter will help you analyze the link popularity of a directory (and any other website).
• PR of the page your website will be placed on If the home page has a high PR, it doesn’t always mean that particular pages of the directory will also have a good PR. You’ll want to check the page where your link will appear for PR value.
• Number of links on each page Less links on the page is better. Because the more links the page has, the more watered down your link will be.
• Category your link will appear in The more relevant to your niche and more closer to the home page category the better. You don’t want to be 6 steps from the home page.

Website: Email Marketing Software – Autoresponders

Chances are if you have purchased any online software or signed up for any Free Marketing Information you are receiving Email from an AWeber Customer already. Why? Because it works!  AWeber provides you with the email follow up system tools that work for real online businesses over and over.

People seldom buy on the first view of a website so you need to capture their email address so you can effectively “keep in touch”. And the only way to do this as you grow is to do it automatically.

Capture Hidden Profits with Unlimited Autoresponders. AWeber’s Automated unlimited autoresponder follow up system increases sales, lowers costs,builds lasting customer relationships, and increases your profits.

Find out how to earn more money with Unlimited Auto Responders. The free “How to” marketing education tutorials provided by AWeber will have you up and running in no time.

Other Email Automated Responder Services

What’s the point? I investigated nearly every service (Including the FREE tools offered by some of my Web Hosts) and the bottom line is this. Nobody delivers more value than Aweber. Their prices are as low or lower than every other Auto Responder service I evaluated. AWeber is doing it “right”; you can safely stop looking and get to work with no buyers remorse. Do it right the first time with Aweber and spend your valuable time marketing your offers.

When affiliate marketing you are working for nothing until you get a sale! No sale, No paycheck! Fair? Sure, right up to the point where the company you are working with emails the hell out of the new customers you are sending them effectively cutting you out of the loop — (1 referral = 1 sale).  You want 1 referral to equal many sales!

Send your customers off to an affiliate site without “Preselling” or capturing an email address and guess what? You’ve wasted an opportunity to gain a lifetime customer. This is a cruel reality in affiliate marketing. Sometimes there is no way around this depending on the niche and the products available. But it’s always in your best interest to find companies that pay residuals (Meaning they pay you commission each time the customer buys). If you can not get a residual you had better get a big chunk up front or you are not going to make any REAL money.

800 Numbers can really HURT you!

The number one way to be cheated (In my opinion) is by placing 800 telephone numbers on the landing pages. Sure they may say all the customer has to do is give them your ID, but this seldom happens. Everyone isn’t comfortable buying online and it’s oh so easy just to pick up the telephone and dial that 800 number!

This is especially true of customers who are not sure or “on the fence” about a product. It’s your job to make sure they buy from you!

Cross Selling Other Affiliate Products from Your Traffic

Carefully select the companies you choose to promote. Dig into the webiste of the Affiliate you are considering. Do they sell other products that are similar for other affiliates? Is the program really just a scam to get you to drive the sale of those products by offering big commissions as “bait” on the main product, then linking out to better opportunities for the visitor for which they (Not You) get the commission. This is no joke, it happens. There are many examples of this tactic, but the most obvious are those affiliate sites that are Adsense Participants.

Not following the Buying Process Can Really Hurt You

If you want to make money with affiliate marketing, buy the product you are going to sell through your own link. This way you’ll know your link works and you will get paid for future sales. If you don’t have enough confidence in the value of the product then how the hell can you tell others they should buy it? I only promote what I buy.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming the buying process works… TEST IT to make sure it works!  Otherwise you have totally wasted your time.

Buying an affiliate product will put you on the “insider” mailing list so you see the “Backend” marketing campaign. Your ability to write an honest review of the product/service will multiply resulting in more sales and more money for you. Imagine if you have a difficult time ordering then how many sales can you expect by sending your customers through a difficult ordering process? Plus owning good products benefits your business productivity and it’s a deductible business expense.

Keep up with the Terms of Service Agreements

Affiliate Programs may change the terms of the agreement on the fly, but conveniently forget to email their affiliate team (Perhaps it’s YOUR fault for not keeping a working email on file with each program). A Program may run a promotional link then time it out, but the customer is still delivered to their site. This doesn’t happen as often with the affiliate Brokers like Commission Junction. This is why it’s vital to take advantage of the built in reporting features they offer. It’s your job to read the fine print and keep up with what is going on with your own affiliate links – check them from time to time to make sure they are working.

Voiding Sales and Slow Payment

Then there are the companies that will cheat you by voiding some of your sales and there is very little you can do about this other than move on. It’s their word or reputation that a customer canceled the order. It happens so don’t let a few bother you, but if there are more than a few cancled orders it may be time to bail out. Every major Affiliate Marketer has been burned and most for 1,000′s of dollars. It sucks, but it happens and there isn’t much you can do about it but move on. Bankruptcy’s fall under the same proceedings. Enjoy the notices you will get for the next 5 years while the courts distribute the assets to secured creditors and you get nothing.

The affiliate marketing game is a tough one. If you are going to be successful you have to really keep on top of who you work with and make damn sure they pay you and on time. I’ve been burned on this one too many times. Usually for small amounts that I just didn’t follow up on.

Timing Out a Program and Setting a High Dollar Threshold

A major cheat tactic involves moving or timing out a dollar threshold or setting the threshold unreasonably high. This means you have to earn a certain amount within a certain time or they take your commissions and start you over for the new period.

Some programs simply set the threshold so high the majority of their affiliates will never reach it and just give up so they will never have to pay. Think of the millions Google makes by closing out all the accounts that never reach $100. It may seem small, but it’ s not. Millions of dollars going into the bank in Google’s name not the Webmaster that earned it. Think about this for a moment – If Google charges $1 a click and pays out 5 cents to the webmaster then kills their account before they reach $100 they could make $1-2,000 for every Noobie Fool they can sign up!  If you are going to play the Adsense Game make sure you have a plan to profit so you are not wasting your time.  The same is true of Amazon who has an incredibly short cookie and will Email your Referrals to death!

Split Thresholds

A variant of the High Dollar Threshold is to “split” it among different parts of the site or product lines. For example: One affiliate I was considering sold downloadable video product. Commissions were only paid after you reached a certain dollar amount for each product. Let me clarify further. They set the threshold at $100 for each. So you sell $75 of Video A, $90 of Video B and $40 of Video C. Your total is $205 and you’re over the threshold right? Wrong. Instead of getting a check for $205 you get nothing; because no one single video has gone over $100. Then they just pull the old videos off as new ones are added and you get nothing. Affiliate Manager who do this kind of thing are scumbags and in it for the short haul only. But this kind of thing happens.

Watch those Cookies!

Most Affiliate programs are still using “cookies” and a short “cookie” duration will kill your commissions. Amazon.com is the best known Affiliate Program that takes advantage of novice webmasters! Honestly they have a $100 threshold and a 1 day cookie duration! You had better make sure you presell and your conversion ratios are super high if you plan to promote any of their products. Honestly 1 day? And who doesn’t know Amazon.com? Do you think your customer is going to return to your site to buy something from Amazon? NO! They are going to bookmark the page and go direct.

Amazon knows this and that’s why the cookie is so short. Why do people bother with Amazon.com at all? I’d suspect there are two types of Amazon Affiliates – those who are “clueless” or “new” and those who really understand this game and have super tight niches, and know how to get their visitors to take action now.

Accounts Receivable Terms that Drag on and on

Many affiliate programs require you to wait months to be paid! You make the sale then some time next month after the sale they calculate your commission, then the following month they send the checks and on and on. It’s not uncommon for some to try and stretch payment out a full 90 days or even more. They do this so the money can sit in their bank accounts and make them more money. Not highly ethical and not a smart business practice if you want to attract and keep good affiliates. Companies that do this know what they are doing and could care less about you.

Super Affiliates (The webmasters who really are making the bulk of the income for the Merchant are not likely to put up with Affiliate Programs that delay their pay – and you shouldn’t either). If a program cheats you, write them and try to get paid. Slow payment is a sign of serious trouble. You may want to pull your links and bail before while you can.

If a company owes you $1,000′s it may make sense to pursue legal avenues (But the chance of you being paid is extremely small, and legal fees will probably eat up most of the money). Get your money as quickly as possible. Use direct deposit if available.

A Final Thought About Keeping Your Affiliate Commissions

For every clever webmaster who thinks they are going to game the Affiliate there is a clever Affiliate Manager who is going to game right back. Try to find ethical companies and play by the rules. If the rules don’t suit your needs then move on or try to get better terms or clarification from the program.