1. Use Deep Linking
You may be thinking, “What is deep-linking?” Simply put, deep-linking means directing the reader past the home page of a website to the product directly. This means the reader can purchase the product directly via the linked webpage, increasing the odds you’ll net an affiliate sale.
2. Integrate Display Ads and Links
While many bloggers and publishers prefer using affiliate links over affiliate display ads, using affiliate display ads can also be a great way to increase affiliate income. Many publishers place an affiliate display ad in the sidebar and place affiliate links throughout the post, doubling up on potential affiliate income.
If you find the display ads aren’t working as well as text links, you can definitely nix them. But it’s smart to AB test to see which yields better results- in the end you might decide to keep both!
3. Diversify your Affiliate Marketing Programs
When in doubt, diversify. One key component to making more money with affiliate marketing is to use multiple affiliate programs.
In addition to my job with sovrn, I also run a travel and lifestyle blog. On my blog I use affiliate links from several companies, including Amazon, Commission Junction, my web host and my favorite brand of travel insurance. Using multiple affiliate programs helps me maintain a more consistent stream of affiliate revenue.
Relying on one company for affiliate incomes is riskier because the dramatic ups and downs can result in feast or famine- a situation in which no blogger looks to find herself.
4. Use SEO, but Not Too Aggressively
SEO can drive more eyeballs to your deep-linked affiliate post, resulting in more sales. But readers are wary of overly SEO-ed posts: a post titled “Best Eyeshadow Palette” with the keyword “eyeshadow palette” used 25 times isn’t fooling anyone.
That being said, SEO is huge for affiliate marketing. I recommend using the Google AdWords Keyword Planner to find a good keyword, and then using a WordPress SEO Plugin to search-optimize the post (Yoast SEO is my personal favorite).
Keep in mind it can take SEO a long time to start working- I’ve had posts take a year or longer to become highly-ranked and high affiliate earners. And of course, some posts never end up becoming highly-ranked at all.
Also when using affiliate links, don’t forget to include a disclosure. It’s important for both your readers’ trust as well as for brands. Some affiliate programs, especially the highest earning ones, won’t work with sites that don’t include an advertiser disclosure. For a good one, check out thepointsguy.com.
