Newbie Interested In Affiliate Programs

[mekap04]

I am interested in joining affiliate programs or one that best benefits my blog. I have a blog about making money online and I want to find out what ways I can use affiliate programs to bring in extra money. Does anyone have any advice on this?

[Linda Buquet]

Hi mekap04,

You may have read this from me a few times already but Internet marketing and make money online are the hardest markets for a newbie to tackle. Notice I didn't call it a niche, it's not - it's a HUGE competitive market, filled with sharks. I recommend you switch gears, find a niche and focus your efforts there 1st as you learn the ropes.

You can keep your make money blog up to maybe focus on later, but I'm afraid if you try to start there you could get frustrated and quit before you make any money like so many newbies before you.

[mekap04]

I think its harder for me to come up with a niche. I have been frustrated for about a week trying to come up with a good niche. I have read plenty of articles, blogs, stickies, and still cant bypass the first step, finding a GOOD niche that I am passionate about.

[Linda Buquet]

Have you sat down and done the 7 steps in the article in post #1?
How to Pick Your 1st Niche
Do that then read some of the other stickies in the niche forum and I think that will help.

It CAN be hard to come up with the right niche but starting with an very competitive niche is even harder I think.

[mekap04]

I did read that sticky thread and also the others. I still found it hard to come up with a good niche. I wish it wasnt this hard. Its probably just me though. Here is an example of what I came up for my passions and possible niche ideas...

Parenting
Modeling
Anime
Fashion
Reality Tv
Movies

The competition is fierce in most of these categories and on the other ones, people dont need too muh information on it. I am also factoring in articles I would be submitting to social media groups like digg. When I try to narrow it down, I see that the search volume is low, so I come to a dead end again.

Is there a way I can know when I have found a good niche according to search volume numbers, daily searches, or keyword research?

[Linda Buquet]

K let me take you through a quick exercise. This may not be the right niche for you, but just use my example and find another. Just talking outloud and sharing the process I just went through real quick - DIDN’T do through analysis.

I would call the list you came up with "broad markets" - niches are smaller, more targeted and sometimes a SUB-niche of a market.

I went to SEOBook and typed in one of your broad markets - "Parenting". (Always start with the broad main keyword.)
Seo Book Keyword Suggestion Tool (I just start this this tool because it's in my browser, quick, no log in or captcha to deal with.)

I scan and want to go down quite a ways to get to some phrases that don't have a ton of searches because the ones that do typically also have lots of competition. Saw all different variations of parenting teens key phrases so that's a hot topic, but pretty competitive. Maybe one to tackle after you get more experience.

Kept looking and saw "parenting toddler" SeoBook said search volume was 21.
I liked that one because I have 2 toddler grandbabies. ALSO LIKE THAT ONE because you can promote books on parenting and also strollers, car seats and other baby gear. So there are products that go with the niche.

Then I go to Google and search: allintitle: "parenting toddler"
allintitle: "parenting toddler" - Google Search
Only 842 competing pages. That's really good.

allintitle: "parenting toddlers" plural, which is probably how more people would search - 8,400 competing. Pretty competitive but not out of the ball park.

So then I go to the Adwords KW tool for more serious research and key in "parenting"
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

It gives me other suggested key phrases. Shows me the search volume (popularity).

There I see "parenting toddlers" 1900 searches in July
(It had 8,400 competing)

Then I see "toddler parenting" has more searches than that - 2900 in July.
So I check in Google and allintitle: "toddler parenting" only has 1,120 competing.
So toddler parenting has the best search/competition ratio and I would look closer at that niche.

So that's just a quick run down of how I do quick research. I just keep going back and forth between search volume #s and competing pages in Google til I find a phrase that seems like it may be good.

If I were an affiliate and was going to consider building a site around this niche I'd do a lot more research. I suspect in spite of what Google is telling me it may be competitive. There are also a ton of other key phrases to research like raising toddlers, how to raise a 2 year old and all types of variations. So that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I don't think there are any magic numbers in terms of how much search volume is enough and how much competition is too much. I just keep drilling down until I find something that has the best ratio.

I need to run. Am late for something and need to get going. So that hopefully helps give you a start.

[mekap04]

Thanks so much for that info. It has gave me a little guideline for a reference. You have a lot of good research skills. I will follow this advice and hope for some good results. Were those tools free or paid ones? I know you are busy and so am I so I will check back later.

[Linda Buquet]

All of them are free. The Adwords tool just has a captcha, but once you enter it once, you can research other KW while you are in there.

[Niche]

I must say that the niche you chose will be rather difficult for you to break into. However I am not one to discourage anyone so I say, if you are willing to work hard then go for it

You however really need to do your homework

[gradyp]

Wow -- That's a tool I haven't seen before, and after a quick look at it, I added it to my bookmarks.

Thanks for that wonderful guide on finding a niche! It's one of the best guides I've seen

Grady