Today’s Ask an SEO question comes from Saif in Saharanpur. Saif asks:
“I’m starting an affiliate website. What are the practices I could follow to NOT get caught in the Google update?”
Hi Saif,
Great question and this is a topic I know a ton about. The best answer I can tell you is not to do anything that would cause you to get caught on the wrong side of an update.
We’ll look at some do’s and don’ts that will help you stay on the right side of “the law” below.
As an affiliate marketer, your goal is to build a resource that solves needs and that a person will want to come back to.
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The pages should be something people will share with friends, and subscribe to so that more people can be exposed to your affiliate links.
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about gardening, cooking, photography, or pool toys.
You have to build exceptional content. That means proper formatting, solving problems, explaining why your website should be trusted, entertaining/engaging, and creating a sense of belonging.
If your site does not inspire people to subscribe and trust you, you won’t succeed as an affiliate.
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Choose a theme for the website based on what users will want to engage with for a long time.
(Not sure which link markup to use? See Should You Use Nofollow, Sponsored, or UGC Links? to learn more.)
Let’s dive in a bit deeper.
You can say “My family loves this product,” if you’re a parenting blogger.
But do not stop there.
You have to add something relevant to the reader so it is relatable to them.
“My family loves this product because my toddler used to fuss over vegetables. By incorporating ABC Product into lunch and XYZ into dinner, she now gets excited to eat vegetables. We can’t keep them coming fast enough!”
But that is still not enough.
To go from thin or average content to quality content, you have to add more.
Using the example above, I would recommend adding in a few more sections.
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By making sure you provide the best answer possible, you are building content that will do well with the reader — and with Google.
This starts with building yourself as an authority, then showing the product will solve the visitor’s problem.
You also want to ensure the reader knows the product is safe or effective, and that it is compatible with other devices and tools.
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Then show them how to use it. Finally, share your feedback and give alternatives in case that specific product does not meet the readers’ needs.
Sure, it’s a ton of work. But guess what? Building a successful, sustainable affiliate business is worth it.
More Resources:
Editor’s note: Ask an SEO is a weekly SEO advice column written by some of the industry’s top SEO experts, who have been hand-picked by Search Engine Journal. Got a question about SEO? Fill out our form. You might see your answer in the next #AskanSEO post!
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