SEO is an integral part of many affiliate marketing plans, but few actually agree on the most effective way to achieve success in search. At Affiliate Summit East 2012, I got a chance to talk with Wil Reynolds of SEER Interactive, who in my view is one of the cutting edge thinkers in SEO. I also consider him a friend, so I could be biased.
While he was between engagements providing free SEO analysis for Affiliate Summit attendees, Wil generously offered a few minutes of his time to share some insights on SEO for affiliate marketing.
So what should affiliates be paying attention to in the SEO space? You should definitely watch the full interview for much of the context, but here are a few highlights:
Watch Out for Big Brands
Wil is seeing big brands take rankings that have been traditionally held by affiliate businesses.
Stop Buying Followers
Just like Google penalized people for manipulating page rank, they will eventually have a “people rank”. Attempting to manipulate that rank will burn you in the long run.
Use Tools to Assist Your Marketing Efforts
One of Wil’s tips that I use regularly is to use the Google search box to inspire creative thinking. Start typing in a search query and don’t hit enter to learn more about the way people search. Ahrefs.com is another great tool, because it can give you insight into link data about places you may consider spending money.
As I said, there’s more great stuff in the interview. Be sure to watch it and please share your thoughts on SEO for affiliates in the comments.
Author
Becky is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at TUNE. Before TUNE, she led a variety of marketing and communications projects at San Francisco startups. Becky received her bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University. After living nearly a decade in San Francisco and Seattle, she has returned to her home of Charleston, SC, where you can find her enjoying the sun and salt water with her family.
