Is Your Affiliate Website Targeted?

by Jude Wright

You know the basics of Affiliate Marketing. Create a web site, choose affiliate programs to compliment your site, and then promote.

If you start your affiliate marketing business like this, you
are missing an essential step in the process. You must know who you are creating this web site for - other than yourself.

The two most important things you need to remember when
creating an affiliate marketing web site are:

1) target your audience, and:

2) choose the correct keywords.

When creating the content for your web site, write it for the
person that is most likely to be interested in it. Keep in mind the specific interests and lifestyle of that person. That is what is meant by being targeted.

How do you know who to target? Research. Visit other sites that are similar to your topic. See if you can determine who their target visitor is. Study the methods used to qualify that visitor. When you start writing your own web site's content, you will base it on your research - but - don't copy it!

This is where keywords come into play. Choose your keywords before you write your topic's content. You will need to research your keywords as well.

By using Word Tracker (http://wordtracker.com) you can come up with a list of keywords that are related to your topic; some of which you may not have thought of on your own.

Don't forget your target visitor when researching your keywords. Using a qualifying keyword (such as teacher or webmaster), will help narrow the focus to that specific person.

Remember that affiliate marketing is, in fact, targeted marketing. The closer you can come to your visitor's needs
and interests, the more commissions you're likely to make.

Only now do you start to write your web site content.

First, write your target keyword at the top of your page. Then, list two or three of the keywords you found that will describe your topic best - as well as introduce the affiliate program you are promoting.

Write each page of your web site based on specific keyword phrases. Keep the topic narrowed on that keyword phrase (or phrases). You'll be writing each web page on a different topic - still within the general topic of your web site.

Keeping your keyword use - and your target - in mind will
draw the visitor into your web site, and in turn, to your
affiliate program's link. And your reward will be - more
affiliate sales and commissions.