The nature of affiliate websites means that a steady stream of high-quality content is needed in order to be successful.

Simply posting links and ‘thin content’ will not help you attract visitor traffic or assist your search engine optimisation efforts. 

Instead, you need to think about how you can provide value for your users.

What is an affiliate website?

An ‘affiliate’ website generates income largely from affiliate marketing, rather than relying on other methods, such as display advertising (although many do a bit of both).

Most affiliate sites are content websites — not e-commerce sites selling tangible goods or business sites promoting services directly.

Affiliate websites publish marketing materials on behalf of other companies and refer visitors to these products and services.

There are usually three parties involved: the publisher (affiliate website), an intermediary (affiliate network), and the advertiser.

Here’s how it works: the publisher earns a percentage of the revenue generated by successful ‘leads’, either on a Cost Per Lead (CPL), Cost Per Action, Cost Per Click, or another payment model.

Many comparison websites and product review sites use affiliate marketing as their primary source of revenue.

Just some examples of affiliate websites include:

  • Foreign exchange comparison 
  • Bingo and gambling review sites
  • Mobile phones and electronics reviews
  • Sports nutrition reviews
  • General niche-specific blogs

Why does content matter for affiliate sites?

Good quality content is essential if you run an affiliate website. Linking to affiliate offers without providing any real value to users is counterproductive.

Basic links to affiliate campaigns provide no extra value to visitors. Neither does thin content designed to attract keyword traffic. Simply regurgitating manufacturer or information from the service provider will not cut it either.

You need to work hard to create high-quality content for users and search engines. This is the only way to be successful when running an affiliate site.

How can you provide added value?

So what steps can you take to provide value to your users? The first step is to perform an audit of your content. 

Think: is the content useful and authoritative? Do you provide enough information so the user can make an informed purchase decision? Or is your content thin and lacking depth?

In-depth, balanced product reviews are essential for affiliate websites. This means providing a summary of the product or service, the advantages and disadvantages, and providing your honest opinion, whether positive or negative. 

Avoid copying other websites by delivering something fresh and appealing. One approach is to provide comparisons of similar products to help visitors choose between them. For example, ‘Product A vs Product B: Which Is The Best?’.

Compiling a top list or roundup article is also a great way to provide added value for visitors. For example, ‘Top 10 Budget Smartphones of 2020’.

Summary

Carefully curated content is crucial if your affiliate site is to be successful. Not only do you need long-form website content, but you may also require regularly updated blog posts and articles to supplement your core website pages.

If you need help writing materials for your affiliate website, or you simply don’t have time to dedicate to your articles and wish to hire an affiliate website copywriter, get in touch today.