Adsense v. affiliate - advice needed

[zcx]

I have some reasonably successful Adsense sites, but I'd really like to expand and get into some affiliate marketing. In fact I've tried to do just that, but I just can't seem to get the hang of the whole affiliate deal. :-( My affiliate sites get traffic, but just hardly any clicks and no conversions at all. When you're writing content for affiliate sites, how much of it is really specifically about the product you're promoting? Also, do you put Adsense and affiliate ads on the same page?

[AvidAZ]

You can place affiliate ads on the same page as Adsense. It isn't against their TOS.

[HCLee]

I don't think there is a right way to maximize your earnings and I think it differs for different people with different niches and affiliate programs. There are some people who say that having adsense links side by side with affiliate links is bad as it confused the visitor. Having just adsense links let the visitor have no choice but to click the ads. On the other hand other people are saying it depends on the type of affiliate programs and whether they suit that site they are placed.Some have seen good results.

[affiliated survivor]

You need the right traffic. Use the same keywords as if you were advertising with Adwords. In most cases not the easiest keywords, since where the money is there´s always a lot of competition.

[netfq]

As affiliated survivor said above .. you need the right traffic to promote affiliate products...

For example: if you targetted the keyword "How to make costumes" then you aren't going to sell many costumes via affiliate programs, simply because people are not interestsed in buying them, but rather making them.

However if you targetted the keyword "Fairy Costumes" then people searching for that keyword are more interested in finding ready made costumes they can buy via your affiliate links..

It sounds like you are getting traffic, it's just that the traffic you are getting are more interested in getting 'information' rather than buying an actual product ..... try targetting keywords which are more suited for someone wanting to buy a particular product rather than just getting information on a product...

Keyword Research is always worth doing!

Also if you are targetting affiliate sales then you shouldn't put adsense on the same page ... better your visitor clicks on your affiliate link rather than an adsense link

[clickbump]

Originally Posted by zcx

Also, do you put Adsense and affiliate ads on the same page?

Never. I see affiliate marketing and PPC as two distinctly different business models. With each you need to have a defined action you want to lead the user to. If you mix them, you can't really do that.

You either have to lead them to the click (based on tactics such as laid out brilliantly in John's Xfactor method ebook) or you "Presell" them for the product you are pitching as an affiliate.

The presell business model, while similar in the technical details (niche research, optimized template, organic search mining, exact match keyword domain to name a few) is entirely different than the PPC business model and you will be most successful when you focus on one or the other for each site you deploy.

~ cb

[Easy Cash]

Originally Posted by zcx

I have some reasonably successful Adsense sites, but I'd really like to expand and get into some affiliate marketing. In fact I've tried to do just that, but I just can't seem to get the hang of the whole affiliate deal. :-( My affiliate sites get traffic, but just hardly any clicks and no conversions at all. When you're writing content for affiliate sites, how much of it is really specifically about the product you're promoting? Also, do you put Adsense and affiliate ads on the same page?

Firstly, it is good to see that you are thinking of other revenue streams. This also can protect your earnings in the long term or should one stream fail.

If you are getting traffic, but hardly any clicks, then you need to test and see why you are not getting the follow through to your link.

Record how many clicks you are getting per hundred visitors, change your page and record again.

Remember to focus your visitor on the product you are selling, and get them to click your link by not having any other links to click.

[clickbump]

Originally Posted by Easy Cash

Firstly, it is good to see that you are thinking of other revenue streams. This also can protect your earnings in the long term or should one stream fail.

This is a very good point to make. I think my response above left short of finishing on this point too. I'm doing really well in adsense enabled niche sites, but also I'm currently working on deploying sites following the google sniper method that are targeted to affiliate products. And I'm doing it for just that reason. Diversification of income and risk mitigation.

Diversifying your income streams is just good business sense, particularly with the stories of folks losing their adsense accounts in one fell swoop (most for just cause, I have to believe, but I would expect there are some innocent mistakes leading to this as well).

So you are absolutely right to look to diversify, and my advice is that you should not try to diversify by mixing PPC and AM in the same site. Your diversification should be on a site by site basis...

[Frank Michaels]

Originally Posted by zcx

I have some reasonably successful Adsense sites, but I'd really like to expand and get into some affiliate marketing. In fact I've tried to do just that, but I just can't seem to get the hang of the whole affiliate deal. :-( My affiliate sites get traffic, but just hardly any clicks and no conversions at all. When you're writing content for affiliate sites, how much of it is really specifically about the product you're promoting? Also, do you put Adsense and affiliate ads on the same page?

When dealing with affiliate marketing, personally I feel that finding the right targeted keywords is very crucial, because it will determine your Google ranking for the keyword, and also how laser targeted your traffic is. The keywords you focus on will determine the prospects you will drive to your website.