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Getting High Quality Links Is Not As Hard As You Think

Here are some of the proven methods that the best of the best use to build links to their site(s) without spending a dime.

Ask and You Shall Receive

This is probably the easiest and most effective way to get links to your site. Want the top dogs in your niche to link to you, send them an email with an introduction, the content you want them to link to, and a brief reason why they should link to. Build an email list and keep adding contacts to it as time goes on. Don’t be afraid to ask for a link. Asking for a link is similar to asking for help and everyone always say’s “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

Build a Network to Network With

Do what the popular people did in high school - build a network, then work it!

Remember all of those names you were adding to your email list? Link to others within this list, when you do, send them a note that you did. Answer thier link love requests with links from them. Ask questions, exchange knowledge, tips, etc. Get to know these folks personally. Just because you’ve never met them before (or may never) does not prevent you from becoming friends with them. The web is a popularity contest just like high school. The more friends you have, the more links you will get, and the more popular you will be (good and bad).

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To Be a Successful Affiliate You Need To Scale

One of the easiest ways to scale your Affiliate Marketing business is to automate and delegate as many tasks as possible. When I first began as an affiliate marketer, one of the most time consuming tasks was keeping track of all of the different campaigns, costs, commissions, revenues, and conversions. Although I tried not to get too caught up in “the numbers”, because I was running my affiliate efforts like a business I needed (wanted) to view my numbers daily.

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Yahoo! Has Closed the Overture API

My favorite tool for building keyword lists for Google, Yahoo!, and MSN PPC campaigns is dead. I had been using the Overture API for tool that is similar to Aaron Wall’s keyword suggestion tool, but it seems that the Overture API is gone and will not be coming back. In the past, there have been frequent outages, but it has been weeks since the API has worked. I am afraid it is dead.

With Yahoo! set to launch their updated search marketing service, it looks like making more money, rather then helping users is taking a precidence. Oh well, looks like it’s back to the paid keyword suggestion tools!

Let’s face it, most people get into affiliate marketing thinking they are going to get rich quick

Unfortunately, most affiliates lose more money then they earn. Some affiliates will make some pocket change, but soon quit because the time, effort, and dedication necessary to make it rich as an affiliate does not align with their need for instant gratification and success.

Here’s Why YOU Will Never Succeed at Affiliate Marketing

You want to become an affiliate to make money, not to fulfill a need of “users”. Everyone wants to make money, but if you decide to become an affiliate solely based on the pursuit of money, it will show early and you will not last long. Create something that users will find useful, learn how to sell through the site, and you will be well on your way to making big money.

You have no business acumen. Yes being an affiliate is certainly more fun then filling out TPS reports at your day job, but it is a business. Most do not know a lick about running a business. A lack of general business knowledge will greatly hinder your success.

You don’t know how to sell (or market). You make money when someone buys something, don’t you think you should know how to make them buy? Text links and banner ads do not click themselves. As an affiliate, you are an extension of a company’s sales staff. Act like a salesperson, think e-commerce, and start selling!

You can’t scale. If you think one site is going to make you rich, you are dreaming. Hey, I am a dreamer too, but not about affiliate marketing. When it comes to affiliate marketing you need to have multiple sites, with multiple offers, in order to make the big bucks. What if every week you could create one site that made you $500 a month….Learn how to build sites that require low maintenance, and then work towards creating and promoting a lot of them.

You try to do it all yourself. How many people do you know that are sucessful by themselves? Chances are none. Why? Because you need help from others in order to make it big. You can waste your time doing things you suck at or, you can outsource what you suck at to others who are could at while you concentrate on doing what your good at. The results will be better and you will make more money.

You lack persistence and the willingness to succeed. Listen, I worked 100 hours a month for six straight months when I first started as an affiliate and made a whopping $100. Do you have the persistence and willingness to suceed that it takes to sacrifice that much time for so little gain just that you have the possibility of making big money in the future? Most people don’t and that’s why most affiliates aren’t that successful.

So What Is An Affiliate To Do?

Spend two hours a day, every day, for the next six months, reading about affiliate marketing, listening to affiliates speak, experimenting with your own site, and following the information, programs, and techniques discussed on this site. I might not have every answer, but I have the answers that will help you to avoid all of the mistakes I made. So sit down, shut-up, and let me help you to become blinded by profits!