Affiliate marketing

147 topics across 7 chapters

Chapter 1

Foundations & strategy

Affiliate marketing models & terminology

3 subtopics

CPA/CPL/CPS/revshare cheat sheet

Cookies & attribution basics (last-click, windows, device limits)

Networks vs in-house programs (pros/cons for affiliates)

Economics & KPIs

3 subtopics

Calculate EPC/CTR/CR/AOV from sample data

Break-even CPC/CPA worksheet (unit economics)

Basic forecasting template (traffic → clicks → conversions → revenue)

Ethical promotion & brand trust

3 subtopics

Trust checklist (evidence, transparency, pros/cons, who it’s for)

Avoiding misleading claims (health, income, “best”, guarantees)

Conflict-of-interest handling (reviews, sponsorships, freebies)

Choosing your operating model

3 subtopics

Decision matrix: SEO vs social vs email vs paid (time/cash/trust)

Pick a niche-aligned brand name and positioning statement

Set 90-day goals & milestones (skills, assets, traffic, revenue)

Chapter 2

Niche, audience & offer research

Niche selection & validation

3 subtopics

Niche scorecard (demand, competition, payout, compliance risk)

30-day validation sprint plan (MVP content + simple offer test)

Trend/seasonality check steps (Google Trends + competitor timing)

Audience research & personas

3 subtopics

Persona template (goals, constraints, objections, decision triggers)

Pain-point interview script (JTBD-style questions)

Map the customer journey stages (discover → compare → decide)

Offer/program evaluation

3 subtopics

Program terms checklist (commission, cookie, payout, reversals)

Product quality evaluation (refunds, support, reputation, proof)

Allowed traffic sources & promo rules review (per program/network)

Competitive research

3 subtopics

Competitor content audit checklist (types, depth, intent, CTAs)

Identify content gaps & differentiating angles

Backlink/traffic estimation using SEO tools (directional only)

Chapter 3

Platforms, tracking & infrastructure

Joining programs & networks

3 subtopics

Application & approval best practices (site, traffic, positioning)

Managing multiple programs (logins, terms, creatives, links)

Accessing promos: coupons, deals, product feeds, assets

Website/landing stack basics

3 subtopics

Domain/hosting/CMS setup checklist

Site architecture for affiliate content (categories, silos, hubs)

Speed & Core Web Vitals quick wins (images, caching, scripts)

Email/list infrastructure

3 subtopics

Opt-in forms & lead magnet delivery setup

Deliverability basics (SPF/DKIM/DMARC, warming, list hygiene)

Welcome email draft (expectations, value, first recommendation)

Link tracking & attribution setup

3 subtopics

Build deep links + subID conventions (campaign naming)

UTM naming convention doc (consistent source/medium/campaign)

Link testing + broken-link monitoring routine

Disclosures & legal pages basics

3 subtopics

FTC disclosure placement examples (blog, email, video, social)

GDPR/CCPA awareness checklist (data collection, email, analytics)

Chapter 4

Content & organic traffic

Content strategy & planning

3 subtopics

Topic cluster plan (pillars + supporting articles)

Content calendar (cadence, formats, intent stages)

Pillar vs supporting page outlines (structure and internal links)

SEO for affiliate sites

4 subtopics

Keyword research workflow (seed → expansion → intent → prioritization)

On-page SEO checklist (titles, headers, schema, internal links)

Basic link building & digital PR plan (safe, scalable tactics)

E-E-A-T improvements checklist (authors, evidence, citations, about)

Writing high-converting affiliate content

4 subtopics

Review page template (who it’s for, tests, pros/cons, verdict)

Comparison/best-of template (criteria, tables, alternatives, CTAs)

Tables/CTAs placement rules (scannability + intent matching)

Evidence gathering plan (hands-on tests, screenshots, quotes, data)

Content operations (workflow, QA, updates, outsourcing)

4 subtopics

Content brief SOP (intent, outline, entities, internal links, CTAs)

Editing/QA checklist (accuracy, compliance, links, formatting)

Content refresh schedule (update, merge, prune, republish)

Outsourcing steps (hire, test tasks, SOPs, feedback loops)

Social/community distribution (organic)

3 subtopics

Pick 1–2 channels + posting cadence (based on audience + format fit)

Repurpose blog → short video/scripts → posts (workflow checklist)

Community rules & non-spam outreach checklist

Chapter 5

Paid traffic & media buying

Paid traffic fundamentals & risk controls

3 subtopics

Policy compliance pre-flight checklist (platform + offer + claims)

Budgeting & loss limits (test budgets, stop rules, scaling rules)

Tracking pixels + conversion events checklist

Search ads for affiliate offers

3 subtopics

Campaign structure & match types (intent segmentation)

Ad copy + extensions checklist (benefits, proof, policy-safe)

Search query mining + negatives workflow

Social ads for affiliate offers

3 subtopics

Creative testing matrix (angles, hooks, formats, variants)

Audience/interest testing plan (broad vs stacked vs lookalikes)

Pixel learning phase troubleshooting checklist

Retargeting & display/native

3 subtopics

Retargeting audience setup (site visitors, engagers, email list)

Frequency caps & creative fatigue monitoring

Advertorial/native page structure (story → proof → offer → CTA)

Landing pages for paid traffic

3 subtopics

Landing page wireframe checklist (sections, hierarchy, CTA path)

Above-the-fold value prop & CTA checklist

Claims/testimonials compliance checklist (risk reduction)

Chapter 6

Conversion, funnels & monetization

Conversion fundamentals (UX + trust)

3 subtopics

Friction audit checklist (speed, clarity, steps, distractions)

Trust elements checklist (proof, FAQs, policies, contact, about)

Mobile-first UX checklist (tap targets, scroll depth, readability)

100

Copywriting & persuasion

3 subtopics

101

Objection-handling swipe file (collect + categorize + rewrite)

102

Benefit-driven rewrite exercise (features → outcomes + proof)

103

CTA and microcopy checklist (clarity, urgency, risk reversal)

↗ Landing pages for paid traffic (see Chapter 5)

104

Funnel design (lead magnet → email → offer)

3 subtopics

105

Lead magnet ideas by intent stage (TOFU/MOFU/BOFU)

106

Welcome/nurture sequence map (emails, timing, goals, CTAs)

107

Segmentation triggers & tags plan (behavior → next best offer)

108

CRO testing & experimentation

3 subtopics

109

A/B test plan template (hypothesis, metric, duration, decision rule)

110

Sample size & significance basics (avoid false winners)

111

Heatmaps/session recordings interpretation checklist

112

Monetization optimization (offer mix, placement, diversification)

3 subtopics

113

Offer stacking plan (primary + alternatives + upsell/cross-sell)

114

Link placement & rotation strategy (above fold, mid, end, tables)

115

Diversify programs to reduce dependency (portfolio plan)

116

Partnerships & commission negotiation

3 subtopics

117

Higher-rate/coupon request scripts (email templates)

118

Performance report for negotiations (EPC, volume, growth, placements)

119

Co-marketing/bonus strategy (bundles, exclusive bonuses, webinars)

Chapter 7

Operations, analytics & scaling

↗ Disclosures & legal pages basics (see Chapter 3)

↗ Link tracking & attribution setup (see Chapter 3)

120

Analytics & dashboards

3 subtopics

121

Dashboard for affiliate KPIs (traffic, clicks, EPC, revenue by page)

122

Event tracking for outbound affiliate clicks (spec + QA checklist)

123

Monthly reporting template (insights → actions → experiments)

124

SOPs & automation

3 subtopics

125

SOP for publishing a post (draft → edit → links → disclosure → publish)

126

Affiliate link management process (inventory, updates, replacements)

127

Automation ideas (alerts, broken links, reporting reminders)

128

Financial operations & taxes basics (US)

3 subtopics

129

Income/expense tracking categories (simple bookkeeping setup)

130

1099s & tax prep checklist (organize docs; talk to a pro if needed)

131

Separate accounts & payout reconciliation checklist

132

Scaling strategies (team, content, channels)

3 subtopics

133

Hiring plan (writers, editors, VA) + onboarding checklist

134

Update/prune at scale (keep winners, merge cannibalized pages)

135

Expand into new channels/offers roadmap (sequence + resourcing)

136

Risk management & compliance monitoring

3 subtopics

137

Program terms log & audit schedule (rules change monitoring)

138

Backup traffic sources plan (avoid single-platform dependence)

139

Handling account bans/disapprovals playbook (appeals, pivots, comms)