This document discusses winning SEO tactics for product affiliates. It outlines how SEO has become more competitive and algorithms change constantly. The document recommends focusing on developing high-quality, useful content rather than pursuing old tactics of generating large volumes of content and links. Specific tactics recommended include pursuing purpose-driven SEO by identifying trending topics to engage with authentically, user-generated content strategies like forums, and one-task strategies like giveaways and sponsorships to build relationships. An example is provided of how focusing content and outreach on a trending policy issue led to increased rankings and traffic for a site. The key takeaways are to elevate strategies, make affiliate sites important reading, and leverage influencers by

1. Winning SEO Tactics
for Product Affiliates
Dale Bertrand
President, Fire&Spark
August 12th, 2019

2. SEO is a Moving Target
 Gets more competitive every day
 Search algorithms are constantly
changing
 Generating backlinks is harder than
ever

3. We want to live the SEO dream!
Massive amounts of free traffic
that converts
I’ve lived it. It’s awesome.
Why Do We Bother?

4. What Type of Sites Are We
Talking About Today?
 Dropship
 Ecommerce
 Coupon
 Product review
Anyone promoting products with any type of content
 Price comparison
 Product blogs
 Wholesalers

5. My background
 Built product review and education lead gen sites
 Studied AI in graduate school
 Practicing SEO since 1999
 Founder of Fire&Spark digital marketing agency
 Focus on SEO, content marketing and analytics

6. Our Clients
Our Agency

7. Problems We’ll Tackle
 Competitors are outranking you
 Organic traffic isn’t converting
 Gave up on link building
 Lost traffic during an algorithm update

8. You must have the most useful,
trustworthy content in your niche
What Does Google Want?
Happy searchers (and to sell more ads)
 Google is a happiness engine
 Google wants to send searchers to
sites they trust

9. Foundational SEO Strategies
Build an SEO
friendly site
1 2
Develop SEO
Content
3
Generate
backlinks

10. Research
keywords one-
by-one
I did this for a decade!
Rinse and repeat
Lurk in forums
and FB groups
for content ideas
Continuously
generate
content
Send thousands
of link building
outreach emails

11. Old-school SEO Tactics Rely on
SEO Is Not a Numbers Game
 More content
 More links
 More outreach emails

12. SEO in 2018
Keyword
targeting
Build an
SEO-friendly
site
Authority
based on
backlinks
SEO in 2019
Content must be
high quality and
useful
Minimum
viable
technical SEO
Authority
based on
backlinks and
reputation

13. High Leverage
Strategies
Purpose-driven SEO
User Generated
Content
One-task SEO
strategies
Content creation &
link building
Technical SEO
Foundational
Strategies

14. One-task Strategies
 Interview campaigns
 Product giveaways
 Student group sponsorships

15. User Generated Content Strategies
 Forums
 Q&A Sites
 Learning communities

16. Purpose-driven Strategies
The process
1. Identify a trending topic in your niche
2. Engage authentically
3. Build relationships
Lead a movement!

17. Lead a Movement

18.  Contacted anyone who wrote about the law
 Interviewed activists
 Wrote articles about the impact
 Distributed banners and badges
We led the movement against the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
(CPSIA)
Strategy

19.  Mentions and backlinks on blogs
 Backlinks from Handmade Toy Alliance
 Backlinks Overlawyered Blog
 Banner and badge backlinks
 Links from toy makers
 Interview and issue oriented content
Results
Content, links and Rankings

21. Takeaways
 SEO has evolved and we need to elevate our strategies
 Your affiliate site can be “important reading”
 Influencers have a soft spot for causes they care about
 Dump mass email outreach for targeted email outreach
 Generate natural links (don’t do link building)
 Find a cause that you personally care about

22. What conversations are trending
in your market?

23. OLD Evaluate keyword search volume vs. competition
New Start by looking for trending topics that you care about
Choosing a Niche

24. Text LINKS to 66866
To receive Outreach Email
Templates and Recommended
Software Tools
Dale Bertrand
dale@fireandspark.com

25. Questions?
Dale Bertrand
dale@fireandspark.com
1.877.214.5385