Below is a list of just some of the things you can do to plan or optimize your affiliate program. 

1. Perform a complete competitive Analysis.
    a. Create an Excel file that contains the commissions and affiliate program features.
    b. Sign-up to your competitor's programs and study their landing pages.
    c. Look at non-competitive landing pages for new ideas.

    d. Subscribe to Google Alerts using your competitor's names so you can keep up to speed.
 

2. Provide customizable and optimized landing pages.
    a. Count how many times the keywords you searched on appears on their site. This is

        called keyword density. You can use control F in your browser to speed up the counting.

        You need to have as many keywords as they do, but don’t go too far as the search engines

        will think you are trying to cheat.

    b. Note if their keywords are in their URL. Most probably are somewhere in the URL. You need

        to do the same.
    c. View their source to see where the keywords are located as well – alt text, meta keyword tag,

        meta description tag, etc. It all adds up.
    d. In Google, type in “links: websitenamehere.com” to see how many inbound links are going

        to their site. This also creates an excellent todo list for your inbound link strategy. You want

        to have links from these sites as well. Check out who is linking to your site as well.

3. Provide a regular and exclusive coupon code. Google and other search engines deduct points for doing this. Also, don't try the white text on white background trick. That will get you excluded for sure.
 

4. Provide dynamic creatives that contain up to date information. Add this task to Outlook to remind you to do this at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Avoid link farms. Search engines deduct points for this tactic.
 

5. Leave headroom in your public commissions to negotiate with super affiliates. They expect higher payouts to get them to run your program. You can also use the higher payouts as leverage to get your ads better placement like above the fold.
 

6. Send out a monthly newsletter. Keep in mind, competitors include sites that are ranking on your keywords and phrases, not just the ones your customers mention to you.
 

7. Email your top affiliates 2 - 3 times a month or more often if they initiate. Build several pages (and articles) that contain focus on a given topic and set of keywords. Make sure there is an obvious link to your home page so you can get the visitor to your core product or service.
 

8. Recruit new affiliates.

    a. Search Google for competitor's links and email the site to run your ads..
    b. Sign-up to your competitor's programs and study their landing pages.
    c. Look at non-competitive landing pages for new ideas.
 

9. Provide tools, articles, keyword lists, zip codes, etc. to your SEM affiliates. If you only have a 1 year term, you might be lumped in with temporary, fly-by-night web sites targeted to “get rich quick”.
 

10. Manage your EPC by removing affiliates who send a lot of clicks but no conversions.  and the sites that are ranking well in step 1 above at the WayBackMachine - www.archive.org. This can give clues to see what they’ve done to rank well.
 

About ManageMyAdvertising.com

ManageMyAdvertising.com has been helping small to medium sized companies gain customers through media buying, search marketing (Google Adwords, Yahoo Search, etc), affiliate programs (Commission Junction, LinkShare, DirectTrack, etc.), organic search results and other online marketing methods since 1997. Training and Q&A sessions are also available. You can email them at info@managemyadvertising.com or visit them at www.managemyadvertising.com, www.managemykeywords.com or www.managemyaffiliateprogram.com.