SEO or Paid Ads? The Smart Choice for Affiliate Marketing Success

Well, if we look at it from the outside, affiliate marketing looks really simple and easy. 

It is about selecting a product, referring, and making commissions. However, after you are in it properly, you soon realize that it is not just the selection of products that is the challenge.

But the real challenge is getting the right traffic. So, this is where the big question arises: whether you should invest in paid ads or just rely on SEO.

Well, I have tried them both, wasted some money, made a few mistakes, and discovered what really works.

Do not worry, I will simplify it for you in a plain, straightforward manner to make things easy for you.

SEO Vs. Paid Ads

It is good to know what each of the options presents before deciding on which side to be on.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to the process of coming up with content that will appear at the top of search engines such as Google. Naturally, people find you, and you do not have to spend money on every click.

Paid Ads (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, native ads, etc.) enable you to pay to get instant visibility. Your affiliate link appears right away. But until you continue spending.

Both can work brilliantly. Therefore, the smart decision will be based on your objectives, financial capacity, and the level of patience.

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The SEO is often referred to as a powerhouse for long term. This is because 93% of online experiences begin with search engines. 

Therefore, SEO is really important. But it is a time consuming process. And I am not going to sugarcoat that. 

At the beginning, it felt like screaming at nothing when posting blog posts. However, after things fell into place, SEO transformed everything.

The Big Advantages of SEO

• Free traffic in the long run
  Clicks are free once your content has been ranked.
• High trust from users
  Organic results are more trusted by people compared to advertisements.
• Potential of passive income
  A well written article can bring in months or even years’ worth of income.
• Scales beautifully
  The larger the amount of content published, the better your site.

This is the reason why a lot of affiliate marketers develop niche blogs using informational and buyer intent keywords.

For instance, if your niche is writing services, then bloggers can create content on keywords like Pay to Write OTHM Assignments using the right SEO strategy to make it work.

The Downsides of SEO 

SEO is not ideal, particularly for the novice:

• Outputs require 3 6 months (and more)
• Algorithms in Google are susceptible to changes in ranking.
• Needs constant content creation and posting
• Should be patient and persistent.

So, if you are looking for an immediate income, then SEO will seem like a frustrating task at the beginning.

Paid Ads 

Now, let us take a look at Paid ads. They are absolutely exciting for anyone.

You establish a campaign, start it, and traffic begins flowing nearly instantly. Such instant results are definitely tempting for anyone.

Benefits of Paid Ads for Affiliate Marketing

• Instant results
  No months of waiting to be ranked.
• Full control over targeting
  You select a place, likes, age, and behavior.
• Great for testing offers
  Find out fast what works and what does not.
• Scalable—fast
  More money, more traffic (theoretically).

Paid advertisement can be particularly effective when you are selling time limited deals or when you are trying out new affiliate products.

Risks of Paid Ads

This is the segment most gurus fail to highlight. So, here are some of the downsides of paid ads.

• You pay per click.
• A single error in targeting will burn your budget.
• Ads are highly regulated on platforms.
• Novices can have slim profit margins.

I have witnessed individuals spend hundreds of dollars before their first conversion. Paid advertisements need the ability, patience, and emotional restraint.

SEO vs Paid Ads   Which One is Better?

Well, the honest answer to this would be no one.

I mean, neither SEO nor paid Ads are better than the other. But it all depends on your intent and purpose. 

So, if you have a limited budget and can wait patiently. Then SEO might be the right choice for you. But if you do not have budget restraints and need immediate results. Then, Paid ads are a good choice.

But the smartest strategy is to combine them both.

You can test which offers and keywords are converting using paid ads.
And then transform winning insights into SEO content.

Final Words

In a nutshell, SEO can be a safer and longer lasting route to take, especially when you are new to it. It teaches you how users think, instills trust, and generates long term value.

Paid ads, however, are effective, but ruthless. They are effective when your audience and conversion process are known.

Therefore, we cannot say whether SEO or paid ads is the smart decision.
The smart thing is to understand when and how to utilize each of them.

Strike that balance, and affiliate marketing no longer feels like a gambling game. But it begins to feel like a legitimate business. Good Luck!