Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways you can make money online!
But just like with any online marketing business model, there are many myths you need to be aware of. Blindly accepting certain affiliate marketing myths as the truth can have a very negative impact on your business!
The challenge with many myths is that the answer isn’t always a simple TRUE or FALSE. The best answer is often IT DEPENDS. Some myths can be dispelled immediately as false, but others may be partially true, or true in specific situations.
So, how can you tell what to believe?
In this article, we’ll look in detail at some of the most common myths in affiliate marketing. These myths often fool new affiliate marketers and can lead them astray for years – we don’t want to see that happen to you.
Let’s dispel these myths once and for all!
The Top Affiliate Marketing Myths
We’ve tried to compile the top affiliate marketing myths in one place, but it’s impossible to cover all of the affiliate marketing myths that appear online. The internet can be a great source of information, but we all know not everything we read online is true.
Fortunately, at BrandBuilders, we specialize in affiliate marketing! We have a proven track record that dates back many years – in other words, we know what’s true because we live it every day.
MY #1 RECOMMENDATION: If you’re unsure about anything you’ve heard or read about affiliate marketing, ask us! Send us a message, or better yet, book a FREE coaching call with one of our affiliate marketing experts.
Remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid question! If you don’t ask, you may never find the right answer. Don’t waste time and money on something you’re not sure about.
With that out of the way, let’s get started!
Myth #1. Affiliate Marketing Isn’t a Real Business.
According to statistics, ecommerce sales in the United States alone will reach $374 billion in 2020. This figure is expected to increase to $476 billion by 2024.
Some people still think ecommerce in general, and affiliate marketing in particular, isn’t a real business model. Well, I guess there will always be people who think a real business can only be a brick-and-mortar business. This is simply not true.
As with any normal business, some affiliate marketers earn more than others. For some, it’s only a part-time hobby, whereas for others it’s their main source of income.
An affiliate marketing business can be very rewarding if you work hard and treat it like the real business it is.
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Myth #2. Affiliate Marketing Is Dead.
One of the most common myths is that affiliate marketing is dead, doesn’t work anymore, or is a declining business opportunity.
The myth partly originated after Amazon cut their affiliate commissions for certain categories in April 2020. This is true – but Amazon is only ONE of many affiliate networks. Their decision is by no means a nail in the coffin of affiliate marketing!
NOTE: Here at BrandBuilders, Amazon is still our #1 affiliate program because it’s a trusted ecommerce brand with high conversions. We specialize in pre-made affiliate sites and custom affiliate websites that are perfect for Amazon and other affiliate networks.
Affiliate marketing in the United States alone is expected to reach $6.8 billion in 2020, $7.4 billion in 2021, and $8.2 billion is 2022.
– Source: Statista
Affiliate marketing is a huge and growing industry!
If affiliate marketing had a voice, it would probably quote the then-alive Mark Twain:
“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
There’s absolutely no sign or indication that affiliate marketing is dead or declining. On the contrary, it’s expected to show solid growth every year for many years to come.
Myth #3. You Need the Right Credentials or Qualifications.
Affiliate marketing doesn’t really have educational barriers to entry. Pretty much anyone, from a college student with no qualifications to a professional, can do affiliate marketing.
You don’t need a degree or a professional qualification before you can become an affiliate marketer. Having the right credentials can certainly help – if you do have a qualification that’s relevant in your niche, it can boost your credibility. However, it’s NOT a requirement!
Ultimately, the vast majority of niches don’t require qualifications, because as an affiliate marketer, your job is simply to help your readers make the right purchase decisions.
People are more interested in the value you provide. This can be helpful advice, objective reviews, and tips based on your own personal experiences.
Remember, you’re not the merchant, service provider, supplier, or manufacturer. As a marketer, you’re a facilitator. Your main job is to point people in the right direction.
A Word of Caution
YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) niches should be approached with caution. This caveat doesn’t have anything to do with your qualifications or credentials, but more to do with the protection of consumers.
For example, you’ll notice that dietary supplements carry the following disclaimer:
“These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
Should you happen to be an affiliate for a dietary supplements company, you cannot make outrageous claims. You cannot promote the product as a cure for cancer, Covid-19, or any disease for that matter. If you do, the merchant will suspend you and you may find yourself in deep trouble with the FDA.
In addition to the above, you don’t need to be a health professional to be an affiliate marketer in the health niche, BUT don’t misrepresent yourself!
You can’t claim to be a doctor or put something like M.D. behind your name that may mislead consumers. Always be honest, open, and transparent about who you are!
The same principle applies in financial niches. For example, you can’t pretend to be a financial advisor if you’re not accredited. You can share information, but be careful not to cross the line into giving professional advice.
YMYL niches often take longer to rank for. Google doesn’t care about your qualifications per se, but it’s believed that E-A-T is a ranking factor. E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. It’s especially relevant in YMYL niches.
E-A-T doesn’t apply exclusively to YMYL niches. As an affiliate, you need to show Google AND your target audience you have the required expertise.
Just expect to establish yourself as an authority in your niche before people will trust you and follow your recommendations.
Myth #4. You Have To Do Everything Yourself.
One of the top affiliate marketing myths is that you have to do everything yourself. It’s one of the main reasons why many people never start with affiliate marketing or quickly give up. They feel overwhelmed and out of their depth.
Not all people are knowledgeable when it comes to affiliate marketing tasks like website design, keyword research, content creation, and SEO. Fortunately, you don’t need to be!
Remember the first myth we debunked, namely that affiliate marketing isn’t a real business? We showed that affiliate marketing IS a real business, and that you need to treat it as a real business. In doing so, you need to see yourself as a business owner.
So, ask yourself: What would a business owner do?
You don’t want to be the proverbial chief cook and bottle washer that’s in charge yet also performs small tasks.
It’s important to have the right mindset.
Don’t ask: “How do I become an affiliate marketer?”
Rather ask: “I am an affiliate marketer. Now what do I have to get done?”
You don’t require a lot of capital to start an affiliate marketing business. This should leave you with funds in your budget to outsource important tasks so you can focus on managing your business as a whole. It’s okay to hire out tasks in support of the success of your business!
NOTE: At BrandBuilders, we’re able to offer pre-made turnkey affiliate websites that are ready to make you money right away. We also specialize in offering premium quality SEO optimized content.
Myth #5. You Can’t Survive Google’s Algorithm Changes.
Each year, Google makes many algorithm changes that impact their search results. One of the myths is that it’s hard for affiliate marketers to survive Google’s algorithm updates.
This is a myth with some truth to it – I have to say that IT DEPENDS. It can be hard for some affiliate marketers, BUT it doesn’t have to be hard!
The problem with most affiliate marketers that get penalized by Google is they don’t give Google what Google wants. So, what does Google want?
Search engines like Google, and most social media platforms as well, want one thing:
They want people to stay on their platform as long as possible.
They know if their users have a good user experience, they will stay on the site longer and come back to in the future. So, Google tries to match what’s called “user intent” by giving users what they’re looking for. If users don’t stay long, it’s a signal that they’re not finding what they’re looking for.
Many affiliate sites have what Google calls “thin content” that adds no value to users.
According to Google:
“Google believes that pure, or ‘thin,’ affiliate websites do not provide additional value for web users.”
and
“Thin affiliates create a frustrating user experience.”
By following Google’s search engine optimization tips for affiliate programs, there’s no reason to fear Google’s algorithm changes.
Here are some tips straight from Google:
- “Good affiliates add value, for example by offering original product reviews, ratings, navigation of products or categories, and product comparisons.”
Adding value is a recurring theme with Google. They want to create a positive user experience for their users and it starts with their webmasters.
- “Affiliate program content should form only a minor part of the content of your site if the content adds no additional features.”
If you’re unable to add additional features to products you’re promoting, don’t focus on them too much. For example, if you’re writing a 1,000-word article it shouldn’t include 500-words of regurgitated affiliate content. Limit the affiliate content to say 50 or 100-words.
- “Ask yourself why a user would want to visit your site first rather than visiting the original merchant directly. Make sure your site adds substantial value beyond simply republishing content available from the original merchant.”
Most successful affiliate pages that appear on the first page of Google provide a lot of useful information. This includes product reviews, comparisons, and instructions on how to use the product.
- “When selecting an affiliate program, choose a product category appropriate for your intended audience. The more targeted the affiliate program is to your site’s content, the more value it will add and the more likely you will be to rank better in Google search results and make money from the program.”
This is a mistake I see very often. An affiliate joins some affiliate programs and then promotes those programs on all pages regardless of the page topic. Make sure if you mention an affiliate program on a page that it’s relevant to that specific page.
- “Keep your content updated and relevant. Fresh, on-topic information increases the likelihood that your content will be crawled by Googlebot and clicked on by users.”
One of the secrets of getting old posts to rank better in Google is to update them with fresh, relevant content. Don’t only focus on creating new content, update your existing content as well on a regular basis.
- “Pure affiliate sites consisting of content that appears in many places on the web are highly unlikely to perform well in Google search results and may be negatively perceived by search engines. Unique, relevant content provides value to users and distinguishes your site from other affiliates, making it more likely to rank well in Google search results.”
Always post unique, original content on your website. Your visitors don’t want to see the same content that appears on many other affiliate sites, and neither does Google.
Myth #6. Affiliate Marketing Links Aren’t Good for SEO.
Some people are convinced Google hates affiliate marketing. Based on the fact that we debunked myth #5 (that you can’t survive Google’s algorithm changes), this is obviously not the case.
If Google doesn’t hate affiliate marketing, then surely Google won’t have a problem with affiliate links, right? They don’t, but affiliate links should ideally be qualified as sponsored links.
According to Google’s John Mueller, it’s best to use the rel=”sponsored” attribute, if you can.
Here’s John’s tweet:
Google’s Matt Cutts already confirmed in 2012 that Google’s pretty good at handling affiliate links. Back in 2012 Google suggested affiliate links should follow the rel=”nofollow” attribute. This is still an option although Google now prefers the rel=”sponsored” attribute.
Myth #7. People Hate Clicking on Affiliate Links.
Let’s face it, affiliate links are often long and ugly. But does that mean people hate clicking on them?
The simple truth is that some people don’t like clicking on any links, including affiliate links. It often has nothing to do with a link being long and ugly. It’s typically ab