Recently, we were discussing with a client about our affiliate solutions, and we ended up talking about SEO. 

The client had a few queries regarding it, and we helped solve them.

The query was so simple, but since the client couldn’t get it, we asked him to share the SEO checklist he was following.

When we looked at it, the entire checklist was just a random list of points, it didn’t make much sense.

And he said he found the same checklist everywhere on the internet.

No wonder why all of them had the same checklist!

Every affiliate follows the same SEO checklist for affiliate marketing websites but some of them fail, and some of them happen to do wonders. 

So, what is the difference between each of them?

What we noticed is that, even after using the same checklist, the affiliates who used a specific sequence won the SEO game. 

And after researching multiple articles, we didn’t find one. Every affiliate marketing SEO checklist had To-do’s, but not in a step-by-step format. 

So we decided to create our own checklist, which includes step-by-step implementation of SEO checklist for the affiliate marketing websites.

Let’s start discussing it.

SEO Checklist for Affiliate Marketing Websites #

Competitor Analysis #

Study the type of deals, guides, and promotions they offer

Analyzing the types of deals, guides, and promotions your competitors offer will give you insights into what resonates with your shared audience.

You should pay attention to how they structure their affiliate deals, like exclusive discounts, bundled offers, or limited-time promotions. 

You will also notice that affiliate portals often post content on product comparisons, how-to articles, or brand-specific reviews. You can create similar kinds of content to attract users. 

Analyze how they are leveraging seasonal events and high-traffic periods

When it’s a festive season, people often spend more money. So, you should analyze how competitors use this high-traffic period to boost engagement and get more sales.

It will give you an idea such as when they launch specific campaigns or introduce time-sensitive offers. 

By analyzing this, you can plan your own seasonal campaigns more effectively during festivals like Black Friday, Christmas, Diwali, or back-to-school. It will give you more visibility as well as more conversions during the festive season. 

For example, check this festival offer page from GrabOn. 

As you can see above they have listed all the festivals, and there is a dedicated page for each festival. So, they don’t have to create a new page every time during a new festival. 

Identify underserved keywords related to affiliate marketing, deals, and cashback.

If you have just started your affiliate website, it might be hard for you to give competition to established players. So, you can look for specific terms related to deals, cashback offers, and affiliate programs that competitors might be overlooking.

These can include niche markets, emerging brands, or less common search phrases that still carry significant intent. For example, if you have a coupon website, instead of targeting the keyword “discounts on electronics,” you can target “exclusive discount on electronics.” 

These are less competitive but highly relevant for specific audiences. This will increase your chances of ranking higher in search engines. 

Analyze their backlinks

Most people do this after generating content. But it is important to do it in the beginning and analyze which content your competitors are getting backlinks from. You can use tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to see competitor’s backlinks.

It helps you get backlinks organically without putting much effort into it. And getting high-quality backlinks improves your SEO efforts as well.

Also, you can get backlinks if you are generating high-quality content. If you find that there are certain things missing in the competitor’s content or they have missed a topic, you can go deeper into it and provide insights.

And then, if you reach out to websites, you will definitely get more backlinks for high quality content.

Tools for Competitor Analysis #

• Ahrefs
• SEMrush
• Moz
• SpyFu

Now that you have analyzed competitors, it is time to research keywords and plan content.

Keyword Research & Content Planning #

Focus on long-tail keywords related to cashback offers, specific brands, and coupon codes.

These are more specific phrases that users might search for. They often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. 

Tools might not help you much when finding long tail keywords but you can look for them in the people also ask option. 

They are more naturally asked queries than just putting random words on Google. So they are more likely to get conversions.

For example, if you are targeting “cashback on Amazon shopping”, you will see the following faq’s

Users have similar queries and they are asking for it. So, whenever you create a landing page or article on Cashback on Amazon shopping, its worth adding it; it will give a boost to your page ranking.

Create a keyword cluster

It’s time to put in some more time. You already have figured out competitors, keyword and content gaps, long tail keywords, and more.

Now it’s time to create a clear map of how you want each content to look like. Once you go to any tool and look for a keyword, you will see that there are 100s of them. But you won’t be able to create one page targeting all of them.

So, what you can do is create different clusters of related keywords or LSI keywords, as we call it in technical terms. It will help you incorporate keywords naturally and post more content around the same topic to build authority.

You can either use tools like SurferSEO or simply use Keyword Planners’ “grouped view feature” to find related keywords.

This is the top-ranking page on “cashback on Amazon shopping” from Zingoy, and as you can see, it is targeting a variety of related keywords. 

You can also adopt a similar strategy for creating content around it. Now that we are talking about creating content, you might be thinking, where will I put the content in coupons, cashback, and other deals? 

Content Planning

Let’s be very clear and honest about it. It is a fact that you will need content of some length on your page to rank better, and you can not keep posting blogs about everything. So what you can do about it?

You can adapt a strategy used by GrabOn. What they have done at the end of every page is they have added some sort of content that includes keywords as well.

It includes guides, details about offers, tips & tricks, and other points that customers might be looking for. This gives you an opportunity to add multiple keywords and get the opportunity to rank on them.

You should also consider posting articles on 

• How to guides?
• Tips and strategies
• Latest trends
• Platforms they can use

A mix of both, content on landing pages + articles, will give you a boost in your SEO efforts.

Things to keep in mind for keyword research and content planning

• Analyze Competitor Keywords: Find keywords that your competitors are ranking for by using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs. This analysis helps you identify keyword gaps in your own strategy and find opportunities to target untapped or less competitive keywords.
• Segment Keywords by Intent: Classify your keywords based on the user’s intent, such as looking for discounts, deals, or product comparisons. Focusing on high-intent keywords that lead directly to conversions, like “buy now” or “exclusive offers,” will make your content more relevant to your audience.
• Content Calendar: Develop a content calendar that focuses on timely and seasonal keywords, like “holiday sales” or “Black Friday deals.” Regularly updating your portal with fresh, keyword-optimized content will help you remain competitive and relevant throughout the year.
• Content Diversification: Diversify your content types to include blogs, deal roundups, comparison charts, and video reviews. This variety helps you cater to different user preferences and increase engagement. 

Tools for Keyword Research & Content Planning #

• Google Keyword Planner
• Ahrefs
• SEMrush
• Ubersuggest
• BuzzSumo
• Google Trends
• CoSchedule Headline Analyzer

Now that you know how to analyze competitors and post content for your affiliate portal, let’s discuss the On-page, off-page, and technical audit SEO checklist.

On-Page SEO Checklist #

Add targeted keywords in title tags and meta description.

This is very basic, and you probably know about it. You should just look at how the competitors are doing it. 

For example, if you search for Myntra Coupons, you will see the following results.

What you can see is they have used brand names, highlighted key offers and discounts, and some have added time references as well to create urgency, like GrabOn and CouponDunia, which showcase the discounts and timeline for using coupons.

[Brand Name + Offers + Time]

Also, regularly update the titles, like GrabOn has added in August 2024. It shows that the coupons are the latest and increase the chances of getting clicked.

Similarly in meta description, it is important to add a clear CTA along with the keywords. You can use something like “Shop now” or “Grab your discount today,” which encourages users to click. Also, you can use words like verified coupons and guaranteed cashback, as it appeal to users. 

Set a clear hierarchy with Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)

Header tags are an important part of SEO. It signals Google about the clear hierarchy of your content. So, use these tags to structure your content. 

We will take the above example for the Myntra coupons page from GrabOn. Here is how they have used the Header tags

As you can see, they have left no opportunities to add keywords and faqs. And it has a clear hierarchy of the heading. 

Each level of tags specifies the topic, and it makes sure that all the relevant subtopics are covered. This not only improves SEO by making the page more crawlable and indexable but also enhances user experience by making the content easier to navigate.

Incorporate LSI Keywords

In simple terms, Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are related terms or synonyms that help search engines understand the context of your content. They are not just direct synonyms but also words and phrases that are commonly associated with your primary keyword.

For example, if you are creating a page with the primary keyword “Cashback on Myntra,” your LSI keywords might look something like this:

• “Myntra discount offers”
• “Earn cashback on online shopping.”
• “Myntra coupon codes”
• “Shopping rewards programs”
• “Best cashback deals”
• “Maximize savings on Myntra.”

Adding LSI keywords like “Best cashback deals” and “Maximize savings on Myntra” adds depth and context to your content. 

It will signal to search engines that your page covers various aspects related to Myntra Cashback, improving your chances of ranking for different search queries.

Things to keep in mind for On-Page SEO

• Build an internal linking strategy: By strategically linking to relevant pages such as affiliate offers, guides, and other related content, you create a network of connections that not only improves user navigation but also helps search engines understand the structure and relevance of your site.
• Maintain a contextual anchor tag for linking: Don’t just add links to random text; it is important to add the links to descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text. It provides a context for users and search engines and increases the chances of getting clicked. 
• Optimize images: Images are important for both user experience and SEO. To improve your ranking, include keywords in the image file name and alt text, making it easier for search engines to index your images and drive traffic to your site.
• Structure URL with keywords: Your URL should be simple and concise and include a relevant keyword. A clean, keyword-rich URL is the first element search engines analyze, making it vital for improving your page’s SEO performance.
• Maintain keyword density: There’s no strict rule for keyword usage, but it’s important to incorporate your primary keyword naturally within the first 100-200 words. Avoid overstuffing and focus on maintaining a natural flow that improves readability and SEO.
• Optimize for mobile: Make sure images, text, and links are easily readable and clickable on smartphones. Though it is common, many sites still fail to work properly on mobile. 

Tools for On-Page SEO #

• Yoast SEO
• Google PageSpeed Insights
• Ahrefs
• Surfer SEO

Off-Page SEO #

Build high-quality backlinks

As we discussed in competitor analysis, backlinks are very important. So, focus on acquiring backlinks from reputable websites in your industry. 

Reach out to industry blogs for guest posting opportunities or collaborate on content that helps you get links.

Engage in social media promotion.

Share your content across social media platforms to increase visibility and attract more backlinks. 

Post your latest blog article on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and encourage users to shares and comments.

Monitor and remove harmful backlinks.

Use tools like Google Search Console to identify and remove harmful backlinks that could negatively impact your SEO. 

If you find spammy backlinks pointing to your site, submit a link file to Google to ignore these links.

Target your competitors’ broken backlinks.

Broken backlinks are links on other websites that lead to dead pages on your competitors’ sites. By using tools like Ahrefs or Broken Link Checker, you can find these broken links and then offer the website owner your own relevant content as a replacement. 

This not only helps them maintain the quality of their site but also helps you with a valuable backlink. It’s a win-win situation that improves your SEO while helping the linking site.

Leverage digital PR

Start getting your brand mentioned in online publications, blogs, and news sites to build high-quality backlinks and increase brand awareness. This can be achieved by crafting press releases, contributing guest articles, or securing interviews in industry-related media outlets. 

By leveraging digital PR, you can establish your brand as a thought leader, attract more traffic to your site, and improve your search engine rankings through authoritative backlinks.

Turn unlinked mentions into links.

Sometimes, your brand or content is mentioned on other websites without a backlink. By using tools like Google Alerts or Mention, you can track these unlinked mentions. 

Once identified, you can reach out to the website owner or author, politely asking them to add a link to your site. This strategy is effective because the site owner has already shown interest in your brand or content, making them more likely to consider your request.

Tools for Off-Page SEO Checklist #

• Ahrefs
• BuzzStream
• Majestic
• Pitchbox

These are some of the key things that need to be taken care of. But your work is not done here. Even after publishing the content, it requires regular optimization and monitoring. 

You can follow the checklist below to monitor your content and optimize it for better ranking. 

Technical Audits SEO checklist #

Regularly check for crawl errors

Use Google Search Console to find and fix issues that prevent search engines from crawling your site. If Google reports a “404 Not Found” error, redirect the broken link to a relevant page.

Ensure all pages are indexed.

Check that all important pages are being indexed by search engines. Use the “site:domain.com” search operator on Google to see which of your pages are indexed. You can also check the unindexed pages in GSC.

Fix duplicate content issues

Avoid having the same content available at multiple URLs. 

Example: If your blog post is accessible via two URLs,

https://xyz.com/affiliate-seo

https://xyz.com/seo-for-affiliates

What you can do is implement a 301 redirect or use a canonical tag.

Audit and improve site security

Use tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to audit your site and fix errors. It helps you keep your site updated with the latest SEO guidelines. Also, for security purposes, you can use tools to monitor and protect your site. 

Check Page Speed

Regularly keep an eye on how fast your page loads. If it takes longer, you will lose organic traffic and a potential customer. Use tools like PageSpeed to check the speed and fix issues if found.

Tools for Technical Audits SEO Checklist #

• Screaming Frog
• SEMrush
• DeepCrawl
• Ahrefs

Analytics & Monitoring #

Google Analytics and Search Console Setup

Setting up Google Analytics and Search Console is very important for tracking and analyzing your website’s performance.

Google Analytics helps you monitor various aspects of your website, like traffic sources, user behavior, and engagement metrics. This helps you understand which pages are performing well and which ones need improvement. 

Google Search Console, on the other hand, helps get insight into how your site is performing in Google search results. It can impact your site’s visibility. 

Monitor Keyword Rankings

Monitoring keyword rankings is an important part of any SEO strategy. Tracking keyword positions helps you to identify trends, like improvements or declines in rankings. You should regularly check this to see what improvements need to be made. 

Track Organic Traffic and Conversions

The sole reason for SEO for affiliates is to get targeted organic traffic from those who are looking for websites similar to yours. So, by analyzing the traffic and conversion, you can see whether your content is targeting the right audience. 

If you are getting good conversions, it means your SEO strategy is working, and if not you need improvements. 

Analyze User Behavior with Heatmaps and Scroll

Only bringing users to your site is not enough. You also have to keep them engaged. So, heatmap data like clicks, scrolling, and time spent helps you understand how engaging your content is. 

This helps you understand where to add CTAs to get the most clicks and optimize the overall user experience on your site. 

Tools for Analytics and Monitoring #

• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console
• Hotjar
• SEMrush
• Microsoft Clarity

Conclusion #

So, these were the check boxes that you need to tick in your SEO checklist for affiliate marketing website. Following this will not only help you rank better but will also plan and organize your checklist effectively.