How do you evaluate affiliate websites

**danielapuestas** · 27 January 2023, 9:03 am

Hello,

I have a colleague next to me that's always asking me to evaluate Affiliate websites. I am an SEO and my only concern when doing so is - where is this website getting its traffic, how much is it, is there a potential google penalty (steep decline in traffic).

Anything else you'd suggest - so I can help my man be more successful at his job.

Thanks!

**chaumi** · 27 January 2023, 9:46 am

When you say 'evaluate affiliate websites', you mean evaluate from an affiliate manager perspective, right? ie someone deciding whether to accept a site into a program.

(there are other forms of evaluation for different reasons)

**robyroy** · 27 January 2023, 10:41 am

Originally Posted by chaumi

When you say 'evaluate affiliate websites', you mean evaluate from an affiliate manager perspective, right? ie someone deciding whether to accept a site into a program.

(there are other forms of evaluation for different reasons)

i think @danielapuestas means evaluate as price. If yes, in my opinion (i am also a SEO guy) there is alot of factors: backlink profile, branding stuff, content quality, community, etc.

**danielapuestas** · 6 February 2023, 7:55 am

Hey, sorry for the delay in clarifying - somehow lost this thread.

Chaumi got it right - I have a certain set of criteria I am looking for in order to accept or reject a site. However, I was looking to hear what others do (so I can become better).

**eenzoo** · 6 February 2023, 11:16 am

Never reject a site if you are not 100% clear who is behind.

Don't judge the book on the cover. Talk to the people!

If I looking to signup with a casino, I never, never show off my traffic sources. And YOU shouldn't ask.
Why those information is crucial? Looking for a bonus from the boss?
Every single affiliate is worth to give them a try. Otherwise you left a a ton of money on the table.
It's plenty of time to sort them out later on. BUT only if they are scammers or harm your business in any way.
There is actually no reason for any quotas. Money is money and often it comes very late and from sources u maybe have not on your current radar.

**dannyx** · 6 February 2023, 11:24 am

Originally Posted by eenzoo

Never reject a site if you are not 100% clear who is behind.

Don't judge the book on the cover. Talk to the people!

If I looking to signup with a casino, I never, never show off my traffic sources. And YOU shouldn't ask.
Why those information is crucial? Looking for a bonus from your boss?
Every single affiliate is worth to give them a try. Otherwise you left a a ton of money on the table.
It's plenty of time to sort them out later on. BUT only if they are scammers or harm your business in any way.
There is actually no reason for any quotas. Money is money and often it comes very late and from sources u maybe have not on your current radar.

It is very good that you have changed your mind about the value of small branches.

Everyone is worth the chance to participate in the program, regardless of size, etc.

**eenzoo** · 6 February 2023, 11:37 am

Originally Posted by dannyx

It is very good that you have changed your mind about the value of small branches.

Everyone is worth the chance to participate in the program, regardless of size, etc.

Hmm I did not changed. It's all about their status of relationship and state of business.

I can speak (currently) only as an affiliate. And I see the need for very small and small new brands to focus on the most productive partners.

If I would start a casino, I would do that only if I would be able to bring all costs on my own by FTD.

Never ever I would approve social networkers or streaming traffic in the beginning of my operation.

Hand-picked affiliates, who are able to deliver pristine search traffic, would be my choice. And here it doesn't matter if they sending 1 or 100 FTD.

And ofc, you have to adjust those ideas on the state of your business.

**universal4** · 6 February 2023, 2:33 pm

Have to agree with eenzoo on skipping streamers at least in the early days of brands.

And totally and completely agree that small affiliates can be extremely valuable to brands. I think that is a major part of helping the brand recognition get moving and small affiliates might one day be a larger affiliate. Turn them down now, and they might turn you down later.

Rick
Universal4

**danielapuestas** · 7 February 2023, 1:56 am

Thanks Eenzoo - not only am I new, I am not in the affiliate business at all. Never done a deal, never would (probably).

I am just a webmaster. But I am looking to learn as it's such a big business. And I jumped on the learning boat from an SEO perspective - I evaluate the proposed websites as I would if I am a webmaster looking to buy this domain. Like: is it appreciated by Google, does it get organic traffic and what queries does it come from. I know this is just a small piece of the evaluation puzzle - hence why I opened the thread. My method probably skips the fact the SEO tools' traffic readings are not 100% accurate, you might have amazing PPC traffic, etc.

I've never turned anyone down - people are not applying to me and it's not my job. Our business is at such an early stage that affiliates are hardly applying to us (I assume) - it's probably us chasing at this point.

But I already learned something - to not underestimate small websites - but still, I don't fully understand if I am sent a site like this, how to evaluate it better instead of scrapping it off.

**universal4** · 7 February 2023, 10:23 pm

How to evaluate?

Is the site trying to present brands in a proper and responsible manner?

If so that should be mostly enough.

A positive or negative should not be based on any scraping, seo tools, amount of traffic the affiliate has etc etc etc. (otherwise you might be underestimating a small site)

Up to you whether you want to put some time in to trying to help the affiliate improve their site, traffic driven etc., based on your opinion of seo etc.

And one point that many managers fail to realize, some affiliates apply with a single site, even if they own 100.

Rick
Universal4

**casinobonusguy** · 8 February 2023, 8:26 am

One of our websites looks like we are a small website but we have worked 18 years on building our mailing list and even have all the signup forms from 2006 to prove it. I work with select programs and occasionally I give the new guys a try .Communities like this are great for networking and 1 player from one affiliate may be worth 30 from another. For valuation to sell most are only interested in FTD and confirmed traffic via Analytics .I got burned buying a site last year as after 3 months the income tanked ,I am learning towards the program untagging right now because the affiliate who sold it is a very good member here .

**Nicole Goodwin** · 8 February 2023, 2:47 pm

If I understand correctly, then you can also consider traffic from social networks for example. Therefore here you can check the quality of social networks.

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