Where to find products to promote

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• Amazon Associates: Amazon’s affiliate program offers a vast selection of products across numerous categories, making it an ideal choice for bloggers looking to monetize their content. Bloggers can earn commissions by promoting products through customized affiliate links.

• ShareASale: ShareASale is a popular affiliate marketing network that connects bloggers with thousands of merchants offering a wide range of products and services. Bloggers can browse through various affiliate programs and choose those that align with their blog’s niche and audience.

• ClickBank: ClickBank is an affiliate marketing platform specializing in digital products such as e-books, online courses, and software. Bloggers can search for products within their niche and promote them to earn commissions on sales generated through their affiliate links.

• Commission Junction (CJ): CJ Affiliate, formerly known as Commission Junction, is one of the largest affiliate marketing networks, offering bloggers access to a diverse selection of products and advertisers. Bloggers can join affiliate programs from top brands and promote products relevant to their audience.

• Etsy: Etsy is a marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique products, making it an excellent resource for bloggers with niche audiences interested in artisanal goods. Bloggers can join the Etsy affiliate program to earn commissions by promoting products from independent sellers on the platform.​
   

To accept payments

In order to get paid from the above sites and also to accept payments for products sold on your blog or website, you’ll need a place for them to submit the funds:

PayPal – I currently use this one, but there are many other choices. Which one is suitable depends much on your location..

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Advertise

Google Adsense – Earn extra income every time a visitor clicks a one of these links. Depending on your niche the potential income will vary, but it’s a nice way to generate income from visitors who leave your site.  Display these ads with caution, don’t overdo it.

 

SEO Tools

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• Yoast SEO: Yoast SEO is a powerful WordPress plugin that helps bloggers optimize their content for search engines. It provides real-time feedback and suggestions for improving on-page SEO elements such as meta titles, meta descriptions, headings, and keyword density. Yoast SEO also offers features for XML sitemap generation, breadcrumbs, and social media integration, making it a comprehensive tool for bloggers looking to enhance their website’s visibility.

• SEMrush: SEMrush is a versatile SEO tool that offers a wide range of features for keyword research, competitive analysis, backlink analysis, and more. Bloggers can use SEMrush to identify valuable keywords to target in their content, analyze their competitors’ strategies, and track their website’s performance in search engine rankings. Additionally, SEMrush provides insights into advertising strategies, social media performance, and content optimization, making it a valuable resource for bloggers looking to improve their online presence.

• Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that allows bloggers to monitor and optimize their website’s presence in Google search results. It provides valuable data and insights into how Google crawls and indexes your site, including information on search queries, click-through rates, and indexing errors. Bloggers can use Google Search Console to identify opportunities for improving their website’s visibility in search results, resolving technical issues, and optimizing their content for better performance.

Sites Statistics

 

You’ll definitely want to track where your traffic is coming from. The following will show you which keywords your visitors are using to find your site via the search engines:

 

• Google Analytics: Google Analytics is a comprehensive web analytics service offered by Google that provides detailed insights into website traffic, user behavior, and performance. It offers a wide range of features, including real-time data tracking, audience demographics, acquisition sources, and conversion tracking. Google Analytics is free to use and integrates seamlessly with other Google products, making it a top choice for bloggers and website owners looking to understand and optimize their online presence.

• Matomo (formerly Piwik): Matomo is an open-source web analytics platform that offers similar features to Google Analytics but with a focus on data privacy and security. It allows website owners to host their analytics data on their own servers, providing full control over their data and compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR. Matomo offers features such as real-time tracking, customizable dashboards, goal tracking, and e-commerce analytics, making it a popular alternative to Google Analytics for bloggers and businesses seeking more control over their analytics data.​

 

Audio Recording

Audacity – Free program that allows you to record your voice using your computer’s microphone – edit and export to mp3 format. Create download-able files that you can use as email subscriber incentives.
 

Free Traffic Referral Sites

These sites aren’t the best targeted traffic, but they are good for helping you generate some buzz for SEO purposes.
 

• TrafficG: A traffic exchange platform where users can earn credits by visiting other websites and use them to promote their own sites.

• EasyHits4U: Another traffic exchange platform offering banner and text advertising options, where users earn credits by viewing other members’ websites.

• LeadsLeap: Provides tools for online marketing, including ad and link tracking, as well as a traffic exchange feature where users can earn credits by viewing ads.

• Traffic Ad Bar: Offers a surf bar feature for earning points by surfing websites, which can be used to display users’ own sites to other members.

• Herculist: An email marketing platform allowing users to send emails to its subscriber base, with various advertising options including solo ads and banner ads.

 

This list of blogging tools and resources is nowhere near exhausted, but I will continue to add to it as time goes on.