30 Oct 13 9:16 pm
Heya Tom,
There are "clicks" and then there are "targeted clicks".
I have pages that send thousands upon thousands of visits to a merchant I'm promoting, and never make a sale. I also have pages where 1 in 10 clicks could convert. The difference is that the pages that convert are ones that are targeted at people who are close to buying already.
On your site I see a couple of factors that might give you a lot of clicks on your affiliate link, but not so many sales.
Firstly: At the top of each article you have a bunch of recommended products, with a bunch of affiliate links. As someone first visiting your page, I assumed that these would take me to pages on YOUR site, where you'd discuss the products and why they're good for this particular problem.
People are always looking for guidance and advice, and recommendations, but you're sending them directly to the merchant without first giving them any direction: "what you need", "why you need it", "what to look for", "what I recommend for X problem", "what I recommend for Y problem" ... etc.
I would reshuffle your articles so that it's something more like...
1) Introduce the problem. People will then think "yes, this guy knows what my problem is"
2) Discuss the solutions to the problem. Bulletpoints and sub headlines are important to help people read the content. You might also want to increase the font size of your articles if possible... some older tennis aficionados might appreciate that.
3) Discuss the products you recommend. If there are a few different options based on different variations of the problem, discuss these too. Talk about WHY you recommend them. Offer links to the products for people to check it out.
The key is to help people decide. People need help -- that's why they're there! Put your help first, and the recommendations afterwards. That way you're not asking for your visitor's hand in marriage before you've gone on your first date.
I also think you're squandering a killer opportunity in your reviews area by simply directing people to the merchant review page. Pages that target "review" keywords typically convert MUCH MUCH better than "general information" type keywords. My page that converts really highly is a "review" page, just based around a product name.
Again, people want an unbiased (but positive. Don't make them think!) opinion here, not a sales pitch. If you're familiar with these products, put together a review for each. You could also create reviews for the brand name (are they known as a quality brand?) or the racquet style ... whatever. Have a look in your keyword tool to see what sort of "review" keywords people are looking for around this topic.
Take home point: Remember that people here are looking for guidance. Make it as easy as possible for them to make a decision and zero in on something that is suitable for them -- don't just leave it up to the merchant.
