In the affiliate marketing world, few people deliver decent training and above. The Super Affiliate Handbook by Rosalind Gardner is one of the few good ones, but it does have it’s cons.
Quick Report on Super Affiliate Handbook:
Creator: Rosalind Gardner.
Price: $27 one time, no up-sells.
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.
Though it’s long, the read is worthwhile. The book was written a few years back, but most of it’s tips are still very valuable in 2020 and in the years ahead. But overall, I wouldn’t give this program a recommendation due to many of it’s teachings being outdated, and I’ll show you programs and trainings which are up to date in this regard, in this review.
Super Affiliate Handbook explained:
Close to 300 pages (298), it’s an all in one book on how to do affiliate marketing. Just about everything under the sun when it comes to this topic is written within this book which is halfway a guide and the other is more of a options that you have.
I’ve reviewed a program by Rosalind’s before called Affiliate Blogger Pro which I liked and really explains a lot of the same things you’d find in this book (it’s basically actual training vs the book which is a broader look at the topic), but some of it’s tips weren’t agreeable with me because they were outdated, so I didn’t recommend it.
This book however is going to get a big thumbs up because a lot of work was put into it and it’s going to be of great help to those beginning their journeys online.
The Summary of The Super Affiliate Handbook:
1) It introduces you to what making money online is all about, particularly affiliate topics and things like being able to sell for other companies. Here’s another good guide on that.
2) Rosalind talks about her own experiences and history in this field. I usually don’t like story telling because it distracts from the topic, but Rosalind’s experiences aren’t written to distract, but rather to enhance the understanding of this business which is very important.
A lot of what went into this section of the book was Rosalind showing how she organizes her files for online marketing purposes, emails, and even simple things like which controls to simplify life for anyone with bad computer skills.
3) You are told how to find a niche which Rosalind absolutely nailed!
4) You are given many of the paths you can take within this world. Which affiliate programs you can register for, how to set up your websites (choosing domain names), things you can promote, and even things like negotiating increases in commissions! One thing which is both good (and possibly bad) is that by not offering just 1 path someone can take, it creates choices for people and in this business that’s very important.
The possible bad outcome from this is that it can leave people wondering which way to go. There are those in this world who just prefer someone to give them specific steps they need to take and don’t want to think about their options.
5) You are shown how to set up your website and Rosalind really gets into details on where to go, what to press, what to write and how to set up your site. Screenshots and instructions are provided.
6) Specific examples of all of this are also illustrated in the book with screenshots and links to sites that Rosalind has created that make money. She explains how the process applies to her site and having that as a reference will be VERY helpful.
7) She also explains traffic generating methods to get your site visible and popular. You are run through SEO, PPC methods as well as the importance of writing quality content, which she also correctly pointed to as being at the top!
8) You are told how to sell on your site and pitch it correctly.
9) A lot of cool marketing techniques are discussed in the book which I’m sure will have tons of ideas sprouting in people’s heads. I already wrote down a few of them for future projects.
By the way, this summary isn’t in any particular order. I’m just going through the different things that stood out to me and listing them as I remember them.
Where some information needs an update:
She talks about using article directories. I don’t advise them anymore. This book was written in 2012, at a time when these places still had momentum. I’d skip anything involving article directories.
EMD (Exact match domains): Rosalind talks about entering at least or more of your keyword when choosing a domain name. She’s got a point, but EMD’s are overrated nowadays. Choosing domain names shouldn’t be a huge deal and really this is pointed out in the book, but I wouldn’t advise choosing a domain name just to chase a single keyword. Choose something that describes your niche and is easy to remember.
Link exchange topics. It was covered very briefly so it’s difficult to say whether it’s good or not, but the topic of links needs to be addressed. When this book was written, backlinks played an important role in helping sites rank well. However, many approaches to using backlinks have become black hat and punishable by de-indexing and lower rankings on search engines.
Any sort of link building in my opinion should always be done naturally (like this method which builds safe backlinks). In other words:
Share your site on social networks and if they share it with friends, this will benefit you. And don’t worry about this process in general. Worry about writing good content.
Rosalind deserves a lot of credit for the Super Affiliate Handbook:
This is probably the 3rd or 4th book I’ve read on the topic of making money online that I’ve been impressed with. The most recent one was called Silent Sales Machine which also did a great job of addressing how to get started with online marketing. Just another recommended read if you’re into books (and also 10 Pillars of Wealth).
And 2 more recommended reads I suggest come from me actually:
- First is my personal guide on how to become a super affiliate (I am one).
- And here is a secondary site I made teaching people affiliate marketing practices (that are up to date).
Final Rating: Super Affiliate Handbook
Green Flag
6 out of 10 stars. Love the detail that was put into it, but I hope Rosalind revises it for 2020 and later. I’d have no problem going back and adding more stars.
My final thoughts:
Aside from a select few outdated tips which really isn’t a big deal, this book is recommended. I’d put it in my top 10 of books/programs worth reading on online marketing (Here’s the top one called Wealthy Affiliate).
Rosalind is one of those people who I have come to trust so when I first heard about this book, I knew I’d rate it high. I’d also like to hear from people who have also read this book and what they though.