GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 16 - May 2011

Be just as careful and inquisitive as you would be in the gaming affiliate market- place. There are rogue companies operat- ing here, as in every market. Test PPC and organic campaigns side by side to deter- mine what type of traffic you are getting and what type is actually converting. Take a look at the stats for these conversions. Depending on your content (e.g., reviews, education, tools, pro-trader tips, etc.) you will get different types of conversions. Some will be great for a CPA deal and oth- ers will be good for rev share. Negotiate your best deal as the ball is in your court right now. I found that compartmentalizing (espe- cially on PPC and social media) – first geographic targets, then language tar- gets, then demographic targets individu- ally – is the best way to split them up. (See Figure C Above) From here you will get vastly different conversions, and because the affiliate sec- tor is so soft and vendors are scrambling to attract more affiliates, you can get them to split up your commissions by any or all of these metrics to maximize you returns. A lot of people got rich from getting into the gaming arena early. Let’s say there were 1,000 affiliates making six figures. In the forex arena, there will be a million- plus millionaires. It only takes one punter wagering $25,000 per month for you to start receiving over $60,000 in commis- sions, and the big punters are out there. The average punter wagering $1,000 to $5,000 per month (as I was) is common. Get yourself five or six of these types and you’re making the same. Offer them their own personal iPhone or BlackBerry app with MT4 (live trading – even better than the web-based desktop versions) as an in- centive. Offer them free SEO. Offer them something to switch to your platform. Once they become readjusted to your user interface they will stay with you. A lot of people are going to get rich in the next few years. Will you be one of them? If you have any questions regarding the forex market, free tips and advice on organic or paid campaigns, or the best mixture for your situation, feel free to contact me at Gary@Blueclaw.co.uk Figure C Gary R. Beal Gary R. Beal is the Head of Search for Blueclaw Media and has been in the Search Engine Optimization field for 15 years. He attended Ohio State University in the U.S. and holds a Master’s degree in Biometrics and Mathematical Statistics. He specializes in SEO for very competitive markets, primarily in the Gaming, Dating, Travel, Insurance and Financial industries. He has spoken at well over 50 conferences, including SES, SMX, CAP, AAC, EIG, G2E, AIG, GPWA, CAC and A4UExpo, and has also been on dozens of expert SEO panels. Gary has written specialized articles for multiple online marketing publications. He is known best for his free one-on- one sessions during conferences and his noncommercial, plain-talk delivery. He is GaryTheScubaGuy in the online world, where he is known for his Top 12 SEO Tips. 71 Making the case for forex