I saw a pointer to this post, listing several top affiliates and estimates of their incomes. Whilst any list like this is bound to be (very) incomplete, it’s interesting to note that it’s perfectly possible for individuals to make it onto the list, as well as the big site of this world.
It’s even more amazing to note that I actually know a few of those guys, although only slightly. I know several of their competitors too, and I think I can safely say that the listed guys are genuinely at or near the top of the pile. There are probably 10 affiliates who *don’t* talk about their income in public very much at all, if ever, for everyone who has said something, but you can occasionally get them to talk a bit in private.
For instance, I know some people who work for online gaming companies, and I know that they have a few affiliates who get (or more likely we’re getting, following the virtual collapse of the lucrative US market) around the £1m / month mark. Obviously, you don’t know what they’ve spent to achieve that kind of income – playing seriously in gambling keywords is expensive, whether you rely on PPC, SEO or both, so the take-home pay is going to be a lower figure. Still, at that level, even if the actual free and clear profit after all tax and expenses are accounted for is a measly 10%, you’re getting £100k / month. None too shabby.
I’ve seen pictures of “The House That Phentermine Built”. I’ve seen extreme envy-inducing pictures of the Phuket hideaway of another pharm-boy, where even the guest house has its own pool, and the centerpiece of the entrance hallway is a 25,000-gallon aquarium (fishtank just doesn’t do it justice) specially manufactured and imported from Australia.
I aspire to match, or even approach, those kinds of outcomes. I’ve listened hard when the affiliate types speak over the years, and I now have an opportunity to put some of that into practice. I’ve done my homework, and have found what I think is a good niche; lots of money flowing through the sector, and growing fast, global appeal and woefully served in terms of SEO – ripe for the picking, I hope.
Well, we’ll see, I think. I know what the domain I want is, I’m seeing about getting a piece of scripting I’d need to be done everything looks good. I may well post about it later, once I’ve got it all going, but don’t hold your breath.