Going Dutch: A Guide to Succeeding in the Dutch Affiliate Industry with Niels Zee [The Opportunity Ep.143]

Aug 22, 2023

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In an era where thinking outside the box is paramount, foreign SEO has emerged as a tantalizing strategy for affiliate marketers in search of new frontiers.

While foreign affiliate industries are not as established as their English-language counterparts, competition is less fierce and Google algorithm updates are less frequent and hard-hitting.

Among the numerous gems in this treasure trove of opportunities, the Dutch affiliate market stands out for its unexplored potential. This is where Niels Zee, a seasoned SEO and affiliate marketer comes into play.

Niels has not only navigated the complexities of affiliate marketing but has also mastered the Dutch affiliate market's distinctive characteristics.

In this episode, Niels shares his journey from inception to expertise.

We dive into the differences between the US and Dutch affiliate markets, and Niels highlights how language and cultural nuances play a pivotal role in shaping strategies for success.

From monetization options for Dutch sites to the importance of backlinks in Dutch affiliate marketing, we explored the critical elements that set this market apart. Niels explains,

“The most important metric for the Dutch market is the amount of incoming links versus outgoing links. Some websites just link out to 10,000 websites and they only get 100 links in. That's not quality. And Google knows that. So really try to shy away from those sites if you’re looking to buy a Dutch affiliate site.”

Moreover, Niels took us through his playbook for nurturing and expanding affiliate sites, sharing his secrets for sustainable growth. He also shares the secret sauce behind structuring acquisition deals that work like a charm as well as the pros and cons of building from scratch versus acquiring established affiliate sites. According to Niels,

“I always prefer to buy a site over building one from scratch. There’s always a sandbox period where you create a domain and then for the next three to six months, nothing happens. That’s very frustrating. It's less risky to start with a domain that's already ranking and bringing in some traffic.”

Listen to this episode to unlock the door to a new realm of possibilities in the world of affiliate marketing.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

How Niels ended up in the affiliate and SEO world (03:16)
Overcoming language barriers and the key differences in US vs Dutch affiliate markets (10:58)
Monetization options for Dutch sites (14:24)
Why backlinks are so important in the Dutch affiliate marketing (17:02)
Niels’s advice to aspiring affiliates who want to get into the Dutch affiliate market (22:11)
Niels's experience in building vs buying affiliate sites (24:58)
How Niels structured his acquisition deals and what he looks for in a site (29:10)
Niels playbook for growing his sites (35:21)
How Niels uses AI in his workflow and his views on how it will affect the industry (39:45)
The growth trends Niels has seen in the Dutch affiliate market (46:10)

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Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to navigate the exciting world of Dutch affiliate marketing!