Pay per click affiliate marketing is a hugely competitive field. The super low barrier to entry and possible large profit ensures there will always be new competitors in every niche. But I got to thinking recently, with all everyone trying the same thing what can you use as a competitive edge? People cautiously guard their keywords and landing pages, but is that their edge? Not really. Let’s break it down.

• Keywords: public knowledge. Using various free and paid tools, anyone can find out your keywords and duplicate them so no advantage there.
• Landing pages: public knowledge. Anyone can see and copy your landing pages simply by clicking your ads. No advantage here.
• Ad copy: public knowledge. Anyone can see and copy your ads by just searching on your keywords. Again, no advantage.

So really what edge do you have over your competitors that they can’t see and copy? I’d say 3 main things: your account structure, your relationships, and your creativity.

I’m a huge proponent of good campaign structure. It can make or break a campaign and take a marginally profitable offer to the next level. No one can see your account structure, and that can be a huge competitive edge. I believe my fanatical approach to campaign account structure gives me an edge.

Your relationships with account managers at the PPC networks can allow you to run things that others may not or get favorable manual reviews. Your relationship with your affiliate account manager can be leveraged for higher payouts, private offers and better terms. These are definite competitive edges.

Creativity is the X factor of affiliate marketing. Sure you can make some money copying people, but the people really making money are the ones setting off and trying new things. Being creative puts you on the leading edge of the curve and ahead of the pack. By the time they catch up, the creative marketer is on to the next thing. This factor may be the biggest edge of all.

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