I’ll never forget my first $1,000 profit from affiliate marketing.
Nobody ever does. I couldn’t believe it was real.
I can still feel the goosebumps on my arm as I clicked “direct deposit” from the dropdown menu and sent it flying towards my mom’s bank account (I was 12 or 13 at this stage).
I’m getting them as I write this!
“Is this going to work? Is this ACTUALLY REAL MONEY?”
It was real. And nobody believed me, either!
“Affiliate marketing? SEO? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!”
My friends thought my parents gave it to me. My dad thought I stole it from my friends. My mom thought I was dealing drugs.
“Where does a 12-year-old Estonian kid get ONE THOUSAND EUROS? You can’t make money playing on your computer!”
I probably should have just kept my mouth shut, but I was too excited.
Did I mention I was only 12? Seriously.
I started making money from my first affiliate website when I was 12. That’s how easy it was to break into digital marketing.
Just look at this badass bedroom (lol). I also had a side hustle of selling watches online at the same time. The dream was a Mustang.
It was stupid easy back in the golden age of SEO.
Guess what? 17 failed miserably. But I managed to push a few into the stratosphere by just figuring everything out on the fly. One of these also led to my first 6-figure exit.
I had to learn…
- Which niches were profitable and which were a money pit (tarot cards, Karl? Really?).
- How to do keyword research the right way.
- How to structure a website so Google actually ranks it.
- How to beg for links politely, strike super affiliate deals, write content….
- EVERYTHING.
I had my first six-figure exit when I was 17. Even now as a successful entrepreneur, I’m super proud of that.
But I have some bad news… IT AIN’T THE GOLDEN AGE ANYMORE.
No 12-year-old kid can make money “playing on his computer.” At least not with affiliate marketing.
Hang on. Let me clarify something…
There’s more money to be made now than EVER BEFORE. There’s infinite opportunity, and it keeps growing.
There are even elite affiliate marketing courses that show you exactly step-by-step how to build, rank, and flip affiliate sites for 7 or even 8 figures (I’ll get to that in a second).
Now is better than ever, actually! But it’s so much harder. You can’t figure it out on the fly — no one can.
- Every niche is more crowded than a Tokyo subway car.
- Amazon slashed their commissions big time!
- Google is 16 years older and 16 years wiser. You can’t game the algorithm as easily anymore.
- Consumers are way smarter. They won’t buy from “BestApplianceGoodPrice.Co.Tv”
And, every expert that’s figured out the game is sharing their secrets. I wish I had that when I was 12!
Not only is it harder to rank and make a sale but your competition is buying elite training courses, so they know all of the latest techniques.
Which leads me to my point: ALL OF YOUR COMPETITORS ARE TAKING TRAINING COURSES. IF YOU DON’T, YOU’ll ALWAYS BE ONE STEP BEHIND.
You 100% need a training course. I’ve had 6-figure exits, been partners on 7-figure sites, and built and sold several marketing agencies. And I still learn new tricks and strategies from internet marketing courses.
The only problem is, there are a lot of snake oil salesmen out there.
Only buy from a name other affiliate marketers trust or you’ll waste thousands of dollars, months of time, and even hurt your websites in the long run.
You don’t want to end up restarting from scratch in a year with nothing to show for it.
Don't spend endless hours sorting through courses on Skillshare, either. Just because it's called a masterclass, doesn't mean it's worth much.
I’ve been in this game since I was 12. I know what works and what doesn’t. I know what makes a 7-figure exit and what makes a 6-figure money pit.
I also know who to trust and who’s full of S**T – I've met most of them in person and know them well.
If you want to fail at affiliate marketing, go at it alone. If you want to build a cash cow that sets you up for life, take one of these affiliate marketing courses.
The Best Affiliate Marketing Courses of 2025 – Overview
Here’s a quick rundown if you’re in a hurry.
The 3 Best Affiliate Marketing Courses:
- The Affiliate Lab – Matt Diggity – The Best Affiliate Marketing Course Overall
- The Authority Site System – Authority Hacker – Best Bang for Buck/Beginners (Great UX – No Boring Videos)
- Authority Hacker Pro – Authority Hacker – The Best Online Business Resource
My 2 Affordable Alternatives
- Income School – Project 24 – A Good Course for Half the Price
- Savage Affiliates – Franklin Hatchett – The Most Affordable Course (That Actually Works)
Looking for a free affiliate marketing course? Everyone is.
But these are the ones that work – that don't waste your time and will get you where you're going. I’ve spent the majority of my life in this industry. I’ve either taken these online courses and/or know the creators personally.
I’ve been to all the big conferences and talked to countless students, so I’ve got a good feel for who to trust.
Which is why I have no choice but to put the following 3 courses head and shoulders above the rest:
1. “The Affiliate Lab” by Matt Diggity Review: The Best Affiliate Marketing Course Ever
Matt Diggity’s Affiliate Lab is the best affiliate SEO course on Earth when it comes to quality, digestibility, and availability (You’ll understand when you read option #3).
You've probably heard his name before, he's the real deal in both the SEO and the affiliate marketing space.
Here's us at a Christmas party with another SEO legend, Kyle Roof.
My friends and I joke that it’s an unfair advantage in the affiliate world. Even experienced marketers testify they make up to 400% MORE after going through it.
That’s insane value.
If you’re a newbie that wants to learn a proven blueprint for building a 6-figure site, this is not optional—it's a must (if you can afford it).
In just a few days, you’ll know more than enough to leapfrog 90% of your competition.
Trust me, if you have the money, you’ll look back in 6 months and wish you had this guidance.
What is The Lab?
Plus an active community of nearly 4,000 successful affiliate entrepreneurs all helping each other succeed in places I failed at the beginning.
That means he shows you exactly how to build your site from scratch to $10,000 a month, then sell the damn thing for $350,000.
Matt starts by showing you exactly how to select his ultra-lucrative “OH SHIT!” niches and avoid nightmare ones. Then he walks you through his bulletproof recursive keyword research process.
From there, the course goes through content, social media, on-page optimization, affiliate offers, and every other affiliate topic in existence.
He also gives you plug-in templates straight from his agency, outreach scripts, and SOPs.
I don’t want to oversell it, but pretty much the only way you fail is if you quit.
Why Is It My #1 Recommended Affiliate Marketing Course?
Almost everyone else just gives you their “expert opinion.”
The whole course is basically him holding your hand and walking you step-by-step through exactly how he’s built sites worth $500,000 or more. That’s what makes this course so valuable.
Matt’s been running thousands of tests since 2011, so he knows exactly what Google likes. It’s like he went to Mountain View, broken into Google’s HQ, and leaked the inner workings of the search engine algorithm to the world.
The members-only Facebook group is worth the price alone. Imagine a month from now when your site is getting off the ground, and you start running into SEO issues.
Instead of struggling for weeks and failing or shelling out thousands of dollars for a service, you just pick Matt’s brain or ask other students who've been through the EXACT SAME ISSUE.
They show you how to fix it, and you’re good to go. Plus other students share helpful tips or case studies of how they increase rankings or sales.
What You Get in The Lab
This is the last affiliate course you’ll ever take. The Lab covers everything you need to know about affiliate marketing, plus a ton more you don’t get in any other course:
- How to structure your site the way Google loves
- The exact templates and SOPs Matt uses on his own websites, including web hosting tips
- Matt’s own niche site grading tool that helps you identify the perfect niche fast
- How to uncover hidden keyword opportunities that most others miss
- How to create content that ranks AND SELLS. Plus, how to outsource to writers and ensure high-quality while avoiding time-consuming bottlenecks
- Step-by-step guide for building your site from scratch
- His secret dirt-cheap alternatives to expensive SEO software
- How to protect yourself from business-destroying negative SEO attacks
And that’s just scratching the surface.
Matt and his business partner Jay Yap cover everything from building a bulletproof social media persona that encourages people to buy from you to “conversion rate optimization” where you make more money online almost overnight from traffic you already have.
You can even join the guys in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a drink and dinner during the winter. Matt started the Chiang Mai SEO conference, one of the most important SEO and affiliate marketing conferences on the calendar.
Trying to build your affiliate network? Be there.
Last but not least… Matt also continuously updates the lab with new results from his tests.
He’s like a mad scientist in his lab (pun intended) constantly figuring out what Google is doing and why. Every time he learns something groundbreaking, he updates the lab.
It’s basically like he tests everything for you and notifies you when a strategy changes.
Guess what? That puts you one step ahead of everyone who isn’t testing Google 24/7 (basically everyone).
Here’s the thing: Google's search engine is constantly updating its algorithm, and it usually TANKS a lot of sites’ rankings. With The Lab, Matt figures out what changed and how to adapt, then tells you exactly what to do to stay in business. #BOSS
What Others Are Saying
The Affiliate Lab’s reputation is airtight and backed by the #1 source of proof on the web: SCREENSHOTS.
Pros
- The most comprehensive course available
- The most trusted name
- Thousands of successful students
- Step-by-step blueprint
- Lifetime access to updates
- Everything is a proven fact. 0 theory or “expert opinion”
Cons
- Pricy
Lastly… I gotta mention this again – buy it through my link and you'll save $200 off the original price. (Thanks Matt!)
2. Authority Hacker: The Authority Site System Review
If you’re a beginner who wants a blueprint for growing their first authority site, I recommend The Authority Site System (TASS) by Authority Hacker.
TASS is a beginner-friendly blueprint for starting and building high-quality affiliate websites – even if you’ve never built a profitable site before.
It offers 190+ over-the-shoulder videos across 15 in-depth modules showing you everything from unique market research to putting together a rockstar content team that makes your articles better than the top Google result.
It’s equal to The Affiliate Lab in value, but in a different way (I’ll explain that in a moment). I will say this, though: TASS production quality is better, and you get insane value for the price tag ($1497).
P.S. You can get TASS at an exclusive discount for Dreamgrow readers – only $599 – if you use this link: Save $900 on TASS now
What is The Authority Site System?
The Authority Site System is an affiliate site blueprint.
The production and usability are unrivaled. Each course is broken down into easy-to-complete subtasks clearly explained in high-quality video tutorials. Then, you’re given copy/paste templates to make your tasks as easy to execute as humanly possible.
Work your way through each module step-by-step, and at the end, you have a profitable affiliate site. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
The entire course is based on a real case study site built by Mark Webster and Gael Breton – both of whom are well-known affiliate marketing experts – from start to finish.
They implemented the exact strategies taught in TASS and documented each lesson, challenge, and result along the way.
You can literally watch over their shoulder and copy every action they take to replicate their success. This ensures the training is rooted in practical, real-world application – not just theory.
The progress/goal tracking makes it so much easier to succeed, and completing small tasks motivates you to complete even larger ones. I love procrastinating, but even I flew through from start to finish in just a few days.
If you’re a very visual learner who needs a strict, goal-driven system, you’ll flourish with this course and struggle with most others.
What You Get With The Authority Site System
TASS offers a ton of value. The course videos alone make it worth getting, but there’s much more than that. We’ll start with a thorough overview of the video lessons, though.
#1 – 190+ Step-by-Step Video Lessons
These videos cover a start-to-finish real-life case study site showing the exact tactics used to build a profitable affiliate site.
If you want specifics, here are the modules you’ll get with TASS:
- Internet Marketing 101 (6 videos): Learn all about the affiliate business model and how Mark and Gael structure their sites to make as much money as possible.
- Brainstorming Niches (13 videos): Discover lucrative niches and plan content so you jump to the top faster and earn more when you get there.
- Qualifying Niches (16 videos): Qualify niche ideas to ensure you’re picking a topic that will actually generate traffic and make you money.
- Planning Your Site (9 videos): Perform proper keyword research and find low-competition gems that a new site can rank for.
- Setting Up Your Site (15 videos): The basics of setting up your website, including domain selection, hosting setup, WordPress and theme installation, essential plugins, site speed hacks, and Analytics setup,
- Branding Your Site (7 videos): Brand your site properly with a cohesive color scheme, logo creation, and branded images.
- Setting Up Posts & Pages (18 videos): Detailed tutorials on how to build your site. You can choose between two popular page-building options: GeneratePress and Elementor, as there are complete tutorials for both.
- Preparing Info Content (10 videos): A preparatory module that explains how to write content that ranks on Google and satisfies web users. Includes multiple post templates.
- Writing Content (14 videos): A detailed walkthrough of the entire article creation process. Covers choosing an article type, performing in-depth research, outlining, and writing every section of an article.
- Uploading & Optimizing Content (14 videos): Explains how to properly upload your content to WordPress and optimize it for SEO.
- Initial Link Building (25 videos): Explains the ins and outs of link building, including in-depth tutorials on 3 effective link-building strategies.
- Affiliate Monetization Setup (9 videos): Covers the essentials of affiliate monetization, including how affiliate programs work, how to manage your links, a walkthrough on using the Amazon Associates program, and extra affiliate pro tips.
- Commercial Content (14 videos): Everything you need to know about writing commercial content. Includes multiple content templates and expert advice on how to write a great revenue-generating blog post.
- Advanced Tactics (13 videos): Covers advanced tactics you may want to use once your site is up and running. Includes lessons on AI content creation, making product highlight boxes, using on-page SEO tools, building a writing team, and much more.
- Becoming An Authority (2 videos): A short module that covers how you should proceed once your site is successful.
Each lesson contains a complete write-up with images, so you don’t have to rewatch the entire thing to review what was taught. Each video also has a complete transcript you can follow along with.
Let’s take a sneak peek inside one of these modules:
That’s 16 lessons on determining if a particular niche is a good bet – and that’s not even including the 13 videos in the previous module on niche research. What other course offers 29 lessons on picking your website topic?
This is literally how to go from “What is affiliate marketing?” to “What’s next now that I’ve mastered affiliate marketing?” You can’t go wrong with TASS.
#2 – 100+ templates covering content, emails, outreach, and more
The videos aren’t the only thing you get – you also get a comprehensive set of over 100 templates, designed to streamline every step of your affiliate marketing journey.
These templates are extremely user-friendly, allowing students to directly emulate what's being taught in the training modules. From niche identification to website design and content creation, the templates cover a vast array of areas.
Wondering how to structure a product review, curate an epic roundup post, or draft a detailed how-to article? The TASS templates have got you covered.
Here's a breakdown of what you'll get:
- Niche Research Templates: Before you even start, you need to identify a niche that aligns with your interest and has the potential for profitability. These templates will guide you through the intricate process of niche selection, ensuring you make an informed decision.
- Custom AI Prompts (new): A cutting-edge addition to the course, these prompts leverage artificial intelligence to assist you in generating content ideas and guiding your marketing strategies.
- Keyword Research Spreadsheets: SEO is at the heart of affiliate marketing. These spreadsheets will aid you in identifying key terms to target, ensuring your content reaches its intended audience.
- Branding Guidelines: Consistency is key in branding. These guidelines will help you develop a cohesive brand image, from color schemes to logo placement.
- Content Creation Templates: Crafting quality content is pivotal to driving traffic and generating sales. Whether it's product reviews, roundup posts, or how-to articles, these templates will serve as your blueprint.
- Link Building Templates: Quality backlinks can significantly boost your site's credibility and ranking. These templates will guide you through the process of acquiring valuable backlinks to your site.
By providing such a broad spectrum of templates, TASS not only saves you hours of effort but also ensures that you build your affiliate site to mirror their tried-and-tested structure.
#3 – Private TASS Facebook community
Many of the 7,000+ students of the Authority Site System consider this mastermind group to be one of the most invaluable facets of the entire course.
It’s an interactive space where you can share your experiences, ask questions, and keep your finger on the pulse of the authority site industry.
What sets this community apart is its direct line to the Authority Hacker creators and their dedicated team. They aren’t just figureheads – they actively participate in discussions, offer solutions, and motivate members to keep pushing forward.
Whether it's fielding questions about the latest Google algorithm changes, recommending new tools, or discussing real member case studies, they're in there daily making sure every member has the support they need.
#4 – Regular Course Updates
One of the standout features of TASS is its commitment to staying updated with the ever-changing digital landscape.
Just recently, TASS underwent a massive revamp – making the entire course up-to-date and expanding its content by a whopping 50%.
Here's a sneak peek into some of the fresh lessons that have been introduced:
- Expired Domains: The new lessons on expired domains are designed to help you achieve results at an even faster pace.
- Keyword Research & Content Lessons: Advanced insights on monetizing using ad networks such as Ezoic, Raptive, and Mediavine.
- Review Writing Mini-Course: Learn the art of writing reviews that not only appeal to readers but also adhere to Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) criteria, ensuring your content is favored in the latest Google updates.
- Site Speed Module: This module ensures your site is lightning fast and ticks all the boxes for Google's core web vitals.
- New Link-Building Tactics: Stay ahead of the curve with the latest strategies and guidelines that protect you during Google's Spam and core updates.
- Schema Tactics: Harness the power of schema to increase your traffic, without the need for additional links or content.
- Copy & Paste Gutenberg Blocks: Instantly boost conversions with ready-to-use affiliate Gutenberg blocks.
- AI-Powered Content Creation: Embrace the future with lessons on using artificial intelligence to craft fact-checked article drafts that truly resonate with readers.
If that wasn’t enough, many of the existing lessons have also been meticulously reshot and updated to ensure they remain relevant and valuable. And I have an inside scoop that they’re already hard at work on TASS 4.0 – which you’ll automatically get access to when it drops.
Why I Recommend The Authority Site System
Mark and Gael broke the mold with this course.
They started a site for about $10 just to get into their customer’s shoes, followed every one of their tips, wrote down every concern, noted every challenge, and analyzed every roadblock they faced along the way.
They turned all of the info into a course that helps you grow faster while jumping over those roadblocks to success. I can’t think of any other course built that way.
That’s why it’s so beginner-friendly.
That and the production quality is Ivy League level. The videos, the lessons, the interface, the EVERYTHING.
Even though the info isn’t as nuanced as The Affiliate Lab’s, TASS comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so your investment is RISK-FREE.
That’s not to say this isn’t extremely detailed. Each module has a ton of extra value. I already shared how in-depth their niche selection process is – here’s another example from their link-building module:
I recommend TASS for affiliate marketing beginners because Mark and Gael engineered this course specifically for newbies who need their hand held through every step. And they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the course risk-free.
What Others Are Saying
I’m just going to let these reviews speak for themselves. Both the Affiliate Lab and TASS have airtight reputations, and the names behind both courses are as trustworthy as it gets in this business.
Pros
- From 0 to profit in 15 modules
- World-class support
- Brilliant production value
- Broken down into mini-goals for easy completing
- A self-motivating course that flies by
- Mark and Gael are two of the biggest names in the business
- Money-back guarantee
Cons
- The email list section is lacking a bit (but that could be a good thing…)
The Lab vs. TASS: How Are They Different?
I said that these two courses were equal in value. So, why is one ranked #2 and the other #1?
It’s hard to explain, but let me just give a bit more detail to clarify.
The main difference is that TASS is more beginner-friendly.
Their philosophy is to keep things more basic and easier to understand. They found that students wasted too much time trying more advanced tactics right off the bat rather than doubling down on the basics and achieving real success.
Their solution? Make The Authority Site System more grounded in the foundations of a successful site that is guaranteed to result in success – and offer advanced tactics in a separate course called Authority Hacker Pro (I’ll cover that next.)
Is that making sense?
So in a way, Matt’s course is adding a lot of extra info that might not be applicable for you in the beginning, whereas TASS is keeping it as simple as possible so you put the right foundation in place first. Since I’m not a beginner, I really can’t say what’s better for you.
NOTE: TASS’ support is beyond outstanding.
Listen to what you get:
- Full-time support team answering questions in 3 hours or less
- Monthly email roundup addressing the most common user concerns
- Member of the Month award to keep you motivated (social media recognition!)
- Regular surveys so Mark and Gael know what to improve in the course
So yeah, I give Matt’s Lab the slight edge because I could actually use all the content. But Authority Hacker has better support, digestibility, and production value. It’s also updated more frequently than the Lab, so you’re more likely to get the most up-to-date information on what’s working right now.
Wanna try TASS? Check it out here (and save $900 with my exclusive link).
3. Authority Hacker Pro Review – The Best Online Business Resource
TASS is already an amazing course – but Authority Hacker Pro takes your online marketing game to a whole new level.
I magine the TASS training PLUS business processes optimization, webinars, a library with proven templates for emails, opt-ins, lead magnets, and an active, thriving community of entrepreneurs motivating each other and driving you to achieve early retirement.
Uhhuhhh….
That’s Authority Hacker Pro (AH Pro)… and I haven’t even mentioned their link building or content marketing resources yet.
AH Pro is the biggest, baddest, most authoritative affiliate resource ever conceived. It’s beyond authoritative—it’s DICTATORIAL.
What is Authority Hacker Pro?
AH Pro is a suite of training courses encompassing affiliate marketing strategies, SEO, link building, email marketing, business optimization, internal processes, and general website growth.
And unlike most other training courses, AH Pro is mostly for intermediate or advanced entrepreneurs and bloggers whose sites are already profitable.
The Affiliate Lab and TASS are beginner-friendly, step-by-step blueprints for building, growing, and flipping high-income affiliate sites.
Authority Hacker Pro is like a high-powered nuclear fusion reactor for businesses: You insert your site and BOOM, the power multiplies exponentially… if you listen to the Authority Hacker guys, of course.
First, it shows you how to build an authority site (a site Google loves) via the TASS course (included with AH Pro). Then, it walks you through the advanced strategies Mark and Gael use on their own high-level sites.
You get high-level training covering:
- Content marketing
- Keyword research
- Side speed optimization
- Email marketing
- Guest posting and blogging
- Social media marketing and engagement (using quizzes and other techniques to improve engagement)
- Diverse monetization methods (lead magnets, display ads, affiliate partnerships)
- Selling your site
From there, you get regular access to their growth webinars full of juicy, cutting-edge info straight from their own sites that you can apply to your own for faster growth.
Finally, you get access to the AH Pro Facebook community, a library of proven templates, and an inside look at their processes for content creation, link building, building a team, and more.
Why Do I Recommend Authority Hacker Pro?
Authority Hacker Pro is more than “just a course.” It’s a training program with an entire SUITE of courses.
Each module is like a course within a course with detailed, in-depth coverage of every topic.
That means the content marketing module is actually a complete content marketing course.
The email marketing module is a complete email marketing course.
The sales funnel module is… OK, you get it. It’s a ton of next level info.
For example, the advanced AI writing module – much more detailed than the version in TASS – doesn’t just give you some basic prompts.
It goes way beyond that. It teaches:
- How to use 3 different AI tools to squeeze the most value out of your AI content
- How to use AI to make a detailed outline that doesn’t have inaccurate info
- How to use AI to edit the content it writes and make the output even better.
- How to use ChatGPT to create sophisticated editorial guidelines for your website
- Done-for-you prompts to do all of this automatically
Then they also give you plug-and-play templates for everything, so you don’t have to do any of the hard work!
This is TASS on steroids. Once you’ve built a successful site with TASS, you can turn to AH Pro and have Mark and Gael coach you on advanced topics so you can optimize your processes and make 10x your income. Plus, you get a thriving community.
Every time I need a template or want to brush up on the latest in the affiliate world, I go AH Pro.
At the click of a button, I’ve got a high-converting template that basically eliminates my risk of screwing up. Or, I watch a webinar with proven tips from real tests in the wild.
What Do You Get With AH Pro?
Authority Hacker Pro is too comprehensive for me to cover here. I don’t have the will to type that much today. But let’s run through some important stuff.
#1 – The Authority Site System
AH Pro includes TASS. If you’re considering buying TASS and know you’re going to succeed and want to get the advanced tactics ahead of time, you may as well just get AH Pro.
#2 – Blueprints – An Easy-To-Read Map to Profit
Mark and Gael hand wrap their blueprints for their own sites and gift them to you so you can run your business the same way they do (Merry Christmas). By the way, they’re insanely successful, so listen up. These blueprints include:
- AI Content
- Training writers
- Advanced link building tactics
- Sales funnels
- Writing world-class product reviews
- On-page SEO
- Advanced keyword research
- Selling your website
- Advanced affiliate marketing tactics
- Business optimization
And that’s just scratching the surface.
Let’s take a sneak peek inside one of the blueprints – Evergreen Funnels
Just to show you how in-depth this is, I want to show you the Evergreen Funnels blueprint. There’s so much funnely goodness that you need to see (I’m nerdy and like sales funnels…I have friends, though).
This module lays out how to build a sales funnel that brings you recurring income with zero extra effort. As you can see, it walks you through funnel structure right up to retargeting. Along the way, you get a set of easy-to-complete steps to get you from A to B. Super easy, aye?
Let’s take a deeper look: Here in the Funnel Structure lesson, you get a super helpful video going over the topic with a real look inside AH’s funnel.
In the rest of the lesson, they drop KNOWLEDGE BOMBS:
- How to create scarcity
- How to create a “tripwire” product
- Checkout hacks to encourage sales (plus a page template)
- How to upsell to make even MORE profit
Now imagine this for 9 videos…and that’s just 1 blueprint. You’ve got 18 MORE blueprints to go!
#3 – Product Discounts – Save money on valuable tools
AH Pro gets you access to exclusive, privately negotiated discounts for 19 of the most sought-after products in the website-building industry.
Here are some of the products you can save up to 70% off on:
- Koala Writer
- Cloudways Hosting
- WP Rocket
- GeneratePress
- LinkWhisper
- LowFruits
And there are over a dozen more products in the following categories:
- Content
- Design
- Hosting
- Link Building
- Keywords
- SEO
- CRO
#4 – Custom-Built Tools – Access helpful private tools
AH Pro members also gain access to a suite of private tools created by Authority Hacker.
Here’s what you get:
- CSV Merge Tool: Merges multiple Ahrefs Site Explorer Backlink CSV files into a single, organized file, streamlining outreach tasks.
- Title Tag CTR Optimizer: Analyzes Click-Through Rate (CTR) data from Google Search Console to identify pages needing optimization.
- Hunter Email Picker: Automatically filters Hunter.io results, selecting the most suitable email addresses based on various criteria.
- Email Name Finder: Scans a list of email addresses to find the associated names for each email.
- Domain Name Generator: An AI-powered tool that suggests ideal domain names, checks for social handle availability, and reviews copyright status.
#5 – Copy / Paste Templates – Save time and money with pre-made templates
You’ll also gain access to the largest template library available for authority, niche & affiliate sites.
I’m talking 100+ field-tested templates for…
- Link building outreach to convert prospects into backlinks.
- Writer guidelines for reviews, roundups, list posts, how to, and more
- Pre-written scripts to get better affiliate commissions
- Pre-written job ads to attract higher quality team members
- Pre-written email marketing campaigns to generate sales and traffic.
- And much more…
Think about how much time you’ve wasted staring at a blank page when starting a new marketing campaign or other activity.
Now imagine how much easier life would have been if you could have copied/pasted and finished the job.
That’s the power these templates provide.
#6 – AI Prompt Library
AI is moving faster every day, and you need to use the best prompts if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
AH Pro helps you do exactly that by giving you 25+ sophisticated AI prompts to ramp up your content creation, link building, keyword research, on-page SEO, website design, email marketing, and more.
Here’s a small glimpse into what these prompts can help you accomplish:
- Constructing Featured Snippet Bait: Creates paragraphs aimed at capturing Featured Snippets on search engines.
- Generate FAQs For an Article: Produces SEO-friendly FAQs, boosting article rankings and refreshing older content.
- Brainstorm Technical Words for Keyword Research: Helps in finding industry-specific terms, uncovering valuable long-tail keywords.
- Generate Guest Post Titles By Splintering Content: Quickly comes up with guest post titles, facilitating effective link-building outreach.
#7 – AH Pro Community
Honestly, I prefer The Affiliate Lab community, but the Authority Hacker community is right up there. In fact, these two are the only affiliate groups I still engage in today.
Each day, successful members of AH Pro share success stories, concerns, hacks, growth tips, and case studies to help motivate you and improve your game. If you’re ever stuck, one of the Authority Hacker geniuses will help guide you to the solution.
Where was this when I was starting out?!
#8 – Mastermind Calls – AH Pro Platinum
As amazing as AH Pro is, it isn’t even the final course tier!
For those who want to take it a step further, Mark and Gael offer Authority Hacker Pro Platinum as an upgrade to AH Pro.
This exclusive tier is perfect for those who are serious about scaling their business to its maximum potential. It only opens up twice a year, but AH Pro members can get it for a mere $2,997 – that’s 3k less than the standard price of $5,997.
One of the huge benefits of Pro Platinum is the Mastermind calls. You’ll get to connect with Mark, Gael, and some of the brightest minds in the industry on small-scale, personalized video calls. In these regular events, you’ll find the newest and most advanced tactic sharing in the entire community.
Most of the calls are recorded, so you’ll also gain access to 20+ recaps of some of the most cutting-edge tactic breakdowns, including:
- A step-by-step walkthrough of Authority Hacker’s 8-figure sales funnel
- Guest interviews with SEO and marketing pros like Steve Toth, John Ainsworth, and Bibi the Link Builder
- An open view into how many of Authority Hacker’s internal systems work, including AI usage, project management, content creation, hiring team members, keyword research, and much more.
#9 – Hot-Seat Events – AH Pro Platinum
Pro Platinum members can also join Hot-Seat events and get their website problems brainstormed and solved by Mark, Gael, and dozens of the industry’s top players.
This is an amazing thing to have in your back pocket. If you’ve hit a roadblock in your website – which everyone does at some point – you can register your site to be on the Hot Seat and discuss your specific problem with everyone on the call.
The solutions that come out of these Hot Seats can save you months of aggravation or thousands of dollars wasted on the wrong solution.
Oh man, I wish I’d had these when I was starting out – but because the calls are stacked with experts from across the industry, I still get value out of them even though my sites are at a higher level and experience more sophisticated problems.
#10 – SOP Library – AH Pro Platinum
The next piece of the AH Pro Platinum offer is the SOP library.
This provides access to 125+ field-tested SOPs that you can quickly download and pass on to your staff. These SOPs will add immediate value to your business by allowing you to give your team detailed instructions for a wide variety of tasks.
They can save you hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars by making all sorts of outsourcing tasks an effortless process:
- Content uploading
- Content briefs
- Finding profitable keywords
- Link-building outreach
- And much more
The best part? Mark and Gael are always in the lab, and whenever they come up with a new SOP, you’ll get instant access free of charge.
#11 – Pro Platinum Discord – AH Pro Platinum
If that wasn’t enough, you also get access to a private Pro Platinum Discord channel. This gives you an opportunity to talk to the best minds in the business – including Mark and Gael – in a small, exclusive community.
The discussion in this community is unlike any I’ve seen. It only has A-players, so all discussions are high-level and sophisticated. I can’t tell you how much valuable knowledge I’ve absorbed just by reading through the many discussions in this channel.
What Others Are Saying
The Authority Hacker Pro reviews are just as impressive as TASS – maybe even more impressive, considering the ridiculous amounts of money some of their members are making.
What I Don’t Like About Authority Hacker Pro
Authority Hacker Pro is unlike anything else online, but it’s not perfect. Here are a few of the downsides:
- It’s EXPENSIVE: It costs thousands of dollars, though they do offer a payment plan option.
- It’s not always available: They only open enrollment a few times a year to keep everything manageable. If it were always open, too many people would sign up!
Honestly, if it were open more often, it would probably go ahead of the lab because of all the extras you get. You can’t go wrong with either.
Pros
- The most complete affiliate resource on the planet
- Everything from building your site to optimizing your processes
- Fill-in-the-blank templates
- New webinars regularly
- A thriving community
Cons
- For intermediate to advanced users
- Expensive + not always open to new students
- Information overload
VERDICT: Which Affiliate Course is Best for Me?
I know that was a lot to take in, so let me break this down quickly.
Each of these courses has its strong points, and just because The Lab is the best doesn’t mean it’s the best for you. Here’s which course is best for you:
Get The Affiliate Lab if…
You’re a beginner that wants the most comprehensive blueprint to building your first affiliate site, and you’re a go-getter that wants to change their life forever.
The Lab’s level of depth is unrivaled and Matt bases everything off of thousands of real Google tests, so it’s proven to work.
Get Authority Hacker Pro if…
You’re an intermediate to advanced affiliate marketer and you’ve already got a site, but you want to put it into a hyperbaric chamber for a few months and turn it into an unstoppable beast hellbent on destroying your competition.
AHP is more than an affiliate course. It’s a complete university’s worth of online business training, videos, webinars, templates, and blueprints that will make you the most dominant force in your niche.
Get The Authority Site System if…
You’re a complete beginner that wants a beginner-friendly blueprint with insanely high production value.
If you want a course that easily guides you through each of the modules and gives you mini-goals to keep you motivated, I highly recommend this course.
Diggity’s Lab has slightly more information but TASS is just so brilliantly designed and has incredible support for beginners, so I can’t really decide what’s better.
The Best Affiliate Marketing Courses of 2025: Affordable Alternatives
No other affiliate marketing courses come close to the top 3. They’re the only ones giving 100% facts based on real testing.
And no other courses provide everything you need to scale from the ground up and beyond with the level of depth needed to succeed in today’s landscape.
They’re the courses that every other course wishes they could be.
However… I understand they are not cheap. Why should they be?
They’re literally showing you how to build a 6 or even 7-figure site based on years of experience.
The following 3 courses are much more affordable. If you have the money and you’re on the fence, do not waste your time buying one of these courses. You will regret it.
If you really don’t have the money to spare, these will get you off the ground and your feet wet…
1. Project 24’s Income School
Price: $449 for the 1st year.
Project 24 is a super successful (yet controversial) YouTube channel and 7-figure web company with a flood of successful students claiming to have fully replaced their incomes with an online business.
Their “Income School” is a less technical guide that teaches you to build an affiliate site, learn SEO, harness the power of video, and eventually monetize with affiliate offers and display ads.
If you’re not into technical detail, this might actually be better for you.
This course is a little bit “old-school” or “nuance over numbers,” if you catch my drift.
Income School DOES NOT like keyword tools or link building—two things that my top 3 courses are obsessed with (and that are proven to work…).
Instead, they give you:
- A 60-step blueprint: Complete these 60 steps to go from absolute beginner to affiliate, SEO, content, and video expert and prime yourself to succeed.
- Multi-platform expertise: YouTube, Pinterest, Google—you’ll learn how to diversify traffic streams.
- No-nonsense SEO: This module teaches SEO basics. It’s seriously lacking in my opinion.
- Email marketing 101: An excellent email marketing module teaching you the who, what, when, and how of successful emails.
Plus a ton more.
One thing I really like about Project 24 is how transparent they are.
Everyone in affiliate marketing guards their sites like they would their children. Project 24 is open and honest about which sites they own. That’s a huge confidence booster.
After going through the course, talking to friends in the industry, and watching their channel regularly, I’m 100% confident you can build a successful affiliate site with this course.
I just have a few concerns:
- You’ll lose out to people with more refined technical skills
- You’ll cap your Google traffic earnings without keyword optimization
- Growing without link building is REALLY HARD
- The subscription model leaves a bad taste in my mouth
This course is easy to follow and has a ton of good info on YouTube and Pinterest, but it might severely limit your earning potential.
Pros
- Easy to follow
- Not overly technical
- Great YouTube, Pinterest, and email modules
Cons
- Keyword and link building is super important – they ignore it
- Subscription model means you pay every year
- Lacking business processes optimization
- No good templates, blueprints, or webinars
2. Savage Affiliate – Franklin Hatchett
Franklin Hatchett knows his S**T, especially when it comes to marketing funnels.
Basically, a marketing funnel is just like a funnel your mechanic uses to put oil in your car. The mouth at the top is wide and it slowly gets thinner, guiding the oil into your engine.
Marketing is the same. You bring a bunch of mildly interested traffic in at the top and “funnel” them down to your offer. By the time they get there, they’re so interested that they can’t help but buy.
His Savage Affiliate System is the only “cheap” affiliate marketing course I’ll ever recommend, and it’s just for that reason. It’s not as good as the other ones from a content, technical, or niche selection perspective.
But he’s great at funnels and he’s a good teacher.
Is this like other “cheap” courses?
Franklin covers affiliate marketing from 0 to your first commission, all with tons of testimonials and plenty of in-depth data to prove it.
You’ll learn:
- Funnels
- Clickbank affiliate techniques
- SEO
- Technical structure
- Marketing
- Facebook Ads and Google Ads
- Launch Jacking (An awesome technique that earns low-competition, buy-now traffic)
- Niche research
And this is so much different than other cheap courses for one key reason: Franklin does a lot more than just throw a bunch of pre-packaged videos at you.
He actually works all day answering your questions in his Facebook group. I really don’t know how this guy even does it. That means you get an endless “pick his brain” session from a guy that’s been there, done that.
It’s hard to argue with that.
What I don’t like…
Franklin put a ton of work into this course. He even gives you his marketing funnel template, pre-made ClickFunnels funnels, and his awesome Launch Jacking blueprint (all available in the SUPER package).
But there’s a reason it’s only $197 or $297. There’s not as much detail, structure, or actionable advice compared to The Affiliate Lab or anything from Authority Hacker.
This is especially true for content, link building, and SEO. By the way, those are the 3 most important parts of affiliate marketing.
If you’re a smart, go-getter that can take this foundation of knowledge and build upon it on your own, go ahead and give it a try. But I don’t see 6-figure potential for most students, at least not nearly as fast as you’ll get in The Lab or AHP.
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Tons of great info for cheap
- From 0 to profitable blueprint
- Expert funnel mastery
Cons
- Not as in-depth or comprehensive as my top 3
- The content and SEO modules are lackinClosing Thoughts: You Can’t Go Wrong With The Lab
There are plenty of good affiliate marketing courses out there, but The Lab is the only one that’s 100% unassailable.
Plus, buy through my link and you'll get $200 off the original price.Everything is proven to work on real affiliate sites, and the sales page is full of successful students raving about how streamlined, detailed, and actionable each video is.
Most of them tell the same two stories: Either “I went from 0 – profitable affiliate site fast” or “I went from profitable affiliate site to VERY profitable site quickly”.
I still can’t believe it’s ONLY $997. I’m sure Matt won’t keep it at that price for very long. It’s worth every penny.
Did I mention it's only $797 through this link? 🙂