Affiliate Marketing For Software – Make money Promoting Software

Most people who try affiliate marketing for software fail before they get a single click. They pick a popular tool, create content about that tool by name, and watch their videos and posts disappear into a wall of competition from channels ten times their size, including the software company itself. The effort is real, but the strategy is off from the start.

Alston Godbolt breaks down exactly why that happens and what to do instead. The core idea is this: stop promoting the software and start promoting the problem the software solves. Once you make that shift, you stop fighting for bottom-of-funnel keywords against well-funded competitors and start capturing people earlier, when the competition is thin and the trust you can build is enormous. This post walks through the full approach, including live keyword examples with real search volumes and a funnel model you can apply to any software affiliate program you find.

What You’ll Walk Out With

Why targeting software brand names directly almost always fails
The “promote the solution” framework for finding low-competition entry points
A live Ahrefs walkthrough using ClickFunnels and VPN programs as real examples
How to map the four stages of a buyer’s journey and where to focus your content
Specific keyword examples with real monthly search volumes and difficulty scores from the video
Why “how to” content builds more trust and drives more conversions than review content
A step-by-step action plan to apply this method to any software affiliate program
Find out which online income path matches your skills at finder.platformproof.com

Why Targeting Software Brand Names Is a Dead End

When most people start affiliate marketing for software, the first move feels obvious: search the name of the product, see how much traffic it gets, and make content about it. ClickFunnels is the example Alston uses in this video. The commission is good, the brand is known, and people are clearly searching for it. So you make a ClickFunnels video or write a ClickFunnels review, hit publish, and wait.

Here is the problem. When Alston searches “ClickFunnels” on YouTube, the results are filled with large channels, professional reviewers, and content from Russell Brunson and the ClickFunnels team themselves. The people watching those videos already know what ClickFunnels is. They are at the bottom of the buyer’s journey. They know what their problem is and they know the solution. They are just looking for final confirmation or a better deal before they buy.

That makes it very hard to win as a smaller creator. You are competing on a crowded field with no built-in advantage. Keywords like “ClickFunnels pricing,” “ClickFunnels review,” and “ClickFunnels affiliate” are competitive because every affiliate in the space is targeting the same small pool of buyers who are already at the end of the decision process. Even if you produce excellent content, getting traction against established players in that space takes significant time and often does not happen at all for newer creators.

The frustration is compounded by the fact that the strategy feels logical. Promoting something that is popular, has high commissions, and is well-known seems like it should work. But popular and well-known also means saturated and competitive. The brands people already know are the hardest places to break in as an affiliate.

The Strategy That Actually Works: Promote the Solution

The shift that changes results is moving up the funnel. Instead of targeting the software name, you identify the problems the software solves and create content around those problems. The software becomes the answer to a question, not the subject of a pitch.

This matters because of what people do not know when they first enter your potential audience. Take someone who is brand new to email marketing. They do not know they need ClickFunnels. They probably do not know they need an autoresponder, a lead magnet, a landing page builder, or broadcast email capability. Those are four things any serious email marketer needs, and a beginner is unlikely to know any of them. They just know they want to build an email list. They are typing “how to start email marketing” or “how to build an email list from scratch,” not “ClickFunnels.”

That search is your opportunity. When you answer that question completely and honestly, you provide real value before you ever mention a product. By the time you recommend ClickFunnels as the tool that handles everything they need, the reader already trusts you because you helped them understand what they actually need. The recommendation feels like useful advice, not a sales pitch. That distinction is what drives conversions from people who were not already looking to buy.

The same principle applies across every software category. People searching for the solution to a problem are earlier in the process than people searching for the product by name. Earlier means less competitive, more open to recommendation, and more grateful when you give them something genuinely useful.

Live Example: ClickFunnels Keyword Research in Ahrefs

Ahrefs is the keyword research tool Alston uses in this video to illustrate the difference between bottom-of-funnel and top-of-funnel targeting. When you search “ClickFunnels” in Ahrefs, you see the competitive landscape immediately. Searches like “ClickFunnels login” are useless to affiliates because those people have already purchased the software. Searches like “ClickFunnels pricing” and “ClickFunnels review” are competitive because they attract every affiliate in the space. The conversion potential is real at that level, but the path to getting there through those keywords is slow and difficult for smaller creators without existing authority.

The better approach in Ahrefs is to search for the problems ClickFunnels solves, not ClickFunnels itself. ClickFunnels helps people with email marketing, selling digital products, building membership sites, and creating landing pages. Each of those is a starting point for a different piece of content that can rank more easily and attract a different kind of reader, one who is earlier in the process and more open to a recommendation from someone who helped them understand their situation.

The keyword content strategy that follows from this plays out across three stages. First, create how-to content that answers the core question directly. How to sell a digital product. How to build an online membership site. How to collect email addresses from a landing page. Second, once you have that foundation, create comparison content that targets people who now know a solution category exists and are evaluating their options. “Three best tools for selling online courses” or “top email automation platforms for beginners.” Third, handle the bottom of the funnel with review or versus content for people who have already narrowed it down to specific tools. Each stage prepares buyers for the next, and your affiliate link can appear naturally at every level.

Live Example: VPN Affiliate Programs and the Netflix Keyword Opportunity

VPN programs are among the most lucrative software affiliate programs available. They pay recurring commissions, they serve a global audience, and VPN use is growing steadily. But if you type “VPN” into Ahrefs, you will see immediately why most affiliates give up on them. The competition is enormous. VPN brands spend heavily on SEO and paid advertising. Getting organic traction on “best VPN” or even “VPN for Netflix” as a new creator is extremely difficult without years of established authority.

The move here is identical to the ClickFunnels approach: find the problems the VPN actually solves rather than targeting the product. A VPN allows you to mask your geographic location on the internet. If you are in Wisconsin, activating a VPN can make your connection appear to be coming from Canada, Bangladesh, or Florida. People use this for several reasons, but one of the most common and consistently searchable reasons is accessing geo-restricted streaming content. If you are in the United States and want to watch the Canadian or European version of Netflix, or if you are in India and want to watch the American version, a VPN is your solution.

Alston demonstrates this live using Ahrefs. He searches “how to watch” and filters for Netflix and Hulu related terms. The results reveal a category of keywords that the average VPN affiliate completely overlooks. Here is what the actual data from the video shows:

How to watch Netflix Japan: 350 monthly searches, keyword difficulty of 5
How to watch Netflix in China: 100 monthly searches, keyword difficulty of 4
How to watch Hulu outside US: 300 monthly searches
How to watch Hotstar outside India: strong regional demand with low competition

These are modest search volumes, but the keyword difficulty scores are tiny. A well-written piece of content targeting “how to watch Netflix Japan” can rank with far less domain authority than anything competing for “best VPN.” And every person who finds that content has a clear problem with a clear solution: they need a VPN. Your affiliate link sits naturally at the end of the tutorial. When they click and subscribe, you earn a recurring commission every month they stay subscribed. One piece of content, built once, can pay for years.

Alston also shows an advanced research technique in the video. When you find a site that has already answered a related question, like “how can I watch Hulu in another country,” you can copy their domain and plug it into Ahrefs Site Explorer. You will see every keyword that site is ranking for across all their content. That list becomes your content calendar. One competitor’s success becomes your roadmap for an entire niche.

The same pattern repeats for any streaming service with regional restrictions. Star Trek Discovery on Netflix US, Japanese anime titles not available in North America, British shows locked to UK Netflix. Each of those represents a specific search someone is doing right now with almost no one answering it in a way that also recommends a VPN. That gap is the opportunity.

The Four-Stage Funnel Model

Alston draws this out on a whiteboard in the video, and it is worth understanding clearly because it shapes every content decision you make as a software affiliate marketer. The funnel has four stages, each representing a different level of buyer awareness.

Stage 1: Problem unknown. At the very top of the funnel are people who do not yet know they have a problem. They have a situation but have not connected it to a need. Someone who lives in the United States and watches Netflix comfortably every night has no VPN need right now. But they are planning a two-week trip to the UK, and they have not yet realized they will lose access to their usual Netflix library the moment they land. When that realization hits, they enter the funnel. Content that catches people at this stage is broad and experience-focused, not product-focused at all.

Stage 2: How-to search. This is where people know they have a problem and are actively searching for a solution. “How to watch US Netflix outside the US” is a Stage 2 search. The person knows what they want. They do not know how to get it. This is the most important stage for affiliate marketers because the competition is lowest and the opportunity to build real trust is highest. You solve the problem completely, answer every sub-question the reader might have, and recommend the tool that makes the solution happen. Done well, you can move someone from Stage 2 to a purchase decision in a single piece of content without them ever needing to go back to Google.

Stage 3: Comparison. People in Stage 3 know a category of solution exists and they are evaluating options. “Three best VPNs for streaming” or “best email marketing tools for beginners” lives here. They want to understand differences in features, pricing, and ease of use before committing. Comparison content at this stage converts well because readers are close to a decision and they are looking for someone to organize the choice for them in an honest way.

Stage 4: Review and features. At the bottom of the funnel, buyers have nearly decided. They want validation and confirmation. “NordVPN review” or “ClickFunnels features” represents this stage. Keyword difficulty here is high because this is where the money is most visible. Many affiliates start here and find it is nearly impossible to rank. But the most effective content strategy starts at Stage 2 and works down, building a body of content that catches buyers at multiple points in their journey.

The key insight Alston emphasizes is that how-to content is not just a top-of-funnel strategy. When you answer the how-to question so completely that nothing is left unanswered, you can move someone from “I have a problem” to “I have the solution I need” in one visit. They do not need to go back to Google. They do not need a separate comparison article. They trust you, they click your link, and they buy. Alston calls it passing go and collecting $200. A single well-executed piece of content that makes the middle of the funnel irrelevant because you answered everything the buyer needed to hear.

Not sure which online income path fits your skills and schedule?

Find your match in under a minute at finder.platformproof.com.

Step-by-Step Plan for Promoting Any Software as an Affiliate

Here is the complete process from start to first piece of live content, applied to any software affiliate program you want to promote:

Choose software with a recurring commission. One-time commissions pay once. Recurring commissions pay every month the customer stays subscribed. Look for software in categories like email marketing, website builders, project management tools, VPNs, video hosting, and online course platforms. These tend to have sticky customers who stay subscribed for months or years.
List every real problem the software solves. Do not list features. List problems. ClickFunnels does not “provide landing pages.” It solves the problem of not having a place to collect leads online. Write a list of five to eight problems the software solves, in plain language, from the perspective of someone who does not yet own the product.
Research keywords around those problems, not the product name. Open Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, or even the Google Search autocomplete bar. Type each problem with “how to” as a prefix. Look for keywords with a difficulty score under 20 and at least 100 monthly searches. These exist in almost every software category if you dig into the specific use cases.
Create the most complete, honest answer you can write. Do not withhold information to create a sense of mystery or to force the reader to click your link. Give them the actual steps. When the software is a natural part of the answer, include it. When it is not, do not force it. Readers can tell the difference, and the ones who trust you convert far better than the ones who feel sold to.
Build a comparison piece for Stage 3 of the funnel. Once your how-to content is live, create a “best X tools” post or video that covers the category, with your affiliate software as a top recommendation. This catches buyers who have moved past the how-to stage and are now evaluating options before deciding.
Add a review piece for the bottom of the funnel. This is the piece most affiliates start with. It should be the third piece of content you create, not the first. By the time someone finds your review, they may have already seen your how-to content and your comparison. That prior trust makes the review far more persuasive than a standalone review from someone they have never heard of.
Track and expand. Use your affiliate dashboard and Google Search Console to see which content drives clicks and conversions. Double down on the problem areas that generate the most traffic. Use competitor research in Ahrefs to find adjacent keywords you have not covered yet. Each successful piece gives you data for the next one.

Honest Drawbacks of This Approach

This strategy works, but it takes time. How-to content at the top of the funnel is lower competition, but it also attracts people who are further from a purchase decision. Some of them will never buy. They wanted the answer and they got it. That is fine because a meaningful percentage of them will convert, and those are recurring commissions that pay for months. But if you need fast results, this is not a get-paid-this-week approach. It is a get-paid-every-month-for-the-next-three-years approach. The compounding is real, but it requires patience to reach it.

The other honest limitation is that keyword research tools like Ahrefs cost money. Ahrefs plans start around $99 per month. Ubersuggest and Semrush have free tiers with usage limits. Google Keyword Planner is free but requires a Google Ads account and does not show the keyword difficulty scores that make target selection precise. If you are starting with no budget, you can use Google autocomplete and Google Trends to do rough keyword research, but you will be operating without the data that removes guesswork from the process. That said, the strategy itself is free. The tools accelerate it, but they do not make or break it.

Find Your Path Into Online Income

Affiliate marketing for software is one of the most scalable paths to recurring online income, but it is not the right starting point for everyone. Some people do better selling their own products, building service businesses, or creating content on platforms that match skills they already have and time they can actually commit to.

If you are not sure where software affiliate marketing fits in your overall picture, or whether it is the right first move for your situation, take the free quiz at finder.platformproof.com. It takes under a minute and matches you with the income path that fits your current skills, time availability, and financial goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes software affiliate programs better than physical product affiliate programs?

Software affiliate programs typically pay recurring commissions, which means you earn every month a customer stays subscribed, not just on the initial sale. Physical product programs usually pay a one-time commission, often in the 3 to 10 percent range, on a single purchase. With software, one referred customer can generate income for a year or more from a single referral. The compounding effect of recurring commissions is the primary reason software affiliate programs attract serious long-term affiliate marketers over product-based programs.

Do I need to actually use the software I am promoting?

Using the software yourself gives you a significant advantage because your content will be more specific, more accurate, and more credible. But you do not have to own every piece of software you review or compare. For how-to content that targets problem-level keywords, you can often create genuinely useful content based on thorough research without being a daily user. For review content, personal experience is close to a requirement if you want readers to trust your recommendation enough to click and buy.

How do I find software affiliate programs to join?

The easiest starting point is to look up any software you already use and check their website for an “affiliate program” or “partner program” link, usually in the footer. Most SaaS companies run their own programs. You can also search affiliate networks like ShareASale, PartnerStack, Impact, and CJ Affiliate, which aggregate programs across hundreds of software companies in one place. For VPN programs specifically, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all run well-known affiliate programs with recurring commission structures.

Can this method work on YouTube as well as a written blog?

Yes, and the video format has real advantages for this approach. YouTube is its own search engine, and how-to videos perform extremely well there for exactly the reasons described in this post. The keyword research process is the same: find the problem, search for it in Ahrefs or the YouTube search bar, and look for videos with high view counts from channels with relatively few subscribers. That signals low competition with real demand. You can target the same keywords with both a blog post and a YouTube video to capture traffic from two platforms with one core piece of research.

How long does it take to start earning recurring income from software affiliate marketing?

For blog content, expect three to nine months before search engine traffic grows meaningfully on new content. For YouTube, traction can come faster if your video answers a specific question in a low-competition niche. The recurring nature of software commissions means that once you start earning, that income tends to grow rather than reset each month. Most people who stay consistent with this approach for 12 to 18 months end up with income streams that require very little maintenance to sustain once they are established.

What if the software I want to promote has a low affiliate commission rate?

Commission rate is only one variable in the calculation. A 20 percent recurring commission on a $29 per month tool pays about $70 per year per referred customer. A 10 percent recurring commission on a $199 per month tool pays about $240 per year per referred customer. Higher-priced software with a lower percentage rate can pay far more per referral than lower-priced software with a higher rate. Evaluate the expected annual value per referred customer, not just the percentage shown on the affiliate sign-up page.

How many pieces of content do I need before I start seeing affiliate income?

There is no guaranteed number, but the structure from this video suggests a minimum of three pieces per software program: one how-to piece targeting a problem keyword, one comparison piece covering the category, and one review piece for buyers near the end of their decision. Three pieces targeting the same affiliate program creates a content structure that catches buyers at multiple stages of the journey. Beyond that minimum, the number depends on how competitive your niche is and how much content your competitors have already published in that space.

Is it better to promote one software program or multiple programs at once when starting out?

Starting with one program in one niche is almost always smarter than spreading across many programs at once. You learn the audience, you learn the language they use, and you build a body of content that signals real knowledge in that area. Once you have a working system for one program, the skills and the process transfer directly to other programs. Trying to promote a dozen different tools with one piece of content each is far less effective than building ten well-researched pieces around one carefully chosen program with recurring commissions.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “Affiliate Marketing For Software – Make money Promoting Software,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/GNESTbmCOms
Ahrefs keyword research tool, referenced in video for ClickFunnels and VPN keyword analysis
PartnerStack, ShareASale, Impact, CJ Affiliate: affiliate network platforms referenced for finding software programs