Brands create affiliate programs, which are free or of low cost to join, to enable people to become their ambassadors, also known as affiliates. The program generates unique referral links for each affiliate, which can be then shared and marketed online to drive consumer traffic back to the brand’s site. Affiliates receive a unique link generated by a brand that they then share with their audiencesA potential buyer clicks on the link, which takes them to the organization’s website or online storeThe organization records and traces the consumers’ buying journey back to the affiliate link using cookiesThe organisation rewards the affiliate with a commission for the purchase made by the customer who used the affiliate’s link Why should you join an affiliate program?
Even though these are two different methods, marketing experts have started to combine them in order to maximize the results. Here is how you can use them to your advantage too: Find influencers and established bloggers in your niche and reach out to them directly (via email, or direct message on social media). However, it’s important to build a relationship before pitching your affiliate program.

On a side note, don’t get too serious with SEO. I mean, you don’t have to be a master of SEO. You need the basic understanding which you can implement in your affiliate promotion. There’s no harm to learn the details though.
Many of the largest companies work with them (for instance many of the golf companies I work with), and building a relationship with a larger affiliate network can lead to more opportunities that you might not have found otherwise.