In the SEO world, there are many accomplished players. We have been fortunate enough to work with influential and accomplished experts who have dedicated their profession to SEO and affiliate marketing. Each provides their expertise and helps others who are deeply invested in the industry learn how they can become better. While there are many impressive individuals to draw inspiration from, Colby Wren captivated our audience and staff. So, we decided to interview him to get his take on the latest in website flipping, affiliate marketing, and SEO.
Who is Colby Wren?
When Colby was in college, he decided to abandon traditional forms of education and make his own path while learning on his feet. His goal was to build a future free from the constraints of traditional expectations. After leaving school?, he created a digital marketing agency and began to build a list of national clients. From car dealerships to mom and pops, his lead generation campaigns were successful but over time he realized something was missing. In our interview, he gave us a peek inside his head. His main question? “Why make everyone else rich instead of building our own sites and digital assets?”
Affiliate Marketing – Lessons Learned
Colby began with small affiliate websites that his team, “Never got to know or were able to love” because inevitably Google algorithm changes would wipe them out.
His team realized he couldn’t manage 30-40 sites at a time but also understood that there was something special about the sites he was able to dedicate his time to.
“The sites we gave the most love and attention to exploded!” said Colby in our interview. But for his team to give that much love to each one was next to impossible. The challenge that came with managing multiple sites at the same time was insurmountable. He said the difficulty that comes with managing so many sites at once results in sacrificing quality: “You start forgetting about other websites and before you know it, you’re forgetting the URL names.”
As they scaled they learned a ton of lessons, “We would build 40 and throw away 25, and (eventually) we began to wonder what would happen if we only focused on 15.”
The Power of One
And so they did. As they continued to expand, Colby and his team reduced the number of sites their team focused on and concentrated their efforts on a small handful of sites to make them as successful as possible. But Colby still had one major hurdle, how to find domains. “I had been using a handful of domain vendors and still use some to this day but Odys always caught my eye because everything was quality.”
The journey an experienced domainer undertakes to find domains that haven’t been tarnished by previous owners, aren’t attached to trademarks, and won’t create issues for their potential new owners is a difficult one.
Filling in the gaps of what was missing in the past, “Has helped us become an authority in a lot of niches… but I’ve stopped looking for niches and started looking for domains. If the domain works I can build a niche around it.
This all sounded great but we were wondering what other secrets he had up his sleeve so we did what we always do and asked for advice.
Advice From an Expert
“We’ve gone away from doing keyword research all day and all night and started finding domains and building content.”
When we asked Colby what his best insights were it was refreshing to get a response that was so in tune with what we had been hearing from others at the top of their game.
“You have to hedge your sites.” While some people are fearless and take one and only one site and make it massive, it’s few that make the strategy work. I’ve seen people lose fortunes and also been successful with a single linear focus when building one website. There aren’t enough people testing and trying things to protect themselves.”
Colby sees those who build their sites completely on authority at a disadvantage because, “In 3-6 months when relevance (or updates) come(s) out, you’re back at square one.
“One of the main questions we receive surrounds the cost of starting from scratch, a domain without history that is brand new. Many of our clients wonder whether it is worthwhile and if not why?” Colby, it turned out, was not a fan of starting from scratch. After his long experience, he learned that “You’re gonna need 100-200k (in spend) per year per site which seems almost insurmountable for most of the clients we speak with.”
So then, how do experts like Colby avoid the high temporal and monetary cost of starting from scratch?
A quality marketplace.
Thoughts on Odys
What does a quality marketplace look like? It’s one that engages in ethical domaining and provides every possible metric to its clients to make them as successful as possible.
When we asked Colby what he thought had helped him most, he replied that many lessons had helped but there was one that stood out, “Odys, the one thing I think has helped me accelerate most of my growth and overall ranking has been by using domains from Odys”
While we loved the flattery, we weren’t quite clear why he believed in our vision so much. He encouraged us to think of “Google as a bit bipolar.”
“Keyword topical relevant content and content clusters” all only go so far. “One day you’re on top of the mountain and the next you’re down in the slumps.”
Not only do you need to age the domain but you need to buy thousands of links and thousands of dollars worth of content. If the domain is strong enough, you can rank with the content alone because you have the inherent authority of the existing domain.
And then we understood. The value of time is huge when you’re grinding away. Each moment of the day is precious and saving years and thousands on by using an aged domain means that you have more time to focus on your other side hustle or whatever means most to you.
At Odys Global, we know the hustlers, grinders, and those who pull all-nighters. We are those same people and we deliver what you need to push forward so you can save time and move faster toward greatness.
“To anyone who is young and hungry, you don’t have to be smart. Work hard, and want it.”
If you’re like Colby and ready to take the step toward your next domaining adventure then check out our blog for more info or, even better, dive right in and request access at Odys Global
