The Affiliate Lab Review (2025)

Who Am I (and Why You Can Trust This Review)

Hey, I’m Jason Taft—founder of Scam Busters USA. Since 2014 I’ve been exposing scams and reviewing online business programs by doing the unsexy work: buying products, testing the methods, and reporting back like I would to a friend over coffee. I’ve burned money on shiny objects (and “done-for-you” dreams) and I’ve also built content sites that pay me month after month. In other words, I’ve been where you’re sitting right now—trying to sort hype from help.

In this review I’ll tell you exactly what The Affiliate Lab is, who it’s for, where it shines, where beginners stumble, and how it stacks up against the content-first approach I recommend for most people. No screenshots of “yesterday’s commissions.” Just an honest game plan so you can choose your lane—without sinking your savings into the wrong one. IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW ( AFFILIATE LAB IS CLOSED )

No credit card • Step-by-step lessons • Managed hosting on paid tiers • Weekly live classes

⚠️ Update (2025): The Affiliate Lab Has Closed Permanently

As of 2025, The Affiliate Lab website is officially shut down and no longer accepting new members. While Matt Diggity’s course helped many intermediate and advanced SEOs in the past, it’s no longer available as a training option.

That makes it even more important to choose a platform that’s still active, transparent, and beginner-friendly if you’re serious about affiliate marketing. For me, that’s why I recommend Wealthy Affiliate, it’s not only alive and growing, but it continues to update training, provide hosting, and give real support without the high-ticket risk.

Why This Review Exists (and what you’ll get from it)

The Affiliate Lab is one of the most talked-about SEO courses in our space. If you’ve hung around affiliate communities, you’ve heard Matt Diggity’s name—he’s known for testing, documenting, and doubling down on what works. Naturally, that track record creates a lot of buzz… and a lot of questions.

Here’s my promise: I’ll walk you through the model, show you what’s actually inside, highlight the hidden workload most people ignore, and explain where a content-first, beginner-friendly approach (like the one I use) outperforms “advanced SEO playbooks” for most people just getting started. If you want a look at the training that helped me build assets I control, here’s my deep dive: My Honest Wealthy Affiliate Review (2025).

Who Is Matt Diggity?

Matt is an SEO veteran and founder of Diggity Marketing, The Search Initiative, LeadSpring, and, yes, The Affiliate Lab. His brand is built on testing—running experiments at scale, documenting results, and teaching what wins. He speaks at conferences, flips sites for healthy paydays, and generally sits in that “advanced operator” tier of affiliate SEO.

Translation: if you’re already comfortable with WordPress, audits, topical mapping, and link acquisition, Matt’s brain is a goldmine. If you’re brand new, the learning curve can feel like standing at the base of Everest in flip-flops.

What Is The Affiliate Lab?

The Affiliate Lab is a self-paced training program for building, ranking, and monetizing niche sites—often with an eye toward flipping those sites for 5–6 figures. It’s video-heavy with SOPs, templates, and a private community.

Price note: exact offers change over time, but historically this has been a high-ticket one-time purchase. Keep in mind: the price of a course is just the entry ticket—your tool stack and content investment are where the real costs live.

Inside the Training: Modules & What You Actually Learn

Names shift with each version, but the backbone of the course looks like this. I’ll translate each piece into what you’ll be doing week to week:

• Niche Selection & Keyword Research: validating commercial intent, topical depth, and “rankability.” Expect methods for clustering keywords, assessing SERP quality, and modeling competitors.
• Site Architecture & Topical Mapping: building category hierarchies, hub/spoke content, and internal link structures that support topical authority (and make crawling/indexing easier).
• On-Page SEO (Modern): mapping user intent to content types, writing outlines that satisfy information gain, optimizing headings, entities, and FAQ support without stuffing.
• Off-Page SEO & Link Building: outreach frameworks, guest posting, resource page tactics, digital PR angles, and the guardrails you need to avoid lighting your site on fire.
• Content Production & Editing: turning research into briefs, briefs into drafts, and drafts into useful guides—plus editing for clarity, punch, and conversions.
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): comparison blocks, pros/cons, “who it’s for,” table templates, FAQs, and link placement that respects the reader but still converts.
• Technical SEO & Cleanup: crawl issues, index management, thin content triage, Core Web Vitals basics, and simple schema opportunities.
• Recovery Playbooks: diagnosing traffic drops, intent mismatches, cannibalization, internal links gone stale, and when to merge, redirect, or prune.
• Flipping Process: grooming assets for valuation, earnings smoothing, documentation, finding buyers, and handover SOPs.
• Community & SOPs: a private group and “do this next” checklists so you’re not reinventing the wheel each step.

Bottom line: if you like systematic execution—research → briefs → publishing → links → CRO—there’s a lot to like. If you want “push button,” this isn’t it (and nothing real is).

What You Really Get (Beyond the Sales Page)

• Clear SOPs, but not handholding: You’ll get checklists and flows, but you still have to think—especially when SERPs don’t cooperate.
• No “everything included” platform: The course doesn’t bundle hosting, keyword tools, or managed support. You assemble your own stack.
• Community that skews advanced: Good discussions, but the baseline experience is higher than beginner forums. That’s great—unless you’re brand new and drowning in acronyms.
• Flipping mindset baked in: Training favors building with exit value in mind. That’s a different set of tradeoffs than “I want one brand that pays me forever.”

The Real Costs & Tools You’ll Need

I’ll give you the budget I wish someone gave me on day one:

• Hosting: $5–$30/mo to start (more for premium managed).
• Keyword tools: $20–$100+/mo depending on plan.
• Content: whether you write or hire, plan on real hours (or $50–$200+ per long post if outsourcing).
• Links: outreach time (free but slow) or budget for placements/PR.
• Odds & ends: email, image tools, a light plugin stack.

Reality check: the course fee is the setup cost. The engine is content, links, and patience. You can keep this lean—especially if you write your own stuff—but it isn’t free.

How Long Until You See Results?

It varies by niche, competition, and your cadence. A realistic pattern for a brand-new site:

• 0–30 days: research, set up, publish first 10–20 pieces.
• 31–90 days: the “nothing’s happening” window—keep publishing, interlinking, and tightening on-page.
• 3–6 months: first real search traction if your topics are specific and helpful.
• 6–12 months: meaningful growth if you’ve stayed consistent and refreshed early posts.

Flipping (the Lab’s sweet spot) typically follows after you’ve proven consistent earnings—so think in quarters, not weeks.

Who It’s For (and Who Should Skip It)

You’ll Probably Do Well with The Affiliate Lab if you:

• Already know WordPress and basic SEO, and want advanced systems.
• Enjoy research and testing as much as writing.
• Like the idea of building to flip (documentation, clean books, and valuation math don’t scare you).
• Can stick with a plan for 6–12 months without chasing shiny objects.

Consider Other Paths if you:

• Are brand new and want all-in-one simplicity (training + hosting + support under one login).
• Prefer owning one brand long term vs. grooming sites for sale.
• Don’t want to manage link acquisition or learn technical triage.

Pros & Cons (Honest + Balanced)

Pros

• Advanced, tested methodology: good guardrails and processes for serious builders.
• Strong SOPs & templates: reduces decision fatigue once you’re rolling.
• Flipping perspective: helps you think in valuation terms, not just traffic.

Cons

• Not beginner-friendly: higher baseline, and you assemble your own tool stack.
• No integrated platform: hosting, keyword tools, and support are on you.</ li>
• Link-heavy model: outreach skill (or budget) is required to compete in tougher niches.
• Pricey upfront: it’s a real investment before you’ve proven your process.

My Personal Take (Friend-to-Friend)

Here’s me being blunt with a friend: The Affiliate Lab is legit. If you’re ready for an advanced SEO play, like systems, and want to build assets to sell, it can be a great fit. But if you’re earlier on the journey and want the path of fewest moving parts, it’s not my first recommendation.

What finally changed my results wasn’t a hack—it was a routine I could actually sustain. I built one helpful site, published two or three times a week, interlinked my content, refreshed losers, and aimed to be useful. For that, I needed training, hosting, and support in one place so I could stop duct-taping tools and just ship. That’s why, for most beginners, I point to the training I use and recommend here: My Honest Wealthy Affiliate Review (2025).

Affiliate Lab vs. Wealthy Affiliate (Clean Comparison)

If You Join Anyway: 30/60/90-Day Action Plan

Days 1–30: Foundation

• Pick 1 niche and map 30–50 keywords into 3–4 clusters (info + buyer intent).
• Launch the site (fast theme, lean plugins). Publish 10–15 specific posts (answer 1 question per post).
• Draft 2 cornerstone guides and interlink early.

Days 31–60: Momentum

• Publish 2–3 posts per week across your clusters. Add comparison blocks and on-page FAQs.
• Begin outreach (5–10 emails/day). Aim for 2–4 quality links/month at the start.
• Refresh the first 10 posts with stronger hooks and internal links.

Days 61–90: Optimization

• Deepen clusters (add 10–20 supporting posts). Tighten internal links.
• Audit titles/meta/intro to lift CTR. Add schema where relevant.
• Plan the next quarter (20–30 keywords) and keep the cadence.

Bonus tip: If you’d rather start with an all-in-one setup (training + hosting + support), this is the path I recommend: join the free Starter plan here and follow the 90-day rhythm in my Wealthy Affiliate review.

FAQs (Up-to-Date)

Is The Affiliate Lab a scam?

No. It’s a legitimate program taught by an experienced SEO. It’s not “push button,” and it isn’t beginner-simple, but it’s real training for builders who want advanced systems.

How much does it cost to implement?

Beyond the course fee, budget for hosting, a keyword tool, and either your time writing or a content budget. Outreach takes time (or money). You can start lean and reinvest as you grow.

Do I need backlinks?

In many niches, yes. You can win some long-tail queries without them, but competitive SERPs usually demand links and strong internal linking.

How fast can I see results?

Commonly 3–6 months for early traction, 6–12 for meaningful growth. It depends on your niche, pace, and how well you execute.

Is there an easier way to start?

If you want fewer moving parts and a platform that bundles training + hosting + support, read my pillar breakdown here: My Honest Wealthy Affiliate Review (2025).

Final Verdict & Quick Start

The Affiliate Lab is a strong fit for builders who love research, systems, and the idea of grooming sites to flip. It’s not my first pick for beginners who want a simple, sustainable path with fewer moving parts. If you’ve got experience and you want to level up, it’s worth a look. If you want to start calm, keep your overhead low, and build an asset you’ll own long-term, start with the training that changed everything for me.

Training • Hosting (paid tiers) • Research • Weekly classes • 24/7 SiteSupport

More Great Reviews on Scam Busters USA

• Wealthy Affiliate Review (2025) – Why It’s Still My #1 Recommendation
• Plug-In Profit Site Review (Updated for 2025)
• Profit Singularity vs Wealthy Affiliate (2025 Comparison)
• Super Affiliate System Review
• Savage Affiliates vs Wealthy Affiliate
• Product Review Profits Review

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jason. I started Scam Busters USA after getting burned by a stack of “opportunities” that promised the world and delivered invoices. Between 2011 and 2014, I lost thousands of dollars and nearly quit for good. In 2014 I finally found a training path that helped me build something I could be proud of—and I’ve been sharing the real playbook ever since. If you join the training I recommend, I’m inside the community daily and happy to help you get moving.