The affiliate programs you choose matter as much as the content you create. A good program has fair commissions, a long cookie window, reliable payments, and products your audience actually wants to buy.
Here are the eight programs I consider most relevant for bloggers writing about SEO, side hustles, and online income. Commission rates and terms are accurate as of March 2026 but may change. Verify directly with each program before publishing content.
1. Semrush
Commission: $200 per sale (new subscription), $10 per trial activation Cookie duration: 120 days Minimum payout: $50
Semrush is the standard SEO toolkit used by most serious content marketers. It is expensive at $139.95 per month for the Pro plan, which means a 120-day cookie and $200 per sale is a compelling combination.
If you are writing SEO content and your readers are building or growing blogs, Semrush is the most honest recommendation you can make. The product is genuinely good. Promoting it because you believe in it, not just for the commission, is the right approach.
Program managed through Impact. Join Semrush affiliate program
2. ConvertKit (now Kit)
Commission: 30% recurring Cookie duration: 90 days Minimum payout: $50
ConvertKit pays 30 percent recurring for every month a referred customer stays subscribed. The basic plan starts at $29 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. That is $8.70 per month per referral.
Refer 20 active subscribers and you earn $174 per month passively, as long as those people stay subscribed. Recurring commissions at 30 percent are rare. This is one of the better affiliate programs in the email marketing space.
Relevant for bloggers writing about list building, email marketing, or creator tools.
Join ConvertKit affiliate program
3. Hostinger
Commission: 60% of the first payment Cookie duration: 30 days Minimum payout: $100
Hostinger is a web hosting company with plans starting at $2.99 per month. The commission is 60 percent of the first payment. On an annual plan at $35.88, that is $21.53 per sale.
The appeal is the low price point. Beginners buying their first hosting plan are price-sensitive. Hostinger regularly ranks well in "cheap hosting" searches and is one of the most clicked hosting recommendations in the beginner blogging space.
Join Hostinger affiliate program
4. Benable
Commission: Percentage of sales from referred users' lists (Amazon Associates rates) Cookie duration: Standard Amazon cookie (24 hours on direct add-to-cart clicks) Minimum payout: $10 (through Amazon)
Benable is both a platform worth using and worth recommending. If you write about affiliate marketing for beginners, Benable is one of the cleanest entry points, which means readers are genuinely likely to use it. Read more about what Benable is and how it works.
5. Ahrefs
Commission: 30% recurring for lifetime Cookie duration: 60 days Minimum payout: $100
Ahrefs plans start at $129 per month. At 30 percent recurring, a single referral that stays for two years generates $928.80. Ahrefs is the tool most professional SEOs prefer over all others.
The downside: the price point means conversions are lower. You need an audience that takes SEO seriously, not beginners looking for free options.
6. Canva
Commission: $36 per Canva Pro referral (annual plan) Cookie duration: 30 days Minimum payout: $100
Canva's affiliate program pays a flat $36 for every Canva Pro subscriber you refer. The product has enormous reach, particularly among bloggers, social media creators, and small business owners.
The conversion rate is relatively high because Canva has a strong free tier that hooks users before asking them to upgrade. If someone is already using Canva free, the step to Pro is an easy sell.
7. Notion
Commission: 50% of the first 12 months of a referred Plus plan (currently $16/month) Cookie duration: 90 days Minimum payout: $100
Notion has built massive brand loyalty in the productivity and creator community. The Plus plan is $16 per month. At 50 percent for 12 months, a single referral that stays for a year pays $96.
The audience overlap between Notion users and the kind of people who read blogging and side hustle content is strong. Notion is almost universally used in this community for organizing content, projects, and systems.
8. Amazon Associates
Commission: 1 to 10% depending on category (books: 4.5%, electronics: 2.5%, beauty: 10%) Cookie duration: 24 hours Minimum payout: $10 (gift card), $100 (check or direct deposit)
Amazon Associate commissions are low by every objective measure. The advantage is universal. Every product you have ever recommended can be linked through Amazon. The conversion rate is high because Amazon checkout is trusted and most people already have an account.
For book recommendations specifically, Amazon Associates is effectively the only sensible choice. Readers are already going to Amazon to buy books. Your affiliate link just makes sure you get credit.
Important: You need 3 qualifying sales within 180 days of joining or Amazon closes your account.
How to Choose
Match the program to your content, not to the highest commission rate.
If you are writing about SEO tools, Semrush and Ahrefs are the right recommendations. If you are writing about email marketing, ConvertKit. Start with one or two programs in your core niche rather than spreading across eight immediately.
Track which programs drive actual clicks and conversions. After three months you will have real data on what your readers buy. Expand from there.
For more on how the commission structure and tracking mechanics work, read how affiliate marketing actually works.
