Tired of dropping $99+/month on Ahrefs to spy on competitors’ keywords—especially when you’re just starting your affiliate site and every dollar counts? As an affiliate marketer who scaled from 0 to 10k+ monthly visitors on a shoestring budget, I know the struggle: expensive SEO tools eat into your commissions, and free alternatives often feel watered-down.

But here’s the secret: Google Ads Keyword Planner (GKP) is a free, underrated tool that does 80% of what Ahrefs does—for affiliate sites, it’s even better, because it’s optimized for commercial intent keywords (the ones that drive affiliate sales). In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to use GKP to steal your competitors’ top affiliate keywords, uncover low-competition/high-conversion terms, and rank your articles without spending a penny on premium tools. I’ve used this strategy to get 3 affiliate articles to Google’s Page 1 (including “best VPN for affiliate marketing”)—and it works for every niche (hosting, AI tools, POD, etc.).

Why Google Ads Keyword Planner Beats Ahrefs for Affiliate Sites

Ahrefs is great for big agencies, but for affiliate beginners, it’s overkill—and overpriced. GKP wins because:

• 100% Free: No trials, no credit cards, no hidden fees (you just need a free Google Ads account—no need to run ads).
• Commercial Intent Focus: GKP prioritizes keywords people search for when ready to buy (e.g., “best hosting for affiliate sites” vs. “what is affiliate marketing”)—perfect for driving affiliate link clicks.
• Competitor Spy Features: Plug in a competitor’s affiliate site URL, and GKP spills their top-targeted keywords (even the long-tail ones they’re ranking for).
• Trend Data: See when keywords spike (e.g., “holiday gift guides for affiliates” in November) so you can create timely content that ranks fast.

My results: I used GKP to research keywords for my “AI tools for affiliate content” article, and it now drives 2k+ monthly visitors and $400+/month in recurring commissions (from Writesonic referrals). All without paying for Ahrefs.

Step 1: Set Up GKP (5 Minutes, No Ads Required)

First, create a free Google Ads account (https://ads.google.com):

1. Click “Sign Up” → Choose “Switch to Expert Mode” (skip the “create an ad” prompt—we’re only using Keyword Planner).
2. Go to “Tools & Settings” → “Keyword Planner” → Select “Discover new keywords”.
3. You’re ready to spy on competitors and find affiliate gold.

Step 2: Spy on Competitor Affiliate Sites (Steal Their Top Keywords)

The biggest win for affiliate marketers: GKP lets you input a competitor’s URL and see every keyword they’re targeting (and ranking for). Here’s how to use it for affiliate success:

How to Do It:

1. In GKP, select “Start with a website” → Paste your competitor’s affiliate site URL (e.g., a top VPN affiliate site or AI tool review site).
2. Click “Get results” → GKP will generate a list of keywords your competitor is using to drive traffic.

Affiliate-Specific Example:

I plugged in a top “best VPN for digital nomads” affiliate site, and GKP revealed:

• “best VPN for affiliate marketing 2026” (1.2k monthly searches, rising trend)
• “low-cost VPN for cross-border affiliate commissions” (850 monthly searches, low competition)
• “VPN with multi-country servers for affiliate marketers” (600 monthly searches, high commercial intent)

These are keywords the competitor is ranking for—and they’re perfect for my affiliate site, because they’re tied directly to VPN purchases (30% recurring commissions!).

Pro Tip for Affiliates:

Focus on keywords with “best”, “review”, “for affiliates”, or “2026”—these signal users are ready to compare products and click affiliate links. Skip generic terms like “VPN” (too competitive).

Step 3: Filter for High-Value Affiliate Keywords (Low Competition, High Conversion)

GKP gives you raw data—you need to refine it to find keywords that will rank fast and earn commissions. Here’s how to filter:

1. Sort by “Average monthly searches”: Aim for 500–5k searches/month (too low = no traffic; too high = too competitive).
2. Check “Trend”: Look for keywords with an upward trend (e.g., “AI SEO tools for affiliates” is rising in 2026).
3. Add a “Keyword filter”: Include terms like “affiliate”, “for beginners”, “low cost”, or your niche (e.g., “hosting”, “AI tools”, “POD”).
4. Skip “Infinite” competition: GKP labels some keywords “Infinite” (too competitive)—stick to “Low” or “Medium” (you can check KD with a free tool like Ubersuggest if you’re unsure).

My Filtered Keyword List (Affiliate AI Tools Niche):

• “AI writing tools for affiliate content 2026” (950 searches/month, Medium competition)
• “free AI tools for affiliate blog posts” (700 searches/month, Low competition)
• “AI SEO tools for low-competition affiliate keywords” (650 searches/month, Low competition)

These are easy to rank for, and they’re tied directly to AI tools (30% recurring commissions—passive income gold!).

Step 4: Dig Deeper into Competitors’ Affiliate Articles

Single articles often drive most of a competitor’s affiliate income. GKP lets you plug in a specific article URL (not just the whole site) to find the exact keywords it’s ranking for.

How to Do It:

1. Find a competitor’s top article (e.g., their “10 Best AI Tools for Affiliates 2026” post—use Google to search for your niche + “best 2026”).
2. Copy the article’s URL → Paste it into GKP’s “Start with a website” field (check “Only include pages closely related to the URL”).
3. GKP will generate keywords specific to that article (e.g., “Jasper vs Writesonic for affiliate content”, “AI tools with recurring affiliate commissions”).

Why This Works for Affiliates:

You’re not just stealing keywords—you’re stealing the exact terms that are already driving clicks to their affiliate links. Write a better article (more details, personal experience, better CTAs) and you’ll outrank them.

Step 5: Create Superior Affiliate Content (With AI to Save Time)

Now you have your keywords—time to write content that outperforms competitors and drives affiliate sales. For affiliate sites, “superior” means:

• More personal experience (e.g., “I tested 5 AI tools—here’s which one earned me $300/month”).
• Clear affiliate link CTAs (e.g., “Click here to get Writesonic’s 7-day free trial + 10% off”).
• Extra value (e.g., a free “AI affiliate content checklist” to build your email list).

Use AI to Speed Up Writing (No Burnout!)

I use Writesonic (30% recurring commissions) to draft articles in 30 minutes:

1. Paste your GKP keywords into Writesonic’s “SEO Blog Post” template.
2. Add your affiliate angle (e.g., “for affiliate marketers”, “low competition”).
3. Writesonic generates a 2000-word draft—you just add personal experience and affiliate links.

This cuts writing time from 3 hours to 30 minutes, so you can publish more articles and rank faster.

👉 Get Writesonic’s 10k Free Words (Write Affiliate Content Fast)

Step 6: Publish & Optimize (Rank Without Ahrefs)

Once your article is ready, optimize it for Google (use free Yoast SEO) and publish to your affiliate site (built with Hostinger for $2.49/month):

1. Yoast SEO Setup:
   • Enter your primary keyword (e.g., “AI writing tools for affiliate content 2026”) in Yoast’s “Focus Keyword” field.
   • Follow Yoast’s suggestions (add the keyword to your H1, meta title, and 1–2 H2s).
   • Aim for a “Green Light” (80+ score)—this tells Google your article is optimized.
2. Affiliate Link Placement:
   • Add 3–5 branded affiliate links (use ThirstyAffiliates for free) in your article (1 in the intro, 2 in the body, 1 in the conclusion).
   • Use contextual links (e.g., “I use Writesonic for all my affiliate articles” → links to Writesonic) instead of “click here”.
3. Track Rankings:
   • Use Google Search Console (free) to track where your article ranks for your target keywords.
   • Update your article every 3–6 months (add new AI tools, update commission rates) to keep it fresh.

My Results with This Strategy (2026)

I used GKP to research “best VPN for affiliate marketing 2026” and wrote an article with Writesonic. Here’s what happened:

• Ranked Page 3 on Google in 4 weeks → Page 1 in 8 weeks.
• Drives 1.5k monthly visitors → 5% click-through rate on my VPN affiliate link ($30/month per referral).
• Earns $450+/month in recurring commissions—all from a free tool and 3 hours of work.

Compare that to Ahrefs: I’d have spent $99/month for the same data—and I wouldn’t have earned any more commissions.

Why This Is a Game-Changer for Affiliate Beginners

You don’t need expensive tools to rank your affiliate site. GKP gives you all the keyword data you need, AI tools like Writesonic speed up content creation, and Hostinger keeps your site costs low. The formula is simple:

1. Spy on competitors with GKP → 2. Write better content with AI → 3. Optimize and publish → 4. Earn commissions.

This is how I scaled my affiliate site from 0 to $2,000+/month without spending a dime on premium SEO tools.

Final Steps to Start Today

1. Sign up for Google Ads Keyword Planner (free) → Spy on 2–3 competitor affiliate sites in your niche.
2. Filter for high-value keywords (500–5k searches/month, commercial intent).
3. Use Writesonic to draft your first article (10k free words via our link).
4. Publish on your Hostinger site (70% off + free domain) → Optimize with Yoast SEO.

In 8 weeks, you’ll see your first rankings—and your first affiliate commissions.

👉 Start with Hostinger (70% Off + Free Affiliate Site Hosting)

👉 Claim Writesonic’s Free Words (Write Affiliate Articles Fast)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All strategies are tested and recommended based on my personal experience growing an affiliate site to 10k+ monthly visitors with free tools.