Don’t Lose Your First Love: The 90-Day Foundation

When most of us start this affiliate marketing journey, the excitement is real. We’ve found Wealthy Affiliate, we’ve got the training laid out in front of us, and we start pumping out content like there’s no tomorrow. I did it back in 2014 and I remember this part like it was yesterday. Now I'm doing it again and have hit this point in my journey once again.

But This is the part we need to stay on track!

We hit that 90-day mark. (check)
We look at our analytics. (More than we should)
And for a lot of us, it’s crickets. (yup, Crickets)

No traffic spikes.
No big commissions.
Not even a sniff of Google’s page one.

And it’s easy to think, “Did I just waste three months of my life?” ( I know I did)

Why 90 Days Feels So Tough

Here’s the truth: 90 days is not the finish line. It’s the foundation pour of your house.
Think of your business like a mansion , you can’t live in it yet, but the concrete slab or the foundation is down (Depending on where you live). That slab/Foundation doesn’t look flashy. You can’t hang pictures on it or throw a housewarming party. But without it, you’ll never have walls, a roof, or a front door.

That’s what your first 90 days are about.

• You’re learning the tools. ( Core Training)
• You’re publishing your first 20–30 posts. (Hopefully More)
• You’re figuring out keyword research.
• You’re building habits. (Solis Habits, Core Habits)

The results haven’t had time to show up yet, but the work you’ve done is compounding in the background. Kind of like a snowball, gaining momentum.

A Simple 30/60/90-Day Roadmap

Days 1–30: Foundation Work

• Pick your niche (don’t overthink it, pick something you can write about).
• Launch your first site and get familiar with WordPress.
• Publish 8–10 short posts targeting very specific, low-competition keywords.
• Complete the first training modules — don’t skip the tasks!

Don’t worry about traffic yet. You’re planting seeds.

Days 31–60: Building Momentum

• Publish 2–3 posts per week (mix reviews, comparisons, and “how-to” posts).
• Apply for 3–5 affiliate programs in your niche.
• Start connecting posts with internal links (this builds topical authority).
• Engage in the WA community, ask for site feedback, help others, and stay visible.

Traffic may start trickling in now, but it’s still early days. ( I've been there/Done that, heck I'm there again)

Days 61–90: Strengthening the Foundation

• Go back and refresh your earliest posts — better intros, add FAQs, polish headlines.
• Publish your first 1–2 “pillar posts” (longer guides that go deeper on key topics).
• Set up a simple email list — one weekly email that points readers back to your site.
• Map out your next 20–30 keywords for future content.

Don’t quit here. This is where most people walk away, right before the compounding effect starts.

This Is Where Most Quit

A lot of folks bail at this exact point. They think “If I don’t see results in 90 days, it’s not working.”

But that’s like planting a garden and digging it up after three months because you don’t see tomatoes yet. The seeds are there. The roots are taking hold. The growth just isn’t visible above the soil.

Those who stick it out past this point, who publish, tweak, and trust the process — are the ones who eventually see rankings, traffic, and income.

The Real Work Begins

Now it’s time to:

• Double down on consistency. Keep publishing — 2–3 posts per week if possible.
• Improve your craft. Stronger intros, better interlinking, more useful content.
• Refresh what you’ve already written. Add FAQs, polish your titles, make your posts skimmable.
• Engage in the WA community. Ask for feedback, encourage others, and stay accountable.

This is the hard work part. But it’s also the most rewarding part. Because when your content finally breaks through, it’s not just one post — it’s a wave of rankings from everything you’ve been stacking.

My Break through moment came back in 2014 when i was about 8 months in with a highly competitive niche. I posted one last post and the walked away to gather myself. Then one day while sitting in church i forgot to silence my phone and my email began to ding.

Did I silence it or take a curious look? before silencing I took a curious look and what i read was GREAT! congratulations you just made a commission. Over the next week it kept on happening. Remember the snowball? It was gaining momentum and fast.

My Encouragement to You

Don’t lose that first love , the excitement you felt when you joined WA and saw what was possible. That spark is what will carry you through the grind.

I promise you, if you keep showing up, keep learning, and keep publishing, the results will come. Maybe not in 90 days. But if you give it 6–12 months with steady effort, you’ll look back and thank yourself for not quitting when it felt slow. Don't quit before the hard work pays off!!

This isn’t the end of the story, it’s just the beginning.

I've seen plenty oh memes showing a Gold miner turning around 3 inches from hitting the jackpot. I'll tell you what, that's not going to be me. We are in the trenches now, but who has the guts to stick it out? In alignment with thie last challenge ( Why Not Me), Will you be a success or walk away?

Please let me know your thoughts because I need the encouragement too. I look forward to hearing about your journey.

Cheers,

Jason