How Alex Goldberg Turned Paid Ads into a Seven-Figure Exit

Turning Affiliate SEO into a Seven-Figure Exit

In 2018, Alex Goldberg launched his first affiliate site, Fin vs Fin, to help shoppers compare health and wellness products. Instead of spreading himself thin, he poured energy into search engine optimization. Over three years, organic traffic climbed steadily, and by 2021 he had enough momentum to leave his role at a major tech startup and focus full-time on his own venture.

The Fragility of Relying on Organic Traffic

SEO can feel like free traffic, but Google updates can wipe out months of work overnight. Alex experienced this firsthand when his top-ranking pages took a hit from algorithm tweaks. Regaining lost positions proved slow and costly, and it became clear that risking the entire business on one channel wasn’t a sound plan.

Pivoting to Paid Media Arbitrage

Drawing on experience managing large ad budgets at Houzz, Alex shifted some of his sites toward paid media arbitrage. He bought clicks on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads, then funnelled visitors to high-converting landing pages where affiliate offers earned commissions. By forecasting profits and testing ad copy, he found he could control volume and protect revenue against SEO volatility.

Crafting High-Impact Landing Pages

The key was building simple but clear landing pages. A clean layout, compelling headline, and a strong call to action cut through ad fatigue. Alex used A/B tests to refine headlines and button colors, steadily boosting conversion rates by up to 20% per campaign.

Scaling Methodically and Managing Spend

Rather than pouring cash into ads at random, Alex set strict rules. Each campaign had a defined budget, performance targets, and automatic pausing rules if costs rose above targets. This approach kept losses low and allowed him to reinvest gains into winning campaigns.

Building a Portfolio of Websites

By 2022, Alex was no longer running a single site. He acquired or launched additional niche properties in finance, diet supplements, and tech. Each site followed the same SEO-plus-paid-model, creating multiple revenue streams. When one vertical dipped, others carried the weight.

The Exit: Selling for a Seven-Figure Sum

Early 2024 brought an offer. Despite a recent Google “Helpful Content” update that dented organic traffic, the blended income from ads and search remained strong. Quiet Light brokered the deal, valuing the portfolio at roughly three times annual profit. In March 2024, Alex closed a seven-figure sale, freeing him to explore new ventures.

Key Takeaways

• Spreading risk across multiple sites safeguards revenue against algorithm changes.
• Layering paid media on top of SEO offers predictable traffic control.
• Simple landing pages with clear messaging can lift conversions significantly.
• Budget rules and profit forecasts help avoid wasted ad spend.
• A portfolio approach makes your business more appealing to buyers.
• Timing the market and diversifying traffic sources can boost exit valuations.