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In this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Kyle Austin Young and I discuss how he built and sold a small but highly focused affiliate site in the e-learning space for between $300,000 and $400,000. A longtime listener of the podcast, he once dreamed of launching a successful site like the ones he heard about while driving through wind farms or listening in the kitchen of a home he no longer lived in.
He not only built and sold a successful site but also shared the stage with Spencer Haws at an industry event. Kyle is a marketing consultant by trade, helping businesses identify and fix what’s broken in their marketing strategies.
But what we focus on in this episode is the lean, carefully executed content site he launched during the pandemic, one that defied the “more content is better” mindset. With fewer than 40 articles, minimal link building, and smart affiliate positioning, Kyle’s site proved that quality, specificity, and strong positioning still win.
Watch the Full Episode
Why Kyle Built the Site And Why the Timing Mattered
After being laid off twice in just over a year, Kyle turned to consulting to gain more control over his income. Over time, he built a successful practice and learned SEO by working with clients who were experts in the field.
When his first niche site in the food delivery space lost 80% of its traffic from two algorithm hits, he knew he needed diversification. That lesson stuck with him as he moved forward.
- He noticed top-ranking pages for course reviews were declining in the SERPs.
- Sites ranking previously had only a single page about e-learning, lacking topical authority.
- Kyle hypothesized that a focused, niche site could outperform these diluted competitors.
That hunch proved right. When he couldn’t convince a client to co-launch it with him, he teamed up with a partner and started building the site solo.
Building a Highly Focused 40-Page Site
Instead of going broad or publishing hundreds of articles, Kyle and Declan did the opposite. They created in-depth, specific reviews for online courses after actually taking the courses themselves.
- Most of the reviews covered platforms like MasterClass, Skillshare, and LinkedIn Learning.
- They focused on buyer-intent keywords like “Is [Class] worth it?” or “[Course] Review.”
- Every article was assessed for ROI before it was written.
- The entire site had fewer than 40 articles at the time of sale.
Their target was bottom-of-the-funnel traffic, and they wrote content with the goal of conversions, not just traffic. Informational content was only created if it could generate significant ad revenue or support affiliate-focused pages.
Some unique approaches they used:
- Abbreviated course curricula: Reviews would recommend which modules to skip depending on the reader's goals.
- Honest critiques: If a course wasn’t great, they said so and pointed readers to better alternatives on the same platform.
- Deep detail: They included actual insights from specific lessons to prove they'd taken the course.
The result? A trustworthy site that prioritized helpfulness over fluff, all while staying hyper-focused on conversions.
Revenue and Exit: What the Site Was Worth
By the time they sold the site in 2023, it was earning approximately $11,000 per month.
- Sale price: Between $300,000 and $400,000
- Duration: Built and grown over 3.5 years
- Articles: Around 40 total
- Monetization: Primarily affiliate, with some ad revenue on select pages
The sale occurred just before Google’s Helpful Content Update (HCU) significantly changed the SEO landscape. While the strategies Kyle used still hold value today, especially for affiliate outreach, the timing played a role in their success.
Importantly, this wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan success. It took years of steady work, thoughtful content creation, and rigorous planning.
Why the Site Sold Despite Its Small Size
Many site owners assume that bigger is better, more content, more backlinks, more traffic. Kyle’s project flipped that idea.
Here’s why the site still attracted serious buyers:
- Narrow topical focus: Google favored their domain for e-learning topics because of their exclusive focus.
- Buyer-intent content: Nearly every post was designed to convert.
- Relationship-driven affiliate strategy: They had strong partnerships with affiliate managers.
- Trustworthy reviews: Their content was authentic, useful, and transparent.
Additionally, the site had seasonality, with big affiliate spikes during holiday sales or promotions. Kyle was proactive during the handoff, arranging introductions between the buyer and affiliate managers and suggesting new monetization opportunities to keep the site growing post-sale.
Cracking Elite Affiliate Programs (Without an Amazon Account)
One of Kyle’s standout accomplishments was getting into high-barrier affiliate programs despite never having an Amazon Associates account.
- MasterClass and other programs had a majority decline rate for applicants.
- Kyle leveraged his bylines with outlets like Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Psychology Today.
- When rejected, he followed up personally, showcasing his media credentials.
- That often resulted in not just acceptance, but apologies from affiliate managers.
His tactic wasn’t about gaming the system, it was about presenting himself as someone worth partnering with. Affiliate programs saw the potential in aligning with a trusted writer who could also get exposure in major publications.
For others wanting to follow this model:
- Build a portfolio of bylines or guest posts.
- Highlight those credentials when applying to affiliate programs.
- Consider reaching out personally after a rejection with proof of credibility.
Lessons from the Sale Process
Kyle initially tried selling through one of the large, well-known brokers but it didn’t go well.
- The listing sat for months with little traction.
- Potential buyers were mismatched (one developed software for naval warfare).
- There was no personalized effort to sell the story of the site.
Eventually, they switched to Chelsea Clark, a past Niche Pursuits guest and broker who understood content and digital products. Within a month, the site sold.
Key takeaways:
- Choose a broker who understands your niche.
- Ensure they provide a personal, high-touch experience.
- You don’t need 50 sites, you need one great one.
Kyle’s Decision-Making Framework: Probability Hacking
One of the most valuable insights from Kyle Austin Young’s journey wasn’t just how he built and sold a lean, profitable site, but how he made decisions at every stage of the process. After years of consulting for businesses and running his own projects, Kyle developed a repeatable method for making smarter, more reliable choices. He calls it Probability Hacking, and it’s the central framework in his upcoming book.
The book, titled Success is a Numbers Game: Achieve Bigger Goals by Changing the Odds, is designed to help entrepreneurs improve their chances of success by thinking differently about risk, uncertainty, and execution.
- Purpose: To give readers a structured, mathematical approach to decision-making in business and life.
- Audience: Entrepreneurs, consultants, online business owners, or anyone who sets ambitious goals and wants to improve their odds of hitting them.
At the heart of the book is the idea that every goal depends on a series of “critical points”, specific things that must go right for the outcome to succeed. Kyle walks readers through how to map those points out, assess the risks at each step, and then take action to reduce or eliminate potential failure points before they happen.
In the case of his affiliate site:
- Getting accepted into the MasterClass affiliate program was a critical point. Without it, the site wouldn’t monetize effectively.
- Rather than waiting until later, he tackled that challenge first, proving the concept before writing content.
- That early validation helped him avoid wasted effort and allowed him to double down confidently on the site’s strategy.
This “front-loading risk” approach is one of the key takeaways of the Probability Hacking method. Rather than relying on motivation or optimism, Kyle teaches readers how to deconstruct a goal and work systematically to change the odds in their favor.
The framework applies well beyond niche sites:
- Launching a product? Map out what needs to happen, marketing, conversion, and fix the weakest links early.
- Trying to get media exposure? Identify the likely rejection points and build credibility first.
- Scaling a business? Break down what’s driving growth and where failure could bottleneck the process.
Final Thoughts
Kyle Austin Young’s story is a masterclass in focus, execution, and strategic thinking. From listener to podcast guest, from getting laid off to building a six-figure digital asset, he’s proof that deep work and clear decision-making can pay off in a big way.
This wasn’t a site built on scale. It was built on precision. Kyle chose a high-value niche, created world-class content, built credibility to access elite affiliate programs, and sold it for a life-changing amount, all without 100+ articles or a massive team.
If you're considering starting a site today, especially in a post-HCU world, the playbook has changed. But many of the principles Kyle followed, focus, real value, personal outreach, and strategic thinking, are more relevant than ever.
Keep an eye out for his book this November. Whether you're a consultant, affiliate marketer, or solopreneur, it could be the mindset shift that changes your trajectory.
Links & Resources
- Learn more about Kyle Austin Young
- Success is a Numbers Game
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