The Authority Site System Review: A Proven Blueprint for Building a Successful Authority Website

Welcome to my in-depth review of The Authority Site System (TASS) by Mark Webster and Gael Breton. As an experienced affiliate marketer, I have invested in multiple courses over the years and have the knowledge to distinguish between legitimate training and scams.

After becoming a member of the course and going through the content, I am excited to share my honest opinion with you.

In this review, I will cover:

• What makes The Authority Site System stand out from other courses
• Who would benefit the most from this course
• Potential earning potential
• Real-life success stories
• Pros and cons and whether the course is worth the investment

So, let’s dive in and take a closer look at The Authority Site System.

What is Authority Hacker?

Authority Hacker is the website and brand founded by internet marketing experts Gael Breton and Mark Webster. They also have a podcast and Youtube channel dedicated to providing education and resources for both beginners and advanced marketers. Their goal is to help individuals create profitable authority websites.

Gael Breton and Mark Webster are the brains behind Authority Hacker. They have a wealth of experience, having created and sold multiple authority websites in the past decade. Their training has benefitted over 9000 students and they continue to practice what they preach. There are many success stories on their sales page, as well as their YouTube channel, like the one I provide below.

Who are the owners of Authority Hacker?

Meet Mark Webster, co-founder of Authority Hacker, hailing from Aberdeen, Scotland. Mark’s entrepreneurial journey began at the young age of 13, when he first discovered the art of trading. He was inspired by this experience and went on to create his first profitable website in 2008. He met Gael Breton just a couple of years later, in 2010, and together they founded Authority Hacker.

Meet Gael Breton, the French co-founder of Authority Hacker. With over a decade of experience in building and growing authority websites, Gael has worked with clients as an agency owner before switching to building affiliate websites. He has also lectured at prestigious universities such as Wharton, Harvard, and Oxford.

Authority Hacker PRO vs TASS

Authority Hacker offers a number of resources and courses to help individuals build profitable authority sites. Among these offerings, two specific courses may cause some confusion: Authority Hacker Pro and The Authority Site System (TASS).

Authority Hacker Pro is a comprehensive course that includes a set of “blueprints” such as keyword research, guest posting, lead magnets, content production, and more. It is only available for a limited time each year and includes TASS as one of the blueprints.On the other hand, The Authority Site System (TASS) is one of the blueprints included in Authority Hacker Pro and is also available for purchase as a standalone course. This is the focus of the review.

The reason TASS is sold separately is that it was created after Authority Hacker Pro as a response to feedback from students who were struggling to put the advanced concepts from AH Pro into practice without a solid foundation in website building. Because of its popularity, it was made available as a standalone course.

What is an authority site?

An authority site is a website that is viewed as an expert in its field, known for its in-depth knowledge and high-quality content. These sites have built a reputation for providing accurate and reliable information, which makes them a go-to resource for businesses and individuals looking for specific information. They are often cited as a source by other websites, and they are more likely to appear at the top of search engine results pages due to their high domain authority.

To become an authority site, several key elements must be present. These include:

• High-quality content that is well-researched and well-written
• Regularly updated content that keeps the site fresh and relevant
• Positive feedback and engagement from users, such as comments and shares
• A strong backlink profile, with links pointing to the site from other reputable sites
• A well-designed and user-friendly website that is easy to navigate and access information from
• A strong social media presence that allows the site to connect and engage with its audience
• A clear niche and targeted audience.

By focusing on these factors, a website can establish itself as an authority site and build a reputation for providing valuable and accurate information to its audience.

Who is The Authority Site System for?

The Authority Site System is a comprehensive course designed for beginners who are looking to start an online business and gain financial independence. The course is focused on building profitable authority sites through search engine optimization (SEO) and organic traffic. It is not suitable for those who are looking for a quick or easy solution, or for those who are not willing to put in the time and effort required to create high-quality content and build a successful website. Additionally, it is not for those who are not resourceful, or for those who lack the patience and budget required to build an authority site.

The Authority Site System Pricing

The regular price for the course is $997, but you can get it for $599 using a special link, which is a savings of $398. There is also a payment plan option available for $249 per month for 6 months. The Authority Hacker offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all their products, including the Authority Site System, with a “no-questions-asked” refund policy. To get a refund, you just need to fill out a form on their website.

TASS Training Modules

The course is divided into 15 modules, each with its own set of lessons and videos. The modules cover a wide range of topics, including internet marketing, niche research, website building, traffic generation, monetization strategies, and more.

Module 1: Internet Marketing 101

Module 1 provides an introduction to internet marketing and authority sites, and covers topics such as the business model of authority sites, examples of successful authority sites, and how websites get traffic and make money.

Module 2: Brainstorming Niches

Module 2 focuses on the process of finding a profitable niche. It provides a mental framework for selecting a niche, including spreadsheets to fill out, and teaches how to evaluate the business opportunities and plan for a niche.

Module 3: Qualifying Niches

The goal of this module is to pick a niche for your website. It builds on the brainstorming from the previous module and involves running mini-tests to determine if the niche is worth pursuing. Factors to consider include keywords, affiliate programs, and seasonality. The module will teach you how to use Ahrefs for research and you will see a case study of how the niche was chosen.

Module 4: Planning Your Site

After choosing a niche, you will learn how to plan your site in this module. You will create a site map (referred to as the V1 of your site) and conduct further research on competitors, monetization options, and expanding your keyword list.

Module 5: Setting up Your Site

This module focuses on setting up your website after all the planning. You will learn how to pick a domain, register it, and obtain hosting. You will also learn how to build a live site using WordPress, install a theme and plugins, optimize for SEO and page speed, and set up email using GSuite. The module is 68 minutes and 41 seconds long and includes 12 lessons.

Module 6: Branding Your Site

In this module, you will learn how to give your website an identity. The core components of this module include branding preparation and research. The goal is to create a brand that makes sense for your industry, is proud to show off, and is trustworthy. Using free tools, you will learn how to create a brand that is better than 99% of others out there. Additionally, there are some inexpensive paid options that are covered in this module.

Module 7: Setting up Posts & Pages

In this module, you will bring everything you have learned and done in the previous modules together. You will take a deep dive into the Elementor and WordPress interfaces, and learn how to build out the structure of your site, gather inspiration from other authority websites, and design elements such as the header, footer, page template, post templates, hub pages, contact & disclaimers, about page, and home page.

Module 8: Preparing Info Content

In this module, Mark takes over from Gael and covers two types of content: info content and commercial content. Info content provides value and is the easiest to write. It is also the type of content that you will use to write articles to get skyscraper links, which helps with ranking and ultimately, making money. Mark teaches a balance of content that is appealing to both users and Google.

Module 9: Writing Content

This is where the practical stuff starts! In this module, participants will learn:

• How to research, plan and edit their first article.
• How to break down the writing process into smaller, manageable chunks.
• How to choose the topic, type, and length of their article.
• How to edit their article for perfection.

The training is done in smaller, manageable chunks where participants will be able to choose the article to write, what type of article to write as well as how long it should be. There is still some research and planning involved, but all is broken down in small actionable steps.

Mark will also demonstrate how to write the first article for their case study site. (Note: This is a live site, but the specific URL will not be shared.)

Module 10: Uploading & Optimizing Content

In this module, you will learn everything you need to know to take your written article and optimize and publish it live. You will learn how to optimize your article for SEO purposes, and Mark will show you 7 different techniques on how to do this, including meta titles, article titles, social titles, URL & WordPress categories, optimizing images, internal & external linking.

Module 11: Initial Link Building

Link building is the number one factor to get your site ranked in Google. In this module, Mark breaks down the process of link building and teaches you 3 main link building strategies: Haro, Guest Posting, and Skyscraper Link Building.

Module 12: Affiliate Monetization Setup

In this module, you will learn how to set up and monetize your site through affiliate programs. Mark, will teach you the ins and outs of affiliate programs and how to avoid common mistakes. You will learn how to sign up for affiliate programs, manage affiliate links with a plugin, and navigate the unique rules of Amazon’s affiliate program. The module also covers how to get paid and handle taxes.

Module 13: Commercial Content

Module 13 focuses on how to create and rank commercial content on your site to increase revenue through affiliate commissions. Mark introduces new templates, strategies, and types of commercial content, including single product reviews, roundup reviews, “VS” articles, and “alternative” articles. The module covers how to research and structure commercial content, as well as how to properly upload and publish it. 

Module 14: Advanced Tactics

Module 14 is designed to provide advanced tactics and strategies to help grow your authority site. The module covers a variety of topics, including strategies that may require some investment of money and may not be suitable for beginners. The module is structured so that you can pick and choose the strategies that you want to implement.

Module 15: Becoming an Authority

In Module 15, the focus is on tracking the progress of your site and monitoring its performance. The module provides a template for tracking key metrics such as search impressions, organic traffic, affiliate clicks, affiliate earnings, and links built. Mark emphasizes that this is just the beginning of the journey, and tracking your site’s progress is important in order to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions about your site’s growth. 

The Facebook Group

When you join The Authority Site System, you gain access to the exclusive Facebook Mastermind Community. This group is dedicated to helping members get answers to their questions and receive feedback. The group is highly active, with participation from Mark, Gael, the Authority Hacker team, and all members. The group is quick to respond and provide helpful answers, which makes it a valuable addition to the course value.

The Pros

• The Authority Site System provides a systematic training program with easy to follow steps, including Notion templates and case studies.
• The videos are adjustable in speed and include closed captioning for the hearing impaired.
• Supplementary text is available after each video, as well as helpful templates to speed up processes.
• Mark and Gael of Authority Hacker are highly respected by industry professionals such as Tim Soulo from AHREFS and Noah Kagan from Appsumo, while many students have found success through their courses leading to job-replacing income levels.
• They provide proven results by building authority sites from scratch which they have sold for six figures within 18 months; white hat link building techniques also yield successful results over time.
• Their training programs are straight-to-the point with no fluff included; furthermore they do not recruit members aggressively like other course providers but instead focus on helping people build real businesses online.

The Cons

• The Authority Site System is expensive for some, but offers a limited-time discount offer that must be taken advantage of quickly.
• Premium tools such as ahrefs are necessary to conduct the research taught in TASS, although an alternate 7 day trial can be used for those on a budget.
• Newbies may find the training overwhelming and should have basic knowledge of WordPress and SEO before starting.
• Training is only done using Elementor or Gutenberg page builders; both with their own pros and cons depending on user preference.

TASS FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about the course:

Q: How much money will I have to spend before making any money? 

A: The course includes a budgeting spreadsheet that covers the costs of building a website, creating content, and link building. There are some unavoidable expenses, such as Ahrefs Lite ($99/month), a domain name ($10-15), hosting ($60-100/year), and software like Elementor Pro ($49/year) and Canva ($12.95/month). Link building expenses may also include Google Workplace ($6/month) and Hunter.io Starter Plan ($60/month) or Growth Plan ($121.27/month).

Q: How long will it take before I start making money? 

A: It depends on how much work you put in, but it typically takes a few months before commissions start rolling in. As you grow your blog, income will increase over time.

Q: Is there support available? 

A: Yes, support is available for account-related issues, technical problems, and general questions through email, community support, and 3rd party support for Elementor and recommended hosting solutions.

Q: Do I need to know how to build websites? 

A: It’s helpful, but not necessary. The course will teach you how to build a website using WordPress and provide a case study to follow along with.

Q: Do I need to be good at writing?

 A: It’s helpful, but there are tools and resources available to help improve your writing, and you can also hire a writer.

Q: Is niche selection covered in the course? 

A: Yes, the course dedicates modules 2 and 3 to help find the perfect niche. You don’t have to be an expert in a niche, but it’s helpful to have an interest in it. Certain niches, like the “Your Money Your Life” niche, should be avoided.

Q: Will the course work in different languages? 

A: Yes, the course will help determine if a niche is qualified for different languages. Once qualified, the rest of the training applies.

Q: Are there any success stories with the Authority Site System? 

A: Yes, there are many success stories. You can find them on the course’s home page.

Q: Who should take this training? 

A: Anyone looking for a legitimate opportunity to make money online. The course is for those who are patient and dedicated to building a business, as it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Wealthy Affiliate vs The Authority Site System

Wealthy Affiliate and the Authority Site System are both popular online business training programs, but they have some key differences. Wealthy Affiliate is considered more accessible for beginners, as it offers a comprehensive step-by-step training program that covers all aspects of building and running an online business. It also provides a wide range of tools and resources in one place, including website hosting, website building tools, keyword research, and more. This makes it a one-stop-shop for all your online business needs.

On the other hand, the Authority Site System is geared towards more advanced users who are looking to take their online business to the next level. It is a more specialized program that focuses on building a profitable authority site in a specific niche. While the Authority Site System does provide training on niche selection and link building, it does require the use of external tools such as Ahrefs, Google Workplace, and Hunter.io. This can be a downside for those who prefer to have all their tools and resources in one place.

Another key difference is the pricing. Wealthy Affiliate offers a more affordable pricing plan, with a Starter membership that is free and a Premium membership that costs $49/month or $359/year. The Authority Site System, on the other hand, is a more expensive option with a one-time payment of $997.

In summary, Wealthy Affiliate is a great choice for beginners who want a comprehensive and affordable training program that includes all the tools and resources they need to build and run their online business. The Authority Site System is better suited for more advanced users who are looking to take their online business to the next level and are willing to invest more money and time.

And while you’re at it, be sure to read my lazy bum to online entrepreneur story.

The Verdict: Is The Authority Site System Worth your Money?

In conclusion, The Authority Site System is a comprehensive course that provides in-depth training on building and monetizing authority websites. The course is well-structured and easy to follow, with detailed instructions and case studies to guide users through the process. The content quality is excellent, with a strong focus on actionable steps and practical strategies for building a successful online business. The support provided is also very good, with an active community and responsive account support. 

The pricing is on the higher end, but it includes access to a wide range of tools and resources that can help users save time and money. Overall, The Authority Site System is an excellent choice for advanced users who are looking to take their online business to the next level, and are willing to invest time and money to achieve their goals.

I hope you found today’s review of The Authority Site System helpful. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comment section below. Also, don’t forget to share on social media and follow our pages (social icons in the header) for more awesome content.

Tony,

Founder of Lifestyle Freedom Business