$100 in 30 Days Challenge – Checking Search Demand for Chess T-Shirts
Alright, now we’re getting into the validation phase.
I’ve picked my affiliate product (chess-themed t-shirts from Zero Blunders), I’ve identified the potential audience (chess players, gift buyers, and chess clubs), but now I need to answer one crucial question:
👉 Are people actually searching for this stuff?
Because here’s the deal—it doesn’t matter how good your product is if no one is looking for it.
So, I jumped into Jaaxy, the keyword tool from Wealthy Affiliate (which, by the way, is my go-to platform for learning and mastering affiliate marketing—been a member since 2015!).
Here’s what I found.
The Keyword Research Results
I searched for chess-related terms that might indicate buying intent for t-shirts and gifts. Here are some of the key ones:
🎁 Gift-Related Searches:
- “chess gifts” – 345 searches/month
- “best gifts for chess players” – 56 searches/month
- “gifts for chess players” – 144 searches/month
- “chess gifts men” – 136 searches/month
- “chess coach gifts” – 88 searches/month
👕 T-Shirt Specific Searches:
- “chess t shirts” – 196 searches/month
- “chess t shirts kids” – 64 searches/month
- “chess club t shirts” – 136 searches/month
- “funny chess t shirts” – 56 searches/month
🏆 Club & Tournament Related Searches:
- “chess club t shirt” – 96 searches/month
- “chess club t shirt designs” – 32 searches/month
🎂 Birthday-Related Searches:
- “chess birthday” – 40 searches/month
- “chess birthday party” – 80 searches/month
- “chess presents” – 112 searches/month
What This Tells Me
✅ There’s definitely demand. People are searching for chess-related gifts, t-shirts, and club apparel. That’s a big green light for my affiliate plan.
✅ Our initial audience assumptions were correct. The searches match up with what we thought:
- Gift buyers looking for ideas (e.g., “best gifts for chess players”)
- Chess players buying shirts for themselves (e.g., “chess t shirts”)
- Clubs looking for branded gear (e.g., “chess club t shirts”)
✅ There are multiple angles to explore. I can now create content around different topics:
- Gift guides (e.g., “The Best Chess Gifts for Every Type of Player”)
- Funny chess t-shirts (e.g., “Funny Chess Shirts That Only Real Players Will Get”)
- Club gear & team shirts (e.g., “How to Get Custom Chess T-Shirts for Your Club”)
A Quick Word on Keyword Tools
If you’re doing this yourself, remember: keyword tools are a guide, not an exact science.
Most keyword tools (Jaaxy, Google’s Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, etc.) use imperfect data and estimates. You’re not looking for pinpoint accuracy—you’re looking for a general sense of demand.
If a keyword has 0 searches per month, that might be a red flag. But if you see multiple related keywords getting a reasonable amount of searches, that’s a good sign that real people are looking for this product.
What’s Next?
Now that I’ve confirmed there’s search demand, the next step is:
✔ Deciding which keywords to target first
✔ Planning out my content strategy to connect searches to the affiliate product
Everything is starting to come together—stay tuned for the next update! 🚀