Searching for a brutally honest Authority Hacker review from someone who’s actually been inside the course recently? (Keyword recently!)
If so, you’ve made it.
The Authority Site System (TASS) claims to cover everything you need to build a highly profitable authority site from scratch, even if you’re a complete beginner.
But is it actually any good? And can it really help you replace your day job with a passive income site?
Our research team spent hours combing through the Authority Hacker TASS course to see if it lives up to its promises.
Nobody likes chucking money down the drain on a worthless course (been there, done that). So in this Authority Site System review, we’ll give it to you straight so you can decide for yourself if it’s right for you.
Let’s dive in.
👀 This is a Level 2 review. Read more about our in-depth course review process.
Table of Contents
- Authority Hacker review: What you need to know
- Who the heck are Mark Webster and Gael Breton?
- What’s included in Mark and Gael’s The Authority Site System course?
- The Authority Site System pros ✅
- The Authority Site System cons ❌
- The Authority Site System review: Is it worth it?
- Is there an Authority Site System discount code?
- Where can I sign up?
- Other affiliate marketing courses and Authority Hacker alternatives
Authority Hacker review: What you need to know
The Authority Site System is a beginner-friendly course that teaches you how to build profitable authority websites from scratch. The strategy uses tried-and-true SEO tactics and proven affiliate marketing strategies to generate the income you need to quit your day job.
That said, while researching the course, I found that the course does have some disadvantages, and it’s certainly not right for everyone.
Before making any rash decisions, there are some things you should know.
The best way to test if the course is right for you (without putting any skin in the game) is to go through this free webinar training that AH offers.
Let’s start by investigating who actually created the course.
Who the heck are Mark Webster and Gael Breton?
Mark Webster has been an entrepreneur since the ripe old age of 13. He built his first profitable website back in ‘08 and has since cranked out many more.
After years of trial and error, he’s turned profitable site-building into a science and is responsible for the business side of Authority Hacker.
Gael Breton is an internet marketing expert who’s given talks at big-time universities like Harvard, Oxford, and Wharton.
He has 10+ years of industry experience and has helped both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies find success online.
Gael is the editor-in-chief for the Authority Hacker and creates content for their affiliate marketing courses, blog, and podcast. He’s the online marketing guru and strategic planner behind the business.
Overall, they’re both highly respected experts in the SEO industry. The Authority Hacker podcast and Youtube channel make it obvious they’re smart dudes who genuinely know what they’re talking about when it comes to online business.
What’s included in Mark and Gael’s The Authority Site System course?
The course material is broken down into three parts:
- The Authority Site System
- TASS 3.0 Project Manager (AKA the To-Do List)
- TASS Mastermind Facebook group
#1.) The Authority Site System (TASS)
The Authority Site System consists of 15 modules and a whopping 193+ lessons.
Course content is broken down into over-the-shoulder videos and article lessons with a “Materials” tab that includes any relevant links, spreadsheets, or time-saving content templates you can use.
The lessons also coincide with the Project Manager, which we’ll get to in a sec.
Here’s a quick summary of the 15+ modules (find out more about what’s included here):
- Internet marketing 101. Learn the fundamentals of how authority websites work, the basics of affiliate marketing, the essentials of SEO, and a foundation in online business so you can see the big picture before diving in.
- Brainstorming niches. Break out the spreadsheet and learn how to narrow in on the best niche ideas for affiliates so you’re not stuck with a passion project that doesn’t earn you a dime.
- Qualifying niches. Gael takes you on a journey to weed out any dud niche ideas by showing which of your blog post topics can generate traffic, rank in search engines, and have linkable potential.
- Planning your site. In this module, you jump into the nitty-gritty of fleshing out your keywords, content categories, competitor lists, and more so you don’t build your authority site without the blueprint.
- Setting up your site. Learn how to build your entire authority website from the ground up the right way, so you don’t waste time and money fixing things down the road.
- Branding your site. All things branding like finding the right font, colors, images, and logo so you can proudly show off your new website. No graphic design skills needed — they step you through it all.
- Setting up posts and pages. Take your branded-but-empty website and learn how to structure your URLs and organize your WordPress layout using their time-saving content creation templates.
- Preparing info content. Mark goes deep into types of content, how to write high-quality content that keeps people’s attention, and how to make Google happy so people can actually find your posts.
- Writing content. Learn the ABCs of high-value content creation with integrity, how to research like an expert, and how to take the stress out of editing.
- Uploading and optimizing content. Learn to set up images, table of contents, links, and meta descriptions before hitting that “Publish” button. These small touches go a long way in ranking your articles in Google.
- Initial link building. Mark shows you the best current strategies for white hat link building. Building the right backlinks shows Google your blog post deserves a place on the first page.
- Affiliate monetization setup. Master the ins and outs of affiliate programs by learning where to look, how to sign up, best practices for affiliate links, how to increase affiliate commissions, and how to avoid breaking the rules so you don’t get dropped.
- Commercial content. Learn the best ways to write commercial content like product reviews and ‘versus’ articles to get your site earning money on autopilot.
- Advanced tactics. A beefy module covering topics like outsourcing content, writing faster, email marketing, setting up ads, and more.
- Becoming an authority. Pull together everything you’ve learned, streamline your content productions, start tracking your results, and hang tight during the sandbox phase.
- Uploading and optimizing content. Learn to set up images, table of contents, links, and meta descriptions before hitting that “Publish” button. These small touches go a long way in ranking your articles in Google.
- Initial link building. Mark shows you the best current strategies for white hat link building. Building the right backlinks shows Google your blog post deserves a place on the first page.
- Affiliate monetization setup. Master the ins and outs of affiliate programs by learning where to look, how to sign up, best practices for affiliate links, how to increase affiliate commissions, and how to avoid breaking the rules so you don’t get dropped.
- Commercial content. Learn the best ways to write commercial content like product reviews and ‘versus’ articles to get your site earning money on autopilot.
- Site speed (NEW). Speedier sites = higher Google rankings. This stuff isn’t fun to figure out by yourself.
- E-E-A-T Blueprint (NEW). With the rise of AI, it’s more important than ever to give Google signals showing your site has accurate information and can be trusted. This shows you how.
- Advanced tactics. A beefy module covering topics like outsourcing content, writing faster, email marketing, setting up ads, and more.
- Becoming an authority. Pull together everything you’ve learned, streamline your content productions, start tracking your results, and hang tight during the sandbox phase.
As you can see, TASS is a MASSIVE course designed to show you how to earn money from affiliate programs by building competitive authority websites.
All the theoretical knowledge you need is covered in painstaking detail — from the fundamentals of how monetized websites work to advanced email outreach tactics to generate links.
That said, the fellas didn’t design the course just to fill your head with a bunch of knowledge. They designed the course to have your authority website up and running with Grade A content by the end of the program.
That means work.
You’re treated as a go-getter who will learn by taking action after each lesson.
That said, it’s all about working smarter, not harder. Whether you’re narrowing down your niche or writing your first article, they give you templates and spreadsheets to save time and keep your process organized. More on that later.
#2.) TASS 3.0 Project Manager
The lads at Authority Hacker clearly state that you aren’t meant to consume this course like a Netflix show. Rather, it’s designed for you to get your hands dirty to build an authority website, create content, and earn money.
The Project Manager is a fancy Notion space that keeps you on task and organized as you progress through the course.
This glorified to-do list follows the modules to a T and states exactly what action steps to take after each lesson.
If you’re a “check the box” kinda person (I admittedly am), you’ll get a nice little box with “Done?” after each action step.
We ran into a few broken links when navigating between the To-Do list and the course lessons. But it’s easy enough to find the lesson manual in these instances.
While some of the action steps are a wee bit on the obvious side, the Project Manager does what it sets out to do — serving as an organization tool to keep you on track.
It might not seem like a big deal, but always knowing exactly what you need to do next is actually kinda huge.
There are a million different tactics and strategies you could try to grow your site, and without a step-by-step blueprint, you’re almost guaranteed to get lost in the weeds somewhere along the way (been there, done that).
The Project Manager helps you avoid this.
#3.) TASS Mastermind Facebook group
The private Mastermind Facebook group is a great place to get your questions answered as you’re getting off the ground.
It’s also inspiring to see others posting their wins and sharing what really moved the needle to grow their successful authority sites.
You may even find some powerful collab opportunities, like this one I recently stumbled on:
This can all be super helpful when you’re just starting because you are guaranteed to have LOADS of questions.
That said — if I’m being completely honest — I think you’ll probably outgrow the Authority Hacker’s group after you’re ~6 months into your journey and have gotten the hang of things.
It’s awesome to have the support of the group when you’re starting fresh. But as you get more advanced, there are other groups out there that you’ll find more helpful (more on that shortly).
That said, if you run into questions too advanced for the Facebook group, you also have direct access to their clever support team. This level of customer support is uncommon in SEO affiliate marketing courses (and I’ve taken my fair share of them).
The Authority Site System pros ✅
✅ Zero experience required. You don’t have to know a single thing about search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, or WordPress to jump in and be successful with this course. Mark and Gael start with foundational knowledge and build from there.
✅ Updated like crazy. Blogging strategies are changing insanely fast, so when choosing a course, you want one that’s updated as much as possible. TASS got a ginormous facelift this year — they reshot the entire thing and added 50% more content. It’s clear that updates are their top priority, which is certainly not true for all niche site courses (see all the latest updates here).
✅ Case study you can imitate. Many blogging courses won’t show you real examples of websites that use their methods because everyone will just copy it. But TASS gives you a full case study site to inspect so you can apply the same techniques to your own.
✅ No BS or empty promises. They tell it like it is and don’t sugarcoat anything. Sugarcoating is the last thing you want when investing blood, sweat, and tears into your authority website. You need realistic expectations.
✅ Time-saving resources. Whether you’re looking for a spreadsheet to manage your website’s budget or a handy template for content writing, the boys got you covered. These are plug-and-play, copy-and-paste content templates you can instantly apply to your business, saving you the time and headaches of starting from scratch.
✅ The support team. TASS has a support team on standby ready to lend a hand with any basic website or account issues you might run into. Compared to other courses, they go WAY above and beyond in this department. After buying the course, I even received a personalized video message (with my name) from their team welcoming me aboard.
✅ Uber generous refund policy. While some programs might give you 14 days to test things out (or skip refunds altogether), TASS is so confident you’ll love it that they give you a full 30 days to test drive the course. If it’s not for you, ask for a refund. No explanations, no “proving” that you took action, no nonsense. Just fill out the short refund form and get your money back.
The Authority Site System cons ❌
❌ Basic-level Facebook group. The TASS Mastermind Facebook group is active and helpful for noobies, but there aren’t many advanced discussions going on there. I feel like you would outgrow it after ~6 months (unlike some other more advanced blogging communities — like this one and this one — where I learn valuable insights every single day).
❌ Potentially overwhelming. While this is probably the most detailed, beginner-friendly course on the market (other courses tend to skim over the basics), it can still be overwhelming for newbies. Learning the ropes of your website, learning to research and write content, build links, compete in search engines, and land affiliates take a lot of time and effort. That said, if you’re willing to commit and stick with the process, it’s a worthwhile journey.
❌ Extra expenses. Mark and Gael recommend several premium tools for link building, keyword research, email outreach, and site-building. Some of these come with a hefty tag for those on a tighter budget. That said, these premium tools aren’t required to build your authority site, and you can always use cheap or free alternatives. Also, pretty much any niche site course worth its salt is going to recommend expensive tools – they are powerful, after all — so this con isn’t specific to TASS.
❌ Hard work. Again, not a knock against TASS specifically, but it’s important to know that building a passive income authority site requires a LOT of effort. More effort than you might expect. Once those passive affiliate commissions start hitting your accounts, it’s all worth it. But it’s important to have realistic expectations going in to avoid disappointment and stay motivated along the way.
The Authority Site System review: Is it worth it?
TASS is one of the best affiliate marketing courses for beginners in existence. It’s totally worth it, but under one condition…
You have to go all in.
By the end of the course —if you took all the action steps —you’ll have an authority site with at least 10 info articles, 40 commercial articles, built links, and affiliate programs primed to earn you money.
Mark and Gael teach you the skills you need, but making it happen rests on your shoulders.
If you’re in it for the long haul, TASS equips you with everything you need to replace your day job with an epic authority site.
The Authority Site System is for you if:
- You’re ready to make money with websites and have no idea where to start.
- You’ve tried making money with websites and it went south, so you’re back for round 2.
- You’re passionate about this business model and can persevere in the early, no-income days of your website.
The Authority Site System is NOT for you if:
- You’re looking to make money ASAP.
- You don’t have time to dedicate to this project (unless you plan to invest in a team to work for you.)
- You’re looking for advanced affiliate marketing and monetization strategies. (TASS can get you to a job-replacing income level, but there’s more to learn once you’re ready to start scaling hardcore).
Is there an Authority Site System discount code?
Authority Hacker is offering a “limited time” 60 percent off discount on TASS through this affiliate link. The offer expires in 5 days. Well, kinda.
I’m not here to tickle your FOMO strings and don’t want you to feel pressured into anything you’re not sure about, so here’s a trick.
If the 5 days run out, you can still get the discount by using a different browser (or a VPN). This approach totally beats that stomach-sinking feeling of paying full price only to find out later you didn’t have to.
You also have the 30-day refund period, so if you sign up today and change your mind, no problem.
Also, don’t forget you can always join their free webinar first to test the waters before committing.
Where can I sign up?
I hope you found my write-up insightful. It took a good chunk of time to put together, so if you found it helpful and want to say, “Thanks, Mitch!”— I’d be thrilled if you purchased using my affiliate link button below (at no extra charge to you). I’ll even send you an extra bonus (see below).
Either way, I highly recommend The Authority Site System course. It will exceed your expectations.
✨ Bonus Offer ✨
If you purchase using any link on this page, I’ll throw in my Work from Anywhere Toolkit ($25 value) for free. This mega-resource is packed with 200+ free (or very cheap) tools to help automate your business — and even do it while traveling the world!
Just forward me a copy of your receipt with subject line “WORK FROM ANYWHERE TOOLKIT BONUS” and I’ll give you access to the toolkit.
Other affiliate marketing courses and Authority Hacker alternatives
I’ve taken many blogging and affiliate marketing courses, and I can tell you hands down that Authority Hacker is the most “polished” affiliate course I’ve seen.
By polished, I mean attention to detail, design, navigation, production quality of video lessons, customer support, etc.
It’s also the best online course I’ve found for absolute beginners, as many other options skim over the basic tech setup.
That said, there are some Authority Hacker alternatives you should be aware of. Each program has pros and cons.
The Affiliate Lab vs. Authority Hacker
TAL teaches similar monetization strategies to TASS (i.e. affiliate marketing focused). Overall, TASS is nicer for tech-challenged beginners and has overall better production quality.
The Affiliate Lab, on the other hand, has more superficial beginner lessons (e.g. basic website setup), but gets into more nitty gritty advanced monetization techniques and has a more valuable private community.
For a more in-depth side-by-side comparison, see my Affiliate Lab vs. Authority Hacker smackdown post.
You can also check out my full Affiliate Lab review for an inside look at the course. Or use this link for a $200 discount.
Niche Site Profits vs. Authority Hacker
Niche Site Profits (AKA Fat Stacks) specializes more in monetizing with high organic traffic and display ads, although there is a module on building affiliate income as well.
Fat Stacks also has one of my favorite private forums where very successful online publishers share their current strategies. I check it every day, even after 5 years of building websites.
See my full Niche Site Profits review to see what I’m talking about. You can also check out his free course to get a feel for the teaching style.
Passive Income Geek vs. Authority Hacker
Passive Income Geek teaches a similar approach to Niche Site Profits — mostly on display advertisement income, with a side of affiliate income.
It doesn’t go quite as in-depth with certain strategies, and the community isn’t as active. The advantage to Passive Income Geek is that it’s the most affordable option on the list, so if you’re on a super tight budget, it’s more than enough to get you off the ground.
See my full Passive Income Geek review for a more detailed look at the course.
Project 24 Income School vs. Authority Hacker
Income School is another well-known option. I haven’t taken the course personally yet, so I can’t comment on the quality.
From what I hear in blogging forums, the Income School strategy is solid, albeit less technical. They also have lessons on creating a Youtube channel, which I believe will be helpful in the future.
I plan to test out Income School in the future, so stay tuned.
Authority Hacker Pro vs. TASS
Authority Hacker Pro is Mark and Gael’s course for advanced marketers that only opens a couple times a year.
It is NOT beginner-friendly, and really only makes sense once your affiliate site is earning several thousand dollars a month. If that sounds like you, then Authority Hacker Pro can help you scale to 6-figures and beyond.
If not, TASS is the better option.
In the end, it all comes down to your budget, the monetization strategy you’re most interested in, and the teaching style you like best.
If you’re looking to build an affiliate site and you value beginner-friendliness over advanced tactics (which you can worry about once you reach that point), then Authority Hacker TASS is your best option.
Mitch is your typical nomadic backpacker. Or at least, he was. But after stopping in Colombia to take “one week” of salsa lessons, his life took a sharp left turn. He met a cute Colombian girl in dance class, fell in love, and got married. Over half a decade has passed since he left his career to travel the world as a digital nomad, and he’s never looked back.
Nowadays, he’s the blogger behind Project Untethered — where he runs an awesome email newsletter and Youtube channel teaching adventure-craved wanderlusters how to escape the rat race, earn money from anywhere, and build an “untethered life”.
His advice has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, Yahoo, MSN, Reader’s Digest, Condé Nast Traveler, and more.