Anybody knowledgeable about the Freeware/Windows software download niche?

[bopeep]

Can you explain the model?
I love sites where you don't need a English major or a Phd in Bio technology, as I have access to cheap content mill.
The search intent for Download sites is something I love, but I can't quite get the business model.
I don't want bundle with PPIs and I just want to offer clean software for download and monetize using ads.

If you have been there done that since the niche is like as old as the internet itself, I would like to know all about it.
How do they source content (Database scrap?)?
Most of the sites are custom built on PHP. Can it be built on WP?
Why are many sites hosting the freewares instead of linking to the original source.

The Big sites are ranking for thousands of easy keywords, not KGRs but there are thousands of low hanging keywords, and I thinking if it is still worth going into in 2020 as the content generation can be done by not so expensive VAs.

I will try to do great Onpage for a start and built out low hanging keywords.

What kind of angle you think I can apply?

This is just the seed of an Idea. Looking for ideas, and if I missed anything.

 

[secretagentdad]

Biggest issue with this niche is you have to compete with people who don’t play fair.

People rehost cuz they put their house special sauce and what ever the latest and greatest bundled malware offers are into the dls.

It’s hard to compete against people who live in failed states that are monetizing with strategies that would put you in jail.

You can try and play it clean with game demos and stuff but the audience is generally poor and unethical competition will flood you with garbage cuz even if you’re not making a killing per download off the traffic they are and by offering a clean version you’re cutting into their revenue.

 

[bopeep]

It’s hard to compete against people who live in failed states that are monetizing with strategies that would put you in jail.

You mean most of these are offshore entities.
Are they doing illegal stuff? I am talking about the big sites like hip0, softnic, download

I was just looking at the keyword data and felt it was doable.
Can you tell me more of the gory details.

 

[secretagentdad]

Google is rather good about just showing big sites only.
The real gory stuff is mods / game hacks promoted via scripter forums.

I had a buddy who got into toolbars but never managed to keep ranking cuz he'd get ddosed when he started popping up.

 

[bopeep]

Google is rather good about just showing big sites only.
The real gory stuff is mods / game hacks promoted via scripter forums.

I had a buddy who got into toolbars but never managed to keep ranking cuz he'd get ddosed when he started popping up.

Wow. Mafia level shit. Thanks for this. I totally get it. Who would be these guys. Any specific geos, community.. Do they have notoriety Like the Nigerian scam or indian tech support..

 

[Darth]

Interesting discussion. Have seen a bunch of these kind of sites pop up on Flippa and always wondered how the heck they get away with it