Question About Seo Implications Of Using Redirect Codes

[gjd6599]

When submitting articles to the directories, do you think Google knows if the article sends visitors to an empty site, that redirects them to an affiliate offer, and they reduce the ranking of that article, for the keyword it's trying to rank for?

Maybe it's a silly question, but I would like to know before I start doing it. I have always sent visitors from my articles, to my blogs with content, and then to the affiliate page.

But I see a lot of people doing redirects right from the article directories, and would like to try it, to see if it improves conversions. I read all the directories rules, but I want to be sure it doesn't hurt the ranking of the article.

Thanks Glenn

[DropWizard.com]

Originally Posted by gjd6599

When submitting articles to the directories, do you think Google knows if the article sends visitors to an empty site, that redirects them to an affiliate offer, and they reduce the ranking of that article, for the keyword it's trying to rank for?

Maybe it's a silly question, but I would like to know before I start doing it. I have always sent visitors from my articles, to my blogs with content, and then to the affiliate page.

But I see a lot of people doing redirects right from the article directories, and would like to try it, to see if it improves conversions. I read all the directories rules, but I want to be sure it doesn't hurt the ranking of the article.

Thanks Glenn

Why do the redirect rather than just create an affiliate link on the article and send them straight to the offer? I don't do much article directory work so this maybe against TOS but it seems an obvious choice.