Avoiding Affiliate Links?

AnneE · 02-10-2012, 06:46 AM

I've been reading on various SEO blogs, that Google definitely views affiliate links as a negative. I have a site that is selling a product from that website and a blog on that website, so should I avoid ALL affiliate links, to the point of not including an Amazon affiliate link when referencing a book in a blog post. Or do you think an occasional affiliate link is alright?

I guess one alternative is I do own a product review site and I could instead include a link to it and from there have the affiliate link. The product review site will really only ever do well in SEO for the Loooong-tail keywords.

Thoughts?

TBInternetMarketing · 02-10-2012, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnneE

I've been reading on various SEO blogs, that Google definitely views affiliate links as a negative. I have a site that is selling a product from that website and a blog on that website, so should I avoid ALL affiliate links, to the point of not including an Amazon affiliate link when referencing a book in a blog post. Or do you think an occasional affiliate link is alright?

I guess one alternative is I do own a product review site and I could instead include a link to it and from there have the affiliate link. The product review site will really only ever do well in SEO for the Loooong-tail keywords.

Thoughts?

I'd always suggest cloaking your affiliate links with a tool like pretty link.
It looks better to Google and the reader.

gearmonkey · 02-10-2012, 09:29 AM

If you use wordpress, you can download a pretty URL cloaker. That's what I did.

AnneE · 02-10-2012, 03:19 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I am using Wordpress, so I'll try a plugin for cloaking. Is "Pretty URL Cloaker" the name of the plug-in you use?

MaverickUK · 02-10-2012, 06:43 PM

To be honest whether you clock your links or not, Google knows the destination page of that link so things like URL cloakers are more about aesphetics for your users. You won't ever be penalised for having Amazon links on your site, as long as you treat them as regular adverts then you'll be fine.

Of course spamming the Amazon links all over a page may result in Google viewing it as a bad end user experience where the page is concerned and potentially devalue the page.

UMS · 02-10-2012, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnneE

Thanks for the feedback. I am using Wordpress, so I'll try a plugin for cloaking. Is "Pretty URL Cloaker" the name of the plug-in you use?

The plugin is called "Pretty Link Lite"

AMABIZ · 02-10-2012, 08:00 PM

Thanks for clarifying the plugin name, I was searching for "pretty URL cloaker" too. Makes more sense now..."Pretty Link Lite" it is !

02-10-2012, 06:46 AM	#1
AnneE In Denial About Age War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Catskill mountains of New York Posts: 686 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 104 Thanked 99 Times in 67 Posts	Avoiding Affiliate Links? I've been reading on various SEO blogs, that Google definitely views affiliate links as a negative. I have a site that is selling a product from that website and a blog on that website, so should I avoid ALL affiliate links, to the point of not including an Amazon affiliate link when referencing a book in a blog post. Or do you think an occasional affiliate link is alright? I guess one alternative is I do own a product review site and I could instead include a link to it and from there have the affiliate link. The product review site will really only ever do well in SEO for the Loooong-tail keywords. Thoughts?
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02-10-2012, 09:29 AM	#3
gearmonkey Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 877 Thanks: 6 Thanked 79 Times in 61 Posts	Re: Avoiding Affiliate Links? If you use wordpress, you can download a pretty URL cloaker. That's what I did.
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02-10-2012, 03:19 PM	#4
AnneE In Denial About Age War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Catskill mountains of New York Posts: 686 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 104 Thanked 99 Times in 67 Posts	Re: Avoiding Affiliate Links? Thanks for the feedback. I am using Wordpress, so I'll try a plugin for cloaking. Is "Pretty URL Cloaker" the name of the plug-in you use?
	How to learn Spanish?, Rosetta Stone vs Pimsleur - What's the easiest way to learn Spanish? Interested in: running songs, self-publishing children's books, free pictures, a Rolling Stones t shirt, what about...Claude Hopkins Scientific Advertising, Kindle formatting, or digestive enzyme supplements? I am

02-10-2012, 06:43 PM	#5
MaverickUK HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: UK Posts: 429 Thanks: 8 Thanked 61 Times in 56 Posts	Re: Avoiding Affiliate Links? To be honest whether you clock your links or not, Google knows the destination page of that link so things like URL cloakers are more about aesphetics for your users. You won't ever be penalised for having Amazon links on your site, as long as you treat them as regular adverts then you'll be fine. Of course spamming the Amazon links all over a page may result in Google viewing it as a bad end user experience where the page is concerned and potentially devalue the page.

02-10-2012, 08:00 PM	#7
AMABIZ Warrior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Avoiding Affiliate Links? Thanks for clarifying the plugin name, I was searching for "pretty URL cloaker" too. Makes more sense now..."Pretty Link Lite" it is !