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Are you allowed to build your own Amazon links from images??

by rogerfromdoug
7 replies
I'm having only moderate success as an Amazon affiliate.

I don't much about coding websites. Just the basics.

What I would like to know is whether or not I am allowed to build my own links to Amazon products.

Let's say I want to link to the book "John, Paul, George & Ben" by Lane Smith. If I use the Amazon tool to get a text link, it looks like:

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786848936/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=rogerfd-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creative ASIN=0786848936">John, Paul, George & Ben</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=prikeypre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0786848936" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

I see the addition of that 1 x 1 image, which I think is something that measures the impressions or something. I guess that's why it's "!important".

Can I just put an image on my sidebar and then link it directly to:

Code:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786848936/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=prikeypre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0786848936
Without all the other stuff.

Or is that against the rules?

I can't find anything about this in the TOS.

Thanks!
#allowed #amazon #build #images #links
  • Profile picture of the author cooler1
    Yes you can link a sidebar image to an Amazon url as long as you use the naked url and not a link shortner. I think you can use a link shortner also, but you need to make it clear to visitors that the links goes to Amazon.
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  • Profile picture of the author rogerfromdoug
    Thanks.

    So you don't have to include that weird 1 x 1 graphic?? So what is that for??

    If you link directly couldn't it show a 100% click through / conversion rate? And couldn't that mess you up?
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    • Profile picture of the author cooler1
      Originally Posted by rogerfromdoug View Post

      Thanks.

      So you don't have to include that weird 1 x 1 graphic?? So what is that for??

      If you link directly couldn't it show a 100% click through / conversion rate? And couldn't that mess you up?
      The graphic is for tracking. There is a thread here about it- http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...azon-code.html

      It wouldn't show a 100% conversion rate because the conversion rate is based on how many clicks convert into a sale, not on the number of impressions counted.
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  • Profile picture of the author kayfrank
    You are able to use a text link or image link in the Amazon tools. If you use the text link you wont get the image at all. You can always use your own anchor text just keep the actual URL to the page the same.

    You can also use this URL on an image that you want to use. Its the URL that is the important part that identifies your associate tag. So the bit after <img is irrelevent - I dont know why Amazon still put it in there!

    Also Amazon does not like you to hide or shorten the URL. In Amazon terms you have to let visitors know they are going to Amazon - if you shorten or hide it then this is misleading.

    I'm not sure what you mean about a 100% conversion rate. When someone clicks on your Amazon link (or image that has the link attached to it) and goes to Amazon that is counted as a click. If they purchase something then you get an order.
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    • Profile picture of the author rogerfromdoug
      I mean, now in my stats it lists impressions and click through rate. If I only include a direction link, how could they possibly measure impressions?

      If Amazon doesn't care then I don't either. I just don't want to risk losing my account.
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      • Profile picture of the author cooler1
        Originally Posted by rogerfromdoug View Post

        I mean, now in my stats it lists impressions and click through rate. If I only include a direction link, how could they possibly measure impressions?

        If Amazon doesn't care then I don't either. I just don't want to risk losing my account.
        Are you referring to the Link-Type report? You don't need to measure impressions because you can get website traffic data from a tool like Google Analytics. The only data you need is the number of clicks plus the conversion rate. The standard link provides these without the 1 x 1 image.
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  • Profile picture of the author rogerfromdoug
    As long as I'm not violated their TOS I'm happy. Thanks a lot for the help!
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