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This One Tactic More Than TRIPPLED My Affiliate Commissions

by Mike Montgomery
22 replies
I know I'm new here but I'm not new to internet marketing.

I wanted to give you guys a killer idea that changed my business.

It's pretty simple really. This applies to you if you have ever thought about writing an ebook in the internet marketing niche or if you currently do write ebooks in the internet marketing niche.

You've probably read a number of ebooks in the internet marketing niche.

You may have noticed that the writer of the ebook will typically cloak his or her affiliate links.

If you're not cloaking your affiliate links then you should be (more on that in a moment).

But here's the problem: Most ebook writers only cloak their affiliate links.

The problem with only cloaking affiliate links is that it screams [AFFILIATE LINK]

You don't want your affiliate links to scream affiliate link. That's why you cloak every single link in your ebook, it makes your affiliate links blend in the in mind of your readers with your other links.

When I write an ebook I might have 40 or 50 links in it while maybe 10% are affiliate links but every one of those links gets cloaked.

When I started using this tactic my affiliate commissions more than trippled.

There are several ways to cloak affiliate links but the way I do it is simple I just do something like www.mydomain.com/linkname.html

I use a product called Ninja Link Cloaker (that's not an affiliate link).

The great thing about this product is that when the reader gets to the sales page the affiliate link is not revealed so for instance unless they look at the bottom of the order page on a Clickbank product they won't have any idea that your affiliate link has been imbedded.

Typically this is a blackhat method and not allowed by clickbank but Ninja Link Claoker does it in a way that is completely within the terms of CB.

I highly recommend this to any ebook writer especially in the IM niche.

Enjoy the explosive profits.
#affiliate #commissions #idea #trippled
  • Profile picture of the author mdunn123
    You just set off a light bulb moment in my head here with your post, and it's directly related to this!

    Thank you so much for the post!!

    Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author mojoisland
    Personally I go to Godaddy.com and buy a .info address using the best keyword combination for 1.99 and simple redirect it to the affiliate link and then go in and mask it so it shows the .info address. Worked for me for years. Plus you don't have to pay for hosting or expensive and complicated claoking software.

    Cheers!

    Robert
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg Cooksley
      Originally Posted by mojoisland View Post

      Personally I go to Godaddy.com and buy
      a .info address using the best keyword combination for 1.99 and
      simple redirect it to the affiliate link and then go in and mask
      it so it shows the .info address. Worked for me for years. Plus
      you don't have to pay for hosting or expensive and complicated
      claoking software.

      Cheers!

      Robert
      Hey Robert,

      This may be a stupid question...but bear with me...

      How does that help you to cloak all the affiliate links in the
      eBook example that Mike is talking about?

      Or am I missing something in how you do it...

      Please explain further...

      Regards

      Greg
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    • Profile picture of the author rapidtronics
      Originally Posted by mojoisland View Post

      Personally I go to Godaddy.com and buy a .info address using the best keyword combination for 1.99 and simple redirect it to the affiliate link and then go in and mask it so it shows the .info address. Worked for me for years. Plus you don't have to pay for hosting or expensive and complicated claoking software.

      Cheers!

      Robert
      Hey Robert...

      Is there ever a problem with affiliate tracking when you use the masking process? I heard from someone that that will sometimes cause you to lose out on sales. Just curious what you and others have to say.

      Thanks!

      -Corey
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      Corey B.
      http://facebook.com/HempyCBDoil
      https://hempycbdoil.com

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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Lee
    Originally Posted by Mike X. View Post


    There are several ways to cloak affiliate links but the way I do it is simple I just do something like www.mydomain.com/linkname.html

    I use a product called Ninja Link Cloaker (that's not an affiliate link).

    The great thing about this product is that when the reader gets to the sales page the affiliate link is not revealed so for instance unless they look at the bottom of the order page on a Clickbank product they won't have any idea that your affiliate link has been imbedded.

    Typically this is a blackhat method and not allowed by clickbank but Ninja Link Claoker does it in a way that is completely within the terms of CB.

    Thanks for the awesome tip, Mike. Could you clarify in your statement above if using something like www.mydomain.com/linkname.html is not allowed by Clickbank? Isn't that a valid affiliate cloaking strategy?
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    • Profile picture of the author Jelasco
      Michael, a simple redirect is fine with Clickbank.

      Mike X, I thought of this idea a long time ago but never bothered to test it. Thanks for doing that.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
        Why not just send all the redirects to a landing page on your site where you review it (conduit style) and further strengthen the sale?

        I also cloak every single link I throw out there using this software. I also enjoy the hidden benefit of changing the redirect link at will.

        So, for example, let's say your free ebook went viral and 800 downloaded it. If that affiliate goes under, your link would also go under. But if you're redirecting, you can simply change the url on your server and -tada- 800 links are working again! Not sure why other's dont do this.

        I also didn't realize this was against CB TOS. I couldn't see it mentioned. Can anyone direct me towards the policy?
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        • Profile picture of the author mojoisland
          Greg,
          I didn't realize he meant links with the ebook. My bad. I was just refering to the url that people are directed to go and buy an ebook or something. Maybe I should lay off the choclate milk!

          Cheers!

          Robert
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          • Profile picture of the author Greg Cooksley
            Originally Posted by mojoisland View Post

            Greg,
            I didn't realize he meant links with the ebook. My bad. I
            was just refering to the url that people are directed to go and
            buy an ebook or something. Maybe I should lay off the choclate
            milk!

            Cheers!

            Robert
            Thanks for clearing that up Robert.....

            Regards

            Greg
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            • Profile picture of the author KristenArnold
              I actually just put the pieces together last week that I use a cute links plugin for my wordpress blog that cloaks my links so I just re-use those in my pdf special reports. Just another free way of doing the round -a-bout
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              • Profile picture of the author Mike Montgomery
                I'm glad you guys are enjoying this.

                I see that there have been some questions but
                I think they've all been answered by other members.

                Redirecting is allowed by clickbank. What isn't allowed
                is cookie stuffing and until Ninja Link Cloaker came along
                cookie stuffing was the only way to cloak a link as I have
                described.

                Now go out and make some jack
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                • Profile picture of the author YiKeS
                  Originally Posted by Mike X. View Post

                  I'm glad you guys are enjoying this.

                  I see that there have been some questions but
                  I think they've all been answered by other members.

                  Redirecting is allowed by clickbank. What isn't allowed
                  is cookie stuffing and until Ninja Link Cloaker came along
                  cookie stuffing was the only way to cloak a link as I have
                  described.

                  Now go out and make some jack
                  G`day Mike,

                  yep, this is great advice ... I scrolled down to ask what this ninja
                  cloaker does that a cookie stuffer doesn`t do. I use my own web
                  based software ... it has an admin area .. I can place the script in
                  any folder then create as many links as I want ... also categories.

                  Best thing about this script and something simple redirects don`t
                  do is I`m able to track the clicks .... it also has the option to track
                  what keyword was used to in SE`s when someone clicks thru to the
                  site cloaked .... very very powerful So I can create two links for
                  the same target, mostly I don`t use the SE tracking but sure comes
                  in handy gathering up keywords people DO use to find the target in
                  question.

                  As I can see the "Views" on my WSO`s and see the actual clickthru
                  on links thru the whole process ... I am getting solid data ... sure
                  beats wondering and setting up a single html file for every single
                  redict/cloaked link I need ... and if the link goes dead ... simply
                  login and change to something else or the new one.

                  KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR LINKS

                  Christopher J.

                  P.S. Of course it works using them in ebooks also ...
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                  • Profile picture of the author Mike Montgomery
                    Originally Posted by Christopher J. View Post

                    G`day Mike,

                    yep, this is great advice ... I scrolled down to ask what this ninja
                    cloaker does that a cookie stuffer doesn`t do. I use my own web
                    based software ... it has an admin area .. I can place the script in
                    any folder then create as many links as I want ... also categories.

                    Best thing about this script and something simple redirects don`t
                    do is I`m able to track the clicks .... it also has the option to track
                    what keyword was used to in SE`s when someone clicks thru to the
                    site cloaked .... very very powerful So I can create two links for
                    the same target, mostly I don`t use the SE tracking but sure comes
                    in handy gathering up keywords people DO use to find the target in
                    question.

                    As I can see the "Views" on my WSO`s and see the actual clickthru
                    on links thru the whole process ... I am getting solid data ... sure
                    beats wondering and setting up a single html file for every single
                    redict/cloaked link I need ... and if the link goes dead ... simply
                    login and change to something else or the new one.

                    KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR LINKS

                    Christopher J.

                    P.S. Of course it works using them in ebooks also ...

                    Chris,

                    that sounds like a great script. Ever though of offering it to other people?
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                    Skyrocket Your Site To The Top Of Google Without Lifting A Finger
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                    • Profile picture of the author Droopy Dawg
                      Thanks for the heads up... I program in Coldfusion, and use some scripts on one of my domains as a redirect. There's also some cool javascripts that you can use to redirect while hiding the URL in the "status bar" of the browser.
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              • Profile picture of the author magentawave
                Originally Posted by KristenArnold View Post

                I actually just put the pieces together last week that I use a cute links plugin for my wordpress blog that cloaks my links so I just re-use those in my pdf special reports. Just another free way of doing the round -a-bout
                Hi Kristen,

                Can you please tell me what that WP plugin for link cloaking is that you are using? I tried using the free WP-Affiliate plugin yesterday but couldn't get it to work because I was still seeing my affiliate links in the bottom left corner of my browser.

                Thank you.
                Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author deu12000
      I've been using this technique for several years on my own websites as well as ebooks. It definitely works and will increase your revenue.

      Another thing sometimes it's good to not even give them the name of the product or program, just hype it up and give them the affiliate link (cloaked of course), if they like the sales page they buy. I call that the "vague technique". This way they want to buy it because you hyped it up, but it's still a mystery so they can't search around before viewing the sales page. As you know a lot of people are impulse buyers and if the product and price is right you'll get a sale you wouldn't have gotten if you would have given them the name. If they had the name they'd start searching around, reading reviews, and then someone else's affiliate cookie will be planted in their computer.

      Originally Posted by Greg Cooksley View Post

      Hey Robert,

      This may be a stupid question...but bear with me...

      How does that help you to cloak all the affiliate links in the
      eBook example that Mike is talking about?
      I guess he just buys a bunch of domains that are relevant for each offer. I've done this to, but usually if I have other uses for the domain than just one offer. It's a good technique because people will think they are going straight to the site and not to an affiliate. Of course if your link isn't cloaked or re-directed properly they'll see exactly where they landed.

      Originally Posted by Michael Lee View Post

      Thanks for the awesome tip, Mike. Could you clarify in your statement above if using something like www.mydomain.com/linkname.html is not allowed by Clickbank? Isn't that a valid affiliate cloaking strategy?
      It's allowed. ClickBank even gives you a cloaking tool to help you out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andres
    Mike - I know what you mean. I did the exact same thing you did.

    All I did was email affiliate support for the products I was pushing and asked them if at all possible can I use my cloaked link in their ebook.

    They all agreed - all I did was email them my link and they did it for me in a snap.
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  • Profile picture of the author NightWolf
    I just purchased the PHP Link Cloaker, and am trying to install it. I followed the instructions, went to my Cpanel, created a new MYSQL database, uploaded the folder with the php scripts to my root folder. But when I try to go to "install.php" it says file cannot be found?

    Can someone please help?
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    • Profile picture of the author melanied
      This is great advice. I've also found that putting them in a folder called "recommends" increases conversion. It makes it read like a sentence: XYZsite recommends XYZ product. It has a subtle effect.
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      *melanie

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    • Profile picture of the author kentaiwan98
      Dwad,

      Make sure your file permissions are set properly. You will need to chmod the file(s) to get it showing.

      Kenneth
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