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Are there too many outbound Amazon links on my affiliate site? (aka does Google hate me?)

by helterskelter
3 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hi all, how many outbound links to Amazon are too many in the eyes of Google?

I'm working on a new product recommendation site. I have about 15 reviews so far in my niche and I'm adding more. Just launched it.

Each post ranges from about 700 words to 1300 or so (most are 900+). I feel like my onsite SEO is fairly spot-on, but I'm concerned about my outbound links. On most pages, I include a link in the first paragraph, a snippet from an Amazon review with a link to the full review, and a link in the last sentence. I also link the pictures (normally 2-3) right to the product page. I also sometimes include links to similar products I mention (so if I'm reviewing blue Smurfs, I may include a link to the newly-released purple Smurfs for comparison). Overkill? What rule of thumb do you follow? Will that many links freak Google out? If so, which of these links would you keep?

I also added a handful of general posts with no links or links to non-affiliate sites. Do I need to incorporate more non-affiliate links? How would you go about doing so? I hate to lose anyone who may be in buying mode.

Thanks for any feedback!
#affiliate #aka #amazon #amazon affiliate site #google #hate #links #outbound #outbound links #site
  • Profile picture of the author helterskelter
    I'm cranking out some more reviews today; does anyone have a thought on this? I've also considered mixing this one up with some other strategies to monetize it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gaje
    Great question. I've been searching the forum for the past hour on basically the same thing. What is the the proper way to include on-page, SEO-friendly outgoing links? It seems there is scant information on this topic here. I would as well like to know more about how many outbound links are optimal; affiliate vs. non-affiliate links, follow vs. dofollow links, how linking to a higher PR site or a lower PR site in the same niche affects your ranking, etc. Looks like this is a nice opportunity for someone in the know .
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      You are mixing up "affiliate links" and "amazon" affiliation links.

      They are not one and the same, although people often seem
      to think so.

      If the products are the normal iframe way that amazon makes
      them available, it's a moot point. If they are not, then
      you are only making links to amazon.com, not what you
      perceive to be. Either way, it's a moot point.

      Squidoo does quite well with amazon stuff jam packed on a site.
      The more the merrier.

      Outbound links that are not nofollow may dilute PR for other links
      on the page.

      When google talks about affiliate garbage they mean just that.
      Affiliate garbage. People misquote google and skip putting the word
      garbage in there.

      There is really no way to make outbound links SEO friendly.
      That's trying to shmooze google. There's no such thing as an
      SEO-friendly SEO outbound. That's like putting perfume on a skunk.

      I make no outbound links unless they are paid for.

      Nofollow means a link that is spam and/or not trusted. Fill your
      page up, and what are you telling google? Your page is filled with
      spam and untrusted links?

      Paul
      Signature

      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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