This is a quick how-to requested by two SEO Club members.
The problem? Affiliate links are normally ugly and easy to spot: http://productsite.com/affiliates/affiliatelink?youraffiliatenumber=324. This means that:
- Some websurfers are reluctant to click on affiliate links. They may be naturally suspect of someone linking to a product for money or they may just resent generating money for the writer they’re reading.
- If the affiliate link is obvious, its easy to hijack. If you remind me they have an affiliate program, I could easily go to productsite.com, sign up as an affiliate and take the commission when I purchase there.
- There is actually spyware out there that can automatically hijack links for some of the most popular affiliate programs.
The solution? Disguise affiliate links so that they look much more innocuous. Here are three ways to do that: