SEO vs Affiliate Links?

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by andrej, Aug 20, 2007.

  1. #1
    I wonder if it is bad for SEO to have an affiliate link on my site? It is not a nofollow link (it's a link in the blogroll of my WP blog).

    Should I rather remove the link or make it nofollow?
     
    andrej, Aug 20, 2007 IP
  2. aletheides

    aletheides Banned

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    #2
    No affiliate links dont dock your SEO at all. Some people may recommend that you have them cloaked, however.
     
    aletheides, Aug 20, 2007 IP
  3. trichnosis

    trichnosis Prominent Member

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    #3
    google does not like link selling.

    i suggest you to become so careful
     
    trichnosis, Aug 20, 2007 IP
  4. fastmanfunnay

    fastmanfunnay Active Member

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    #4
    all of my affiliate links are masked with a link on my site,

    i suggest you do the same
     
    fastmanfunnay, Aug 20, 2007 IP
  5. TroyM

    TroyM Well-Known Member

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    #5
    I do not think it will make any difference to have either an affiliate link or a regular out-bound link...
    But it will be better if you eliminate affiliate out-bound link by using "no follow" tag on it....

    Thanks
     
    TroyM, Aug 20, 2007 IP
  6. andrej

    andrej Notable Member

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    #6
    OK, so I will rather use the nofollow tag. Thanks for your advice.
     
    andrej, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  7. Pammer

    Pammer Notable Member

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    #7
    Pammer, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  8. SKxprt

    SKxprt Peon

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    #8
    affiliate links do not hurt you, but you are giving away PR to the affiliate.

    since it is your blog, make also a link from your blog and you will hit the cat.

    regards
     
    SKxprt, Aug 21, 2007 IP
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  9. weblaunch

    weblaunch Well-Known Member

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    #9
    I would use nofollow so that you don't pass pr.
     
    weblaunch, Aug 21, 2007 IP
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  10. andrej

    andrej Notable Member

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    #10
    What about masking them using a "Shorten URL" site like tinyurl.com?
     
    andrej, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  11. Sem-Advance

    Sem-Advance Notable Member

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    #11
    Grrrr

    Having an affiliate link from your site is not selling a link....

    and who gives two cents what Google thinks???

    When Google says they do not like link selling it is meant that they do like links sold for influencing PageRank or SERP listings.

    Nowhere does it say you cannot sell links to drive traffic to other peoples sites!!!!!!

    Before anyone makes such a silly claim I suggest you search Google for the keyword term

    buy links

    See all the sites listed?

    They'll still be there for months and months and months in the future!!

    Believe half of what you read and none of what you hear.

    ;)
     
    Sem-Advance, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  12. fastmanfunnay

    fastmanfunnay Active Member

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    #12
    tell that to john chow
     
    fastmanfunnay, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  13. Dwaighty

    Dwaighty Peon

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    #13
    You then pass the PR juice to tinyurl.com . As most already suggested, mask them with a link to your site. I use the "no follow tag", but that is just out of laziness.
     
    Dwaighty, Aug 21, 2007 IP
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  14. Sem-Advance

    Sem-Advance Notable Member

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    #14
    Who said John Chow was penalized for affiliate links??

    Remember I never said being dumb and selling your soul wouldn't get you a smack down.

    I said an affiliate link.

    I run an affiliate link in my sig that google indexes like crazy ;)

    Its all about moderation ......and John Chow didn't seem to catch that message...

    Besides he made a fortune so hopefully he saved it and didn't go on a spending spree like most .com minutemen.
     
    Sem-Advance, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  15. SEOptimizer

    SEOptimizer Peon

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    #15
    When we say affiliate links I'm guessing we are talking about sponsors. Does anyone have some easy tips to #1 encrypting footer links in a template so novice users cannot remove them, and #2 masking links so you don't get PR docked?
     
    SEOptimizer, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  16. Sem-Advance

    Sem-Advance Notable Member

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    #16
    You can encrypt footer links the same as any other link.

    The amount of PR you would lose is fractional of a fraction.

    You would be better off building a link back to the site with the time it would take to stop minimal PR dilution.

    If PR dilution is a concern then the SEO done to the site is weak
     
    Sem-Advance, Aug 21, 2007 IP
  17. SKxprt

    SKxprt Peon

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    #17
    even thou I do believe that Google does not like link selling, I do agree that such sites still exist on Google. What is even the best, some of them have high PR's whereas others don't.

    So I agree that it is up to the SEO management.

    Good thinking Sem-Advance
     
    SKxprt, Aug 21, 2007 IP