A question about affiliate links?

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   Sam Montanaposted 9 years ago

   Is a link to my own blog considered an affiliate link? I want to link from a Hubpages article I am writing to an article on my blog that further describes what I am writing about in the article.

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      Matthew Meyerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It depends upon the site.
      All links are limited to 2 or fewer per Hub.

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         Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Great and thank you.

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         Hicks Daysposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         oh thanks for this, i actually have this question on my mind, is a good thing someone brought it up.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      No it is not an affiliate link - an affiliate link is one which contains a code identifying you as an affiliate.
      
      When you link to your own site, you are simply pasting in the URL of the site, no fancy codes - hence it is not an affiliate link.

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   Billie Kelpinposted 9 years ago

   You might want to try it "backwards".  Post a link on your blog entitled: "Summary" and link back to hubpages since the blog entry is more inclusive. 
   
   I try to write the more extensive article on hubpages and then summarize it using very different wording on my blog.  I then link the "summary" back to the hubpage article for further reading.  I do that because the views on my blog seem fewer than views on hubpages.   Just a thought, but I understand you might not want to do that.  If not, two links out from hubpages is appropriate from what I understand although, for the life of me, I can't understand this rule even though people have explained that google might pick it up as spam, etc. etc. Something has to change somewhere because in my humble opinion, it really inhibits richly documented articles.  It's like writing a thesis and limiting the author to two sources in the bibliography. My prediction is that some day this will change.  In the meantime, if feels as if we're writing with our hands tied behind our backs (pardon the pun), but onward we go...

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      Billie Kelpinposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That wasn't very clear.  I mean that some people reading the blog might like to go to a summary of the article on hubpages.  Thus, the longer article links back to the summary.  It defeats the purpose, but it might be interesting to try. The link to the blog is probably the best bet!

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      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If you were writing a paper, you should be using more than one source.  Having all your links go to one source means that your article is not providing any additional value than the original source. 
      
      I would not expect this rule to change any time soon.

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         Billie Kelpinposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I never thought of it that way.  I DO keep mixing this up!  Is it not more than two links to ONE source or not more than two links in an article. So let's say it's not more than 2 links to one website.  Even then there's a problem.  If I were writing about how to make computer games on my website and wanted to show all the various types of games I've created, I'd HAVE to link to different pages with different url extensions.  However, since the first part of the url is my company's name, I'm assuming I can't link more than twice to my website.  So I have fill-in-the-blank exercises, multiple-choice, sentence scramble games, and matching games that my husband created plus a solitaire game.  If I link to just the "student cafe" of the "kids' page" my reader has to search all over the place to see the specifics. A perfectly crafted article in my mind would link exactly to each page to which I was referring.  When you're writing a footnote, you're referring to a specific page and the bibliography notes the source.  I just can't get over my resistence to this idea.  Where's the march?  Let me make a sign. I'll picket google.  (So much for the sillyness, Billie)  Onward!

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            Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            An article like that would definitely be caught as over-promotional. You have lots of links taking the reader away from HubPages, and to your own site  It will be seen as you snagging a reader with the purpose of luring them to your own site.  If you wanted to write all those articles on HubPages and link them to each other, that is acceptable.  In fact, even if you only have one link, depending on how you write it, it may be over-promotional.  The hub itself must give the reader useful information and/or satisfaction for having read it without having to go anywhere else.
            
            It is normally two links to any one outside site, but you do have to use common sense.

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               Billie Kelpinposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Ah, there's the rub - common sense!  My father used to tell me growing up, "Billie, you have no common sense!"  So linking separate hubs together is something I've never thought of.  Interesting, "overly-promotional" since I make about 8 cents a day on my website which offers free games.  But, I'll try the separate hub deal.  Thanks Millionaire Tips!

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               Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               "The hub itself must give the reader useful information and/or satisfaction for having read it without having to go anywhere else." That is a great guideline to keep in mind when linking.
               
               Should we link to a few of our other Hubs at the bottom of our articles, or does Hubpages take care of that?

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                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  If you group your articles using the grouping tool, you will see that several of the ones in the group on topics about which you are writing are automatically shown for you.

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                     TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     The reason for these guidelines is that HP is a business and as such, does not want you giving people a lot of ways to leave the site.  They allow a few, but those few are very limited.  Remember that every time a reader leaves the site, HP and you lose money as well as the opportunity for your reader to see links to other writers' articles as well.

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                  Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  I wouldn't bother with adding other hubs just for the sake of the link.  HubPages already does that with the links at the bottom of each hub.  The only time I would add another link to any other page is if it is high quality, and really helpful to the reader.  So I use the same criteria for internal sites as I would for external site. Although I know I don't have a limit of two for internal links, I use those limits for internal links as well.

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                     Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     I understand the idea of not wanting people to leave the website. For the links that I have put in my newer articles, I make it so it opens a new tab. At least that way a reader can easily get back to the Hubpage article. Even though I have recently read that mobile users like the back button better than separate open tabs. I still need to go into the older articles and redo those links now that I know how to.

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      Mark Johannposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I like your style Billie. I would try that way somehow. I could have enough traffic both ways.

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         Billie Kelpinposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Mark, my lonely little blog sometimes gets more traffic than here on hubpages depending on how I word the topic. I think people reading blogs like short summaries and then if they want to read more, they can come here - the best of both worlds.  The key is to make the blog's title focused and if you have more than one focus to your writing, have more blogs!  So a blog like techteacher for your technical articles and teaching perspective and travlingitalian or something like that.  I made the mistake of calling my blog bizblog when I really want to link back here to other articles that aren't busness related.

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   Sam Montanaposted 9 years ago

   What I wanted to do was link to my blog from a new article here. The reason is that the article here is in depth, but cannot cover every aspect of the subject. The article here is about electronic pollution which mentions cfl light bulbs. I wanted to link to an article on the blog that covers cfl bulbs more in depth than the electronic pollution article can.
   
   And yes, I will put a description to the new article on my blog linking back here, I always do that.
   
   I am not sure I understand the two links per hub. I was going to put sources at the end of the article with a link to them. Instead, I just put the citation to the source without a link.

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      Matthew Meyerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Unlinked plain text URLs are also counted toward the 2 or fewer links, not just those that are hyperlinked and URLs in image sources also count toward the 2 or fewer per Hub.

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         Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         If there are three pictures in an article, only two can be linked back to the source?

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            Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            You don't have to get all your images from the same place. Then you can link to all of them.

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               VladimirCatposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               So I can use all of my own images but not link to them?
               
               So I suppose I'll put one link (to myself where my images are) in the opening photo and then use a dead link at the ned of the hub saying that all images are mine. 
               
               Then I' can only hope that they won't be stolen as they're not credited

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            Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            If you've got three photos in an article and they are all from the same site, then there is no need to put the URL in the photo capsules. Just put "see photo credit" in the box (with no URL) and then put a single photo link somewhere in your text.
            
            I wrote a Hub about how to use photos, you'll find it in the slider on my profile and it gives some tips you might find useful.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      See, now this is what is all messed up about the whole concept of overly-promotional.  Right beside me as I write is the WARNING "advertising and promotional posts in the forums will be deleted" - blah da de blah.  So you Sam, can't even post a link to the article you're talking about and to your blog!  I think this is absolutely ridiculous in a forum.  If we went to your article on hubpages right now think of how much exposure the ads on that hub would be getting.  Here we have upteen people talking about your question and I don't know about others, but I didn't go to your profile to find your hubs and guess at what hub your talking about. If there was a link,  I'd have been there yesterday (literally). I hate to be a rebel and contrary, but geez... Take the measely $1.26 a month that I earn here and let me have a little freedom.  I understand Millionaire's view of stating the concept behind all this:  Hubpages does not want people go off to another site and not come back. However, my husband and I had a business website since 1992!  People NOW know how to use a back button and tabs, for heaven sakes. We're in the 21st century now.  If something is intriguing and engaging enough, they'll come back. Yes, they get distracted, but it would be interesting to see the analytics on this.  I just think this is such an old-fashioned idea. Even google and FB get stuck in old paradigms. You're exactly right in wanting to give your readers a bibliography and for that to be readily accessible.  The only way around within the parameters at present is to Walk and Chew Gum - work it both ways.like you said you do.  Maybe add  a great and separate  navigation on your blog so that people will find what you want them to find related to your hubpage article easily. Example, we get the most traffic on our website in January, so I made a separate navigation bar on the front page for people to easily get to what I'm assuming they came for.   So, I'm talking about a separate and distinct place on your blog that contains all the pertinent links on your blog that you think the people coming from hubpages will want to seamlessly follow.  I gotta go now and check out your hubs.  Cheerio.

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   aesta1posted 9 years ago

   I usually refrain from linking to my own sites as this is considered promotional. Is this link really an advantage? If it is not, what's the point?

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      Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The advantage is that the link to a different article gives the reader much more information about the subject than I can put into the Hubpages article. It is all about giving the readers as much info as possible on a topic.
      
      I don't usually do this either, which is why I asked this time. But this link will give the reader more information on the subject.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Sam, my blogs are about dance and I make sure I link to my blog EVERY time I write about dance.   Every flamenco Hub links to my flamenco blog, every ballet Hub links to my ballet blog, every belly dance Hub links to my belly dance blog.  It has NEVER caused any problems, it helps my blog's traffic, and it helps the reader too because they are directed to a place that gives them more information on the topic.  Win-win all round.

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            Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Okay, great Marisa. That is exactly what I did and will do again if the topic warrants it. Always keeping the readers in mind so they can get plenty of information on the subject. Thanks.

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   Lorelei Cohenposted 9 years ago

   A bit confused by this topic. Is the two link limit a TOTAL link count per page or is it not two links that go to same Site but that you can have 3 - 4  links per page total?
   
   I usually use a selection of my own photos and those from free photo sites such as wikimedia, pixabay, or morguefile. In my opening photo I will usually put the credit note: Photos on the article are my own unless otherwise credited. My articles are generally quite long and can contain multiple photos so then the credits appear under each photo.
   
   So should I now be using Wikimedia Commons or Pixabay.com without providing a link to avoid the 2 link rule yet still credit the photo source? Or should I simply leave out a credit on photos such as those from pixabay that are placed in public domain and do not require a link back to the source?
   
   I am a little confused on this issue and would appreciate credit suggestions.

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      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      There is a limit of 2 to each site, so you can have 2 Flickr, 2 wikimedia, 2 pixabay, etc.  Actually, some of these sites are whitelisted, so you can use more than 2.

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         Lorelei Cohenposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you Millionaire Tips. Lol...now I am really confused. So where do we get a peek at the white list?

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

            If you check the learning center section on using images properly, you will see where they mention a few sites, such as Pixabay, that are OK to use multiple times.  These would be your white list sources.

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         Sam Montanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Okay Millionaire, that clears it up nicely. The way I read what Matthew wrote, it would be two links total per hub.

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         colorfuloneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I believe I read somewhere on HP that Flickr and Wikimedia are white-listed. Does anyone know for sure?

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            Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Both of those sites are white listed.  Also, major news sites are OK to link to more than twice in a single Hub.

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   Lee Hansenposted 9 years ago

   I struggle with this because as a content creator with a web site or two I don't want to lose the opportunity to build interest in my work (printables and craft resources I create) by giving it away in the article. I work hard to find a balance with that issue and to protect my copyright. That said, I don't see much traffic coming FROM Hubpages so I'm  beginning to just refer to my profile instead of my sites when I use my own illustrations.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The rule with HubPages is that all links must be related to the Hub in which they appear.   So if your website is relevant to your Hub, it is well worth linking to it.   Even if you're not getting a lot of traffic from HubPages right now, surely some traffic is better than none - and it may build in the future.

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