In-Text Amazon Link Update

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   Christy Kirwanposted 6 years ago

   Hi all, please stop by the HubPages Blog to check out our new updates to in-text Amazon links that will go live later today. Let us know if you have any questions.

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      Wesman Todd Shawposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I have no clue how to add an affiliate tracker to anything. So I guess I've just been linking for ...idk.

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         Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         If you are using the Amazon Capsule, all of this already happens automatically.

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            Venkatachari Mposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I am a bit confused. I hope the Amazon capsules were automatically monetised even before a year or two. I never manually clicked anything for getting it to be monetised.

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      sallybeaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, Christy.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Kristy:  Are you kidding me?  In recent months you guys have been urging us to use more in text links, but I can never remember you saying we had to do anything to monetize them!   I always thought that what you do is hit the link icon, choose the Amazon product from the list you provide and that was it!  If there was more to it than this, I sure wish you would have told us and/or at least emphasized this.
      
      While I don't have many, I do have some, and I suspect that trying to please the team has cost me some money.  Glad your changing this, but feel you dropped the ball by advising people to do this but not telling them the best way.
      
      Question, what else should I have done?

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         Robinposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You have been doing it properly, so no need to worry! 

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      toptengamerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I like it. Hopefully, in the future, you'll also look at allowing people to link to amazon products in tables. These are amazing converters when used properly and something HP is certainly missing out on.

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   Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

   Let me see if I'm understanding this right.
   
   In the past, if we created an Amazon text link using the Amazon search, it automatically included the affiliate code - can you confirm that please?
   
   Now, all that's happening is, if we forgot to add the affiliate tracker to an Amazon link, or if we used our own affiliate tracker, it will be picked up and changed to the HubPages code. 
   
   Is that right?

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      Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, that is correct.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Then perhaps the wording on the blog could be clarified to avoid misunderstanding?  As you can see, most of the early posters thought it meant the previous text links weren't monetized, even though we thought they were.

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   lobobrandonposted 6 years ago

   As Robin and Christy clarified, all the links added via the text link option were automatically at the 60-40 rule. Tested it out when my capsules were converted by an editor

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   Will Apseposted 6 years ago

   Looks very neat. Most importantly, it is an honest label that the majority of people will understand. No one can complain that the links are in any way dishonest and anyone who wants to buy something has an option.
   
   Now we need a feature to ensure that eds have well-tuned snipping antennae, lol.

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   EricDockettposted 6 years ago

   Is this also true if you are using your own affiliate ID (not the HP amazon program)?
   
   I like the addition of the little [a] identifier. I will be much more likely to use text links now that it is clear where the link is going. As long as I can use my own affiliate ID.
   
   However, this is making me a little nervous that you guys are thinking of ditching the amazon capsule. Hope that's not in the works, especially with the Holidays coming up. Expecting good things with the increase in traffic over the past few months.
   
   Do you have any data you can share as far as the click-through rate for the text links vs the amazon capsule?

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      Will Apseposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Some kind of separate ad would still be my first choice. In-text links make pages look like infomercials and savvy readers will be suspicious.

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         Sherry Hewinsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Sometimes it's nice to have the little picture. I think it adds something to the hub, but I don't like the "Buy it Now" button. It looks spammy to me.

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            Venkatachari Mposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            True, Sherry. The button makes us look like we are sales representatives. People can flee from us. The Amazon people should change that button into something a more nice one. They can word it "Click for more details" or something like that.

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            EricDockettposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            The BUY NOW button resulted in a big uptick in click-through when it was implemented. I didn't like it at first either, but it gets results.
            
            That's why I'd like to see some data on links vs capsules. I think the capsules look better too, but sometimes the thing that doesn't seem like it makes more sense gets better results.

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               lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Most of the people who make big bucks via Amazon month after month have seen better results with in text links. But it does vary on every website and the people who visit, so I would love to see numbers too.
               
               And regarding your other question, yes even if you use your own affiliate ID and not the new option you get the icon. I just checked one of my hubs to make sure.

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      Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      You can still use your own affiliate ID, but it will now be subject to the revenue share split. We have no plans to retire Amazon Capsules.

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   Chriswillman90posted 6 years ago

   As long as these changes will help us then I'm on board for anything. I've tried using more in-text links nowadays versus the capsules because they're less intrusive/spammy looking.

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   Glenn Stokposted 6 years ago

   Three points:
   
   {1} I’m a little confused. The 60/40 split was always working with in-text links just the same as with the capsules. I tested that a long time ago to assure that my links had my HP-Amazon affiliate code for 60% of the impressions. It was always working.
   
   I guess what you are saying is that you added some extra code to fix the errors that some rubbers were making when they inserted Amazon in-text links incorrectly. Is that what was done?
   
   {2} I like the addition of the Amazon icon. Nice touch for a good reader experience.
   
   {3} One thing you didn’t mention in the blog, Christy, is the addition of the in-text filter. I just discovered that this works too. That’s a huge PLUS and you should mention it.
   
   Now we can easily find our hubs where we used an Amazon in-text link with the “select-a-capsule” filter in our stats listing. That’s powerful! It helps tremendously since it’s important to find these when we need to make updates or changes to Amazon links.

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      Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Glenn,
      
      What I mean is that previously when Hubbers created links using their own external Amazon Affiliate tracker (not through the HubPages Amazon Program) we did not take a cut. Those links are now automatically subject to revenue sharing with HP. And Amazon links that were added with no affiliate or tracking info whatsoever will now have the Hubber's tracker automatically added.
      
      I wasn't aware that the Engineers had made in-text links searchable through the filter, but I agree, it's definitely an improvement!

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         lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Glenn, just in case you didn't get an answer to point 1 yet, Christy did say it right, but imo it's still not clear enough.
         
         In the past we were all allowed 2 links to an external website and when you placed an amazon link with your ID the hub used to still get published. Maybe that was stopped after the editors and mturk stuff happened, no clue. But there were definitely still hubs that had just the hubbers affiliate link and now those are converted to the 60-40 rule.
         
         Hope I'm right lol. If not ignore this.

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            Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, this is correct.

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            Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, I had read in another forum what was happening in the past.
            
            Evidently there were some Hubbers who overrode the automatic function of the Amazon in-text link, by hard-coding their own affiliate link, instead of clicking the Amazon tab when making an anchor text into a link. In that case HP got nothing for the sales.
            
            Then there were others who hard-coded a link to Amazon, for the anchor text, without any affiliate code whatsoever. Then no one benefitted from those sales.
            
            Therefore HP needed to create code that detected all those cases and fixed them.

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   UnnamedHaraldposted 6 years ago

   I've been waiting for someone else to expose their ignorance, but no one has. How does one create an inline Amazon link?

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      highlight the product you mention within a sentence, click the link icon,click  "Amazon" and a list of products will appear. Click on the one you want to sell and voila!...you have an in text Amazon capsule!

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         UnnamedHaraldposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Perfect. Thanks, TimeTraveler2.

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         Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Actually, it's not an Amazon capsule. It's an Amazon Link. However, it can be found now with the Amazon Capsule filter in the stats report, as I mentioned in point number 3 of my prior post.

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

            picky, picky, picky lol!  Can't even let an old lady like me make a mistake here and there!!

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               Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               You're right. I am. lol. We're all entitled to make mistakes. I do too.

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         viryaboposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks a bunch TIMETRAVELLER2

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      viryaboposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      It's good you ask because I've never had a clue as to how it is done either.

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   Glenn Stokposted 6 years ago

   Christy, I have to correct what I said earlier. I thought that the Amazon Capsule filter was including hubs now that ONLY had Amazon text links. But I was wrong and I need to set the record straight.
   
   I just discovered one of my hubs that was not showing up in the list when I used the filter. So I looked further into the situation.
   
   It turned out that I had an Amazon capsule that I had disabled (but left in there) in the hubs that were showing up. That fooled me into thinking that the in-text link was being recognized as an Amazon capsule for the filter. But I was wrong.  The filter was obviously just reacting to the disabled capsule.
   
   Presently there is not way to find hubs where we used an in-text link unless we keep our own record of where we used these, which I am doing now.
   
   I guess it was wishful thinking one my part.

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    Fiction Tellerposted 6 years ago

    Dang, split now, huh? That explains why affiliate sales were way down today. Good for HubPages, but I'll definitely be taking a cut in income.  But if it keeps HubPages going, all the better.  Glad you guys got automation to work that out. I wondered why it didn't happen years ago!

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

       How can your views be down if you haven't written anything?  Your profile shows 0 hubs???  What am I missing?

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    Fiction Tellerposted 6 years ago

    Hi TimeTraveler2,
    This is my forum face, the account that doesn't have my hubs.

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