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Affiliate Links - Need Clarification

  1. snakebaby profile image65
    snakebabyposted 6 years ago

    I've searched around for answers about putting up aff links, and my concluded understanding is we can add no more than two links that point to one particular merchant, so I thought I could use for example multiple linkshare links as long as no more than two pointed to the same site. But my new unpublished hub now got a warning saying I overly used the link.

    I used to believe more than two links that contain the same url were not allowed, and the warning message says the same. But why people had different says in the forum? Did I miss anything?

    btw., amazon links are also pure aff links, even amazon's affiliated with almost all merchants that we as individuals are affiliated with, so sometimes I am confused why amazon links are allowed but not individual aff links?

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    1. ThomasE profile image76
      ThomasEposted 6 years ago in reply to this

      Amazon links in Amazon capsules are not included in the restrictions, because hubpages shares a proportion of the revenue from anyone who clicks the links.

      I can't see your hub, but if you have more than 2 links to the same domain, whether in text links, photo links, RSS capsules, or anywhere else, it is overly promotional.

      If your hub is very short (under a couple of hundred words) it can also trigger the overly promotional warning if you include a link.

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      1. jpwriter profile image78
        jpwriterposted 6 years ago in reply to this

        @Thomas - does this mean that we can put 2 Amazon text links in as well as the capsules? 

        I don't mean that in a way to flood amazon all over the page, but just to show it in more than one way.

        Does HP get money if it's a contextual link?  It seems like they shouldn't since it's my Amazon affiliate ID.  I read on another site that contextual links generate 100% revenue while the capsules or widgets on rev share sites use the site's rev share cut, so here we only get 65% of the Amazon.  It seems then that using the contextual link can be beneficial to the writer.

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        1. ThomasE profile image76
          ThomasEposted 6 years ago in reply to this

          Er... yes, you can, but don't forget the other proviso which is you can't link to the same domain across too many hubs. Certainly, I have done done text links to amazon on some of my hubs.

          You get 100% of the revenue from a contextual link, but I don't really do it for that reason... I just find you get a much higher ctr on text links in review type articles than capsule links.

          I wish hubpages would have a revenue sharing text link facility, since I find text links do have a very positive effect on ctr.

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          1. jpwriter profile image78
            jpwriterposted 6 years ago in reply to this

            @Thomas - What do you mean by text link facility?  Like a way to help us make links?

            I do like being able to pick the exact item.  I've heard that contextual links perform better.  I've been having better luck w/those on InfoBarrel, but I usually earn there too through their widget.

            ..across too many hubs?  Does that mean that they count the total links of the total hubs?  Sounds like I need to hit the terms of use again and study up!

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        2. snakebaby profile image65
          snakebabyposted 6 years ago in reply to this

          Where did you read this? I can't believe that we share amazon rev with hubpages as well, are you sure? If so, no wonder I've only seen handful items sold in Jan. out of about 1000 amazon clicks. but I hope it is not the case, or I'd really need to put my effort somewhere else, like my 8 years old gift site and my almost 10 years old shopping site

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          1. jpwriter profile image78
            jpwriterposted 6 years ago in reply to this

            A couple of tips about optimizing Amazon:

            1. Since HP is a rev share site they rotate our Adsense ID # with theirs approximately 65% of the time.  When our Adsense ID # shows up then we earn 100% of the ad click.  It's the same thing w/Amazon.  When it's our ID then the whole page is ours - Amazon and Adsense.

            2. Play around w/different formats for your articles and how you place the Amazon capsules.  Getting 1000 clicks is a lot.  All of those are yours so we could theorize that you've had maybe 1500 clicks.  There's no real way for the average reader to know who they are benefiting although you should be able to refresh your page and tell by your Amazon ID.

            3. Use other sites, too.  I don't know if you only write for HP, but I also write for InfoBarrel (my primary spot).  I notice that I get more Amazon clicks from my few hubs but my CTR is higher w/InfoBarrel.  My HP profile page has some info on getting started there and also with another site.  Using more sites brings more readers. 

            4.  Try using Amazon contextual links in some of your articles.  I have not found the best way to optimize Amazon YET.  I know that people make a lot of money through them and I've heard some hubbers make great money here w/Amazon and Adsense.

            5.  When you use the contextual links try a different Amazon tracking code to see if there's a difference.  I'm not good at reading the Amazon stats info on Amazon.  I have an article about tracking Amazon sales and stats  if you're interested. 

            It's good to use a mix of sites to find the best way to earn.  Every site has different rules, of course.  But, you can also do some backlinking by writing for multiple sites and that's always good for your articles.

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            1. snakebaby profile image65
              snakebabyposted 6 years ago in reply to this

              Thank you very much, jpwriter, for taking the time giving us the tips. I haven't read your article, but will today when I have time. Now there's no doubt in my mind that we share ebay with HP as well

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            2. snakebaby profile image65
              snakebabyposted 6 years ago in reply to this

              Oh, I'd also like to know, if I use the same amazon ID for the textual links, I assume it can also be replaced by HP's? that is why it is wise to have a dedicated ID just for your own text links?

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              1. sunforged profile image68
                sunforgedposted 6 years ago in reply to this

                odd assumption ..no, your contextual links are not magically altered.

                additional ids are useful for tracking purposes - if you use them right and follow your stats closely you can learn what positions, phrasings and style may lead to more clickthroughs. But you need a significant data set for it to be relevant.

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                1. snakebaby profile image65
                  snakebabyposted 6 years ago in reply to this

                  Thanks, I did know having separate id would serve its own purpose, just curious how HP alter id. If they do a global replacement kind, then everything would be altered. I'm speaking as someone who has no idea about the technical side of HP

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    2. darkside profile image80
      darksideposted 6 years ago in reply to this

      The rule has always been no more than two links to the one domain. Which one would assume would include affiliate links, because they are links.

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  2. profile image0
    Nelle Hoxieposted 6 years ago

    I agree there are very confusing statements in the forums. I read it very conservatively. For example, I think Shareasale.com is one domain and you can't have more than two across all your hubs total. Other people read it as two per hub from Shareasale.com.


    For me, HP is not the place to try to use other affiliate programs on a large scale bassis. Squidoo might be better.

    This is probably because when you use aff links outside of the Amazon or ebay capsules, HP doesn't get a cut. So I'm sort of surprised they allow them at all.

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  3. snakebaby profile image65
    snakebabyposted 6 years ago

    Thanks, ThomasE and Nelle, for the helpful view. Guess I'll just always make changes accordingly, whatever the warning says

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  4. snakebaby profile image65
    snakebabyposted 6 years ago

    An update: I've tried various things, the warning stayed till I included only one affiliate link from each affiliate network, i.e. one linkshare, one cj, one performics. My guess is it might be ok to include two aff links from one single network when you are not promoting few more of others, otherwise better just use one per network. This is the first time I thought about seriously using other aff links in addition to amazon's to see if it would work. Always experimenting smile

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    1. jpwriter profile image78
      jpwriterposted 6 years ago in reply to this

      I use no more than one affiliate link to anything outside of Amazon but that does not include links to related articles (backlinks/supporting links).

      It also counts if you put a contextual link in there and then try to add a link w/the link capsule.  It's the overall link total not the type of link (that's something I learned!).

      I appreciate that Hubpages doesn't delete the articles and that they just unpublish them.  That is the professional thing to do.

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      1. snakebaby profile image65
        snakebabyposted 6 years ago in reply to this

        Thanks, and I agree

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  5. profile image0
    Nelle Hoxieposted 6 years ago

    HP gets 40 percent of the impressions. Everything that happens on those impressions including in the Amazon or ebay capsule goes to HP. Their affiliate code is substituted for yours.

    I think this is as it should be. If I were HP there would be no affiliate links that weren't split with HP.

    They're a business and need revenue to exist.

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  6. sunforged profile image68
    sunforgedposted 6 years ago

    just off the top of my head, im pretty sure the relevant terms are:

    2 links to one domain per site (some authority sites excluded)
    2 aff links per hub  (capsules excluded)

    the impression share is 60/40 (NOT 65!)

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