After all these issues with Text Link Ads and their motivation to confuse us or their ways of using tinyUrl to help with masking from Google, I have been receiving emails about a good way to create a single file for redirects. Users have been complaining about if they have to change their TLA affiliate links now they may have to change others in the future and waste time on trying to figure out what pages they have their links in.
Well, I use a great and simple one by Mike Filsaime called PowerLink Generator. It's a great simple way to make your affiliate links or make your redirects look more professional.
But, I know a lot out there do not want to buy products - you just want to create a simple redirect. Another simple one that I use is a text pad php redirect or a jumpto URL.
What this does is you provide a keyword, for example "TLA" and it checks the PHP script, looking into the notepad text file for "TLA", when it finds a match it redirects the user to the landing page. This is very useful because you can set this one time and create multiple links everywhere, and all you have to do is change ONE file if the link ever changes!
This is a very simple script created by Steve Dawson. He titles it PHP Affiliate Jump Script. Here is his overview:
The scenario is that we have a website which we want to use to promote products and services from the major Affiliate Networks such as, Commission Junction (CJ), Tradedoubler, Linkshare, Affiliate Window, Affiliate Future, UK Affiliates and any in-house affiliate program. This guide can be used for all of these network affiliate links to hide them.
This is a great simple script since all you have to provide is a keyword - once you have that keyword set, you can easily promote your link everywhere. If it changes you can simply just change the text file and upload it to your site.
Here is an example:
Keyword: textlinkads
Affiliate URL: http://tinyurl.com/TLAisconfused
Jump URL: https://www.ianfernando.com/viewit.php?m=textlinkads
It is that simple!
I will simply download the textpad file and update the links with the keyword I associated with it, then finally upload it back to my server. Simple!
This is one of the simplest ways to do so and it makes you look more neat and profesional. There are others out there that can redirect and 'cloak' links. Here is a list of what I have seen and tested before:
- Directory Redirect
- Sub-Domain Redirect
- Frame Redirect
- Other Redirect Scripts
- .htaccess redirects
- Database Scripts
There are so many ways to hide your links and create a small simple redirect. It is all about being organized in the end, because you do not want to waste time trying to remember and changing all your affiliate links. For example with Text Link Ads, you do not want to spend time alternating your links when you can do it in one location.
Here is a good tutorial book called Link Cloaking for the Mystified by Eric Giguere. He goes into another aspect of link cloaking, making it more professional than maybe the jump script.
Another one which actually gives you a great script - which is a great imitation off Mike Filsaime is Link Shrinker by Steven Wong. This one is great for emails and promotion.
Besides just creating a redirect for unorganized affiliate programs, these scripts are great for looking more professional and looking more organize. It helps create your brand, which is very important. It even STOPs commission theft!
Many affiliate marketers know that it is too easy for others to change their ClickBank affiliate links. It's as easy as replacing the original affiliate's ClickBank nickname with your own or maybe even a friends.
So affiliate marketers use these scripts to help protect them and help them keep their income flowing. But since this is just about redirecting links because of the whole Text Link Ad issue - that is what I will simply talk about. Before you go make sure you grab your jump script below.
Download: PHP Affiliate Jump Script
