Best ways to hide Aff. Links?

[gellnsh]

Hi Rick, thanks for getting back to me. I wasn't very clear in my question. I have the php page created and working but my problem is with an image. If I have a banner on my page, the code would look like that in the previous post but if someone looks at the source code they can still see my aff id in the image code? I'm trying to find a way to hide this as well?? Do you know if that is possible?

thanks
shell

[universal4]

Well, I think you would want to check with each individual program but you might be able to use the image link without the affiliate id in it.

But by doing that you will likely lose impression counts in the stats.

Using the Best Casino Partner as an example,
http://www.bestcasinopartner.com/show.php?c=xxxxx&s=11
shows the banner, but affiliate id xxxxx get the impression credit.

In reality, the banner is located at
http://www.bestcasinopartner.com/stock/11.gif
BUT you would have to check with Best Casino to see if it's ok to use it that way.

Personally, I think you are better off serving the image yourself, but that has to be a personal choice.

By using program hosted banners, if they ever change one and do not tell you your site then has missing artwork.

Rick
Universal4

[gellnsh]

Hi Rick, thanks for your input. I'll look into this. I've always avoided hosting the images just because its much quicker to copy their code and go!! Maybe I should be reconsidering this approach.

cheers
shell

[universal4]

We have had dozens of discussions about this over the years here.

The general consensus is that most feel it's better to serve your own images for a number of reasons, the main one being:

If the affiliate programs servers are ever down for any reason, YOUR site will not have missing creatives since you will be serving them.

Even if the link does not function properly, at least it will not affect the APPEARANCE of your site.

Although rare, there have been times in the past that an affiliate program's banner server had an issue and would cause pages using their images to not load properly....serving your own images removes that risk.

Good question though, and one I am sure will be asked again and again in the coming years.....lol

Rick
Universal4

[RetiredFolk]

While you may not see a direct benefit in terms of the number of clicks when cloaking and not cloaking you do get the added benefit of anonymity. This prevents malicious affiliates (nobody here I'm sure ) from screwing with you. It also makes updating links in the future a breeze. You only have to update on php file rather than every link throughout your site...what a headache! If a program that you promote, ie scaredy cat casinos from last week, decide to change their url then you only have about 1 minute of updating to do instead of hours.

So should I bother using those scripts? from what you and Chips are saying, it doesn't really matter...

Thanks

[RPM Poker]

Your can use htaccess
ex:
link on your site: mysite.com/go/ft
htaccess :
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule .*/ft$ xxtp://tiltpoker.com/?key=M [R,L]

Please explain

[gellnsh]

That's exactly the way I do it Wager. So simple it hurts.

Hi Potsie,

I implemented this and I'm having a problem with a few of my links working in ie and firefox.

Heres an example:

header("Location: https://esjackpotcity.gameassists.co.uk/esjackpotcity/t3start.asp?sext1=demo&sext2=demo&gameid=zebra&llPage=default.asp?s=affxxxxx");
?>

When I open ie and click on the filename, a new window opens blank and just sits there. If I paste the above code into the address bar it then works?? It must be a setting within ie but I don't know how to fix it? And of course I can't help but be curious as to how many others this happens to?

In firefox, when I click on the filename, for example:
http://www.enlineajuego.com/slots/fr...-slot-game.php it goes to a page where it looks as though it needs an activex control but the download for the control does not initiate? If you can help me figure this out, I would be grateful.

thanks
shell

[AussieDave]

Not too sure if I'm on the right track to what your after...but...

I know it's more likely that visitors will click on a link/banner if it looks like it's pointing to the site domain.

I've been using a free php script:
xxxhttp://www.phpjunkyard.com/php-click-counter.php

This allows you to add the complete aff link and it replaces this with something like:

www.yourdomain.com/whatever/click.php?id=1

I also find it great as it gives me very close idea as to how many clicks I'm getting per link. Good to tell if your stats are being shaved.

I generally also feed the banners from my server.


Cheers

Dave

[universal4]

Dave,

I have not looked at the one you posted, but that is what Fastclick does.

It also tracks IP's etc so you can quickly see when Google or MSN have hit your links heavy any given day.

Changing links are now less of a pain also. And this can also help in Google's cache.

One example, when Grand Prive decided to screw the affiliates, I changed all my GP links in the database to a different casino. Since it took a while to remove all the links accross my network for the GP properties, (in fact I bet I still have some floating around) whether a visitor follows a link from one of my sites, or grabs a link out of cache, the fastclick link will send them where I want them to go and not a GP property.

Although this is not always ideal for a visitor to follow a link to Bella Vegas and end up at Absolute Slots, I would rather send them to the wrong property then send them to ANY GP Property.

Rick
Universal4

[arkyt]

Since we have talked about fastclick dozens of times over the years here, I will be updating a number of posts with a link to this thread:
http://www.gpwa.org/forum/forensics-needed-177540.html

I am not 100% against the use of this program, and hope that there is a simple solution, but for anyone using fastclick, or thinking about doing so, be sure to visit the above listed thread and watch it for updates.

Rick
Universal4

Hmmmm I cant access that link ...

[saha7263]

Hi,
what do you think about using this code:

href="site_url" onmousedown="this.href='site_url/aff_link';"

[universal4]

Sorry Arkyt,

Basically, that was a post the dealt with a security bug that older versions of Fastclick had.

It took a few days of digging thru my server logs and firewall logs to determine what was going on.

Hackers had found a way to take advantage of the program and gain access to a webserver....

Fastclick has since updated their program, and I still recommend it comfortably, just warn everyone to use the latest version.

Rick
Universal4

[AussieDave]

Dave,

I have not looked at the one you posted, but that is what Fastclick does.

Hi Rick,

The one I posted xxxhttp://www.phpjunkyard.com/php-click-counter.php

Runs on flat files but has the same type of options.



Cheers



Dave

[T3ddyBlair]

Iv just updated my site back to a HTML platform and was doing my affiliate linking using my normal affiliate redirect links and BAM they don't work!!
The META redirects keep on bloody refreshing themselves and not actually linking to the specific site....
Im about this close <-------|--> to throwing my laptop off the balcony!! what could be the problem??

this is how my meta looks:
excuse the .

<.head>
<.meta HTTP-EQUIV='REFRESH' content='0; href=
"http://www.xyzwebsite.xx.xx"/>
<./head>
<.body>
<./body>

can somebody please assist... for my laptops sake!

Regards.

Blair.H

[gellnsh]

Iv just updated my site back to a HTML platform and was doing my affiliate linking using my normal affiliate redirect links and BAM they don't work!!
The META redirects keep on bloody refreshing themselves and not actually linking to the specific site....
Im about this close <-------|--> to throwing my laptop off the balcony!! what could be the problem??

this is how my meta looks:
excuse the .


can somebody please assist... for my laptops sake!

Regards.

Blair.H

Hey Blair I think maybe a missing character is your problem. Try adding a quote mark ' after the zero.

cheers

[T3ddyBlair]

ah thanks, its working now!

[slotplayer]

Hi,
what do you think about using this code:

href="site_url" onmousedown="this.href='site_url/aff_link';"

that works only once through. try it. hover on the link and look at the status bar, then click the link and hover again and look at the status bar.

Of course the cookie is already written on the first click.

[TreasureChest]

I recommend fastclick as well.

All links are stored in a database, and there are stats to go along with it as well.

Like others have said, changing links is as simple as logging in to the fast click backend and changing the link one time.

Rick

Where can I get fastclick?