Hide affiliate links from Google?

[wettFORM.AT]

I have discussed this topic a lot with different SEO experts and the feedback was very clear. You should not try to hide affiliate links from google. By the way - you should not try to hide anything from google! If google recognizes that you want to hide anything this could be bad for your SEO. I think it is ok to shorten the affiliate link but not to show the visitor another domain or another target than you show to the google bot. This is also pointed out in the google webmaster guidelines. Further of course you should set the links to "nofollow". Matt Cutts from Google said that he would just add a nofollow because it could be that you earn money through these links.

[justbookies]

Love all the misinformation. Don't care what seo experts say (I get several emails a day from so called seo experts, a great job for the unemployed because any idiot can be one). Just watch the Matt Cutts videos. Get it from the horse's mouth not an "expert". Cloaking links is fine. Cloaking pages is not. All the biggest affiliates like oddschecker (top of every sports google search keyphrase you can think of), olbg, other big affiliates who post regularly on this site cloak links. There is no way you can run a proper website and change links and gather your own stats without doing it. All the top affiliates outside of our niche (comparethemarket, confused.com etc etc etc etc) obviously cloak links. Hasn't stopped their founders becoming multi-millionaires and top of the serps.

[wettFORM.AT]

@ justbookies - I know what you mean with "seo experts" - there are many of them but in this case I talked to people who really know what they are doing. Anyway to follow Matt Cutts suggestions is definitly the best way to handle affiliate links or to handle any issues with google. As you have mentioned correctly there is nothing wrong with cloakling links.

[TheStallion]

For those that use wordpress and want to 'cloak' their aff. links, download 'safe redirect manager' plugin (there are many other similar plugins) and redirect your affiliate link to a folder like '/go/' or '/out/' (eg. www.yourwebsite.com/go/bet365). I use a 302 redirect but a lot of others use 301. Add that folder to your robots.txt like this: "Disallow: /go/" and you are done.

I am not the man to say whether google cares whether you hide your aff. links or not but like someone has previously mentioned, all the biggest organisations do it and rank on page 1 for google and it makes your life so much easier and also looks better to visitors.

[geniebet]

Interesting stuff guys. Does anyone have a recommended article to read on this topic? Not sure whether I want to spend the time doing so, unless it's really worth the time?

[universal4]

geniebet, we have discussed this topic here a number of times.

Plugins aren't needed to do this if you want faster responding redirects with an straight/html solution (which is my preference) and some members prefer to use the htaccess file method.

Have a dig around the threads, if I recall, most of the discussions are here in the seo section as well as the the chatter/freshman forums.

Rick
Universal4

[geniebet]

geniebet, we have discussed this topic here a number of times.

Plugins aren't needed to do this if you want faster responding redirects with an straight/html solution (which is my preference) and some members prefer to use the htaccess file method.

Have a dig around the threads, if I recall, most of the discussions are here in the seo section as well as the the chatter/freshman forums.

Rick
Universal4

Thanks, will do. Not too long using the forum!

[realgamexpert]

Hi.

I have one strong php script which you need to upload in your ftp server. It will be very easy to use and user friendly as well..

Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks!!

[universal4]

Not sure what makes your "script" so strong, but unless it is writing details of the clicks, ip address or other visitor stats into a database, no "script" is needed.

If you are using php pages, just use a page with the php redirect. If htm or html, a simple html redirect will be fine. Like others have said, put these files into a folder restricted by robots text, and add the no index tag to the redirect page, and add the nofollow to the link itself.

Only one place to change the link if links ever meed changed for any single casino, sportsbook or property.

Rick
Universal4

[DanHorvat]

I'd like to see that script.

[learn2holdem]

The only way to hide from google is to go to Antartica, dig a 100 meters deep hole, and not come out.