Free Affiliate Link Cloaking Scripts
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Affiliate links are loaded with information that must be treated confidentially. Another side of the question is that long affiliate links are looking bad, especially in a text email. We all have seen Amazon's links, didn't we?
I did a little investigation to see what is written on the subject and I was amazed from all the affiliate-cloaking-blah-blahing. Even, a fellow marketer was suggesting investing some money in cloaking software. C'mon ...
So, I decided to provide a free solution for everyone who is not extremely lazy and ignorant and who wants to have pretty, SEO friendly and secured affiliate links. For free.
Here are three types of redirection through:
1. http meta refresh tag
2. php redirect
3. htaccess redirect
Using http meta refresh tag, we will convert your current link:
http://www.affiliate-site.com/?id=123456&email=123@123.com&name=john&afid=654321
into this new link:
http://www.yoursite.com/some-dir/affiliate-product.html
Create new file affiliate-product.html
-------------------------------------------------------
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=http://www.affiliate-site.com/?id=123456&email=123@123.com&name=john&afid=654321">
</head>
<body></body>
</html>
------------------------------------------------------
and upload it to a directory /some-dir/. Than replace the current link with the new link in your original .html file. Leave the body section empty. Copy exactly the above script without losing = or ". If you replace content="0 with another value, let's say 5, the redirection will be delayed for 5 seconds.
Some SEO experts say that using the zero value might be considered as spamming from some search engines. I have used for some time the same script without problems. A significant minus for this script is it is the slowest between the three examples.
Let's move on the PHP script.
The theory is the same, but the script is this:
-----------------------------------------------
<?php
header ('Location: http://www.affiliate-site.com/?id=123456&email=123@123.com&name=john&afid=654321');
?>
------------------------------------------------
Save the file as affiliate-product.php and upload it to /some-dir/. Again you must replace the current link
http://www.affiliate-site.com/?id=123456&email=123@123.com&name=john&afid=654321
with the new link - mind the extension php at the end:
http://www.yoursite.com/some-dir/affiliate-product.php
This script is extremely fast, the file is smaller and the only downside is this middle directory /some-dir/. You need it, because if you put all your php redirection files in your top level directory - where your index file is - this will overcrowd it and if you have 500 redirect files, this might slow down a bit your site performance.
So, the best for the last - redirection through .htaccess file
Download your .htaccess file with FTP client, open it from within the FTP client's left panel with double click and write this:
------------------------------------------
redirect /affiliate-product http://www.affiliate-site.com/?id=123456&email=123@123.com&name=john&afid=654321
----------------------------------------------
then save and upload the .htaccess file. The server will ask about overwriting, click YES and you are done.
There must be space between product and http in the code.
Now change the current link:
http://www.affiliate-site.com/?id=123456&email=123@123.com&name=john&afid=654321
with the new link:
http://www.yoursite.com/affiliate-product
Beautiful!
That is all about cloaking the affiliate links. Do you still think you need to buy cloaking software?
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Visit my Smart Web Marketing website to get the free affiliate link cloaking script and explore the site for more goodies.
