Affiliate Link Redirecting And Cloaking

One of the key tactics for an affiliate is redirecting and/or cloaking affiliate links.

Affiliates cloak their links for a variety of reasons, but I do it so my affiliate links will be short, so I can use then in text email newsletters, and some people don’t like clicking affiliate links.

While there are many ways to redirect and cloak affiliate links, I am covering two: .htaccess and a software program called Ninja Affiliate.

Personally, I use .htaccess, which is a fairly simple file anybody can create (see the steps in my Affiliate Link Redirecting and Cloaking video), because it’s quick and easy. Also, it’s free.

One thing about .htaccess though is that if you enter a line in the wrong format, it can bring down your site. So always test, and if this happens, take the file down from your server while you troubleshoot.

The Ninja Affiliate program program is easy to use and has lots of features, but it also costs nearly $100.

Affiliate Tim Jones has been touting Ninja Affiliate since it was released last year.

You can see an ironic .htaccess link in person here: http://www.affiliatetip.com/ninja-affiliate

I created that one to promote Ninja Affiliate. As you can see after clicking, the redirects take place quickly, and they are barely noticeable.

The presentation is available to view or download at http://www.slideshare.net/affsum/affiliate-link-redirecting-and-cloaking.