Direct Link Tracking
Direct Link tracking is advanced and most SEO friendly tracking method avaible on market with affiliate softwares. Post Affiliate Pro implements this unique type of tracking even in cheapest Starter edition.
How it works
Visitor referred through DirectLink is recognized by the HTTP_REFERER information sent by the browser. It is the address of the page (if any) which referred the browser to the destination page. In short, when visitor clicks on a link on affiliates page, the HTTP_REFERER will be address of affiliates page.
Our system will then check this page in our database, finds that the page belongs to some affiliate, and assigns him the referral (and click).
This method is dependent on browser, so it is reliable on 90-99%. All the modern browsers send this information, and with the advantages mentioned below you can use it as your main linking method.
Advantages of Direct links
- Visitor doesn't know he is clicking on affiliate link.
Many people are not so keen clicking on a link they recognize as affiliate link. If your affiliates will use affiliate links in their blog or review site, visitors will know that they earn commissions for the promoted products, and they would less likely believe in the review and click on the link.
If you'll use DirectLinks nobody will know the links are promoting your products.
- Visitor will not damage or remove the affiliate parameters from URL.
There are people who don't like to purchase through affiliate links, even if there is no disadvantage for them. Such people rather copy the URL to their browser and remove the affiliate parameters.
Your affiliates can protect agains this using the affiliate link cloaker, but if they'll use DirectLinks, they don't need to worry about anything.
- It is the best Search Engine friendly method. To reach high position on Google, you (as a merchant) need as many backlinks pointing to your website as possible.If your affiliates use DirectLinks, they link to your website without any additional parameters, it is the best SEO method.
Read more in our knowledgebase ...
