Top 27 Affiliate Links Questions Answered (Affiliate FAQs)
Got questions about affiliate marketing links?
You’ve come to the right place.
In this post, I will answer 27 of the most important questions about affiliate links to help maximize your commissions.
Let’s jump into it.
1. What are affiliate links?
In an affiliate program, affiliate links are used to track the sales generated by individual affiliates through their chosen platforms. You earn a commission whenever a customer makes a purchase through your unique affiliate link.
2. What does an affiliate link look like?
An affiliate link looks just like a regular link with additional parameters. For example: “https://www.affiliateprogramwebsite.com/?tag=your_affiliate_ID.”
For beginners, parameters are values added after the question mark in the URL.
Here’s an example of an affiliate link:
3. What are affiliate programs?
An affiliate program is offered by companies that want to leverage affiliate marketing to boost their sales and reach. They reward affiliates through commissions and various bonuses for each sale they make.
Affiliate programs are also called:
- Partner programs
- Associate programs
- Referral programs
- Revenue sharing programs
4. Where can I find affiliate programs?
The easiest way to find affiliate programs is through affiliate networks like ShareASale, ClickBank, and CJ Affiliate. Some websites like Amazon and eBay also offer affiliate programs through their own website.
Finding affiliate programs through Google
You can also look for affiliate programs offered by other companies through Google.
This is useful if you’re looking for affiliate programs in a specific niche.
On Google, just type a relevant keyword followed by “affiliate program” – including quotations.
The results should take you directly to the resources that will help you find potential affiliate programs.
In case you already have a product or service in mind, do the search but with their name instead.
For example, if you’re interested in promoting Grammarly as an affiliate, run this query:
The top organic result should bring you to the exact page you need.
5. What are some popular affiliate networks for bloggers?
The top affiliate networks for bloggers include ShareASale, Amazon Associates, and CJ Affiliate. There’s also Impact and the eBay Partner Network.
6. Where can I generate an affiliate link?
Affiliate links can be generated from your own affiliate area, which depends on the affiliate program you joined. Affiliate networks will automatically generate your affiliate link once you get approved for the program you signed up for.
7. How much can I make with affiliate marketing?
Some affiliate programs offer a flat fee per sale, while others offer a percentage of the total sales you close. For example, SiteGround offers $50 per sale, while Amazon pays a commission rate of 4-10% per sale.
Be sure to check the affiliate program’s page for this information before signing up.
8. What is “cookie duration”?
In an affiliate program, “cookie duration” is the time window in which you can get credit for sales. This is typically 30 days, while other merchants allow up to 60 days or even longer.
For example, let’s say your affiliate link has a 30-day cookie duration. If a customer clicks your link on October 1 and purchases on October 29, you’ll earn a commission.
But if the customer purchased on November 1, you won’t get credited for that sale. That’s because the cookie expired on October 30 – 30 days after the initial click.
9. How many affiliate programs can I join?
You can join an unlimited number of affiliate programs and generate an unlimited number of affiliate links. You could even become an affiliate of two competing brands and promote them simultaneously in one website.
For example, if you’re already an affiliate of SEMrush, you can still become an affiliate of a competitor like Serpstat.
Whatever you do, don’t overload your website with affiliate promotions, especially if they’re not relevant in your niche.
10. Where can you post affiliate links?
You can post affiliate links in plenty of places, like your blog, YouTube videos’ descriptions, Facebook posts, and so on. Promoting affiliate products across multiple platforms is a great way to increase your reach and generate more sales.
11. Do you need a blog to promote affiliate links?
Some affiliate programs require their affiliates to have an active blog with recurring traffic. Other companies like Canva accept affiliate applications as long as they have a social media page or mobile app.
12. Where to put affiliate links on your blog?
You can put affiliate links on popups, sidebar ads, and resource pages. However, it’s recommended to promote affiliate links inside high-quality, relevant content.
13. What are the best content types for affiliate links
The best content types for affiliate links are listicles, product reviews, product comparisons, and “how to” guides. You can also design a resource page with affiliate products or conduct your own case study.
Let’s take a closer look at the best content types for affiliate links:
- “Top” listicles – A listicle is a great content format for promoting multiple affiliate products at the same time. A common title would read something like: “Top X Proofreading Tools for Bloggers.”
- Product comparisons – Product comparisons are extremely useful for promoting two similar products. Ideally, both are affiliate products, allowing you to make money regardless of what your readers choose.
- Product reviews – Reviews are in-depth pieces of content that focus on the features, pros, and cons of a product. They can lead to higher conversions especially if you show readers how the product can solve their problems in detail.
- “How to” guides – Just like listicles, a “how to” guide can help you promote multiple products in one post. The main difference is, a guide focuses on the process or tutorial – not the products themselves.
- Case studies – Case studies work like reviews, but they’re more data-oriented and results-based. While case studies are harder to make, they’re generally more effective in convincing readers to make a purchase.
- Resource or “Tools I Use” pages – A resource page is basically a compilation of all the tools, products, and services you recommend to readers. This is an effective and easy way to generate more affiliate sales on your website.
You may find this post useful when preparing affiliate marketing content.
14. When to start putting affiliate links on your blog?
After getting approved for an affiliate program, you can add affiliate links once you have content that’s relevant to the product.
Remember, it’s important to build high-quality content, research alternative affiliate products, and set up link tracking first.
Step 1: Create high-quality content
To generate affiliate sales, you need traffic.
And to get high-quality traffic, you need high-quality content.
Check out these tips on how to create great content for your blog.
Step 2: Research relevant affiliate products
By now, you should already have a clear idea of your blog’s core niche.
The next order of business is to look for products that your target audience will be actually interested in.
Here are 21 ways to find affiliate products for your blog.
Step 3: Set up link tracking
Link tracking is an integral part of affiliate marketing.
ClickMagick, for instance, allows you to track and measure the performance of affiliate links across different devices in real-time. This will help you determine your best affiliate promotion strategies and the ones that need a rework.
15. Should affiliate links be set to “nofollow”?
Setting affiliate links to “nofollow” prevents you from leaking “link juice” to affiliate websites. It also clarifies that you’re not being paid by affiliate networks for backlinks, which may lead to penalization.
However, Google now recommends setting all promotional links, including affiliate links, to “sponsored.”
16. How to add the “sponsored” tag to affiliate links
If you have the latest version of WordPress, you can easily add the “sponsored” tag via the Gutenberg editor. Just select the link, click ‘Link settings,’ and switch on the ‘Sponsored’ toggle.
To manually set the link type through HTML, simply add rel=”sponsored” to the <a href> tag.
The steps to accessing the HTML document of your web page depends on the platform you use.
17. Are you required to disclose affiliate links to readers?
Yes – you should disclose your affiliation with any brand or advertiser on your website. Doing so is not just a legal requirement. It will also help you build trust and loyalty among your readers.
Benefits of disclosing affiliate links
Disclosing affiliate links is a gesture of transparency.
It shows that you’re not purposely trying to be deceitful for the sake of profits. This, in turn, will make your blogging brand more authentic and authoritative.
After all, internet users nowadays are smart. Most of them have the means to tell if you’re serving them a promotional link or not.
Trying to pretend otherwise will make your brand come across as disingenuous.
18. How do I notify readers about my affiliate links?
You can notify readers by putting a clear and crisp affiliate link disclosure where it’s easy to find. Most bloggers put affiliate link disclosures at the very top of blog posts.
19. How to write an affiliate link disclosure?
State that you’re using affiliate links in the post and you get paid whenever they purchase through those links. What’s important is, readers are completely aware that you get paid if they use your link to make a purchase.
Here’s an example:
“Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you make a purchase through those links.”
Some bloggers also include an honest statement to convince readers to use their affiliate links.
All it takes is one line, like:
“Commissions earned through affiliate links greatly help support my blog – and I’ll be eternally grateful for that.”
20. How can I track affiliate link clicks?
You can use third-party services like ClickMagick, MonsterInsights, and LinkTrackr to track all your affiliate links in one place. Some affiliate networks like ShareASale also offer a built-in link tracking feature for their affiliates.
With ShareASale’s Affiliate Defined Tracking tool, incoming visitors are automatically tagged based on their source. This could be display advertising, social media advertising, and more.
Using a third-party platform like ClickMagick has additional benefits. For example, you also get extra features like bot filtering, mobile optimization, split testing, and more.
21. Why should I track affiliate links?
Tracking affiliate links is a crucial step toward growing your commissions. It allows you to determine which links get the most clicks, which aren’t effective, and which are being ignored altogether.
This gives you a clear direction on how to approach your link promotion tactics in the long run.
22. Can I put affiliate links on popups?
Yes — most affiliate programs allow affiliate links to be included in popups. However, there are programs like Amazon Associates that prohibit the use of popups and pop-under windows.
It’s best to consult your affiliate program’s guidelines for the definitive answer.
You can use any popup builder to create popups that contain your affiliate links.
Take note that a popup builder is often included in page-building software like Elementor.
Going with a built-in solution will make sure your page design elements, including popups, are streamlined and fully compatible.
Benefits of using popups for affiliate links
Using popups is a way to guarantee that your audience sees your affiliate links.
However, using them the wrong way can ruin the user experience on your site.
This can have a negative effect on your search engine rankings.
To prevent that from happening, you can set conditions that determine when to show popups, like:
- Scrolling to a certain part of the post – A common strategy is to show a popup only if a reader reaches a certain part of your content. This makes sure the reader is fully engaged in your post before they see anything promotional.
- Staying on your page – You can use timed popups to show affiliate links after users spend a certain amount of time on your page. It works like a scroll popup in terms of waiting to engage readers, but it relies on a different condition.
- Showing exit-intent – As the name suggests, an exit-intent popup only appears if the user tries to close the page. It’s a great way to save and cash in on what would’ve been lost traffic.
23. How many affiliate links can I promote in one post?
There’s no limit to how many affiliate links you can promote in your post. The only rule is to be sure every affiliate link is relevant to the post’s topic.
Multiple affiliate links shouldn’t hurt your search engine rankings, either. As long as the content’s value isn’t diminished by links, you can promote affiliate products as much as you need.
24. How do I promote an affiliate link on social media?
You can promote affiliate links on social media by sharing special deals and mentioning them in live stories. For some platforms, you can directly paste your affiliate link in post descriptions or comments.
Promoting affiliate links on YouTube
Planning to promote affiliate links on YouTube?
The key here is to create a relevant post and paste the link in the description.
YouTubers do this all the time when promoting affiliate products on their videos. They even prompt their viewers to use the link if they’re interested in checking out the product themselves.
If you want to promote your product on Facebook, just remember that groups often have rules regarding affiliate links.
On the contrary, there are several groups like Make Money Online Post Affiliate Link that actively encourage affiliate links.
Just don’t expect to have a massive increase in sales just because you shared your links on such groups. They are, after all, a group for other affiliate marketers – not your target audience.
Promoting affiliate products on social media the right way
If you want to promote your affiliate links on Facebook groups, be sure to check the group’s rules.
You can also have an indirect approach when promoting stuff on social media.
It’s simple: rather than creating a post with your affiliate link, share useful blog posts that contain links. This can be a tutorial, product review, comparison post, or listicle.
25. What is link “cloaking”?
Link cloaking is the practice of shortening affiliate links to hide the affiliate ID number. In addition, it also makes links more aesthetic in the eyes of readers.
Ways to cloak affiliate links
For those who plan to manage their affiliate links with ClickMagick, they no longer need an additional link cloaking tool. ClickMagick has a link cloaking feature baked into the platform.
If you use WordPress, there are a number of plugins you can use to cloak your affiliate links. All of which should be easy and straightforward to use.
Some examples are:
Alternatively, you can use a third-party link shortening service like Bit.ly.
26. Why hide your affiliate ID number?
The main reason why you should use link cloaking is to prevent affiliate theft.
That happens when a hacker replaces your affiliate link ID with his own and claim the commission you earned. Hackers and fraudulent organizations can do this via malware injected through a browser extension, like a coupon toolbar.
27. What are the best ways to boost affiliate link clicks?
You can boost affiliate link clicks through strategies like email marketing, creating hyper-engaging content, and offering bonuses. You should also optimize your CTA by making them more user-oriented, like using “learn more” instead of “buy now.”
For me, boosting affiliate link clicks starts with focusing on the user.
It all depends on how you weave affiliate links into their journey. This requires a solid content strategy, timing, captivating design, and an unwavering focus on being helpful.
Here are a handful of ideas to get you started:
1. Include affiliate links in emails
Before anything else, remember that some affiliate programs like Amazon Associates don’t allow affiliates to put links in emails.
But if your affiliate program allows you to do so, it’s guaranteed to help you reach the ripest customers.
With a capable email marketing platform, you can automate emails based on the action of your subscribers.
Typical email automation triggers include:
- Visiting a specific page
- Abandoning during the checkout page
- Making a purchase in the past
2. Offer bonuses for purchases made through your affiliate link
This is something I’ve personally done before.
To compel more readers to purchase, offer freebies like free templates, eBooks, and discounts to your own products.
There’s no need for a third-party tool to manage this campaign. Just tell readers to forward their purchase receipt to you and manually send them their freebies.
3. Create an in-depth product tutorial
If you want more sales, you shouldn’t just promote products.
You should promote the solution that the product offers your audience.
One strategy is to create in-depth tutorials that show readers exactly what the product can do.
The catch is, you need to own the product yourself in order to create a comprehensive tutorial.
Remember, a tutorial doesn’t always have to be a blog post. Some affiliates publish tutorials in video form on YouTube.
4. Use star ratings
Implementing a star rating system when writing a product review is a great way to get readers locked in.
Just like countless things in blogging, there’s a WordPress plugin for that.
A good example would be Rating-Widget: Star Review System. Not only will it make the process of integrating star ratings easy, it’s also free to use.
Lastly, remember that star ratings can also be visible on search engine results pages. This will allow your post to “pop” just a bit more and earn more clicks.
5. Put a CTA above the fold
Here’s the thing:
The longer you wait to show readers an affiliate link, the less likely they’ll see it.
Most people simply don’t have a reliable attention span these days.
If readers don’t stick around your page long enough, you can create a visual “summary” section above the fold. That should include a clear call-to-action button with your affiliate link.
6. Communicate with your affiliate manager
A lot of bloggers underestimate the importance of building a positive relationship with affiliate managers.
For one, an affiliate manager can provide you with insider tips and strategies for promoting affiliate links. After all, it’s an affiliate manager’s job to know the product from the inside out.
Maintaining close contact with an affiliate manager will also help you get faster response times whenever you need their help.
7. Ask your affiliate manager if they can run an exclusive discount for your readers
Here’s another benefit of building your relationship with affiliate managers.
The better your relationship is, the easier it is to ask them if they could run an exclusive discount. This will only be available to your blog readers.
8. Promote coupon codes
You don’t always have to talk to your affiliate manager to run a special discount for your readers.
Some affiliate programs provide their affiliates with a dedicated promo code right from the start.
If that’s the case, don’t forget to highlight the discount you offer readers when promoting your code. This works better if you’re given a branded promo code, like “RTU” for ReviewTechUSA.
9. Take advantage of affiliate banners
There are loads of merchants that regularly provide marketing materials to their affiliates.
A common example would be a visual affiliate banner, which you can display anywhere on your site. This will help you bring more attention to your affiliate link.
Here is an example affiliate banner from Bluehost:
Conclusion
There you have it – the top 27 questions people ask about affiliate links.
With the information above, you’re now equipped to start raking in affiliate profits like a pro.
I want you to focus particularly on the best ways to boost affiliate link clicks. Take one step at a time and don’t forget to split test affiliate links to maximize conversions.
For questions, suggestions, and general feedback, leave a comment below. I’m always eager to hear from you!
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Hi Ankit,
Very impressive article as usual. Actually, you’ve answered almost everything about affiliate marketing wrapping with these 27 questions.
And the presentation is also very nice and easy to read.
Most of the newbie bloggers think that affiliate marketing is hard. But it isn’t. Whoever reads this post of you will find that affiliate marketing is actually easy. just need a little bit of patience.
Thanks for this nice post. I’ve tweeted this for my readers. So that they can be benefitted too from this.
Regards,
Liton.