As affiliate marketing grows, shortening URLs has turned out to be a standard matter. Let’s delve further into the exploration of link cloaking.
What Is Link Cloaking, Why It Matters
Lіnk cloakіng involves concealing URL of a destination website by directing it to a different webpage. It is widely known in affiliate marketing , used to monitor commіssions and conceal the affiliate ID. On top of that, utilizing a cloaked lіnk gives the opportunity to establish a reliable and aesthetically pleasing lіnk.
How Does Link Cloaking Work?
In few words, lіnk cloakіng simplifies URLs by substituting weird and forgettable characters with more memorable ones.
For instance, here is lengthy and odd URL: www.test.com/products/?something=A675jUMKjeu9jshbf6ekhl.
Nevertheless, lіnk cloaking give an option to transform it into a concise and definite lіnk like this: www.test.com/name-of-product.
Therefore, numerous marketers іncorporate lіnk cloakіng іnto their lіnkіng strategіes to give afіiliate URLs the look of a customized name of domain.
Link Cloaking vs Link Shortening
Link cloaking is often likened to link shortening, which leads to interchangeable usage of terms. Nevertheless, they differ notably in look and intent.
Link cloaking software makes a link redirect to their domain, altering the permalink to a line of alphanumeric characters, for example as bit.ly/3BCDDM8.
Even though, link shortening intend to cut links, memorability is sacrificed. Conversely, link cloaking creates polished URLs, particularly helpful for affiliate marketing endeavors.
Why You Should Cloak Affiliate Links
Usage of concealed links for affiliate URLs let you fashion tailored links for your audience, lending an air of credibility to your destination links.
Boost Link Trust
As security is a hot topic, especially such concerns as phishing and malware, big chunk of users are wary of lengthy links with random characters. Mistrust can lead them to avoid following such links altogether.
Usage of a cloaking method helps you generate a link that seamlessly integrates your domain name and product information into the URL. This means that the link is polished and clear, providing users with an idea of what to expect. Consequently, they will have trust and assurance in clicking on your link.
Enhance Affiliate Link Management
Using of numerous affiliate links can pose a challenge, especially, if it is without proper organization and tracking tools. That’s where a link cloaker with a robust management feature comes in useful All of your links are neatly organised by the tool into groups according to campaigns or affiliate programmes inside a single dashboard.
Link cloaking not only streamlines your link organization but also brings valuable insights via click and conversion tracking. These data metrics enhance your ability to manage links effectively and enhance your workflow.
Moreover, you are flexible to utilize different URL redirect types, which has the 301 redirect for permanent page moves. By incorporating the nofollow tag for such links, you can have search engines not indicate them, safeguarding your rankings from potential impacts.
Track Click Data
Concealed links offer the advantage of tracking your affiliate URL performance, giving you the opportunity to assess areas which require enhancement and what links excel. Such data-driven approach empowers you to formulate a successful strategy to reach your desired outcomes.
You may make a stylish URL that is visually appealing and simple to remember by using a hidden hyperlink. Incorporating a brand name or a specific product is a common strategy to increase customer appeal. This improvement significantly increases the chances of visitors populating the link on their social media platforms, ultimately expanding your reach to a wider audience.
Reach a Larger Audience
By utilizing a concealed hyperlink, you can create a sleek URL that is not only easy to remember but also visually attractive. This technique often involves incorporating a brand name or a specific product, making it more appealing to users. This improvement boosts the chances of visitors sharing the link on their social media platforms significantly, ultimately expanding your reach to a wider audience.
How to Cloak Links Without a Plugin
To conceal affiliate links without relying a WordPress by manually cloaking them through your FTP account, which is a viable choice, particularly when dealing with a small number of affiliate links. Here is a detailed walkthrough:
- Log in to your website via an FTP client like FileZilla
- Go to the main directory (usually public_html).
- Make a fresh directory in the main folder, naming it with your chosen URL slug like /go/, /recommend/, or /out/.
- Within this directory, generate a new file.
- Name it index.php, also, insert the code provided by Yoast from their GitHub repository.
- Then, generate a redirects.txt file in the same directory, use this format: Website-slug, https://tests/affiliateid=321, indicating the destination URL and its corresponding slug.
Add Disallow: /folder-name/ to your robots.txt file.
