Deep Linking How-to

Author: Zac Sutton

| Posted: 18-04-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 58 | Rating: (77)

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Deep linking. It sounds dirty, but it isn’t. Deep linking is actually a very useful tool for affiliates and publishers. In the context of affiliate marketing, deep linking is the process of creating a hyperlink that directs the click to a specific page on another website. This deep link can be directed to any web-accessible page other than the standard landing page (otherwise it’s just a plain ol’ hyperlink).

There are a number of reasons why someone would want to drive traffic to a specific page rather than the "main" page (the standard landing page). Sometimes it's for content reasons (sending viewers to specific article pages, like this one), sometimes it is for sales purposes (sending customers to specific product pages), and many other reasons. We'll get into a bit of that, but first, a primer on the difference between standard landing pages and deep linked pages.

Standard Hyperlink Destination - http://wikipedia.com/

Deep Link Destination - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducks

You see, the standard (home) page is http://wikipedia.com/ As you navigate deeper in the site, and discover the "Ducks" page, the URL will have changed to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducks to represent the page you are currently on.

As an affiliates, you usually send traffic to a URL looking something like this - http://hits.affiliatetraction.com/cgi-bin/redir?pd_link=i3-a33560-o3970-c56932.

Depending on the tracking software being used, it can appear in dozens of different formats, but they are all reasonably similar to the above link.

This particular link lands on the main page of Serenity Health, a "Relaxation Products" store, and the link allows for complete tracking of the purchase (from initial click through the buy process to the confirmation page), and is part of how affiliate programs and networks make sure that you (the affiliate) get credit for the sales that originated with traffic from your site. The above link is terrific for sending traffic to the general page if you think that is going to convert best for the types of visitors you will send (and conversion = money for you!). A deep link, however, might be a better choice for some of you that have traffic with more specific needs and wants.

You can create deep links by using the affiliate tracking code that you generate within the software, and setting up a short and quick redirect. This is essentially deep linking, and can be very useful in many situations. If you want to direct traffic to a webpage that you think will convert better than the homepage, this is a good solution.

I am going to use a real-life example in explaining the deep linking process below. Pretend that I run a website about decorating a college dorm room. I want to suggest a really neat tabletop fountain to my visitors. I know that SerenityHealth.com offers a lot of fountains and cool things to populate a dorm room, but I also want to make sure that I don’t send my visitors to a landing page with a $29,000.00 yard fountain. I want to send people to a page like this - http://www.serenityhealth.com/water_drop_tabletop_fountain-p-1325.html.

You can make a minor change and create a deep link by adding the following code: “&redir=” and then the URL of the page you want to link to. So, for example, if you want to send traffic to the Water Drop Tabletop Fountain that we were looking at earlier, and you want to make sure you still get paid if your viewer buys a product, you can use the following code –

http://hits.affiliatetraction.com/...www.serenityhealth.com/water_drop_tabletop_fountain-p-1325.html

This will allow both tracking of the Affiliate click (and potential conversion), as well as being able to send my visitors directly to the Water Drop Tabletop Fountain. The page has been "deep linked."

Be prepared, though - Some commercial websites object to other sites making deep links into their content because it bypasses advertising on their main pages. Some Merchants are also reticent to allow affiliates to decide (on their own) where they want to send traffic. The appropriateness of deep linking is something that needs to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but for the most part Merchants with affiliate programs will want you to send traffic to pages that most closely match your traffic and visitors.

Oh, some media-rich or framed sites don't allow for this type of linking, either. You can usually tell if this is the case after navigating around the site - if the URL hasn't changed, you won't be able to drive traffic to the specific frame or page you are looking at.

My suggestion? Talk to the Merchant or their Affiliate Management Team, and find out what their policy is. If they allow deep linking, find out more about their best converting products and pages, and create custom deep links to these pages. Your visitors will be happy because you will be sending them pertinent and focused products, the Merchant will be happy because you are driving focused traffic to their site, and you will be happy because, well, you’ll be earning more money!

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Article Tags: Marketing, Money, Affiliate, Internet, Link, Code, Affiliate Program, Commission, Payout, Tracking, Clever, Hyperlink, Deep Linking

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About the Author:

Zac Sutton currently works for AffiliateTraction.com, doing everything they ask him to do (and some things he decides should be done). He can be contacted by calling 831.464.1441 ext 3307 or by email at Zac.Sutton@AffiliateTraction.com.

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