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View Full Version : Why Why Why? Affiliate link coming up in google, not domain URL

Trin
03-09-2005, 01:19 AM
Ok so I have a problem that is really starting to annoy me :eek:

Basically the company I work for has affiliates that direct customers to our sites, pretty standard practice really, however the problem is the link we give them seems to always come up in Google rather than the domain URL. Now this wasn稚 worrying me for a while now because the affiliate link Google was using was for a charity so well at least it was going to a good cause :D but now it has changed (for some unknown reason) to one of our normally affiliates and its just I do this hard work to get my listing as high as possible (currently 7 out of 3.7mil, much better than before) and I知 not getting any of the rewards, its all going to the affiliate :D

Anyway from what I have worked out, Google is thinking the affiliate link is not actually linking to the domain but rather it is a 2nd page with similar content and therefore shrinking them into one listing. Correct me if I知 wrong, unfortunately it happens a lot.

Anyhow if anyone out there know a way to get around this that would be fantastic.

Thanks heaps
Trin
Michael Martinez
03-09-2005, 01:34 AM
You could just terminate your affiliate program. I suppose that's not a realistic option, though.

Anyway from what I have worked out, Google is thinking the affiliate link is not actually linking to the domain but rather it is a 2nd page with similar content and therefore shrinking them into one listing. Correct me if I知 wrong, unfortunately it happens a lot.

Are you saying that Google is conflating the affiliate page with your page? That should not be happening.
Trin
03-09-2005, 01:39 AM
Well yes that is what I think is happening.

Sometimes our domain URL www.example.com.au comes up and sometimes (more often than not) the affiliate link comes up and never both.

I think because the affiliate page the link is on could be more popular and/or higher page rank than our site Google might be thinking that it is the main site and therefore displaying in the SERPS

However I知 only guessing here so argue with me if I知 wrong :rolleyes:
Michael Martinez
03-09-2005, 01:49 AM
Well yes that is what I think is happening.

Sometimes our damain URL www.example.com.au comes up and sometimes (more often than not) the affiliate link comes up and never both.

Oh. That's a horse of a different feather.

Right now, there is nothing you can do about that. Google is suffering from acid indigestion. They have reportedly taken some medicine, and we just have to wait and see if it works.

If you try to change anything now, when the regurgitation ends, you may find you're worse off than before.
Trin
03-09-2005, 01:54 AM
Ok thanks for the advice. I might just have the bear it for now and be happy that we are getting the orders at all :D

Thank you
Trin
Marcia
03-09-2005, 02:14 AM
Make sure your on-page and on-site optimization are properly in place, and get seriously to work getting more inbound links. Affiliates are generally better and more pro-active with pursing IBLs, and for that reason quite often rank considerably higher than the merchants themselves.
Michael Martinez
03-09-2005, 02:22 AM
Marcia makes good points, Trin. Just keep in mind that Google needs to fix Google's problem. You are only taking care of your own needs.
Trin
03-09-2005, 05:55 PM
Make sure your on-page and on-site optimization are properly in place, and get seriously to work getting more inbound links. Affiliates are generally better and more pro-active with pursing IBLs, and for that reason quite often rank considerably higher than the merchants themselves.

ok sounds good... :p thanks for the advice, im always on the look out for ppl to link to but I guess i'll just have to ramp up my searching a bit more.

Thanks
Trin
Michael Martinez
03-09-2005, 06:11 PM
And I just hope you're not one of my merchants because, frankly, I like getting commission checks.