Link cloaking is a method of hiding the real URL and replaced it with shorter and more prettier URL. This is practice by many internet marketers. So in general, it is used for the advantage of the marketers. The drawbacks are on the owner of the affiliate program.
Link cloaking is done online, through websites who are offering this service either free or paid depending on the quality of cloaking you want. Or you can do it by a software.
The draw back of using a software are:
1. Often it contains additional ads embedded in the software.
2. There are reports that your affiliates ID are changed, by thieves.
3. There are reports that generated URL do not work properly.
Be sure to check these drawbacks before using the link cloaking software.
As I said Link cloacking is used for the advantage of the affiliates.Affiliates, practice link cloaking for a number of reasons:
1. It’s a consumer-friendly if you use URL about the product you are selling.
2. To hide the affiliate’s identity. affiliate links conotes earning commission from the readers so its a big turn off for them to click.
3. To protect against commission hijacking.
4. To boost quality search engine score for affiliate page.
5. Tracking: It is easier for the affiliate to track clicks and visitors when using its own URL.
The disadvantages is on the owner of the affiliate program because, When affiliates cloak their URLs a problem can arise for the owner who are trying to keep track on where and how their affiliates are advertising. Cloaking makes it harder to determine the source of the traffic, and to view the affiliate’s ID in the URL string.
SFI however use the ID number+keycode to track visitors. So, I don't hear prohibiting its affiliates to use cloaking.
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Link cloaking is a method of hiding the real URL and replaced it with shorter and more prettier URL. This is practice by many internet marketers. So in general, it is used for the advantage of the marketers. The drawbacks are on the owner of the affiliate program.
Link cloaking is done online, through websites who are offering this service either free or paid depending on the quality of cloaking you want. Or you can do it by a software.
The draw back of using a software are:
1.
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