Acquiring backlinks can be a painful process. You know your website needs them, but you don’t really know how to get them without breaking the bank.
This may lead you to wonder if affiliate links count as backlinks. Well, before you go creating an affiliate program, here’s what you need to take into consideration.
Do Affiliate Links Pass Along Authority?
In short, yes they do (as far as we know). Google can’t really determine what is and isn’t an affiliate link, which means the search engine will treat them like any other.
So if the link has been labelled as “do-follow” and links to your website, then it’s likely you’ll benefit (depending on the quality of the website that’s linking to you).
However, if the link has been classed as “no-follow” or “sponsored”, then the authority won’t pass through.
The Benefits Of Using This Approach To Link Building
Link building can often be expensive. Using this method is a much cheaper option than finding sites that will charge per backlink.
There’s also the advantage that with the right exposure and financial rewards, the affiliate program can attract a huge amount of affiliate marketers that want to join – helping you receive loads of links in a short period of time.
The Negatives Of Using This Strategy
The problem with using an affiliate program to acquire backlinks is the lack of control over websites that are linking to you.
The internet is full of spammy, harmful websites that can negatively impact your authority in the eyes of Google and other search engines, and if they start signing up for your program, their websites will point straight to yours.
So using this method is basically a catch-22. You could see great value or you could end up with spammy links that you’ll need to spend time disavowing.
Wrapping Things Up
Getting your head around everything to do with SEO can be a little bit of a challenge. If you’re struggling or don’t have the time, why not get in touch? We offer various SEO services that have provided amazing results time and time again.