[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/seo\/affiliate-links-are-backlinks-for-seo\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/seo\/affiliate-links-are-backlinks-for-seo\/","headline":"Affiliate Links are Backlinks for SEO, But Bad Ones.","name":"Affiliate Links are Backlinks for SEO, But Bad Ones.","description":"Yes, affiliate links are backlinks and they can work for or against you when it comes to SEO.\u00a0 This is because they are a link from one site to your website, and any link that points towards your website is technically a backlink.\u00a0 But not every backlink passes SEO value, and that is where the […]","datePublished":"2023-11-21","dateModified":"2023-11-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/author\/adamriemer\/#Person","name":"Adam Riemer","url":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/author\/adamriemer\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fda62f751f2a6c2ec2b079fedff69720852e4a65633212ffb11832454c29160a?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fda62f751f2a6c2ec2b079fedff69720852e4a65633212ffb11832454c29160a?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Adam Riemer Marketing, LLC.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/arm-logo-2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/arm-logo-2.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yes-affiliate-links-are-backlinks-for-seo-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/yes-affiliate-links-are-backlinks-for-seo-scaled.jpg","height":1200,"width":1647},"url":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/seo\/affiliate-links-are-backlinks-for-seo\/","about":["Affiliate Marketing","Affiliate Program Management","Affiliate Programs","SEO"],"wordCount":1843,"articleBody":"Yes, affiliate links are backlinks and they can work for or against you when it comes to SEO.\u00a0 This is because they are a link from one site to your website, and any link that points towards your website is technically a backlink.\u00a0 But not every backlink passes SEO value, and that is where the confusion occurs.\u00a0Example: A link from a search result in Google, like your website\u2019s homepage showing up in Google for your brand name, is a backlink and will help with SEO.\u00a0 This is because it is a link from Google.com to your site.\u00a0 But this does not technically pass \u201cauthority\u201d even though it is a backlink.\u00a0 I get into this in detail below.This new post is a topic I\u2019ve covered multiple times and is stemming from a fun conversation I had with ex-Google engineer Fili Wiese about affiliate links being used for SEO.\u00a0 He verified that while he was at Google working on the webspam team he personally gave, depending on the implementation, manual actions for ecommerce stores and service providers for using affiliate links to boost their SEO.\u00a0 Fili has fact checked this post (thank you Fili) so there\u2019s more than just my word and experience on this.As Fili mentioned in our conversation and as I\u2019ve written about for years, Google is not against running an affiliate program, or participating in one to drive more traffic to your website. However, Google does not consider affiliate links as merit based, but affiliate links are commercial in nature and should be nofollowed or have the sponsored attribute added to links.\u00a0 Because they’re commercial in nature, not earned, they should not count for SEO and rankings.There\u2019s a lot I\u2019m going to cover here, so use these links to jump to the section most relevant to your situation.Background and cause of confusion307 redirectsGoogle neutralizing known linksJavascriptDisclosuresUsing direct links with parametersRobots.txt if you cannot use a proper tracking solutionBackground and Cause of ConfusionSEOs, tracking technologies, PR vendors, and affiliate networks pitch ecommerce stores and service providers that affiliate programs boost SEO because they do not know how SEO works or they like semantics.\u00a0 It is the same as pretending that bio links from social media sites are backlinks and boost SEO.\u00a0 They don’t.\u00a0 If affiliate links are boosting you right now, eventually they will stop and you\u2019ll be worse off.Many affiliate links are 307 redirects, and you\u2019ll find tons of content about 307\u2019s and SEO on Search Engine Roundtable here, here, and comments from Googlers about 3XX response codes on Twitter.\u00a0 They aren\u2019t relevant for this post.\u00a0 In general, all 3XX redirects would technically pass \u201cauthority\u201d in the same way a SERP is technically a backlink.\u00a0The lack of clarity comes from specific questions asked to Googlers who answer for that specific situation vs. a general answer.\u00a0 Once affiliate links are discovered by Google, they get \u201cneutralized\u201d by the Google webspam team.\u00a0 Neutralizing them means they don’t pass SEO value.\u00a0 So if you\u2019re using affiliate links as a backlink building strategy, you\u2019re going down the wrong path.307 RedirectsA 307 redirect is a temporary redirect.\u00a0 Googlers have said that all 3XX redirects can pass value, at least for a while, but temporary is temporary.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t a permanent move or shift, so after a while this response code will likely get ignored faster than a 301 which means the content or page has moved permanently.\u00a0 Check the redirect type your affiliate system is using, if it is a 307 then you\u2019re likely not building backlinks that would last.\u00a0 Do not recommend they change to a 301, it will not work and you’ll be worse off in the long run.Again, you should never be building backlinks via an affiliate program.\u00a0 It will lead to damage.Google Neutralizes Known Networks and LinksEver since Matt Cutts was at Google it has been known that Google knows what affiliate networks are, what the parameters used are, and the servers and IPs that exist.\u00a0 Because of this they have a team that looks at the links and updates the system that checks for and neutralizes these types of links.When a known network, pathway, or \u201cunnatural\u201d style of link is seen, they neutralize the link from passing value.\u00a0 That means the link won\u2019t hurt or help you.\u00a0 With that said I do have a pro tip for any SEOs reading this.Bonus-tip: If you have unnatural link structures that could be causing damage and the webmaster won\u2019t take the links down, offer them to become affiliates.\u00a0 They can earn money even off a bad review or spammy article.\u00a0 If they do then they’ll replace the SEO link with a neutralized link.\u00a0 You could disavow, but this is an option if you don\u2019t believe in disavow.There is a catch though.\u00a0 Some of the more tricky networks, service providers, and PR tools that provide tracking links will change servers, IPs, and other things that make it difficult for Google to track and catch these affiliate links.\u00a0\u00a0If your tracking and PR platforms are pitching this, consider reevaluating the relationship as you will eventually get caught.\u00a0 When you do you have to hope you don\u2019t get a manual action, it happens.\u00a0 Recovering from a Google penalty doesn\u2019t mean you get your traffic back, it only means you are eligible to start doing SEO again.\u00a0 The long term risk is not worth the short term benefit.JavascriptsSome monetization platforms provide a javascript snippet to embed into your site.\u00a0 If the link is a direct link it will redirect or add parameters to the direct link upon a click and turn it into an affiliate link.\u00a0 There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, unless you\u2019re using it for SEO.Google can execute javascript, it just doesn\u2019t like to.\u00a0 But when Google does and sees these sites that were SEO backlinks are now affiliate links, they\u2019ll neutralize the links.\u00a0 You now lose these for your SEO and have to pay commissions for a revenue reduction.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean removing the tools from your affiliate program, it does mean you should evaluate the value of SEO and affiliate, then create a plan that leaves your company in the best financial position, while also creating mutually beneficial relationships.This is easier than it sounds.\u00a0 I do it with our clients regularly.\u00a0 But that\u2019s for a different post.DisclosuresThe FTC, and I believe EU\/UK laws require disclosures on content, pages, etc\u2026 that use affiliate links.\u00a0 I have no data or proof that Google uses disclosures as a way to tell if disclosures on a page are used to detect and neutralize links, but I would make a safe assumption they would.\u00a0 If they aren\u2019t yet, they will once they realize this is an easy way to find paid, sponsored, and non-naturally occurring backlinks to a site.\u00a0\u00a0Using pages with disclosures would be an easier way to determine paid for or sponsored links as Google cannot rely on webmasters to add nofollow or sponsored attributes on their own.\u00a0 And removing the disclosures won’t help anyone as there is now legal risk.If your affiliates take the disclosures down to preserve “SEO value”, you (and possibly they) can get in trouble.\u00a0 If they do disclose then it is likely the links won\u2019t count for SEO.\u00a0 This is another reason why you should not use affiliate programs for SEO or link building.\u00a0 Separate the two channels, but make sure both work hand-in-hand so that your company and your partners all benefit.Direct Links With ParametersA direct link with a parameter is a common way to track sponsored links, paid media links, affiliate links, etc\u2026 If the links are clearly paid for, and the majority of your backlinks fall into this category, chances are you\u2019ll get into some trouble, but that is not guaranteed.Don\u2019t use parameter based links for backlinks.\u00a0 Do the work to produce a good website with good user experiences and get natural non-paid for and non-business relationship links.\u00a0 But there will be times where parameters are needed.\u00a0 Good news, the next section is something I learned from Fili, you can neutralize these links and protect your SEO.\u00a0 Not neutralizing these was one of the things sites were given manual actions for.Disallowing in Robots.txtI always consider robots.txt a way to show spiders how to crawl your website.\u00a0 But Fili explained to me something different.\u00a0 When you disallow a specific parameter from being crawled it is also a way that you can neutralize the links yourself (making Google\u2019s life easier).\u00a0 But why would you want to do that?Because affiliate links are not supposed to be used for SEO.\u00a0 When you get caught, not if you get caught, you\u2019ll likely get a manual action on your site.\u00a0 Neutralizing these may help you make your case when you ask for a reconsideration.\u00a0 Unless you want to risk all your SEO traffic, use the technique below.Place the merchant ID as the first parameter (?MID or ?AFFID)Go to robots.txt and add Disallow\/*?*MID or whatever the parameter isBy doing this you\u2019ll neutralize the links and show you are not trying to game the SERPs by having an affiliate program.\u00a0\u00a0Pro-tip: Fili also said that blocking an isolatable URL pattern (e.g. an affiliate ID parameter) with the robots.txt to stop PageRank flow means you are in full control and not dependent on affiliates correctly implementing rel=nofollow.\u00a0 So while using rel=nofollow is a good best practice with affiliate links, why not do both and make sure you don’t need to waste time checking every single affiliate link placed on the web pointing to your website now and in the future.You get the idea by now.\u00a0 Yes, affiliate links are backlinks and backlinks can help or hurt SEO depending on the situation.\u00a0 Using affiliate links to try and game Google is a bad idea, there\u2019s no good reason unless you\u2019re trying to churn and burn a site.\u00a0 And if you are doing a churn and burn, you\u2019re going to burn those affiliate relationships to the ground for double trouble.\u00a0 And chances are that if you’re on a known and trustworthy network, Google has already neutralized the links so they aren’t passing any SEO value.\u00a0\u00a0Be smart with link building.\u00a0 Gimmicks like scholarship link building work for a while, then you pay the price in long term losses.\u00a0 Do things the right way and earn links.\u00a0 And while you\u2019re doing that, build a value adding affiliate program too by having an affiliate manager that is familiar with other channels like SEO, attribution, email, and paid media.\u00a0 Your company will be building long term success with two fantastic marketing channels and reducing overall risk."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Seo","item":"https:\/\/www.adamriemer.me\/seo\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Affiliate Links are Backlinks for SEO, But Bad 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