Wrong Stephen - Dont Leverage Affiliates for PageRank
Merchants - if you don’t pay affiliates for SEO and page rank - if you only pay per sale or lead, then it’s unethical to use affiliates for SEO purposes. Imagine the tables being turned… would you want to be ‘used’ and work for free?
Stephan Spencer, who is “a professional speaker and Internet marketing consultant” and president of interactive agency Netconcepts, just gave merchants what I consider to be some bad advice.
Leveraging Your Affiliates for PageRank
“If merchants profited from affiliate links in terms of rankings improvements, the affiliates would not be happy. There would be mass revolt and a bunch of affiliates would leave the network. Luckily, for you merchants, there are a couple workarounds you could utilize to capture some link juice from your affiliates…”
Savvy affiliates won’t fall for this - they look out for these types of issues when they evaluate which merchants to partner with. Merchants that value their affiliate channel and that realize the TRUE value of affiliates, which is to drive sales - don’t use them for free branding or free SEO benefits. Smart affiliates know the difference between 302 and 301 redirects and they know exactly why a merchant goes out of their way to set up 301s - they sometimes even avoid them for just that reason.
Also, merchants that value their affiliates, certainly don’t REQUIRE affiliates to post a ‘BOGUS’ disclaimer with a mandatory live link, that is really just a trick to bleed PR from affiliates.
“Pretty sly, eh!” 
NOT! The fact that you acknowledge affiliates will feel this is unfair and even admit you are telling merchants to be dishonest, by saying “Pretty sly, eh!” reaffirms to me we have a lot of work to do on all sides of the fence when it comes to affiliate marketing ethics.
Merchants remember - Market with Integrity and Everyone Wins!
#1 Joseph Ratliff wrote on Monday, September 8th, 2008:
Wow…I considered myself a savvy affiliate, until I read this post.
That sounds pretty shady to me, that a merchant would consider leveraging the SEO efforts of its affiliates, as well as marketing efforts (which is normal), in an affiliate marketing situation.
Ouch.
I will be wary of this now.
#2 Linda Buquet wrote on Monday, September 8th, 2008:
Hi Joseph,
This used to be fairly hot topic of concern back when merchants 1st started putting energy into finding ways to use affiliates for SEO. For awhile there were several affiliate tracking solutions touting the fact that they had naked links, search friendly links, etc. One in-house tracking program in particular I remember - passing SEO juice was it’s main claim to fame. Using affiliates for free SEO benefits is still an issue to some degree, I just don’t hear people talking about it as much any more.
#3 Jeremy Palmer wrote on Monday, September 8th, 2008:
Thanks for bringing this to everyones attention. I agree 100% with you on this. An affiliates job is to drive quality leads/sales - not give merchants a free ride in the SERPs. If you want link juice you’re going to have to cut us a separate check for this service.
#4 Wayne Liew wrote on Monday, September 8th, 2008:
This definitely open my eyes on how merchant could possibly do such a thing to affiliates. Perhaps its because I am quite late to come into the field.
Anyway, I do link back to advertisers’ privacy policy such as the one on Ebay Partners Network, with a nofollow tag, of course.
#5 edward wrote on Monday, September 8th, 2008:
Hi linda
well said for this topic. I have been in affliate marketing for years and now found out that they uses it to increase their backlinks and serps??? Oh my god. but its not only this porblem that we had.
I belive that even if we provide leads and custmers do purchase thru the link under the affliate. Even if they remove it and take it as their own sales. Eventually not getting paid for it. Will you and i know? I do not feel thats it a fair deal anyway. But what to do but to live with it.
cheers
edward