Program owners: hide your "webmaster" links / traffic leaks
 

Why put a big "webmasters click here to make money" button, banner or link on your paysites, when a tiny "webmasters" link at the bottom of the page would be more than sufficient?

my webmaster links are usually more than tiny

Amen, and for fucks' sake, put your content and hosted galleries in a protected area.

ours are tiny and at the bottom

:2 cents::2 cents:

I have quit promoting otherwise good sponsors over this.

Whaattt?

So you "think" having a link that says, Webmasters Make Money Online - vs just Webmasters - Produces more clicks or a traffic leak? Wait wait... so a paysite owner trying to make money, is going to "give up traffic" - knowingly to a long phrase Webmaster link?

Is the coffee spiked this morning?

I use "phrases" because I care about Search Engine Traffic. Your link or my hard link (if no affiliate id is present) using "text phrases" is GOOD FOR YOU...

Just a crazy thought, but a surfer "actually buying porn" is going to either not click it, even if it's font size 20 and blinking red - or they will hit back. Otherwise, they aren't buying anyway..

A traffic leak.. What's next, stamping content is producing type-ins?

i wish more people did this.

Hmm nooby question i guess but how do i secure my gallerys? Some script protecting thing?

Yeah i just noticed that on dogfart paysite huge fancy banner on bottom for webmasters.

Hehe, ok the dogfart one is a bit much.. it wouldn't be so bad if it has some tour, join, member text of some kind above it. That setup is just stupid in general though, even if it was smaller, it's location is still retarded.

I do not see them as a leak etc. I do however wish paysites would remove them all together.

why even take the risk?

check this one: http://bustbox.com/site/index.php?affcode= the "webmaster" button is right up there with the surfer navigation buttons...

I really enjoyed readin that :thumbsup

A while back there was a thread called "how did you get into the adult industry" or something... Many, many people replied that they were surfing porn and the "make money" link caught their eye...

and be sure to include our webmaster referral code :2 cents:

If my memory serves me well,i think i started same way.

I don't consider it a traffic leak. But I do agree a small link at the bottom should be just fine.

I remember numerous instances when I couldn't find the affiliate link because it was a shiny banner.

I was looking for a small text link at the button "Webmasters" "Affiliates" or whatever.

It's the standard these days, do some sponsors actually think it's gonna get them more affiliates?

Bullshit

i hide my webmaster link but doing a leet 98 seo trick..text same color as bg

can someone explain this a little more, please? i guess we're not talking about the member content

ok, now i got it. i thought that was common anyways

Geez I would think a small link at the bottom would be common sense

If someone clicks the link, signups and becomes a Webmaster (that was a surfer) you converted them into a different business model. That's a good thing for you and the webmaster that referred them.

If they were still a surfer, they would go back - if they never saw a link like that before... And yes, I'm sure some surfers signup to programs, but most programs check accounts and approve them, or at least verify they are real.

Today you visit amazon and you can signup and promote them, it's that way on almost every site. The links are all over, so people clicking them, to signup and promote you, isn't like it once was.


And I do agree, a huge banner, flashy or whatever at the bottom for Webmasters is pointless. But this post was about text links and not buttons/banners. And text links, even duplicate result links from affiliate id's still get results in Google and for sure in other Engines.

That's how I got in.

yea, that's how most got in I would think....

both sides are valid...

Exactly, a small text link at the bottom of the page is more then enough (and the anchor doesn't even matter).

Good call, u-Bob ...

Great Rant :1orglaugh

A small link at the bottom that says "webmasters" is fine. Some sites do go overboard though. One sponsor I promote has movie galleries and the only clickable link below the fold says "$$Webmasters Make Money$$" I don't think galleries should have webmaster links.

Exactly is in reference to a banner/button - which this post isn't about and everyone can agree that a graphic isn't needed. So I'm not sure why this would be brought up again.


The size of the anchor text, or amount of words used, within reason of course. Isn't going to draw in more surfer clicks. So having "webmasters" vs. "adult webmasters make money" isn't going to be a traffic leak.

That is what the post is about - and a larger text phrase isn't a traffic leak.

And yes, it does help with search engines. Yes, the link coming in helps anyway, but you can use the anchor text to help control and move the keyword/phrases that you list on. So instead of letting the bots tell what the page is about, you use anchor text to control the meaning of pages/sections and flow - so you rank better and with more phrases.

That's a different subject all together.. for sure if it's large and above the fold.

I have had the links, removed them, then included them with a clean footer on galleries. For the most part, I try to not include them on the galleries. Webmasters will click through to the tour, I assumed.

I "think" most programs would track/credit you with the sale on those links. So you would notice traffic on it, depending on the program. And to be honest, galleries get sooooo much traffic - the ratio they send to the program with links is so tiny you don't even notice it on alexa.

So prob not so much a traffic leak, but for sure an area that the link isn't needed at all.

Ok, i see in your org post you did say long text or banner/button.. my bad.

Anyway, banners/buttons on tours or promo tools = stupid. My guess would be, complain to the program. If you don't complain, the program never knows it's an issue. It may not be a traffic leak, so they don't care.. but if at least tell them you care - the bug as been set.

Even one complaint may get it changed, lots of complaints will almost for sure get it changed. And/or find one of the bigger Webmasters that push them and ask them to complain for you.

Programs have lots of errors, problems, stupid things.. and honestly, it can go screwed for months or even years, before one Webmaster ever says anything.

Seeing as most programs don't carry the affiliate ID, that does nothing for the webmaster that referred them :)

I assumed most people don't want more newbies in the industry, the "slice of pie" argument is brought up every time someone complains about how it wasn't as easy as it was in 1999. I personally think it's irresponsible to try and convert your customers into competitors.

Silly programs... like programs with no referral program that have webmaster links? :)

I feel that we need LOTS more Webmasters, 1000's if not 10,000's of more.. we need to bring back everyone that left, get all the webmasters that changed to paysites, to start slinging traffic again.

We need MORE world exposure. As our Webmaster base shrinks - so does our overall adult traffic bubble. Those extra 1000's of Webmasters, help bring in fresh traffic, dirty traffic, more se traffic... more of everything - so everyone globally had more traffic to deal with.