Correct redirecting?

[Ashton]

Which redirection method is best for cloaking affiliate links? Which is google least likely to pick up on?

Should you go through 2 redirects so any penalties are applied to the second site and / or google wont realise its an affiliate?

 

[monaghanmonaghan is verified member.]

If you are trying to hide, then remember that what Google doesn't see today, it will probably see tomorrow.

If I was trying to hide, I'd go PHP and give a different response to googlebot, however, you don't know if Google will also check with a different name, so you'll have a lot of work to do to hide completely

 

[Ashton]

Fair enough, by hiding I don't mean being very deceptive, I just mean not being in your face 'THIS IS AN AFFILIATE LINK'

@ Htaccess voters, what kind of redirect?

 

[Aaron Clifford]

Use a little php script,and send google to another page.

if (preg_match("#(google)#si", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'])) {

    header("Location: http://www.somewhereelse.co.uk/here.php");
    exit;
}

Or something like that!, Might need to fiddle a bit with the code as "google" is a bit broad.

 

[pbryd]

I've been using php 301 redirects and haven't noticed any negative effects.

<?
Header( "HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently" ); 
Header( "Location: http://www.affiliatelinkhere.com" ); 
?>

 

[fresh79]

Eclipse link cloaker for WP it uses 301 by default if i remember correctly

 

[retired_member33]

Are there any cloaking plugins which automatically hide already existing links on a website or do you have to run every link through the cloaker before using it?

Yes, i am a lazy affiliate