Affiliate Links in Blogs? Hot Topic - Yea or Ney?

[Linda Buquet]

From the 5 Star Blog:

Affiliate Links in Popular Blogs? Hot Topic - Yea or Ney?

Interesting discussion going right now about whether affiliate links coming from a trusted blogger, diminish the editorial value or the blogger's reputation with readers.

Blogs, Affiliate Links and Reputation Threadwatch.org "How do affiliate links affect reputation on blogs and forums? The problem is clear: Is a review, tainted by the fact that i've added an affiliate id to the link?"

http://www.threadwatch.org/node/3147#comment-18893

Read it over at Threadwatch and then come back here to discuss it.

[stephfoster]

If the recommendation is relevant, I'd stick with the affiliate link. Wouldn't bother with irrelevant ones, of course. Lots of people won't know what it is, while others will stubbornly type in the link rather than risk letting someone earn a commission. You lose out on those sales either way, so I'd prefer to have a chance to earn something.

And if anyone's offended, well, I have to earn a living somehow. Despite the fact that you can find an awful lot of information for free online, eventually money has to be made or the site goes away.

[StephenR]

Agreed Steph. I implement it conservatively throughout my blog, usually as text links. As long as your offering good information I do not feel your readers will mind if you have a few relevant affiliate links within the writeup.