Why Affiliate Link Placement Can Double Your Revenue
Publishing excellent content and building great relationships with iGaming operators takes months. Yet the most important factor publishers often ignore is where the affiliate links are placed on the pages.
Two articles with the same traffic can produce vastly different revenues depending on the placement of the affiliate links. By optimizing where the affiliate links are placed on the pages, publishers can significantly improve the revenue generated from their visitors.
Why Placement Matters
Most website visitors do not read every word on the page. They scan the page for the information they need and make up their minds on what to do. Affiliate links should find their place within these key decision points on the page.
Matching Affiliate Links to User Intent
Every page on the website has a specific purpose. The placement of affiliate links should reflect and match the purpose of the page to optimize the visitors' experience.
For instance:
Review pages should have links to registration
Comparison pages should have links to various iGaming operators
Guide and education pages should have links to services relevant to the information shared on the page
Placing Affiliate Links Above the Fold
The area of the page visible to visitors when they first land on the page has the highest visibility. Including affiliate links in this area ensures visitors who have already made up their minds to visit these websites can take action immediately.
This is especially important for users browsing on mobile devices.
Including Affiliate Links Throughout the Article
One affiliate link is not enough. Visitors will encounter several decision points during their reading of the article. Affiliate links can be included at these points for convenience for the visitors.
For example, if the article is about an iGaming operator, links can be embedded after the following sections of the article have been read:
After explaining the bonus features
After explaining the payment methods
After the comparison tables
Towards the end of the review of the operator
Using Comparison Tables
Tables draw the visitor's attention. Including a comparison table with appropriate information such as welcome bonuses, licensing, payment methods, and mobile compatibility can make the links more visible to the reader.
These tables are often used by visitors to compare iGaming operators before making their selections.
Optimizing for Mobile Readers
With so many readers browsing the web from their mobile devices, the layout of affiliate links on the page should be optimized for mobile readers to encourage their clicks.
Placement of buttons can be larger, sections can be shorter, calls to action can be sticky to the top of the page and easily tapped by mobile device users.
Avoiding Link Overload
Too many affiliate links will work against the placement strategy. It is better to have fewer high-quality links than many that may work against the readability of the article.
Testing Call to Action Buttons
Calls to action buttons can be varied. A “visit” button might differ from a “compare bonuses” button. Testing various button designs can significantly improve the number of clicks that the affiliate links receive.
Tracking Clicks and Revenue
Not all placement strategies will lead to the same results. It is important to track the performance of each placement strategy for affiliate links to understand what is working and what is not.
Key metrics include:
Click through rate
Clicks based on the placement of the links
Revenue from each article
Revenue from each call to action button
Revenue based on the device used to view the articles
Improving Visual Hierarchy
Affiliate links should be easy to find when viewing the article. However, they should not overwhelm the visitor with too many links.
A visual improvement can be made by:
Placing the links in well-spaced sections of the article
Using consistent styles for the affiliate button
Using readable typography for the links
Using highlight boxes for the comparison sections
Optimizing Existing Articles
Many excellent articles already exist with great content but poor link placement. Refreshing these articles with improved link placement can significantly increase revenues.
Older articles should be reviewed for:
Outdated links
Missing calls to action
Poor placement of the buttons
Expired promotions
Updating existing articles will yield faster results than adding new articles.
Personalizing Affiliate Links
Not all visitors are the same. By personalizing the recommendations that the articles produce for visitors based on their location, device and games of interest, publishers can significantly increase the revenue earned from each visitor.
Using AI to Optimize the Placement of Affiliate Links
Artificial intelligence algorithms can help publishers maximize their revenue by predicting the behavior of their website visitors and suggesting where to place the affiliate links on their web pages.
AI can analyze the following data:
Click behavior on web pages
Where to place calls to action
Which links generate the most revenue
Heatmap of website activity
Suggestions for layout improvements on web pages
Such insights from AI applications can improve the revenue that individual publishers earn from their content.
Common Mistakes That Decrease Affiliate Revenue
Many publishers decrease their affiliate revenue by making the following mistakes:
Hiding affiliate links to the end of the articles
Using weak calls to action buttons
Not optimizing articles for mobile readers
Overloading web pages with affiliate links
Failing to review the data that could inform link placement decisions
Correcting these mistakes will yield immediate results for the publishers.
Best Practices for Affiliate Link Placement
To improve the placement of affiliate links on web pages, publishers should follow these best practices:
Ensure the links match the purpose of the page
Place calls to action in strategic locations on the page
Use comparison tables within the articles
Optimize the articles for readers on mobile devices
Test different designs for the call to action buttons
Review the article analytics regularly
Update existing articles with improved link placement
Personalize the offers shown to visitors where possible
By following these practices, publishers can improve the revenue generated from their web pages.
Final Thoughts
The placement of affiliate links is not a matter of preference. The links should be placed in a way that will encourage visitors to click on them while improving their experience on the website.
By following these strategies for the placement of affiliate links, publishers will significantly increase their affiliate revenues.
In today’s highly competitive world of iGaming, improving how and where affiliate links are placed on web pages may be just as important as the content of those web pages.