4 ms·

This isn't paid linking-- it's an affiliate/referral program. Expedia isn't paying for the link, they're paying for the conversions generated by the link. Every

This isn't paid linking-- it's an affiliate/referral program. Expedia isn't paying for the link, they're paying for the conversions generated by the link. Every OTA does this, and it's how the mass of travel sites that aren't OTAs make all their money. This is all Google's fault. Most travel sites used to try to generate good content, and then buy SEM to their content and use OTA search widgets to monetize via affiliate programs. But Google decided this was search arbitrage, and stopped approving SEM landing pages that were monetized by affiliate search, so people have had to resort to text links, in the hope that someone will click and they can drop their cookie and get paid. NB: I used to work for a site that was at the time owned by Expedia.

davemel37 13y ago
Good Point. There are services like viglink, skimlinks, and others that will dynamically insert links after the content was written. I have to wonder though if these specific posts were linkbuilding posts, because of the location of the Authors. (i.e. Tampa - where copypress is, and blueglass was.)
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
aptwebapps 13y ago
I didn't believe that until it occurred to me that they could be using the http referrer to reward the affiliates. The links themselves don't seem to contain an affiliate identifier. Is that the case?
- ecopoesis 13y ago
  Usually there is an iframe that drops a cookie on Expedia's (or whoever's) domain. The usual deal is the partner gets paid on any conversions within 30 days of dropping the cookie, with the newest affiliate winning, but there are also more complicated source attribution schemes out there.
  - dangrossman 13y ago
    That's not "usual" at all. That kind of cookie stuffing is banned by every major affiliate network. A couple people are in federal prison for doing it with the eBay affiliate program. http://www.businessinsider.com/ebay-the-fbi-shawn-hogan-and-brian-dunning-2013-4 http://www.businessinsider.com/ebay-the-fbi-shawn-hogan-and-...
  - wcummings 13y ago
    Cookies should only be dropped on an action/click/whatever, dropping attribution cookies on every visitor (and hoping they convert by chance) is fraud
- dangrossman 13y ago
  There's no major affiliate/referral program that uses HTTP referrers to assign commissions. No affiliate would agree to such a system as they'd not be paid for tons of valid referrals.
MichaelTieso 13y ago
This is definitely paid linking. I own a very popular travel website and friends with other popular travel related sites. I can confirm that Expedia has contacted us to purchase links. It's not really news and very well known in the travel community. Often their pay is as low as $10 for a link.
- davemel37 13y ago
  Would love to see proof. Care to share the email?
- ryguytilidie 13y ago
  This is what always frustrates me about these discussions. There will be a long, article citing many sources and someone will simply say "thats not true" without seeming to have any knowledge at all of what they are talking about. Later on, someone like you, with actual facts, contradicts the other person and I wonder why someone who had no idea what they were talking about definitively shot down a well thought out point in the first place at all...?
  - shaneofalltrad 13y ago
    Paid links and paying for conversion can be different pricing structures, but the fact is they are either paying someone in house or for contract to create links to the website through blog. This is common, as blogging, especially if the blogger can get the article on a legitimate website it has value. They can pay in many set rates by volume of work to performance of the links. Another thing is the website owners can be paid to add new content to the blog via an in-house SEO grunt, who has to add a number of links and space them out based on expected. I.e. one link per blog. They will edit over or add to the actual bloggers content.
dangrossman 13y ago
These are direct links, not affiliate links, and there are no hidden iframes stuffing cookies as you suggested later. These links aren't part of any referral program.

davemel37 13y ago

Good Point. There are services like viglink, skimlinks, and others that will dynamically insert links after the content was written. I have to wonder though if these specific posts were linkbuilding posts, because of the location of the Authors. (i.e. Tampa - where copypress is, and blueglass was.)

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

aptwebapps 13y ago

I didn't believe that until it occurred to me that they could be using the http referrer to reward the affiliates. The links themselves don't seem to contain an affiliate identifier. Is that the case?

ecopoesis 13y ago
Usually there is an iframe that drops a cookie on Expedia's (or whoever's) domain. The usual deal is the partner gets paid on any conversions within 30 days of dropping the cookie, with the newest affiliate winning, but there are also more complicated source attribution schemes out there.
- dangrossman 13y ago
  That's not "usual" at all. That kind of cookie stuffing is banned by every major affiliate network. A couple people are in federal prison for doing it with the eBay affiliate program. http://www.businessinsider.com/ebay-the-fbi-shawn-hogan-and-brian-dunning-2013-4 http://www.businessinsider.com/ebay-the-fbi-shawn-hogan-and-...
- wcummings 13y ago
  Cookies should only be dropped on an action/click/whatever, dropping attribution cookies on every visitor (and hoping they convert by chance) is fraud
dangrossman 13y ago
There's no major affiliate/referral program that uses HTTP referrers to assign commissions. No affiliate would agree to such a system as they'd not be paid for tons of valid referrals.

MichaelTieso 13y ago

This is definitely paid linking. I own a very popular travel website and friends with other popular travel related sites. I can confirm that Expedia has contacted us to purchase links. It's not really news and very well known in the travel community. Often their pay is as low as $10 for a link.

davemel37 13y ago
Would love to see proof. Care to share the email?
ryguytilidie 13y ago
This is what always frustrates me about these discussions. There will be a long, article citing many sources and someone will simply say "thats not true" without seeming to have any knowledge at all of what they are talking about. Later on, someone like you, with actual facts, contradicts the other person and I wonder why someone who had no idea what they were talking about definitively shot down a well thought out point in the first place at all...?
- shaneofalltrad 13y ago
  Paid links and paying for conversion can be different pricing structures, but the fact is they are either paying someone in house or for contract to create links to the website through blog. This is common, as blogging, especially if the blogger can get the article on a legitimate website it has value. They can pay in many set rates by volume of work to performance of the links. Another thing is the website owners can be paid to add new content to the blog via an in-house SEO grunt, who has to add a number of links and space them out based on expected. I.e. one link per blog. They will edit over or add to the actual bloggers content.

dangrossman 13y ago

These are direct links, not affiliate links, and there are no hidden iframes stuffing cookies as you suggested later. These links aren't part of any referral program.