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URL Cloaking is when your website domain name remains in the address bar of the browser “cloaking” the destination URL (web address) from all visitors’ eyes. The web surfers won’t see the “forwarded to” web address in their browsers at all. URL or link cloaking is basically when you show search engine bots one thing and humans another. One reason people URL cloak is because they believe the search engines have fingerprinted affiliate links and if the bots see them it will hurt there organic SEO rankings and if they are doing Pay Per Click marketing that it will hurt there quality score and thus raising there prices per click.

Have you ever looked at a set of very competitive search results and wondered how in the world a certain website was ranking so well? There’s a chance that the website in question is using URL cloaking to hide some of their links and prevent fellow SEOs from reverse engineering their rankings.

There are several ways to URL cloak. The top three ways to cloak are listed below:

All Inclusive 301 Redirect

The most common form of link cloaking is a simple 301 redirect. Both bots and humans who click on a link from Site 1 to Site 2 are forwarded onto Site 3 through a 301 redirect. The link juice and anchor text are attributed to Site 3 while the link itself does not show up in a back-link search for Site 3. This allows you the ability to send link traffic to a bad “neighborhood” without actually linking to it.

Bot Redirect

If you want to get a little more covert, you can cloak the content. In this case, the search engine bots get 301 redirected to Site 3 while normal web surfers are given the actual content on Site 2. This helps create trust with web surfers as they see what they are expecting when clicking on the link from Site 1. The fact you are linking to Site 3 is essentially hidden from people checking back-links for Site 3 and web surfers visiting any of the three sites.

User Redirect

This is considered more of a traditional cloaking setup. In this case web surfers clicking on the link from Site 1 to Site 2 are 301 redirected to Site 3 while the search bots are given the actual content on Site 2. We see this technique used by many black-hats building massive machine generated content networks. They want Site 2 to rank in the engines so they can direct traffic to their money making websites. In most cases, this type of setup defeats the purpose of link cloaking as nothing is hidden from back-link checks or web surfers.

It’s also possible to mix and match all three of the above based on the user agent or IP address allowing complete control over the final destination of your traffic.

CLOUD TAG:

• mobile and website URL cloaking
• three types of URL
• 3 types of URLs

Cloaking is the method of hiding your affiliate links. If you notice, affiliate links are overly long. Sometimes an affiliate link to two lines of text occupy in your browser. If you want it to be shorter and less intimidating, then you have a link use cloaking tactics. Apart from the fact that your affiliate links short, cloaking is to prevent commission theft. There are people steal, their affiliate commissions by hijacking your affiliate links and ID can. Avoid commission theft is one of the most important functions of cloaking. By hiding your affiliate links, you are virtually Bulletproofing your commissions from theft. Link Cloaking is also an effective way to attract more people or follow click on your affiliate links. There are many online shoppers who despise click on links of a subsidiary. As soon as they mouse-over anchored to your text, and they see the link from a subsidiary, they will usually ignore and go directly to the merchant’s website. could convince so your efforts to visitors like this, buy a product or a service to waste, if you do not cloak your links will be. If wrapped properly, your affiliate links as a default URL to search the site a product or a short tiny url. Online shoppers will therefore not be intimidated and not by the links they will click on it to make a purchase. There are other benefits can you get if you or hide your affiliate links mantle. Cloaking links is easy and very simple, but it can can make a big impact on your efforts, your sales and increase click through conversions.

Although there are many free online services that can cloak your affiliate links, using standalone cloaking software is still important so you can fully control link cloaking operations. Nothing can beat the functionalities of cloaking software so you better get one to protect your links and ensure the profitability of your online affiliate business. Cloaking software has the capability to customize your affiliate links. With free online cloaking services, you are only limited to making your links shorter. But with a cloaking application, you can tweak your affiliate link and make it look like a standard URL or sales page link.This capability is critical because it can have a big impact on your click through conversion. Online buyers usually click on a link that looks like a real URL. Essentially, you can convince more people to follow your links by using cloaking software. Tiny URLs generated by free online services are sometimes banned by some ISPs. Some web services and email providers are also wary of tiny URLs generated by free services. So if you are going to use this cloaking method, there is a possibility that you can encounter issues or problems with ISPs and web service providers. You can avoid all of these by using cloaking software. Developers of cloaking applications ensure that your links will be friendly to ISPs and spam filters. Because of this, you can avoid issues with ISPs and email providers. Your affiliate links therefore will become effective tools in bringing in big commissions for you.

If you tend to be observant, you will realize that there are lots of softwares being sold or given for free over the internet. The same thing is true with that free online software that helps cloak affiliate links to help you control cloaking operations better. Without any doubt, nothing beats all the functionalities given by this software so you better grab one for your own to help shield your links and to guarantee the possibility of online affiliate business.

Furthermore, cloaking software offers the possibility to customize affiliate links. You can obtain this software over the internet for a cheap cost while some provide this for free. Although it is more tempting to get the free version, you need to realize that opting for this will only limit you in making links shorter plus some may be available with ad wares and viruses which you know isn’t good for your unit. However, if you opt for the version where you need to shell out some cash, you will further be given the chance to tweak affiliate link and to also make it look like a standard URL or a sale page link.

When looking for this, some are simply tempted to get the free version but before you finally settle your mind to grab this kind, you need first to consider that it will merely limit you in creating shorter links and try to consider that some of these are available with viruses and adwares. Nevertheless, going for the paid version will allow you to tweak affiliate link and you can have the chance to make it look similar to the standard URL or to a sale page link.

For a person who is not really conscious about how the internet world really works then this software seems not too important to have but for someone who tends to be well-informed, he is certain that this software is of extreme important since it offers a huge impact when talking about your clicks through conversion. As you should know, lots of online buyers would click on the link that appears to be like a real URL. Because of this, you can convince more people to essentially follow your links with the help of the cloaking software.

So if you are wise enough, you should really take time to buy the versions that are sold over the internet than grab the free versions. Another problem when it comes to these free cloaking softwares is the fact that they are bound to make tiny URLs that are normally banned by ISPs. Furthermore, some email providers and web services who do not like tiny URLs. With all of these, it is only true that these free versions are nothing but headaches.

Avoid these dilemmas by making use of advanced cloaking software so you can ensure to prevent troubles encountered with email providers and ISPs. Then, expect your affiliate links to become a whole lot more effective tool so it can bring more cash into your site daily! In buying, just try to avoid shelling out your cash in any items. It is better to consult first the advice of people who had tried the service by browsing the web for recommendations.