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What would you guys say is the current best practice for affiliates using sponsor provided promo photos on adult blogs? A few years ago those big photo collage columns seemed to be all the rage. Are most bloggers still creating those or has there been a shift back to using individual photos that link to the sponsor?
Or is there an even better idea? I see a LOT of mainstream sites that use those one-photo-at-time click through slide shows, which I personally HATE! But they must be successful if so many sites use them. I assume they increase the amount of time a surfer spends at the site which gives them some Google love.
I’m looking into adding a few new blogs so I’m curious what photo display option I should use that will result in the most sales. Have used both collages and individual pics in the past but I want to stay up on current trends and follow what the power porn bloggers are doing these days.
I think it’s one of those instances where there’s going to be a trade-off and you need to work out what your needs are. I also wouldn’t assume that because some big sites do something one way it’s the best way to go. A lot of adult sites really don’t focus on the details like this, they might be getting thousands of hits from a specific method/site/ad/promo and not particularly give a rats ass about whether Google likes collages or individual images.
I have tried both collages and individual, and I prefer the latter. I think it looks better, it’s less work, gives you a better look in image search, and perhaps most importantly it allows for more opportunity for a surfer to find your site – you should use tags and titles to make these original too. If you think about it, do those collages look okay in image search? Would a surfer click on that smaller collage pic or are they more likely to see an individual image they like and click through for more? I think the latter is true. Those skinny collages on Bing or Google just don’t look good to me, and they scream affiliate too.
Also, I would say that linking individually from images is a bad move, in the way it’s been done by so many (and continues to be done). This will no doubt ruffle a few feathers here, but I believe Google will prefer a page with one or two links from relevant images/text than 20 links all to the same url from 20 different places on the same page. That reads as spammy. No other form of site does this, unless it’s spammy, you wouldn’t have a BBC article or a Wiki page with 20 links all to the same url.
And I don’t believe it matters if you mask those url’s, or make them nofollow, or anything else. If they all lead in the same CONTENT (which Google will definitely follow) then Google will consider your post to be spam.
I know many affiliates have a desperation which seems to encourage us to slam that link all over the page, but it does far more harm than good. While it might give more opportunity for a surfer to click through, you’re likely reducing your exposure as Google deems that page to be worthless and demotes it accordingly. Limit those links and the organic traffic will climb, that increase will result in more sales and a bigger reach in the long run.
Just my opinion, of course.
Thank you for that feedback Conran. I think I’ve been following most of the same procedures you mention but its been awhile since I first settled on my image and linking format and I don’t always check out the sites of other adult affiliates like me so I’m wondering if people are doing new things that are increasing sales and I just haven’t caught on to them yet.
By the way, I forgot to mention in my original post that another reason for this question has to do with mobile sites, since it seems like surfers are increasingly accessing our blogs on phones and tablets. So if anyone else wants to chime in on my “best practices” image query please feel free to address ideas related to mobile usage also.
I am adding a several pictures from the sponsor and that is it. It works well for me.
