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SEO > Articles > New York 2004 >

Are there any penalties which could be applied to my website if I display lots of affiliate links?

This is a concern that has been overplayed. It is far more applicable to affiliate web sites which are merely repeating identical links over and over again in the same places. It is far less significant for an affiliate web site which is based on high-quality content, or for an established site which is adding a few affiliate links to earn extra revenue. However all else being equal, links which operate via independent networks are less likely to cause any problems than the links which operate through larger portals such as Commission Junction. There has been suspicion, but no concrete proof that search engines downgrade sites with lots of cj.com links.

Affiliate links are, however, major leakers of page rank , and are therefore best either used sparingly, or created using mechanisms such as javascript , or being embedded within a Flash file . This is a key example of where to consider the 80/20 rule, as most affiliate links will not generate significant revenue, and are therefore best not displayed.

Obviously, directory editors are still deeply sceptical about sites which appear to exist solely to gain affiliate revenue.