Affiliate Site with Unique Content - How to play it safe?

[xoffie]

Hi There,

I'm a consultant and am used to working for brands that have their own product. Currently I am advising a hotel site that is an affiliate of another branded site. They do rather well at what they do but I am looking for some advise.

I am aware that google tends not to "like" affiliates, I assume this is because the product is not theirs or that they have thin content.

With this affiliate they have not used any XML information, they have built all their own pages, taken non of the content from the master site, but eventually, in the buying process the customer has to go off to a white label version of the master company site.

Even though all the landing pages have unique content and are currently doing well in the SERPS im concerned that with a Google update sometime in the future, perhaps there will be a penalty. We've done all we can content wise (videos, unique photos, unique words, social etc).

q1 - is there any way to link the two sites, the white label and the main content site so google doesn't see it as leaving one site for another?

q2 - how is this situation best handled?

[xoffie]

Hi kane

Thanks a lot for your response

In the long run, it may not be the only way to make money, but in order to contract the product, I gotta get the hits running through the site... bit of a viscious circle. I was a bit worried the rank will fall but I think you're right, with an affiliate site theres only so much you can do, as long as you follow best practice.

Ive been worried about it also for bounce rate stats but having watched rands whiteboard friday, seems its not something I need to worry about YET...

Thanks Kane

[KaneJamison]

Sounds like they're doing about as well as any affiliate business model can do in regards to creating valuable content and value for site visitors.

I wouldn't worry about linking to the other site - if that's the only way to make money than there's not much choice in the matter.

Google isn't going to "see it as leaving one site for another" - if anything it's a good thing that site visitors went to that site, and found a link that led to whatever they were looking for. Google can't draw any conclusions beyond that.

If you're worried about passing link value, find a way to 302 redirect the link.