Amazon Affiliate Links - Question

[deronsizemore]

Ok, so I set up an Amazon affiliate account yesterday and I've added three books to my site. What I'm wondering is if all of the code they give you for the affiliate link is actually needed? For example, for one link they gave me this code:


<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446529311?ie=UTF8&tag=affiliateID&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446529311"><img border="0" src="0446529311.01._AA_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=affiliateID&l=as2&o=1&a=0446529311" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Well, to me that looked awful bloated and I didn't understand why there were two <img> tags in there?? So...I condensed the code to this:


<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446529311?ie=UTF8&tag=affiliateID&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446529311"><img src="/images/tigerbook.gif" title="Tiger Woods' How I Play Golf" height="78" width="62" />

As far as I can see everything is in working order with the updated code. My affiliate homepage shows the clicks and everything (from my tests) so it's tracking correctly. For all you Amazon experts, is this legal to do? Or should I simply ask them?

Note: I removed my affiliate ID as I know we're not allowed to post affiliate links. If what I have above still isn't allowed I'll be glad to remove.

[Chris]

This is the old style basic format, just change the ASIN. However I believe there is an even shorter new style basic format.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0143104802/ref=nosim/everythingshak06

[deronsizemore]

I was browsing 456 Berea St and noticed his amazon links and they are linked as so:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/159059732X/Affiliate_ID

So really I can just do that and use the ASIN of the book I'm linking to and use my own affiliate ID? I noticed in your link it has /ref=nosim/ what is that and do I need it?

I've browses Amazon's site pretty heavily here recently and haven't found anything about this. I just don't understand why they feel the need to give you all that code when you're just linking an image. Why the second <img> tag?

[Chris]

nosim means no similar products shown. You get less commission if someone clicks on your link and then buys a similar product as opposed to just clicking on your link and buying the linked to product.

[deronsizemore]

Oh okay. So I could add the ref=nosim in there and it will still work fine.

Do you have any idea why the second <img> tag in the code they give you? I assume it holds no real value?

[rpanella]

The nosim tag will redirect the user straight to the product page, whereas without it there would be a page in between saying here is the product you clicked and here are some similar products you might like. I would recommend using nosim.

It looks like the second 1x1 image is used for impression tracking, but last I check Amazon doesn't even provide and impression stats to you so maybe they are just using it for their own info.
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[deronsizemore]

The nosim tag will redirect the user straight to the product page, whereas without it there would be a page in between saying here is the product you clicked and here are some similar products you might like. I would recommend using nosim.

It looks like the second 1x1 image is used for impression tracking, but last I check Amazon doesn't even provide and impression stats to you so maybe they are just using it for their own info.

Thank you. I don't think I'm going to use the second image...just looks ugly in the html to me. I've came across many sites that use amazon for book links and not a one has more than one <img> tag when I view the source, so I assume I'll be fine.