Using Amazon’s Quick Links On Your Blog
Filed in Make Money Blogging
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Over the years I have tried - and removed - various WordPress plugins promising to easily add Amazon.com content to my blogs. Some, like Manalang’s plug-in require use of the WP visual editor which I truly despise.
Others, like Amazon Media Manager are appropriate for subpages specifically devoted to recommended items on Amazon but what I wanted was a quick and easy way to insert links to Amazon products using my Amazon Associates ID.
Wouldn’t you know, Amazon wants to make that easy for bloggers, too? If you’ve got an Amazon Associates account you’re just a few steps away from being able to easily monetize your site using your Associates ID.
1. Log into Amazon Associates.
2. Click on “Build Links/Widgets” in the left sidebar.
3. Scroll down the page to “Quick Linker”.
4. Click on “Add to your web page”.
5. On the next screen click “Add to my web page” to bring up the widget’s code. Choose your platform and follow the installation instructions.
6. Follow the instructions for your specific blogging platform. (Self-hosted WordPress blogs simply ad the default javascript to your footer.php file somewhere above the /body tag.)
7. Now, when you want to write an entry linking an Amazon product you can use the codes shown on the Quick Link screen to link specific items:
For instance, let’s say I wanted to plug the book “Blogging for Dummies”. Without Quick Linker that means going to the Amazon site, look for the book, copy the URL, visit the Associates page, build a link and obtain the URL then inserting that into my entry. Obviously, that’s a downright pain and one of the reasons I seldom bother with Associates links.
With the Quick Linker script installed, all I now have to do is find the book on Amazon and copy the ISBN number. Inserting it into an entry is a matter of using Amazon’s tags: anchor text
Like so: Blogging for Dummies (a book I actually do own and recommend for noobs).
8. You can also use Amazon’s tags to link to entire categories of items like books about blogging or web page design or whatever topics are relevant to your site.
Now when you know there’s something on Amazon that your readers might be interested in, whether it’s a single item or an entire category, it is easy for you to insert the links and even earn a commission if they make a purchase.
Keep in mind that Amazon’s tags are proprietary which means they are not web compliant. If you are a stickler for ensuring that your pages pass muster with the web validator service I’d recommend going with one of the plug-ins mentioned above.
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 13th, 2008 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Make Money Blogging. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Tagged in: affiliate links | Amazon | amazon associates | amazon products | bloggers | blogging | blogs | linker script | Make Money Blogging | widget
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Use Amazon Quick Links to make money with your blog…
Over the past 5 years I’ve tried (and ditched) numerous plug-ins claiming they make it easy to incorporate my Amazon.com Associates ID in my blog. They lied.
I don’t like having to use the WSIWYG editor in WP, as one plug-in requires. I don’t want …
My GOSH…what an idiot I am! I wondered what quick linker was, I just never took the time to check it out. Yep, I’m one of those that go in there and build a link one by one. **idiot** HEY…I did it using Halo 3:)
Lori’s last blog post..Win a $20 GoDaddy Gift Card
Lori, I don’t think that makes you an idiot at all, and I certainly didn’t mean to convey that.
So many times I see folks afraid to try something new because they’re worried it’s going to “break the internet”.
When you encounter something that looks like it might be good for your blog, my advice is: try it. You’ll either figure out how to fix any problems on your own (and get a speedy lesson on blogging in the process) or you’ll need help and realize that in the blogosphere it’s always out there for those who ask.
Either way will improve your blogging.
You just have to be willing to dare.
I use aLinks, which includes an Amazon module that will not only convert text to associate links in one post, but for every post containing the keywords you specify. That way if you ever mention a particular book or Amazon product in future postings, it will automatically link without you having to do a thing. I use it automate affiliate links, though I haven’t tried it with Amazon yet since I’m not an Associate.
http://headzoo.com/alinks