Splitting traffic geographically from twitter to amazon

[jamie3000]

I've signed up to the UK amazon affiliate program as I'm thinking of tweeting some amazon affiliate links to my twitter followers. However I know from looking at the Google URL shortener stats that about half of my traffic for other twitter links (non amazon) are US visitors.

I don't want to send US traffic to amazon.co.uk. Anyone got any smart ideas about how I split that traffic geographically without doing anything that might get me banned off amazon?

So far I'm thinking of tweeting a unique google url shortener link that goes to my website then that website just ajax queries the google url shortener API for its country then does a redirect to the right amazon website.

My only concern with this plan is the pause while the API is queried and when amazon check the referrer URL they'll just see my website with one redirect script.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experience? Anything!

 

[Gogol]

I would buy a short domain and make my custom URL shortner script with country redirection. There are tons of free php shortner script available. Just modify one of those for implementing redirection.

 

[jamie3000]

I would buy a short domain and make my custom URL shortner script with country redirection. There are tons of free php shortner script available. Just modify one of those for implementing redirection.

Thanks for the advice but will amazon freak out if they see the http referrer is a redirect script?

 

[Gogol]

Well I don't find it unethical, unless you are doing something fishy with the referrer. Still, you should check it with Amazon for once if you can. Most probably, they won't mind.

Thanks for the advice but will amazon freak out if they see the http referrer is a redirect script?

 

[Wilson Grant Fisk]

Thanks for the advice but will amazon freak out if they see the http referrer is a redirect script?

If they catch you, yes.

30. You will not cloak, hide, spoof, or otherwise obscure the URL of your site containing Special Links (including by use of a redirecting page) or the user agent of the application in which Content is displayed or used such that we cannot reasonably determine the site or application from which a customer clicks through such Special Link to the Amazon Site.

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating/participation

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating/linking

 

[Gogol]

Hmm seeing the doc it seems that they will ^_^

If they catch you, yes.



https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating/participation

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating/linking

How about, multiple redirection then? I mean..

You have 3 domains..
one short domain hosting the redirection script and two domains one for UK and one for US hosting blogs or something similar.

Redirect UK traffic to the UK blog, and redirect that traffic to Amazon ( like you see in many blog.. /out.php?product=4 etc) and do the same with US traffic.

Just make it look natural so that they think your visitor clicked on one of your banner in the blogs.

 

[jamie3000]

Hmm seeing the doc it seems that they will ^_^




How about, multiple redirection then? I mean..

You have 3 domains..
one short domain hosting the redirection script and two domains one for UK and one for US hosting blogs or something similar.

Redirect UK traffic to the UK blog, and redirect that traffic to Amazon ( like you see in many blog.. /out.php?product=4 etc) and do the same with US traffic.

Just make it look natural so that they think your visitor clicked on one of your banner in the blogs.

ummmm yes I like that. shame we have to go to such extremes. and if they ever checked one of my twitter links I'd get the ban hammer but I cant see an alternative at the moment. Might fire them an email and see what they recommend. Probably get some crap generic non-committing answer but its worth a shot!

 

[HoNeYBiRD]

why complicate this with shorteners and such?! i can't see how this could be a problem, if you do the redirect on your own site without doing any tricks

you can always make a georedirect script on your site where only the US or other selected traffic would get redirected and the UK traffic would be left intact and would go to amazon.co.uk directly, so amazon wouldn't even know about the redirect and even if they would know, there wouldn't be anything fishy in it

 

[jamie3000]

why complicate this with shorteners and such?! i can't see how this could be a problem, if you do the redirect on your own site without doing any tricks

you can always make a georedirect script on your site where only the US or other selected traffic would get redirected and the UK traffic would be left intact and would go to amazon.co.uk directly, so amazon wouldn't even know about the redirect and even if they would know, there wouldn't be anything fishy in it

I was using the shorteners so I could query them in real time for the geo location of the visitor. Googles URL shortener API does this nicely but after a bit of research it looks like there are free databases of IP ranges and their associated countries I could use negating the need for the URL shorteners

 

[preatz]

try use smarturl, they can split based country.