Hey @rik0399,
Great questions!
By using the uncloaker in ThirstyAffiliates for your Amazon links you still get full stats tracking, link categorisation, link management, etc. For example, if you need to change a link, you can do so in ThirstyAffiliates and not have to change it all over your blog. Without ThirstyAffiliates, you’d be making tons of work for yourself in that situation.
Google doesn’t care about redirects.
Link cloaking is a term that has very mixed meanings.
The link cloaking that Google worries about and penalizes is to do with hiding the URL from the user so they don’t know what site they are on. ThirstyAffiliates does NOT do this (unlike some other “cloakers”).
We are very careful about this to ensure that our link redirection system complies with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
I hope this helps clarify and dispell some of the myths!
For your question about no follow, no it doesn’t mean that google won’t see the link. Nofollow just means to instruct search engines that this link should not influence the link target’s ranking in the index.
What you probably are wanting to do is assign a “noindex” to your links. You can do this under ThirstyAffiliates->Settings->General tab, then under Additional rel tags put noindex in there.
As always, you are the one responsible for your site, so as with any tool don’t just take my word for it. I encourage you to test and measure it for yourself and your individual situation.
@jkohlbach
Thank you for a comprehensive response, most helpful.
I take your point about changing links, I agree, most useful and would a ton of time!
What you probably are wanting to do is assign a “noindex” to your links. You can do this under ThirstyAffiliates->Settings->General tab, then under Additional rel tags put noindex in there.
Why would I do that > NoIndex?
I guess I’m getting confused or worried about not being seen by goolge – I thought that buy allowing so ‘Yes’, would make google happy?
Again, my thanks
