Glossary · SEO & Marketing

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance model where publishers earn a commission for sales or leads they refer to a merchant through tracked links.

Updated October 6, 2026

Affiliate marketing is an arrangement in which a merchant pays partners (affiliates) a commission when a customer they referred completes an action, usually a purchase or signup. Referrals are tracked with unique links or codes, often through an affiliate network.

Why it matters

Merchants pay only for results, and affiliates can monetize content without owning products. For publishers, trust is the asset: recommendations must be honest. Many jurisdictions and platforms require clear disclosure of the commercial relationship.

Read the program terms for cookie length, prohibited advertising methods and payout thresholds, since they differ widely between merchants.

Example

Link:        https://shop.example/product?aff=jane123
Commission:  8% of sale
Cookie:      30 days
Order:       $100
Payout:      $8

Common mistakes

  • Failing to disclose affiliate links, which can break advertising rules.
  • Promoting products only for the highest commission instead of fit.
  • Not using rel="sponsored" or nofollow on affiliate links where search guidelines call for it.

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