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I\u2019ve tested affiliate toolbars for attribution and the level of value-add for 20+ years, so its no surprise that a majority of our clients do not allow them in their affiliate programs.\u00a0 But this post is about a possible SEO gain, not attribution.\u00a0 I do think that some affiliate browser extensions can have a positive impact on SEO rankings if the theories below are true.<\/p>\n
If the theory is true, I consider this a grey hat SEO technique because it is not being done to gain the system, it is a byproduct of Google not counting for browsers impacting user behavior and non-SEO teams impacting SEO search results.\u00a0 This post has three parts, each one leads into the next.<\/p>\n
The first section is the background on the theory that shares why the second part can be a possibility.\u00a0 From there I share one option to test affiliate browser extensions for an SEO lift with the instructions to run the test, outliers to look for, and a way to measure the result.\u00a0 If the test listed here is not doable for you, contact me<\/a>.\u00a0 I have more test ideas I can share and if you\u2019re willing to share the results with me.<\/p>\n For non-affiliate industry readers, start here:<\/strong><\/p>\n Affiliate browser extensions, also known as toolbars, are the plugins for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc\u2026 that offer cash back, airline miles, automatically apply coupon codes at checkout, make users aware of price drops, and offer other incentives.\u00a0 They activate when there is a store or lead gen brand that allows them in their affiliate program.<\/p>\n Some affiliate toolbars create overlays directly on search results that are 100% independent of Google and your website\u2019s code.\u00a0 The overlays can highlight search results to entice a click, show incentives on top of the results Google displays with schema and datafeeds, and modify the user experience because the display is controlled by the browser extension and not by Google.\u00a0 I have screenshot examples from one of the affiliate toolbars below.<\/p>\n There have been theories that Google watches users and tracks click behaviors.\u00a0 During the government testimonies at least one ex-Googler said they have been using user click data which you can learn about in this post on SEL<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cindy Krum<\/a> from Mobile Moxie<\/a>\u00a0created this video<\/a> (its an hour long, so make sure you have time) that shows how Google\u2019s chrome browser is potentially tracking your click behavior on the search results and after you reach the website.\u00a0 It is in depth and contains the histograms, etc\u2026<\/p>\n The theory I\u2019m using is based on a possible Google signal or system called navboost, also known as the \u201cglue\u201d<\/em> signal or system, which is an SEO theory based on Google patents, the \u201cGoogle leak,\u201d<\/em> and DOJ testimonies.\u00a0 Marie Haynes<\/a> breaks navboost down here<\/a>, I haven\u2019t read the post in full, but after a quick skim and read of the introduction explanation, it gives a solid overview for the concept.<\/p>\n If navboost is a thing, then Google will likely watch:<\/p>\n By doing this Google can determine if they should:<\/p>\n When the website or a specific page meets the user\u2019s needs, assuming Google is watching, this could be a sign there is a high-quality experience that will benefit other similar searchers.\u00a0 That could mean:<\/p>\n This is where affiliate browsers come into play.<\/p>\n When you allow browser extensions into your affiliate program, some of them show the relationship over SEO results.\u00a0 This includes your own branded searches and generic, non-branded phrases.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a few screenshot examples and how the results could impact user behavior and send SEO signals.<\/p>\n In this first screenshot you\u2019ll see eBay has a blue affiliate overlay for a branded phrase \u201ccoach slippers\u201d<\/em> and shows directly below COACH and COACH outlet.\u00a0 This is controlled and displayed by the affiliate browser extension and not by Google.<\/p>\n COACH is offering 5 miles per dollar at the time of the screenshot and couch outlet is offering 1 mile per dollar.\u00a0 If both only offered 1 mile per dollar, but eBay offered 10 miles per dollar, that may be the incentive to go to eBay and avoid shopping on COACH directly.<\/p>\n Think Foot Locker and Nike, or Hanes and Walmart.\u00a0 Foot Locker would love to show up for \u201cNike shoes\u201d<\/em> just like Walmart would love to show up for \u201cHanes shirts.\u201d<\/em> All of the sudden shoppers are skipping the brand\u2019s website directly because they have the extra incentive to go to the department store or marketplace.\u00a0 If this happens in mass, Google\u2019s navboost may decide the retailer is the better experience, at least for the product category.<\/p>\n VistaPrint is in position 9 for the phrase \u201ctshirts.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 None of the sites above them on the day I took the screenshot had the blue \u201cactivate and earn\u201d<\/em> you\u2019re seeing below, but now they do.\u00a0 This was likely because my browser was an outdated version of chrome when I took the screenshot.\u00a0 It\u2019s updated now and more sites have the \u201cactivate and earn\u201d<\/em> overlay on the SERPs.<\/p>\n If I\u2019m thumbing through and I don\u2019t want funny tshirts or running tshirts, but instead need something custom printed, this is the first relevant result and a also has an incentive to click.\u00a0 The blue \u201cactivate and earn\u201d<\/em> pops out and may be the deciding factor between me going to VistaPrint and me going to a listing above.<\/p>\n For high volume phrases and a mix of intents, this could be the signal navboost is looking for and gives VistaPrint the higher rankings.<\/p>\n It is currently snowing here, so for this local example I\u2019m pretending to make a reservation somewhere warm.\u00a0 To reduce stress upon arrival, I want to arrange a car service.\u00a0 I Google car services in St. Maarten and airport transfer companies since I\u2019ve never been.<\/p>\n I\u2019d expect to see local listings and the larger transfer services in the Caribbean.\u00a0 At the same time there should be travel aggregators and sure enough Viator showed up.<\/p>\n By having the blue overlay there is an incentive to click and check them out.\u00a0 Because the searches are limited, but the intent to click and convert is now higher, this may give Viator an advantage and signal to navboost this page and site is relevant for the queries and topic.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious about how many users there are for these browser extensions, go to the downloads pages in the plugins stores and read the marketing materials about active users.\u00a0 It is likely significant enough to move the needle and impact a search result.<\/p>\n I also do not think Google is considering the overlays that incentivize clicks and purchases in their algorithms.\u00a0 This is because Google may not realize browser extensions may be altering their search results pages and user behavior for clicks and conversions.<\/p>\n If the browser with the plugin is owned by a search engine like how Chrome is owned by Google, the search engine could track the affiliate redirect and flag the browser overwriting the SEO click.\u00a0 If Google does this, they could exclude the signal from navboost.\u00a0 It is unlikely they would, so if my theory about the increased clicks and quality signals is true, this is a grey hat SEO strategy to move up from lower first page results to higher ones.<\/p>\n Hopefully you\u2019re thinking, \u201chow can you prove this theory on affiliate toolbars impacting SEO?\u201d\u00a0<\/em> Glad you asked, here is one of the multiple tests I came up with.<\/p>\n You first need an affiliate program with no active browser extensions in it.\u00a0 Or one that removed the toolbar affiliates and the browsers no longer overwrite or overlay SEO search results.\u00a0 Then follow these steps:<\/p>\n There are outliers that can throw these numbers off, so include them before finishing the evaluation and conclusion.<\/p>\n If any of these happen during the test, it overrides any potential impact and benefits the affiliate browser extensions would have had on your SEO rankings.\u00a0 You may be wondering why I don\u2019t test this with our clients.\u00a0 It\u2019s because the revenue loss is likely larger than any gain from the attribution tests we\u2019ve run.\u00a0 And if it turns out there is no gain or the gain was minimal, it is a huge pain to remove these partners after.<\/p>\nThe Background on How Browser Helpers Can Boost SEO<\/h2>\n
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The Reason Brands Get SEO Boosts from Affiliates<\/h2>\n
A Retailer Showing for a Major Brand\u2019s Branded Phrases<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nPosition 9 for Generic Phrases<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nLarger Brands Beating Local Companies in Local SEO<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nTesting SEO Boosts from Affiliate Toolbars<\/h3>\n
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Outliers to look for:<\/h3>\n
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