Welcome, best community! Today we’re going to talk about what a smartlink is in affiliate marketing. Some people consider it to be just a part of creative materials, which undervalues its potential and leads to underutilization in their work. On the contrary, we view smartlinks as a fully-fledged tool that should be utilized in traffic arbitrage. Here’s why we think so.

But before we start, we want to remind you about the existence of other articles on our website. We write them just for you. And before getting into smartlinks, we also recommend you to learn more about GEO tiers — WHAT EXACTLY ARE TIER 1, 2, 3, 4?.

From a translation standpoint, a smartlink is exactly what it sounds like – a smart link. At a glance, its operation seems straightforward: a user clicks on a link, which then redirects them to the most optimal offer.

By ‘optimal,’ we don’t just mean that the user will see the product they need, for example. It’s more about ensuring that the landing page itself is the best fit for the user: correct language translation, adaptive design for the device, etc.

To work effectively, a smartlink tracks and considers the following traffic parameters:

  • User location, GEO. To choose the most accurate offer, especially a landing page appropriate for the target region;
  • Search queries. This parameter helps in selecting a relevant product.
  • Operating system, connection type, telecom operator. This also helps in choosing the most suitable offer depending on the user’s device and cellular parameters, which is crucial when working with wapclick offers.

Clearly, a regular link can’t do all that, indicating that a smartlink in affiliate marketing is not just any URL but a sophisticated script. It’s complex and constantly being refined, but usually, an affiliate marketer doesn’t need to delve into it and adjust anything. Everything should work “out of the box,” so to speak.

Moreover, modern smartlinks are built on machine learning and artificial intelligence. This allows them not only to analyze initial input data (user GEO, their device, etc.) but also to monitor user behavior, draw conclusions to increase the likelihood of conversion when the next lead clicks on the link.

Even though smartlinks might seem complex in practice, they were created to make life easier for affiliate marketers and webmasters. At the same time, this adds more work for affiliate networks since they’re responsible for polishing the algorithm, as it’s in their interest.

If we get more specific, smartlinks simplify the process of handling unsegmented traffic for the marketer. However, they still require significant effort from the affiliate marketer. After all, smartlinks in traffic arbitrage aren’t about magic.

While the probability of conversion is indeed higher than working with bare links, it’s still directly dependent on the affiliate marketer’s skill in handling traffic. Moreover, there are still some limitations, like caps. If the daily limit for a specific offer is exceeded, the system will direct traffic to another offer by popularity.

The same goes for repeat clicks. They too will be redirected to other offers, which can adversely affect potential conversion. For example, if a user wants to return to the same link to use a service, they simply won’t find the desired product.

Verticals Where Smartlinks Are Most Used

Considering the ease of working with smartlinks, complex sales chains aren’t an option. However, there’s a whole spectrum of verticals that operate on a more impulsive system. Thus, smartlinks should not be used if you’re working with tangible products, nutra, etc.

The most optimal verticals for smartlinks include:

  • Adult vertical and dating. High approval of traffic by advertisers allows you to pour from almost any source, and a wide GEO increases conversion.
  • Gambling and betting. To avoid segmenting traffic by GEO when the advertiser’s coverage area is limited, using smartlinks is the most rational choice.
  • Sweeps. Smartlinks help with traffic segmentation, distributing the flow to the best offers.

Financial offers, including crypto, can also be considered here. Especially in the micro-lending sphere, smartlinks demonstrate maximum efficiency, eliminating the need to look for individual brokers and set up separate campaigns for each. Smartlinks make everything much simpler.

You might not need to use smartlinks if you’re working in complex verticals where guiding traffic through the entire sales chain is necessary for conversion. However, for many other verticals, it’s an extremely necessary and convenient tool that allows for more efficient use of resources without having to set up dozens of individual campaigns.

But also consider the drawbacks, including the fact that users will always see a unique offer, which may negatively impact the conversion of Traffic Back. And don’t expect smartlinks to do all the work for you; profits won’t just fall into your lap. You’ll still need to work, just a bit less than usual.

We were glad to share our thoughts and knowledge about smartlinks with you. If you’re still hungry for information, we invite you to visit our cozy Telegram community, where even more useful information awaits you.

Yours sincerely, Your Geek!

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