Linkshare has joined the branded links parade.

This is not good for affiliate marketing.

Kellie Stevens has started a thread over at ABW on Linkshare’s new branded links campaign with Overstock and lays out the issue much better than I could:

Someone please explain how this is a good thing (enhancement) for affiliates? Particularly SEO affiliates. And since when did LS start using “advertiser” and “publisher” instead of “merchant” and “affiliate”? Maybe I just haven’t been paying attention to that one.

This seems like purely a play by all 3 of the networks to make themselves more attractive to their advertisers/merchants. How are publishers/affiliates being compensated for providing SEO benefit to the merchants? A definite plus for the networks and merchants with affiliates being used (IMO).

Networks, when was the last time you made changes or “upgrades” which benefited your affiliates/publishers? In your quest to nab advertisers, you shouldn’t forget it’s your affiliates/publishers who drive traffic.

Head over to the thread at ABW and get in on the discussion.

Thanks to Jonathan (Trust) for the link.