Safest/best way to redirect sponsor links

[tigermom]

I am about to start using my own bought content for some of my freesites. I want to promote my own AVS sites down the road, and also have more control over which sponsor to send the traffic to.

I have heard it here before that it's ok to change outgoing links to sponsors after your freesite has been submitted (obviously, not something you can do if you're using sponsor content). What I would like to have is some sort of a way to use a general page where I can switch links through out freesites. Essentially, since I'm using my own content, I want to build up say "teen traffic" from teen freesites and then if I'm not happy with my current teen sponsor, change one file and have the teen traffic sent to a different one.

Now, I know how to do that on PHP pages and on .shtml pages. My question is, what is the best way to do that with freesites, without making my sites look suspect in the eyes of reviewers. Should I create a redirect file on some domain and just work on changing the links in some htaccess redirect there - would that work better?

Any advice is welcome. I want to do the right thing here without risking the reputation that I think I have as a good submitter.

[tigermom]

Just to add, maybe a redirect script with a hit counter? If that's ok, any recommendations?

[spacemanspiff]

I would use server side includes to do that. You could also use an adserver like phpAdsNew with remote java invocation. Pretty complicated and doesn't do anything an SSI won't do, unless you want to rotate the ads.

[JustRobert]

Just a thought, You could set up a domain to send your traffic to. Like "Go to Whatever.com for the Hottest Teens" and then you can just change that page at will to fpa, hpa, rotating tours, entrance to avs, etc... this way you have all those one way links to a single page plus you will never have to worry about your freesite breaking rules.

[tigermom]

Originally Posted by JustRobert

Just a thought, You could set up a domain to send your traffic to. Like "Go to Whatever.com for the Hottest Teens" and then you can just change that page at will to fpa, hpa, rotating tours, entrance to avs, etc... this way you have all those one way links to a single page plus you will never have to worry about your freesite breaking rules.

Yeah, that's an interesting idea. I had thought of that, but I was concerned with putting one more click between the surfer and a sale. Or maybe that extra link isn't all bad?

[JustRobert]

Originally Posted by tigermom

Yeah, that's an interesting idea. I had thought of that, but I was concerned with putting one more click between the surfer and a sale. Or maybe that extra link isn't all bad?

Kind of my thought as well. With freesites already having great targeted traffic why disrupt the flow. I believe if you create a tour style page and can link to sponsors sign up page then its possibly no different I would think the SE benefits to your one page may outweigh the negative of an extra link over time. I am no SEO expert by any means and have not tried this myself but its on my excruciatingly long "to do" list LOL

[tigermom]

Yeah, again, interesting point. It doesn't even have to be the root of a domain. It can be just a page on any domain, really, the SEO benefits would still be the same.

[tigermom]

Originally Posted by spacemanspiff

I would use server side includes to do that. You could also use an adserver like phpAdsNew with remote java invocation. Pretty complicated and doesn't do anything an SSI won't do, unless you want to rotate the ads.

BTW, how would reviewers feel about .shtml being the extension of these freesites rather than .html? Wouldn't that cause problems?