Are In-Line Text Links Any Good?

I recently wrote a post for one of my other blogs, where I decided to try a few inline links to my Amazon Stores and it got me wondering. How many in-line links is too many in one blog post?

I'm not sure I know. I do realize that a good many bloggers, especially those with fairly commercialized blogs, tend to sprinkle a lot of them, and 'sprinkle' might be too light a word, saturate is more like it. A lot of bloggers these days will replace almost any word that equates to a product with a link to that product, usually on Amazon, or Clickbank or any one of the many online affiliate sales outlets.

But is it a good idea? I think it probably works quite well in some situations, and on some blogs. I do think it depends on the blog, and what you want from it. Remember my post from some time back about deciding what you want from your blog? Well, that is really how you have to decide if you want a lot of inline links and other things that could be distractions. Do you blog because you want to be read, or do you blog strickly for the money, or is it a little of both?

If you are blogging to be read, inline links probably distract the reader. I don't think you want your readers leaving in mid sentence to go check out the wonderful pair of shoes you have linked to, or some other product that takes away from your story. They might not come back....can't have that....

But on the other hand, if you are blogging for money, or to increase your affiliate sales, in-line links are essential. The more people you can drive to your products or affiliates the better. In that case, I suggest adding links wherever it seems sensible without over doing it. You'll be surprised how many people will click on the links.

On the same note, if you do include product text links in your blog posts, don't have them set up with the Amazon product preview feature that comes up when someone hovers the mouse over the link. All these do is block the rest of the text, and the bulk of them don't give much of a sales pitch in my mind. Better to have readers who are truly interested in the product to click on the link and go to the sales page. It has far better product and sales information, plus can lead the reader to similar products that may also result in a sale you are credited for.

If you are interested in seeing the blog I mentioned above, where I inserted quite a few text links, you can find it HERE!!