Direct linking means your ad points straight to the advertiser’s offer page, with no page of your own in between. It is the shortest path to a sale, and it works when the offer page already does the selling and the traffic source allows it.
Direct linking is running paid traffic to the advertiser’s landing page through the affiliate tracking link, without a prelander, review page or advertorial owned by the affiliate. The alternative is a funnel in which the affiliate’s own page warms the visitor up first. The choice is a trade-off: one step fewer and one less place where users drop off, against control over the message, the angle and the data.
It works best when intent is already high and the offer page converts on its own: search ads for product queries, push or pop traffic for simple flows such as SOI sign-ups or app installs, and retargeting audiences. It tends to work poorly with cold audiences that need context, such as nutra or finance offers on native and social traffic, where a prelander that explains the problem or compares options often lifts conversion by more than enough to pay for the extra step.
Rules often limit it. Many programs forbid affiliates from bidding on the brand name or trademarks in search ads and from using the advertiser’s domain as the display URL, because the affiliate would then compete with the advertiser’s own ads. Google Ads’ Unfair advantage policy also covers affiliates who advertise against their program’s rules, and allows only one ad at a time for the same business, app or site in a single ad location. On social platforms, an ad pointing directly to some offer pages can fail review where a compliant prelander would pass.
Direct linking also costs data. Without a page of your own you cannot test angles on the page, collect emails, build retargeting audiences or watch on-page behaviour, and you depend entirely on the network’s and the traffic source’s numbers. Many buyers therefore use both: a direct link for a fast read on whether an offer converts with a given source, then a prelander to see whether it raises profit per click.
A buyer splits 40,000 push clicks evenly between a direct link and a short quiz prelander, on a sweepstakes SOI offer paying 4 USD.
| Setup | Clicks | Conversions | CR | Cost | Revenue | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct link | 20,000 | 520 | 2.6% | 1,600 USD | 2,080 USD | +480 USD |
| Quiz prelander | 20,000 | 610 | 3.1% | 1,600 USD | 2,440 USD | +840 USD |
On this offer the prelander raises profit by 75%, because the quiz gives cold push users a reason to enter. The same buyer found the opposite on an app install offer, where the store page converted on its own and the extra step only lost users. The answer is offer and source specific, which is why it is tested rather than assumed. Numbers are illustrative.
The mistake is rarely a bad traffic source — it is a good source pointed at the wrong offer.
Advanced · 14 min readThe algorithm handles targeting now; creative is what you control.
Core · 6 min readSEO vs paid traffic: the trade-offs in cost, speed and durability, and how seasoned affiliates blend both to build a resilient traffic mix.
Core · 8 min readEvery field on an offer page — payout, cap, GEO, flow, KPIs, hold — decides how you get paid or get burned.
Sending paid traffic straight to the advertiser’s offer page through your tracking link, without a prelander or review page of your own.
With high-intent traffic and offers whose landing page converts on its own, such as product search queries, simple SOI flows and app installs.
It depends on the program and on Google’s policies. Many programs forbid brand bidding and the advertiser’s display URL, and Google allows one ad per business or site in an ad location.
Test both. Cold audiences usually need a prelander; warm, high-intent audiences often convert better without the extra step.
References are listed as plain text on purpose; look them up by title and publisher. Updated: 2026-10-09.
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