Tag: #affiliate_marketing

One of the unpleasant things that can happen to a webmaster during their work is shaving. What is it?

What is shaving?

Let’s say you are involved in affiliate marketing and you see that a customer has placed an order. But then your lead is marked as “unconfirmed” or “cancelled.” The money for the lead goes to the affiliate program, and you are trying to figure out how this could have happened.

This situation is called a shave. The affiliate program or advertiser does not count the conversion, not wanting to spend money on paying the publisher.

Such actions are usually resorted to by “green” affiliate programs and advertisers who want to avoid unnecessary payments in order to increase their own profits.

Such practices are not common in modern CPA networks. Experienced webmasters quickly identify shaving, so affiliate programs that attempt to do so quickly cease to function.

How can you identify shaving?

You can identify shaving by tracking your current statistics.

When faced with such a situation, you will notice the following characteristic signs of shaving:

1. A sharp decrease in approval. If the approval rate was previously within 70-80% and then suddenly dropped to 20-30%, this may be evidence of shaving. But keep in mind that an unexpected drop in approval can be caused by other reasons. You yourself could have caused this situation if you made changes to the target settings, creativity, etc.
2. The affiliate network statistics differ from the indicators of third-party programs. If you receive higher statistics from third-party tracking than the information provided by the affiliate program, this may be a sign that you are being sheared.
3. The quality of traffic has deteriorated. If, after starting cooperation, you notice that traffic fluctuations have become more pronounced than when using your own sources, check who you are working with. A significant reduction in leads with no change in traffic is evidence of 100% shaving.
4. Decrease in offer performance. Usually, in order to attract more publishers, offers are launched on a number of CPA networks. A decrease in offer conversions on only one of them is evidence of shaving.

Methods of shaving

Shaving can be accidental or intentional. In the latter case, its use is considered fraud. What methods can be used to commit intentional fraud?

Intentional shaving

The following actions may indicate intentional, fraudulent shaving:

• There is no registration of leads. The affiliate network received money for your client, but you were not paid.
• Your traffic was deemed suspicious, as a result of which you were accused of fraud and your leads began to be rejected.
• You were accused of violating the terms of the agreement.
• The terms of the offer were suddenly changed, for example, the payment method was changed, which you found out when you received less money for your work.
• The conversion was rejected and you were informed that the customer did not perform the target action.

Unintentional shaving

Sometimes shaving occurs not because of fraudulent actions, but for other reasons, including:

1. Errors in the advertiser’s software.
2. One of the Internet browser extensions blocked the tracking code call, which is why the person who performed the target action is not included in the statistics.
3. There are malfunctions in the CPA network.
4. The creativity does not match the landing page. Such ads are usually uninteresting to users who see unnecessary information after clicking, become disappointed, and do not perform any target actions.
5. Antivirus software removes the affiliate ID from the link. As a result, there are situations where the conversion is not credited to the webmaster despite the user’s interaction with the ad.
6. Violation of the affiliate program terms and conditions by the webmaster due to careless reading of the offer terms. Beginning webmasters who do not yet have sufficient experience usually find themselves in such situations. After superficially reviewing the terms of the offer, they start driving traffic to the wrong place. This leads to the cancellation of leads.

How can you avoid shave?

When planning to work with new affiliate programs or advertisers, study the reviews left by webmasters on various platforms in advance. Fraudulent affiliate networks are always identified by publishers who leave negative reviews about them.

The complete absence of reviews should also alert you.

In this case, you can place a test order to form your own opinion and understand whether it is worth continuing to work.

Another source of information is statistics. Study them carefully, keep track of all changes, and draw conclusions. Use a third-party tracker to compare statistics. Compare its indicators with the data provided by the advertiser or affiliate program.

Be sure to check leads that have been unexpectedly canceled. Request call records. Refusal to provide them is most likely a sign of fraud.

If possible, use your own landing pages. Promoting your own landing page is a rather difficult process, but it will give you a clear picture and protect you from fraudulent activities.

To avoid being deceived by a manager of a non-existent affiliate network, we have prepared a selection of verified  TOP Affiliate Networks for you.

Conclusion

Publishers working with advertisers and affiliate programs can encounter shaving at any time. Shaving can be caused by fraudulent actions on the part of affiliate programs and advertisers, as well as other factors: carelessness on the part of the arbitrageurs themselves, various technical failures, etc. By following the recommendations listed above, you can avoid shaving and receive the money you have earned in full.

What needs to be done so that users can navigate to your website via various links, thereby increasing traffic to your online resource? How justified is their use, and is it worth spending money on them, or is it ineffective?

Let’s take a look at what external promotion is, try to understand what needs to be done to increase the number of links, and answer the questions above.

What is “parasitic” SEO? Follow the link to find out how it works in practice.

What is link building, why is it done, and what results can it achieve?

Link building is a set of strategic techniques that help promote a resource by increasing external links. It is used to create a network of links that make a resource more authoritative and attract more visitors to it.

Google looks favorably on websites that are referenced by well-known sources, considering them to be reliable and worthy of high rankings in search results. Ultimately, this approach increases traffic and improves conversion rates.

Many modern specialists involved in website promotion on the Internet have a positive attitude towards link building and actively use it, considering it a key component of SEO.

Link building is very important because search engines evaluate the quality of an Internet resource based on various criteria, including the number of external links to it and their quality. However, it is important to understand whether it is reasonable to expect a natural increase in links or whether this is insufficient and the process needs to be accelerated.

What is link building based on?

Search engines use various algorithms to evaluate websites. They evaluate them based on various criteria, including the relevance of the resources to user queries and their authority. In doing so, they pay attention to the number and quality of external links. If a website contains a link to another resource, this is considered a kind of recommendation on its part.

The number of such “recommendations” directly affects the website’s position in the search results.

However, success also depends on other factors, such as the quality of the website’s internal optimization, the usefulness of its content, the correctness of its structure, etc. Therefore, link building should not be seen as a unique way to quickly promote a website.

Which links are the most effective?

Links vary in usefulness. Those that lead from authoritative resources are much more useful and significant than the rest. Backlinks from sites that are irrelevant or not well known are unlikely to bring a large number of new users to the resource, so they are of little use.

When evaluating the effectiveness of backlinks, consider the following factors:

1. Reputation of the donor resource. The most useful are popular resources that are visited by a large number of users.
2. Theme of the donor site. It should be comparable to the theme of your site so that users are interested in it and click on the link.
3. Anchor text. The words located next to the link are also important.
4. The content of the page to which the link will lead.

Thus, the priority characteristic of any links used to promote an Internet resource is not quantity, but quality. A few links from popular resources will have a greater effect than links from little-known resources with low traffic.

What links do you need: incoming or outgoing?

To make your website look natural to search engines, it needs to contain both types of links – incoming and outgoing.

Inbound links, or backlinks, lead to your resource from other sites and have the greatest impact on ranking. Outbound links, on the other hand, lead from your Internet resource to other sites. Such links demonstrate the integration of the site into the information space. Therefore, they are also useful, but they should be used wisely, referring only to relevant, reliable sources.

The purpose of link building is not just to “pump up” links. It is an essential part of an overall SEO strategy that requires a comprehensive, well-thought-out approach.

Types and features of links

To do link building correctly, it is important to know what types of links there are and be able to distinguish them from each other.

By type of anchor, links are divided into the following types:

• Anchor. The anchor of such links contains a search query or keyword. They help search engines and users get an idea of where the link leads. An example of such links are branded URLs. They use the name of a specific product or organization as the anchor.
• non-anchor. In these links, the anchor text is represented by neutral words, such as the word “here.” In this case, it is important to place high-quality content near the non-anchor link so that it is immediately clear what topic the resource is about when you click on it;
• image links. In this case, the link looks like a picture. After clicking on this image, the user is taken to another page or a new website.

Links can also vary depending on their location. They can be located directly in the text of publications. Such links are the most valuable, as they are clicked on by people who are genuinely interested in a particular topic. Some links are located in the sidebar (side column) or footer (bottom of the site). They bring a small amount of traffic but are well indexed by search engines. Another type of link is those that appear in posts, reviews, and user comments.

Based on the rel attribute, links are divided into Dofollow links, which pass “weight” to the resource and help it rank higher in search results, and Nofollow links, which are used to prevent spam in forums or comments and do not pass “weight.”

Depending on how they are obtained, the following types of links are distinguished:

1. Natural, obtained without agreement. Ideal for SEO, but mainly work for large brands.
2. Placed on request. Similar to natural links, but placed by agreement.
3. User-generated. Placed in forum posts, user reviews, and comments. These links used to be very effective, but many people began to abuse them, causing search engines to become suspicious of them.

The types of links listed above have their own characteristics, so they have different effects on SEO. When link building, it is important to create a high-quality link portfolio, making good use of natural links, contextual mentions of the resource, and correctly composed dofollow URLs.

Arbitrage teams are groups of specialists working with traffic, where everyone is responsible for their own area. They are often rotated: someone burns out, someone goes solo or switches to another niche. So there’s always a chance to get in – especially for those who really want to grow in this field.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into affiliate marketing not alone, but through a team – now is exactly the right time. Teams are constantly expanding, testing new verticals and looking for fresh blood. All the more so because we have prepared a detailed guide on how exactly to do this, and how the MoreLogin anti-deact browser can help if you want to work professionally.

Why go to an arbitration team at all?

Firstly, for the sake of efficiency: within the team, responsibilities are clearly divided. One is in charge of purchasing, another draws creatives, a third is responsible for accounts, and someone else scales the bundles and pours in the plus. This gives speed, stability and the opportunity to learn by doing.

Second is knowledge. In 2025, no one will share working bundles or account farming guides for free. But within the team, learning is part of your job. You absorb the experience of your colleagues and apply it immediately.

The third reason is to save money. Many people think that you can start without investments, but the truth is that anti-detection browsers, proxies, trackers, accounts and other “consumables” cost a lot of money. In a team, a teamleader or manager is responsible for this – and you get access to all the tools.

Finally, it’s about stability. Even if you accidentally leak a bundle in the minus – your fixed rate will not be canceled. Teams value system players, not just those who are “in plus today and gone tomorrow”.

Key qualities for a successful candidate

If you want to join an arbitration team, desire alone will not be enough. It is important to have at least basic knowledge: an understanding of how advertising offices are organized, a grasp of terminology, and the ability to use key tools, including an anti-deact browser, which is now considered a standard in teamwork.

Specific requirements depend on your specialization. A clear understanding of your role and area of responsibility is a must.

For example:

1. A farmer must be diligent, understand the algorithms of platforms (Facebook, TikTok and others), understand how the process of arbitrage and account farming works.
   
2. A traffic handler is a person who is responsible for “pushing” the lead: competent script communication, ability to work with objections, confidence and stress resistance are important here.
   
3. The arbitrageur is obliged to confidently set up advertising (PPC, targeting), analyze performance indicators (ROI, CR), work with lendings and pre-lendings.
   
4. The Teamleader manages the entire process: plans budgets, manages the team, tests hypotheses and is responsible for the final result.
   
5. A creative is someone who creates banners and videos, follows trends, works in Figma or Photoshop and understands how to measure the effectiveness of creatives.
   
6. A layout designer should be able to quickly build lendings (HTML/CSS, Tilda, WordPress), adapt them for different devices and improve usability.
   
7. Media Buyer is in charge of buying traffic (Push, Pop, Native, etc.), negotiating with sites, testing sources and optimizing bids.
   
8. The analyst is the brain of the team: he works with Excel, Google Sheets, databases (SQL), visualizes reports in Data Studio and predicts key metrics such as LTV.
   

It’s worth understanding: the roles listed above are only the foundation. There are dozens of other specialists working within teams – from copywriters and developers to traffic managers and techsupports. Such specialists are more often found in large and stable teams, where every process is fine-tuned to automation.

If you want to join an arbitration team and grow in the profession, it is important not only to be smart, but also to be able to learn quickly. Willingness to develop is the main asset in this field. Everything else can be improved on the job.

What does it take to get hired?

It is important not just to want to, but to match the level. You must understand the basic principles: what ROI is, how advertising offices are organized, what risks are associated with pharming, what is the difference between white traffic and gray traffic, and how anti-detection works.

The more specific skills you have, the better. You can join the team as a farmer, handler, creative, media buyer, analyst, designer or even SMM specialist. It all depends on your expertise and what the team needs at the time of recruitment.

The main thing is the ability to learn quickly, adequacy and the desire to get involved. Today no one expects you to become a genius from day one, but if you are not ready to develop, arbitrage is definitely not for you.

Where to look for such teams?

Arbitration teams have long since left HeadHunter and other classic platforms. Now everything happens in Telegram. Vacancies are published in profile channels and chats. Some of the most relevant ones:

• @affiliate_community
• @gambla_chat
• @affcommunity_chat
• @arbitrage_vacancy
• @temshiki_chat
• @mediabuyer_chat
• @money_safe_chatik

Tip: Don’t be afraid to write directly to teams. Many post open positions on their websites or in Telegram bots.

Is a resume necessary?

Not always. In arbitration, facts are more valuable. If you are a media buyer, you will be asked to provide statistics on bids (for 3 months, in a specific vertical). If you are a designer, copywriter, or tagger, you need a portfolio: links to your work, articles, examples of banners or creatives.

But if you do prepare a resume, be honest. You should not attribute fake results to yourself: experienced teamleaders will immediately realize where the truth is and where fantasies are. It’s better to show your strengths and willingness to grow.

Important: work with the right tools

One of the main criteria for selection is understanding the technical side of the work: how to run ad campaigns, farm accounts, use trackers and, of course, work through anti-deact browsers.

MoreLogin browser is an excellent choice for both solo arbitrageurs and teamwork. It allows you to create a separate profile for each account, with a unique device fingerprint, which is critical when working in arbitrage. Plus, you can share profiles, proxies, cookies and other data. This makes teamwork easier and helps avoid unnecessary bans.

If you want to build a career in arbitrage, a team is the best way to get started. And the sooner you take the first steps, the sooner you will be able to get a stable income in one of the most dynamic and profitable niches of the Internet.

Are you ready? Then go ahead. Your team is already around.

Artificial intelligence has become part of our lives, helping us analyze data, generate images, create texts, and more. Sports betting is no exception. People who make money from betting have started using neural networks, which has led to significant changes in this field.

Previously, the success of a bet depended on the bettor’s luck, intuition, and analytical skills. Today, bettors actively use neural networks. The algorithms they use analyze a huge number of different factors in a matter of seconds. AI helps bettors analyze matches, select favorable odds, and predict outcomes. How effective is the use of neural networks, and can this innovative tool bring players stable profits?

How does artificial intelligence help bettors?

Neural networks help bettors analyze information. AI studies statistical data from past matches and conducts analysis taking into account referees, players, and weather conditions. Algorithms process information very quickly, almost instantly. They identify all patterns, including those that require deep analytics.

Neural networks predict match outcomes based on large amounts of data: the results of previous matches between teams, their current form, and the strategies they use. All this information helps AI calculate the probabilities of certain outcomes.

Artificial intelligence can also be used to determine favorable odds. By comparing the quotes of different bookmakers, neural networks identify which values are overestimated, determining the bets that offer the highest chances of winning.

Neural networks can analyze events in real time by watching live broadcasts of matches and evaluating the teams’ performance. This feature is useful for live betting, which requires quick decisions. Artificial intelligence accurately determines when the most favorable odds appear.

Another useful AI option is the use of automated strategies. Specially designed bots constantly monitor odds, tracking their changes. At the right moment, they place profitable bets without human intervention. On sports betting exchanges, algorithms perform the function of traders. They sell and buy odds in the same way that currency is traded on modern financial markets.

There are even algorithms that analyze fan sentiment. AI analyzes information from forums and social networks to determine how public opinion affects odds. For example, when a key player on a team is injured, there is a sharp change in the odds. A neural network is capable of predicting such fluctuations before humans.

The main function of artificial intelligence is not to place bets on behalf of people, but to help them make the right decisions. However, when using these predictions, it should not be forgotten that even the most sophisticated digital algorithms cannot provide an absolute guarantee of a correct prediction.

The most effective algorithms and approaches

Today, there are various ways to use AI in betting: odds trading, outcome prediction, etc. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. To be successful, it is important to choose the right strategy for each specific case.

Predicting matches using machine learning

In betting, AI is used to analyze statistical information using the capabilities of machine learning. Digital algorithms process information about the weather, players, teams, and identify hidden patterns using various models: recurrent neural networks, random forests, gradient boosting, etc. They are capable of determining the probability of various outcomes, predicting goals, etc. However, even the most sophisticated models cannot give a 100% guarantee of a certain outcome, as unexpected factors such as refereeing errors, injuries, etc. also influence the results.

Trading using algorithms on betting exchanges

Another way to apply artificial intelligence is through odds trading. On many exchanges, you can make a profit by taking advantage of changes in odds.

Bots analyze quote movements, identify imbalances in bookmaker lines, and place bets based on the information obtained. In the event of a sharp, unexpected change in the odds for a particular team to win, the algorithm is able to determine the best course of action.

However, keep in mind that bookmakers are not fond of players who use such strategies. There are other difficulties with their application. Success is impossible without a high-speed algorithm and a good understanding of all the intricacies of the market.

Using neural networks for live betting

Once a match has started, the odds change every second. To be successful, you need to react to these changes instantly. Artificial intelligence can help with this by analyzing the number of shots, dangerous moments, ball possession by each team, and other streaming data. By analyzing this information, AI can identify the most profitable moments for placing bets.

There are also algorithms that can obtain data from video broadcasts and study the behavior of players on the field. These require more computing power to operate.

Analysis of social media and news

Both statistics and events outside the stadium influence the outcome of a game. By analyzing forums, social media, and news, AI can obtain information about changes in the lineup, scandals involving players, their injuries, and other events that affect the outcome of matches. When using this option, it is important that the neural network is able to correctly interpret the information received and filter out any fake news.

All of the methods described above can be useful, but they cannot guarantee success. Bettors need to understand the principles used by the algorithms, test strategies, and use critical thinking.

The affiliate marketing market has been undergoing numerous changes lately. Even more significant changes are in store for it in the future.

All verticals face challenges from time to time:

1. Gambling. Google Play changed the rules and started using PWA apps. This has led to a significant increase in competition.
2. Financial Offers. Changes in the rules complicated the work of webmasters and created inconvenience for users.
3. Mobile subscriptions. Changed regulatory requirements created problems with running traffic.
4. Nutra. There has been a drop in approvals, with some affiliate programs announcing closures and many large teams favoring SS/Trial models.

Nutra: why consider Asian markets?

Working with Latin American and European countries has become more complicated. There are two ways to solve the problem: change the market or test new, more efficient schemes all the time.

The most promising direction today is Asia. Of the European countries it is worth working with Spain, Italy and France.

Why is it important to choose the right advertiser?

Not all advertisers have reacted to the innovations and changed with the market. Many decided to do nothing, and for nothing. Optimization of the funnel should be engaged not only by webmasters, but also by advertisers.

The following measures will help advertisers to increase efficiency:

• product improvement;
• optimization of sales funnels and scripts;
• involving R&D department in the process of testing new approaches.

What should inexperienced webmasters do?

Beginners should not start working with the most popular GEOs, such as Romania, Hungary or Chile, where competition is high. Auctions are overheated on them, and a lot of advertising is directed here. People living here have inherent banner blindness, making it difficult to get conversions. Therefore, webmasters have to spend a lot of time constantly testing creativity.

It is better to start working in accessible markets, for example, the CIS. Here there is a clear mentality, inexpensive lead, which allows you to test different approaches and gain the necessary experience. To start sales requires at least two thousand dollars. If you decide to work in expensive geos, you will need three to four thousand dollars for testing. In case of success, the net profit is able to reach 1300 dollars with an ROI of 30 to 40%.

Main traffic sources and trends in the gambling sphere

1. There is a constant increase in competition in PWA applications. Currently, this is the easiest way to run traffic to apps.
2. It is worth testing not too popular programming languages, as such applications successfully pass moderation.
3. The success of any advertising campaigns is eighty percent dependent on the creativity used by the webmaster.

What does the regulation expect?

Regulation of iGaming in sought-after GEO is getting tougher. However, webmasters continue to run traffic to them despite the restrictions.

Where is it better to curl traffic?

Affiliate marketing is characterized by cyclicality, outdated methods eventually return lost effectiveness. Therefore, Influencer traffic may be making a comeback in the near future.

Among teams, there are some that are testing iOS apps, although this niche is expensive. It is unlikely to be run en masse, but for teams with significant budgets, this option is promising, as competition is lower on iOS and the quality of traffic is higher.

Affiliate marketing in finance

Tests require a budget of $1,400 or more. You need a good understanding of this niche, significant budgets and experience to make a profit. Newbies are better off joining a team already working in this vertical.

What is better to run: direct offers or showcases?

Financial showcases have a number of features. They provide users with more options, which leads to higher click-through rates. However, due to the high competition between different loan offers, there may be a decrease in conversion.

Direct offers are more effective in mailings, in which it is desirable to include information about the size of the loan and the ease of obtaining it. But due to the gradual tightening of legislation, there is a drop in conversion rates.

What does the next year have in store for microfinance organizations?

In the summer of 2025, a law regulating the process of loan restructuring is scheduled to be enacted. Loan repayment terms will be changed and this will change the market. However, key players will be able to adapt quickly to the changed operating environment.

Mobile subscriptions

This vertical will not lose its stability. It is important to use reliable payment systems to succeed in this area.

Traffic sources

The bulk of traffic comes from social networks. TikTok and Facebook are best used for mass runs.

Changes in user behavior

To solve the problem with boring ads for the audience, you should use thoughtful products and quality creativity. You can expand your audience through Latin American, Asian, and African markets, which are growing rapidly.

What offers will be popular?

The interest of users is shifting in the direction of long-term subscriptions. Streaming services, educational platforms, programs and games for children will be in trend.

Results

Affiliate marketing will become more complicated next year, but the opportunity to earn on it will remain. To take advantage of it, webmasters need to adapt to the changes that are taking place, do not be afraid of experiments, and constantly test new approaches.