Amazon Associates Introduces Random Product Links

Amazon Associates has just announced that the Enhanced Display Product Link code now allows multiple ASINs. Different products will then be displayed randomly on multiple page loads. This feature is very useful especially for blogs because sidebar ads are repeatedly displayed as visitors move around the site. If a visitor isn’t interested in an ad the first time they see it, odds are showing it to them over and over will get the same negative results.

A single product link looks like this:

<code><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=storeid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=
1904811892&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=
212195&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" 
marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></code>

A multiple random product link looks like this:

<code><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=storeid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=
1904811892,0470149469,076459611X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=
212195&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" 
marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></code>

OK, let try it here and see if it works. Yup, it does what they say – reload the page a few times and you will see.

The downside is that it requires you to generate the code; then modify the code either in Notepad or in your template. Finding the ASIN location in the code takes a bit of skill. For widespread usage, [tag]Amazon Associates[/tag] will have to automate the process in Associates Central.

The other option, that I have written about previously, is to use a random ad code. Using a snippet of PHP code greatly simplifies the process and allows you to store you ads in a separate text file. In addition, you can mix Amazon ads with ads from other programs.

Remember, that iframes and JavaScripts don’t work in WordPress posts. I have used the Adsense Deluxe plugin to insert the Amazon ad in this post.