infolinks include??

LizK · #1 (**permalink**) 10-05-2008, 03:21 PM

It seems that because of the required placement of the infolinks code, using an include is not possible.
I tried it anyway, and when I used an infolinks include and re-uploaded my page, my infolinks on that page disappeared. So I was right, so it seems.
I have a hard time believing that people with 100+ pages would even put infolinks on all their pages to begin with since an include can't be used, and then God forbid a problem crop up and they have to go through all 100 pages again to take off or adjust the infolinks code.

Does anyone know if this is right or not? I sure hope not!!

thanks!!

James · #2 (**permalink**) 10-05-2008, 04:02 PM

Doesn't sound right. I don't use infolinks and can't deal with the infolinks code specifically. Hopefully someone else can. But I do think it should be possible to use includes someway. I wouldn't give up on the idea.

Are you saying that part of an include came up but just not the infolink? I'm sure you considered this, but if nothing came up it sounds like the include itself is just not being picked up. It is really easy to miss a errant space or something that blocks loading. If the infolink code is alone in the include file I would add (temporarily) a paragraph/word or two separately before or after the infolink code and try it to make sure the include is loading.

I use php includes and php sends straight html to the site with code from the include page substituted directly into the page. The html page ends up just the same as if the php and include codes/pages didn't exist. I cannot see how this could be any different than if it were in individual pages. Are you using php or a different type of include?

Sorry if this isn't much help. Good luck.

LizK · #3 (**permalink**) 10-05-2008, 08:08 PM

hey there...

well after a couple hours the infolinks reappeared so it does seem like the include for it works. What is php??
I am using a fixed width template with Arachnophilia and am very NON tech savvy. All the html I know came from lisa's 2create site.

thanks for your input, hopefully the infolinks will stay put and I won't have to bother with them again...

James · #4 (**permalink**) 10-05-2008, 11:49 PM

php is a server side programming language. It is similar to Perl or C if you know about them. With php you can manage forms and make use of a data base in other ways. I use it more for my includes than anything else.

It is open source, free, very capable of doing what is needed for web work since it was originally developed for that use. And it is used on a lot, probably a majority, of web sites that make use of programming.

If you have not learned html and css pretty well you probably should not get into it, yet. Check out w3schools.com for more information. That is a good place to expand your knowledge of html and learn css, too.

Jewel · #5 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 06:07 AM

Hey Liz...what do you mean required placement? I put my infolinks code in my footer include.

LizK · #6 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 07:13 AM

hey-
in the infolinks instructions it says to place at the bottom of the page, right above the /body tag. Possibly I read it wrong, but it definitely implied that that was the only place the code should be placed.
If yours is working in your footer include, i will have mine do that as well.
much easier!!

I'm still having problems with optimization, I feel i really lose credibility when a bank rate ad or hardware store ad pops up... but they (infolinks) swears that once the category was added, it should only have ads for wedding related words. I guess part of the problem is that what category does cheap weddings really fall into?? Society or shopping?? Those were the only 2 offered that weren't completely ridiculous categories. It even puts links on weird word phrases like "believe it or not" and "the floor" and "grocery store." Ugh so annoying.
I picked "society" and I'm still getting really off topic ads that pop up. I will give it a few more days then email them again...

Jewel · #7 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 10:01 AM

The footer include should be the last thing on your page before the closing tags...which include the table closing tag and the body closing tag. You have to have it before your table ends anyway.

I think they are trying to simplify the placement for people who have no knowledge of HTML...hey...we have struggled through AJ's template together...we are no longer novices

I think we have a long way to go to reach TechiGuy, James, and Lisa's levels...but we have definitely made some progress on our path of knowledge!

Anyway...I think really they are having you put it at the bottom just so it is easy to find. Technically I think it would work anywhere on your page.

As far as the optimization...they haven't won me over with that yet. Some of those links are still way out there and I don't know if they can optimize it to perfection yet. I think some of the clicks I get (and I am definitely getting clicks there) are from people who might think they are my links that will take you to other places in my site. That doesn't thrill me but I haven't taken them off yet.

LizK · #8 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 10:05 AM

I couldn't agree more.

The money is nice (considering how young my site is) but it's not worth it if it thows my visitors off, which I'm sure it has because it has thrown me off. I can bet a lot of those clicks were from people thinking they were going to another page on my site. I would be ticked if I was that visitor!

Their customer service tries to be as helpful as possible, but unless they can do a 180 on how they are optimizing my site right now, I will be pulling it off my site fairly shortly.

LizK · #9 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 03:57 PM

PS for anyone that has, or is thinking of implementing infolinks, I got an email this morning stating that their ads are being optimized, and we should be seeing a big difference in the relatedness of the ads within the next few weeks. I guess i will give them a few more weeks before deciding to pull the plug

kindi · #10 (**permalink**) 01-04-2009, 07:56 PM

I have been researching whether to use Infolinks on my blog. I am torn between making a little money and/or driving my readers away. What to do, what to do.

If I decide to use them, I will definitely limit the number of links per post.

mirage2009 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-04-2009, 09:21 PM

I personally prefer not to give my readers a reason to leave my blog while the are in the middle of an article.

James · #12 (**permalink**) 01-05-2009, 03:35 PM

Hate to growl, but the truth is I can't stand them. And they keep me away from sites that use them. There is a lot of great information on about.com but I rarely go there if I can get the same info elsewhere.

The question is not whether to choose ad revenue or readers. If you believe as I do that they reduce readers then to lose readers is to lose revenue.

Let me hasten to say I am not well informed on this issue and am expressing a personal opinion entirely, something I always try to refrain from doing. But I couldn't resist on this one.

Someone who has marketing statistics to show may be more accurate in the realities of the marketing world on this. Who am I to judge human behavior? After all, I am the guy who thought there was no way in the world that the reasonably intelligent people my own state would elect to the Senate a man whose only known qualifications are writing porn and telling dirty jokes.

WB Sponsors