This factor is a yes/no check for a legacy Commission Junction-style click-tracking URL in the page body. It returns 1 when a matching link is present and 0 when none is found — but the pattern is deliberately broad, so an unrelated link with the same shape can trip it.
| Factor ID | RG-AFF-008 |
|---|---|
| Family | Affiliate & ads |
| Measurement | Boolean presence (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Rendered, script-free page body |
What it measures
RankGear detects a legacy Commission Junction-style click-tracking URL pattern in the page. It is a presence signal: it records whether a link resembling that historical CJ redirect shape appears, not how many there are, whether they convert, or whether the page actually belongs to a Commission Junction publisher.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear scans the rendered, script-free page body and looks — case-insensitively — for an HTTP or HTTPS www host followed by /click- and two numeric identifiers. Because the host portion is defined broadly, the match keys on the /click-digits-digits path shape rather than on any specific Commission Junction domain, which means unrelated URLs with the same shape can also match.
What RankGear looks for
https://www.anyhost.example/click-1234567-8901234
Matches (case-insensitive):
http(s)://www.<host>/click-<digits>-<digits>| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | At least one link matching the CJ-style /click-digits-digits pattern is present in the page body. |
| 0 | No link matching the pattern was found. |
How to optimize it
Treat this as an observation about your outbound links, not a score to inflate. Use commercial links only for relevant, transparent partnerships, and verify every destination and every claim you make about it. A 1 here is neutral information — it flags that a CJ-shaped link exists so you can confirm it is intentional, points where you expect, and is disclosed; it does not indicate the page ranks better or worse for carrying one.
Important considerations
- The broad pattern can create false positives — any URL with the
/click-digits-digitsshape can match, even when it has nothing to do with Commission Junction. - Current CJ URL formats may differ from this legacy shape, so a genuine CJ link can go undetected.
- Presence does not prove network ownership — a match is not evidence that you run or belong to the Commission Junction network.
- Apply affiliate disclosure and sponsored-link markup independently; this detection does not add, check, or replace them.
- This is a correlation-based observation within a measured result set, not a cause of ranking. Presence or absence of the pattern does not make a page rank or guarantee any position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.