Ad Tracking - SEO link popularity

passing link popularity through ad tracking software

[Ravens32]

For years we have used a simple inhouse software which uses a tracking URL that executes a tracking script before executing a 301 redirect. The software allowed us to track the number of users from our advertising, while gaining the SEO benefits from our link placements.

We've since moved to Omniture for our Web Analytics and are using their source based tracking solution (ex.?src=sitexyz).

The issue: When we use this URL for a link placement www.websiteA.com?src=linkplacement123, the spiders are treating the link placement as a new page within the website. Short term the count, but generally the next time around the algo realizes there is no page on the website and kicks out the link, defeating 1/2 of the purpose for the Ad Placement.

Linking direct to www.websiteA.com is an option but we lose reporting functionality, automation, and ROI analysis.

Finally, my question. Is there any Ad Serving/Tracking software that has realized this impact on SEO and built 301 redirects into their software to pass link popularity? I have heard DART does, but not confirmed.

Thoughts appreciated.

[Receptional]

Don't know about Omniture but you can take the?xyz out and drop it as a cookie BEFORE the server header response, then 301 without the tracking url, then pick up the tracking URL variable from the cookie. This works OK. (well... it delivers the 301. Whether it passes value is another question entirely)

[edited by: Receptional at 4:37 pm (utc) on Aug. 31, 2007]