When you enter the same query in a search engine and see different websites at the top with identical products, prices, and even phone numbers — it's not magic or coincidence. It's the work of affiliates. They are like clones, created to take over the search results, and often become a real headache for both users and search engines.
The problem of search monopolization
Not long ago, search engine users faced an annoying situation. You enter a query, open the top-ranked websites, call the listed numbers to compare prices for goods or services, and… discover that they all belong to the same company! This raised a lot of questions: how is this possible? Why is the top of the search results monopolized? The answer is simple — affiliates.
What are affiliates?
Affiliates are web resources created by a single company or related parties that are promoted in search engines using the same queries. Their goal is to occupy as many top positions in the search results as possible, pushing out competitors.
There are two main types of affiliates:
➤ Company’s own websites: identical or similar resources promoted to monopolize search engine results.
➤ Affiliate websites: platforms that place links to the main seller’s website.
The owner of a partner website receives a percentage of the sale if a user clicks the link and makes a purchase.
Why are affiliates a problem?
When multiple websites from the same company occupy the top of search results, it creates unfair competition. Users expect diversity but instead get duplicate content, which lowers the quality of search. Search engines actively fight this phenomenon by applying affiliate filters.
How do search engines detect affiliates?
Websites are considered affiliates if they share at least one of the following characteristics:
➤ hosting;
➤ website topic;
➤ company name or contact details;
➤ domain WHOIS data;
➤ server IP addresses.
If a search engine detects such overlaps, it may either remove the affiliate sites from the results or lower their rankings.
History of affiliates: from Google AdSense to filters
The term "affiliates" appeared in 2007 in the context of the Google AdSense program, where websites earned money by displaying ads. Back then, it was a harmless phenomenon. However, over time, companies began using affiliates to manipulate search results, which led to stricter rules from search engines.
Today, affiliates often duplicate content, taking the place of more relevant resources. This reduces the quality of search and harms fair competition, which is why affiliate filters were introduced.
How do affiliate filters work?
Affiliate filters are a mechanism that:
➤ Detects related websites based on shared parameters.
➤ Removes or lowers less relevant resources in search results.
➤ Applied manually, often based on complaints from competitors or users.
If a company uses affiliates to monopolize the top of the search results, it risks facing sanctions. Search engines may completely exclude such websites from the results or significantly lower their rankings.
Is it possible to promote multiple websites from the same company?
Many business owners ask: what if a company needs several websites? The answer is simple — it’s possible, but under certain conditions:
➤ Websites should focus on different topics and be promoted using different search queries.
➤ It is important to avoid duplication of content, hosting, contact details, and other parameters.
For example, one website can be dedicated to retail sales, and another to wholesale. In such a case, search engines may keep both sites in the results if they are relevant to the query.
A legal workaround: Creating independent resources
To occupy multiple top positions for a single query without triggering filters, companies use the strategy of independent resources:
➤ different hosting providers;
➤ unique company names and contact details;
➤ separate domains with different WHOIS information;
➤ unique content and design.
This approach is similar to creating subsidiaries with full legal independence. It allows companies to bypass filters without violating search engine rules.
Why affiliate filters are a good thing?
Affiliate filters protect the principles of fair competition. They:
➤ provide diversity in search engine results;
➤ give small companies a chance to compete with major players;
➤ improve the quality of user experience.
Even if two websites from the same company accidentally appear in the top results for a query, the search engine will simply remove the less relevant one without harming the business.
How to avoid problems with affiliates?
To avoid problems with affiliates and maintain stable positions in search engines, it is important to create unique websites with different topics and keywords.
Equally important is using different hosting providers, domain names, and contact details — this helps prevent mixed signals for algorithms.
Working with experienced SEO specialists reduces the risk of sanctions, as they know how to set up optimization correctly and safely. It is also necessary to regularly check the content on websites to eliminate duplication and maintain page uniqueness.
Conclusion: Honesty is the key to success
Affiliate filters are not an enemy of business but guardians of fair competition. Proper cooperation with search engines and professional SEO optimization will help bring your site to the top of search results while preserving your brand’s reputation. Trust the promotion to professionals, and your business will thrive in an environment of fair competition.
