How to make money online with Amazon’s ASIN number

Are you pursuing a passive income through Amazon Affiliate content?

The Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) is one thing you’ll definitely need.

But what exactly is this series of 10 characters? This article gives you a firm understanding of what ASIN means and how to use it for your blogging journey.

What is the ASIN, and what’s it for?

ASIN is a combination of letters and numbers and a unique identifier for every single product sold via the Amazon platform.

“Unique” really does mean unique – no code is duplicated and new ASINs are even created for international marketplaces.

Not only does this ensure minimal confusion of similar products, but it also allows for data to be collected and tracked on a country level rather than an international scale.

Where can I find the ASIN for a specific product?

You can find the ASIN on pretty much every Amazon product page, just under the Product Information section.

Here, alongside product specifications like shipping measurements and weight, you’ll see the “additional product information” table.

If the ASIN seems to be hiding from you, it’s also quite easy to identify it in the page’s URL. Highlight the 10-digit alphanumeric combination in the address bar, and you’ll be able to isolate and take note of the ASIN. For example:

A quick way to double check that you’re on the right track is to simply type the ASIN into the Amazon search box, and see if the matching product is displayed. However, if you are looking for the specific link to an item with many variations of colour or size, further investigation is sometimes required.

Lastly, don’t hesitate to reach out to Amazon’s helpful support team. If you really want to make sure you’re highlighting the right items, you can always confirm the ASIN with us. Ensuring you’re promoting the items you intend to and creating the best content you can for your blog is a win-win for everybody.

Providing value and simplifying the sales process to your readers is fundamental to your success as an affiliate marketer, so minimising the need to click around once they’re on Amazon’s platform is a must! After all, optimised content means optimised conversions.

ASINs for different product variations

As we mentioned above, each product has a different ASIN and that means every variation of a product too. For example, a different colour option or technical specification would produce a unique ASIN. For some products where these variations apply, the ASIN that is specified on the product page may deviate from the ASIN displayed in the URL.

A quick example is the ASIN for a smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S20. As the phone is available in multiple colours, further ASINs have been created to identify each colour option. Once you choose the colour or size you would like, the ASIN changes in the Product information section, but not always in the URL. This is a really important point for affiliate marketers to remember.

Let’s say you are recommending a specific colour of lipstick or item of clothing. Your readers may get confused or even abandon the sale if they click through and end up on what seems to be the wrong Amazon page. To maximise the chances of a successful affiliate link, make sure your ASIN is always correctly matched to the product variation.

What do ASINs have to do with your passive income?

There are two key reasons for affiliate marketers to understand and use ASINs properly:

1. As a blogging beginner, you might have already ventured into the world of affiliate links. Amazon Associates have access to ready-made codes, banners and all sorts of useful materials with which to highlight products on their sites. You can even change image sizes and page positioning.

To take advantage of these, you need to be using the correct ASIN. There’s no point having a cool, engaging banner if it’s linking to a product unrelated to your content. To make sure you’re using the banner correctly, do a test run before publishing by simply embedding a link on a draft post to check how the link looks and the link destination.

2. Affiliate marketing plug-ins also often require ASINs to build links and track conversions, so any users of popular WordPress plug-ins like EasyAzon will be familiar with those magic 10 characters, too. These plug-ins use ASINS to simplify the process even further for new bloggers or anyone looking to expedite their affiliate linking. As a bonus, some are even free in their basic versions – so they’re definitely worth checking out!

How do you use the ASIN in Amazon affiliate links to earn money?

The process to become an Amazon Affiliate is quite straightforward, so it doesn’t take long after signing up and approval to start hunting down which products are right for your content.

In fact, if you have used Amazon.co.uk for online shopping, then the Amazon Associates interface should be a comfortable and familiar tool – who knew that shopping could count as homework!

Here’s a step-by-step example of how you could go about creating an affiliate link using the ASIN:

1. Find your product and the ASIN

If you’re a beauty blogger and you want to write a text about your favourite blush, scroll through the Amazon range and choose which one you would like to recommend. Once you have the product page, find the ASIN, and paste the code directly into your Associates portal. With just a click of the mouse, your unique affiliate link will be generated and ready to be implemented.

2. Choose the right affiliate link style for you

After selecting the link, you’ll next be able to choose between what kind of link you would like. As we’ve mentioned before, Amazon Affiliates enjoy the advantage of pre-made banners and ad integrations.

Simply choose which one suits your content best and use the embed code to insert it directly into your page.

3. Send your readers Amazon’s way

Including this link in your content means that your blog’s audience who click on this link will be flagged by Amazon as traffic generated by your site.

The tracking cookies last for different periods with different affiliate programs, but the standard is usually 24 hours. Your commission or the income generated by this link often depends on whether or not your reader decided to buy or if they continued browsing once they reached Amazon.

On your marks…

Now you have the know-how, it’s time to make a start on using product ASINs to streamline your content creation. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out for support.

Whether you’re a budding fashion blogger or coffee connoisseur, there’s helpful advice for everyone – so get started today!