Affiliates were asked “Do you cloak/redirect links?” for the 2011 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.
The majority of respondents, at 59%, said no, and the remaining 41% indicated they do cloak their links.
I’ve been cloaking affiliate links for as long as I can remember – first through meta redirects, then via an .htaccess file, before I moved on to using a WordPress plugin called Pretty Link.
I also came across another useful affiliate redirect WordPress Plugin called ThirstyAffiliates last fall.
Additionally, I use bit.ly Pro, which is a free service that enables me to use my own domain to make redirect links. I use aff.bz there.
Over fourteen-hundred affiliates were surveyed on their methods, preferences, and strategies for the 2011 Affiliate Summit AffStat Report.
More details at affstat.com.