Is affiliate backlink with 301 redirect the best method of affliate backlinking?

[touchring]

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I'm designing a script that tracks affiliates to my website. I did a study for about a month of the various methods i can use but would like to hear from affiliate experts here on your views if creating an affiliate backlink with 301 redirect to the homepage is the best way to pass PR?

E.g. http://www.affiliatewebsite.com/index.php?aff=abc -> Insert affiliate cookie and do a 301 redirect to http://www.affiliatewebsite.com.

Appreciate any advice. :tup

[Travel Pixel]

Affiliates are there to make sales for you, not strengthen your own position in SERPS due to backlinks. You will find that most quality affiliates will utilise affiliate masking so no 'PR' can be passed anyway.

[keano]

Would have to agree with Travel Pixel on that. Stay away from 301 redirects as affiliates won't want to have their link juice manipulated. As long as it tracks ok (the main thing), I'd stay away from trying to pass pagerank.