• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 25, 2010

Assisting publishers with their affiliate partnerships, content monetization startup Skimlinks on Friday debuted a new product that automates their often-times arduous execution.

Still in beta, SkimWords creates new affiliate links by automatically converting product references in editorial and user-generated content into geotargeted links directing consumers to specific purchase points.

UK-based Skimlinks has been working with existing clients including, ITProPortal, AV Forums and Anglersnet over the past month to develop the product. During these initial trials, SkimWords claims to have increased the number of pages that can generate revenue by 300%. The degree to which the product increases publisher affiliate revenue is not clear.

For its efforts, meanwhile, Skimlinks takes a reported 25% cut of the affiliate fee. The SkimWords Beta is now open to all existing SkimLinks publishers, as well as other sites with a focus on several predefined verticals, including technology/electronics, sport/ lifestyle, automotive, and fashion.

Skimlinks CEO and co-founder Alicia Navarro believes he has found the secret formula for successful affiliate linking. "Being non-intrusive, transparent and relevant is key to the future of monetizing content," said Navarro. "We designed SkimWords to benefit all parts of the value chain."

To date, Skimlinks has raised roughly $2.5 million from investors including Sussex Place Ventures, the Acceleration Group and the UK's National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

The Skimlinks platform currently supports thousands of merchants across more than 22 affiliate networks internationally, while publishers using the system include Hachette Filipacchi Media US, Mirror.co.uk, and Future Publishing UK.

Earlier this year, Skimlinks rival VigLink reported an $800,000 funding round that it raised last summer, which was led by First Round Capital and Google Ventures, along with a number of angel investors including Reid Hoffman, Dipchand Nishar, Niel Robertson, Hadi Partovi, Ali Partovi, Carlos Cashman, and Micah Adler.