Google crackdown on Affiliates..Now what?

[Linda Buquet]

This is a REALLY important article to read and relates to the WebmastWorld thread Seascape linked to in the post above.

I posted this in some other forums and apologize, I meant to add it here earlier.

In the recent round of Google slaps that were supposedly about landing page quality - AdwordsAdvisor (supposedly an official Google rep) explained what the slap was really about and it was geared toward certain types of affiliate sites, not so much landing pages or quality scores.

Click the link below and read the whole thing!

Google Mass Bans & Warns AdWords Advertisers, But Why?

Certain kinds of websites (ref1) are not allowed per our policies because the user experience is of low quality or we consistently receive negative feedback from our users about these kinds of pages. These sites include:

* Data collection sites that offer the false promise of free items, etc., in order to collect private information.

* Arbitrage sites that are designed for the purpose of showing ads

* Affiliates who provide limited value by being a bridge page with the intent of solely driving traffic to another site or who are framing an affiliate site

[Seascape]

Thanks Linda. (What other forums are you following with this news?) Someone has now posted on page 8 of the webmasterworld thread an update to Google's LP quality guidelines which now says:

Are there any types of website that merit low landing page quality scores? - AdWords Help

Affiliate sites that the primary purpose of which is to drive traffic to another site with a different domain

This kinda jives with Sheri's problem. The Google reviewer would have been OK with her selling cat products from within her domain, but it was sending people to another affiliate domain that they didn't like.

What does this bode for using Google adwords for affiliate marketing? I mean, the whole POINT is to ultimately send customers to another domain!

[Joseph Ratliff]

I think the bottom line here is...yep I'm gonna say it...analyze your business for what search engines can consider shortcuts.

Big-G is in business to provide value for searchers and advertisers...if you create something like a one-page site that doesn't accomplish what Big-G wants...they will penalize you.

People can say Google is "doing the wrong thing" or "has it in for affiliates" or "hypocritical"...but guess what...it's their business.

They aren't the only game in town people. Put a few other marketing measures into place, build a more valuable site for YOUR visitors (forget G)...and heck, you might make EVEN MORE money.

[minstrel]

I agree with most of what you said, Joseph...

Originally Posted by Joseph Ratliff

They aren't the only game in town people.

Perhaps not, but they are 70% plus of the tournament. I for one would love to see that change but you can't ignore Google's "rules" with impunity.

[Joseph Ratliff]

Originally Posted by minstrel

Perhaps not, but they are 70% plus of the tournament. I for one would love to see that change but you can't ignore Google's "rules" with impunity.

I wouldn't suggest that at all (ignoring Google totally), in fact, the last thing I mentioned would (hopefully) comply with Google's rules in ALL cases...

build a more valuable site for YOUR visitors

But...they only have a 70% hold of the search market...not the offline advertising market, not the article marketing market, and certainly not the joint ventures market (leveraging others assets for traffic)...etc...etc...

I agree with you wholeheartedly though minstrel...you can't totally ignore Google...nor should you...because they do have control of part of the game.

I guess I just went off the deep end.

[minstrel]

All quite true...

As I used to say to my youngest son, when you're right you're right... and when you're wrong you're right...