ryanman

I went on to review their site guidelines again and noticed something I didn't really notice closely before-

Relevance:

• Users should be able to easily find what your ad promises.
• Link to the page on your site that provides the most useful information about the product or service in your ad. For instance, direct users to the page where they can buy the advertised product, rather than to a page with a description of several products.

"rather than to a page with a description of several products."

So as you can see they always told you only to point them to a page where they can buy instead of a description of several products. Yet not many noticed. This is not something new...They always had it in their guidelines.

Adbeat

google doesn't have a problem with review sites. consumer reports and consumersearch.com are both big content network advertisers and they are both giant review sites.

Google has a problem with BS, and the fact is most affiliate review sites are BS. Google realizes this and they are finally doing something about it.

korum98

BS meaning "I've never bought or used the product but I'm going to give you a review anyway so you can click and buy it and get me some affiliate commission."

ChrisBa

"rather than to a page with a description of several products." is not review sites.. that's a page with just a description of products and no reviews

ryanman

They haven't directly used the term review...But that's exactly what they mean. Google has never been direct with what they like and what they dislike.

Adway

??? I think if Google was against the idea of review websites, they would have done a lot more than simply put a few words into TOS. I don't think what Google says there is targeting review sites.

"rather than to a page with a description of several products."

I think its saying that its best to direct a consumer to a page explaining/selling one product instead of a bunch of products that might not be relevant to what the searcher is looking for.

Makes more sense to me....

ryanman

Well then 90% of review sites all over the internet are based on fake reviews. An affiliate sells products from all sorts of niches...Now if he is selling acne creams or grow your hair oils doesn't mean he personally tried it yet he still writes a review on it.

Jason Dolman

Big difference between Consumer Reports and ConsumerSearch.com and the type of review sites being slapped... the affiliate review sites do not disclose the associations they have with the products/offer being reviewed.

This is the problem Google is having... these affiliate review sites, fake blogs, and fake new sites are endorsing these offers, but not disclosing the fact they earn commissions from their recommendations.

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/11/P03452...mentguides.pdf

Have fun reading that one... I know I did.



Jason

ChrisBa

this is why it's best to be google free