My Xmas Strategy Is Ruined - Advice Pls!

[kookycat]

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking on WF for ages. I kinda felt I didn't have anything of value to contribute. I realise now that's a self-defeating state of mind. I'm going to get involved now

First though, I need some help. I think a little background might help. I've been seriously ill for over a decade with M.E./CFS which left me housebound & mostly bedbound. It was a hellish time, although it gave me plenty of time to think about what I want from my life & to take comfort in simple everyday joys. I am very happy to say that in August this year I found something called the Lightning Process, a technique of gaining control over my body's physiology, & I am now 90% better!! It has been like a miracle for me, like being given a second chance at life.

Over the time I've been ill I've been unable to work a j.o.b. I've received benefits from the government, but it's barely enough to live on. This is what first drew my attention to IM. Due to my health I was never able to take any consistent action. I am now, which is fantastic!

I'm really struggling financially still & thought I would try Mike Auton's PPC strategy, advertising Amazon UK products through Adwords. I spent time researching my products & keywords. I felt so positive about it, although I've never used Adwords before. But before I could run any of my campaigns Google did a random review of my account. Somehow I have violated their terms and conditions & my account had been suspended; though when I read them I couldn't see how. I emailed support to ask if they could clarify what I had done wrong. They got back to me saying they would not clarify & my account would remain suspended.

What do I do now? They wouldn't tell me whether I can do anything to fix this, or how to go about it. I am so disappointed. Does this mean I'll never be able to use Adwords? I just feel lost now. If I can't sort this then I'm not sure what my Plan B should be. I really do need to get some income coming in & I need a strategy I can focus on, but there's so many options! Please can you good people give me some advice? It would be SO hugely appreciated

Thanks in advance!
Cat

[petehols]

Hi Cat

Firstly if this is your first adventure in IM i would probably suggest not to try adwords. If you do it wrong you could end up losing a lot of money. Firstly start with free methods like bum marketing and start building up some income then consider using adwords.

With regards to the adwords situation at the moment a lot of people have had their account suspended in the big google slap that keeps happening. They seem to be targetting one page lander sites. It is hard to tell what has happened without knowing more info.

Pete

[tryinhere]

well all you can do is write again to ad words and seek some resolution but i very much doubt you will get that account back.

your not making any sense when you say you have never used ad words before, yet they found your account violated terms before anything was run ? i am at a loss of how an empty account can cause a violation. if that did happen you must have a good case to argue ? maybe you could expand

[kookycat]

Originally Posted by tryinhere

well all you can do is write again to ad words and seek some resolution but i very much doubt you will get that account back.

your not making any sense when you say you have never used ad words before, yet they found your account violated terms before anything was run ? i am at a loss of how an empty account can cause a violation. if that did happen you must have a good case to argue ? maybe you could expand

Hi tryinhere,

Adwords have explicitly told me not to email them again, which seems a tad harsh! When I say I hadn't used Adwords before, I've never run a campaign before. But in preparing to do this strategy I had loaded up my campaign & ad groups with keywords, I just hadn't run enabled any of it because of the review. I thought in a day or two I'd be up & running. *Sigh* Never mind, such is life sometimes!!

[Sara Young]

There are many other ways to get visitors to your site. Adwords is just one of them. In this business if you hit a brick wall, you just need to find another way.

So find another strategy to follow and go with that.

[tryinhere]

So your saying your brand new at adwords, done nothing but loaded your first campaign, and wham bam its all over red rover ?

what can i ask did you have as your product and was this a direct link or a land page ? if so what type of land page was it

[kookycat]

Originally Posted by petehols

Hi Cat

Firstly if this is your first adventure in IM i would probably suggest not to try adwords. If you do it wrong you could end up losing a lot of money. Firstly start with free methods like bum marketing and start building up some income then consider using adwords.

With regards to the adwords situation at the moment a lot of people have had their account suspended in the big google slap that keeps happening. They seem to be targetting one page lander sites. It is hard to tell what has happened without knowing more info.

Pete

Hi Pete,

Yeah, I think maybe this is a blessing in disguise!! I certainly can't afford to lose ££. It's just frustrating when you think you have a strategy worked out & spend time doing the research only for it to fail at the starting blocks!

How would you suggest I use bum marketing? I know a little about it & I think I'm a reasonable writer, but not very clear exactly how to monetize it?

Thanks!

[SusanneUK]

Hi Kat

Well done by the way, keep up the positive attitude

Possible solution, how about trying Yahoo Search Marketing, they are ok with Amazon affiliate product sites, I know because I am running one myself right now, here is the link to check it out:

Yahoo! Search Marketing UK

I think but am not certain that google adwords are not keen on affiliate marketing with adwords.

Good luck, don't give up, plenty of things you can keep trying.

Sue

[kookycat]

Originally Posted by tryinhere

So your saying your brand new at adwords, done nothing but loaded your first campaign, and wham bam its all over red rover ?

what can i ask did you have as your product and was this a direct link or a land page ? if so what type of land page was it

My products were cameras being sold by Amazon UK & I was direct linking to the Amazon page for the product.

[tryinhere]

Originally Posted by kookycat

My products were cameras being sold by Amazon UK & I was direct linking to the Amazon page for the product.

mm ok I dont think i am surprised by anything anymore when it comes to G , anyway some good help and advice here, all the best moving forward.

[kookycat]

Originally Posted by SusanneUK

Hi Kat

Well done by the way, keep up the positive attitude

Possible solution, how about trying Yahoo Search Marketing, they are ok with Amazon affiliate product sites, I know because I am running one myself right now, here is the link to check it out:

Yahoo! Search Marketing UK

I think but am not certain that google adwords are not keen on affiliate marketing with adwords.

Good luck, don't give up, plenty of things you can keep trying.

Sue

Thanks Sue,

I'll try Yahoo! The thing that puzzles me is I see plenty of Ads direct linking to Amazon UK. I just wish I knew what I'd done wrong! I followed the manual from Google Wealth Magnet so carefully.

[petehols]

Hi Cat

There are unlimited ways to get free traffic to your sites or links. Have a look at my blog in my signature. This will give you some great ideas on how to start and if there is anything else you need you can just post or read here or drop me an email.

Pete

[SusanneUK]

Originally Posted by kookycat

Thanks Sue,

I'll try Yahoo! The thing that puzzles me is I see plenty of Ads direct linking to Amazon UK. I just wish I knew what I'd done wrong! I followed the manual from Google Wealth Magnet so carefully.

Well who knows when it comes to the Big G!

Anyway, might be worth looking into YSM as you have already done the research so possibly just a matter of switching.

Don't forget to set a daily limit so you don't end up losing your shirt

Cheers
Sue

[kookycat]

Just wondering, could someone pls clarify; is that it for me & Adwords? There's no way I can get my account out of suspension? It's just that at some point in the future at any rate I would probably want to use it if possible... Or should I just cancel my account & try to get my money back?

Thanks so much all for your help & advice

[sbucciarel]

I tried Adwords when I was new and lost a boatload of money. Quickly gave it up. I work on backlinks and good rankings in the search engine for natural Google traffic. Google images also helps traffic for me if you use great images in your sites. Not as targeted as a good Adwords campaign, but certainly cheaper.

Did you use trademarked terms in your Adwords campaign? That's one reason that Google suspends accounts, but I'm sure they have a lot of reasons.

[Frank Donovan]

Originally Posted by kookycat

My products were cameras being sold by Amazon UK & I was direct linking to the Amazon page for the product.

Hi Cat

As an aside, you should check with Amazon before considering any more direct linking campaigns using PPC, whether it's Adwords or YSM.

In July, Amazon.co.uk changed their affiliate terms regarding such advertising - so you may not have been paid in any case.


Frank

[Glenn Leader]

If you get your account reinstated, I
would be inclined to drive the traffic
to a subscription signup page, and
onto the product you're selling. You
now have the chance to sell to your
subscribers over and over again.

HTH

Glenn

[garyv]

There are a million and one ways to make money online, and the best lesson you can learn is to not put all of your eggs into one basket. So this is a great first lesson in diversity. Just keep your positive attitude and plug away at the other million ways to make money. Good luck.

[cashcow]

Direct linking to Amazon products isn't allowed so that's probably why the suspended your account.

You'd think they would give people a second chance, but it sounds like they aren't going to. I guess when you think about it, there are so many people trying to get around the rules (I don't mean you, I mean people who purposely violate the rules) that they just can't spend the time to weed out those that made an honest mistake.

Anyway, you could try one of the other PPC places or article marketing, but I noticed you said:

I am very happy to say that in August this year I found something called the Lightning Process, a technique of gaining control over my body's physiology, & I am now 90% better!!

This is pretty astounding, there are probably a lot of other people in your shoes who would love to know about this method. Is it something you can promote as an affiliate or maybe you can make your own guide (without violating any of their secrets or terms, of course)?

Seems like you would do a lot better with this than with Amazon given your first hand experience.

Lee

[Jesus Perez]

Originally Posted by cashcow

Direct linking to Amazon products isn't allowed so that's probably why the suspended your account.

Lee

That's the reason why. Listen to Glenn Leaders advice above...he's onto something *big*.

[Kim Standerline]

lol there is nothing so hidden as that which is under your nose, what a super idea

Kim

Originally Posted by cashcow

This is pretty astounding, there are probably a lot of other people in your shoes who would love to know about this method. Is it something you can promote as an affiliate or maybe you can make your own guide (without violating any of their secrets or terms, of course)?

Seems like you would do a lot better with this than with Amazon given your first hand experience.

Lee

[Scott Ames]

I am so annoyed by Google's lack of good manners. Anyone that bases their entire income on Google is in for a shock one day.

[scrofford]

Google really needs to be slapped down themselves! It seems like a monopoly doesn't it? I just think that they shouldn't be allowed so much power and should be regulated somehow. I know it will never happen though.

[kookycat]

Originally Posted by cashcow

This is pretty astounding, there are probably a lot of other people in your shoes who would love to know about this method. Is it something you can promote as an affiliate or maybe you can make your own guide (without violating any of their secrets or terms, of course)?

Seems like you would do a lot better with this than with Amazon given your first hand experience.

Lee

Hi Lee!

Thanks for this! Actually, I've been hired by the woman who taught me the Lighning Process to do her marketing, & one of the things I'm going to be doing when I start in the new year is creating a free short report that people can opt into when they visit her site. Yeah, the Lightning Process has TOTALLY transformed my life, when nothing else would help, so I'm more than happy to help Jan with her marketing. Tbh, I want to shout it from the rooftops anyway! LOL. Your comment has made me think what else I might be able to do in using my experience of M.E./CFS, so thanks!

Cat

[clint48]

Maybe you should team up with the lady that helped you. You could start building a list of people that have CFS and then give the people on your list tips that will help them with CFS. Once they see the tips are working you can ask them to join in the training your lady practitioner provides. You can share the profits, I would say 50/50 would be fair.

Clint

[grandstar]

Originally Posted by kookycat

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking on WF for ages. I kinda felt I didn't have anything of value to contribute. I realise now that's a self-defeating state of mind. I'm going to get involved now

First though, I need some help. I think a little background might help. I've been seriously ill for over a decade with M.E./CFS which left me housebound & mostly bedbound. It was a hellish time, although it gave me plenty of time to think about what I want from my life & to take comfort in simple everyday joys. I am very happy to say that in August this year I found something called the Lightning Process, a technique of gaining control over my body's physiology, & I am now 90% better!! It has been like a miracle for me, like being given a second chance at life.

Over the time I've been ill I've been unable to work a j.o.b. I've received benefits from the government, but it's barely enough to live on. This is what first drew my attention to IM. Due to my health I was never able to take any consistent action. I am now, which is fantastic!

I'm really struggling financially still & thought I would try Mike Auton's PPC strategy, advertising Amazon UK products through Adwords. I spent time researching my products & keywords. I felt so positive about it, although I've never used Adwords before. But before I could run any of my campaigns Google did a random review of my account. Somehow I have violated their terms and conditions & my account had been suspended; though when I read them I couldn't see how. I emailed support to ask if they could clarify what I had done wrong. They got back to me saying they would not clarify & my account would remain suspended.

What do I do now? They wouldn't tell me whether I can do anything to fix this, or how to go about it. I am so disappointed. Does this mean I'll never be able to use Adwords? I just feel lost now. If I can't sort this then I'm not sure what my Plan B should be. I really do need to get some income coming in & I need a strategy I can focus on, but there's so many options! Please can you good people give me some advice? It would be SO hugely appreciated

Thanks in advance!
Cat

Go to graphcard.com. Register a visa card perhaps with your middle name. Their visa cards are adwords compatible. You can start your adword campaign but always check their adwords terms and conditions b4 starting any campaign!

[Iggmeister]

Originally Posted by kookycat

Thanks Sue,

I'll try Yahoo! The thing that puzzles me is I see plenty of Ads direct linking to Amazon UK

That's interesting Kooky. I dived into direct linking to Amazon recently but with my new Yahoo UK account.
Because I was a little hasty I hadn't read the terms and conditions. It turns out it was against the rules at both Amazon and Yahoo and both of them told me so.

What is interesting is that Yahoo was able to take my money for that mistake (fair enough, i guess) and NOT close me down. Whereas big G. just steps in and wipes you out. Likewise, Amazon politely pointed it out when I asked them so they took all the clicks, thank you very much and they didn't shut my account either.

Only google seems to behave that way.

[bradsemp]

Hi Cat -

First off - I'm so happy to hear about the improvement with your health! That is an awesome story and so exciting to hear that you have been able to use it to reflect on what you want in life, etc.

I'd like to offer our help.....feel free to check out our Cashmap site (link in sig) and thumb through our 50+ Cashmap products. You can download Strategy Cashmaps for free. But once you've had the chance to review the various Cashmap packages, PM me and we'll get you access to some packages that will get you started on the right foot!

To System Success,
Brad

[DogScout]

Google has gone mad

There is no other explanation I can think of. They have suspended million dollar accounts with no explanation and sent the same email you got about not emailing them anymore.

I would just forget it and start implementing the many great ideas you got from people replying to you message.


You can argue with crazy people, but you will always lose.

[Iggmeister]

Originally Posted by DogScout

Google has gone mad

...
You can argue with crazy people, but you will always lose.

Beautifully put. I shall use that one.

Kooky, dogscout is right. The game isn't over, you just went down 1-0 in the first minute. There are a lot of people making money without Google. In fact everything I read suggests marketers are abandoning Google in their droves. Just change the strategy, there seems to be a lot of sound advice in this forum.

Iggy.

[Benjamin Ehinger]

Great to hear you are doing better. I would recommend avoiding adwords until you have some money coming in to work with. If you don't do it right it can eat up your budget very fast and since you got suspended from google anyway you need an alternative.

You can start some article marketing and free methods that can give you some cash pretty quickly. You have skills you can use and you just need to figure out what they are and how to use them. You could even write about the recovery process you went through, how it was, and different aspects of that and forward your articles to an adsense site or a site with products that might help someone going through something similar.

Benjamin

[Nick Brighton]

Forget paying for traffic when you're broke. Google will win everytime.

It can take months to master, refine, test and tweak a profitable Adwords campaign, and you need a large budget to find out what works.

I would offer services to keep the wolves from the door, and then create a report which tells people how to be a successful freelancer.

Leverage what you have, or can get hold of easily, then scale up to the bigger toys once you've got credit and breathing space.