Adwords Affiliate Marketing & Google's rules

Duy Khanh Nguyen

7 years ago

affiliate is long-term, i think you should use SEO instead

Thanks

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Leontyping

7 years ago

Hi, thanks for the reply.
I can't do SEO because it's an affiliate product and i do not have a review page or mini site yet.
First want to find out if it needs a small site or review page to keep google happy before I create one.

Just need some advice from someone who has tried it or have experience with it

Regards

Thanks

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dburk

7 years ago

Hi Leontyping,

AdWords policy is the same for all advertisers, regardless whether you are an affiliate marketer or not.

There are a few things to consider whenever you use AdWords, or any other ad platform for that matter, to market other people's products. As the advertiser, AdWords will hold you responsible for all activities of the merchant that you affiliate with, so chose your affiliations carefully. You cannot say to AdWords "it wasn't me... it was the my affiliate that did it." That doesn't fly at AdWords. When you advertise a product you have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure that your affiliate is following all laws, rules, and policies that might apply.

Affiliate marketing advertising can be split into two broad categories.

Direct linking ads to affiliate merchant's offer pages.
Advertising your own landing pages.

The key concept you must understand to avoid a "Bridge Page" status is that whatever it is that you are advertising must be found and offered on the same website that is used for the ad's landing page.

With direct linking to merchant's website you should advertise the product found on the merchants landing page.

When advertising your own landing pages you must advertise only products or services found for sale on your website. Affiliate links can also be present, but you are not permitted to redirect or link users to another website as the only way to find the offer page for the product or service that was advertised.

So, when using your own website you could create a sales offer page on your website, and simply use the affiliate network's website for the checkout process, or advertise something you offer on your own website while at the same time including links to affiliate offers on related products, or simply build a list that you can later use for email campaigns that include affiliate offers.

HTH,

Don Burk

Thanks
2 replies

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Mneha 7 years ago

https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/6008942
I think this URL can help you.
- Thanks
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Leontyping

7 years ago

Originally Posted by dburk

The key concept you must understand to avoid a "Bridge Page" status is that whatever it is that you are advertising must be found and offered on the same website that is used for the ad's landing page.

With direct linking to merchant's website you should advertise the product found on the merchants landing page.

When advertising your own landing pages you must advertise only products or services found for sale on your website. Affiliate links can also be present, but you are not permitted to redirect or link users to another website as the only way to find the offer page for the product or service that was advertised.

So, when using your own website you could create a sales offer page on your website, and simply use the affiliate network's website for the checkout process, or advertise something you offer on your own website while at the same time including links to affiliate offers on related products, or simply build a list that you can later use for email campaigns that include affiliate offers.

HTH,

Don Burk

#1. So how would I direct traffic from my ad directly to the affiliate product? Keep in mind my affiliate link has to be inserted in this process.

#2. Are you saying it would be fine to create a page with some content of say "3 foods to boost metabolism", then a email form if they want an Ebook with extra info, and then the sales video that the affiliate provides (to have on your own site if you want) with the buy button pointing to the merchants order form?

#3. Would google's spiders not be able to crawl through the order form and find the thank you page with downloadable content sits on a different domain then mine?

#4. If I create my own product in 6 months time, would it be fine to direct my ads to my own sales video? (This is just like amazon's product that show as an image ad that directs to there product page to buy - so it should actually be fine). Or do i HAVE TO give content on my ad's destination page? Lots of physical product ads don't give content, just a drill to buy for example.

PLEASE TRY and answer the questions by numbers like i asked them.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

Thanks
1 reply

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dburk

7 years ago

Originally Posted by Leontyping

#1. So how would I direct traffic from my ad directly to the affiliate product? Keep in mind my affiliate link has to be inserted in this process.

Hi Leontyping,

The simplest way is to simply include your affiliate link as the Final URL. A slightly better way is to use the tracking template feature and include your affiliate id parameter as custom value track parameter at the campaign level:

{lpurl}?affliate-id=xxxxxxx

You would only need to add this in one place, at the campaign level, and it will get automatically appended to every ad in that campaign.

Originally Posted by Leontyping

#2. Are you saying it would be fine to create a page with some content of say "3 foods to boost metabolism", then a email form if they want an Ebook with extra info, and then the sales video that the affiliate provides (to have on your own site if you want) with the buy button pointing to the merchants order form?

Yes, other offers are fine as long as the page content meets all of AdWords advertising policies, and whatever you were advertising can be found on the same website as the landing page URL.

Originally Posted by Leontyping

#3. Would google's spiders not be able to crawl through the order form and find the thank you page with downloadable content sits on a different domain then mine?

Of course they can, however there is no policy that requires the checkout domain must be on the same domain as the offer page. It is quite common for people to be redirect to a 3rd party checkout service and this is definitely permitted under AdWords rules.

Originally Posted by Leontyping

#4. If I create my own product in 6 months time, would it be fine to direct my ads to my own sales video? (This is just like amazon's product that show as an image ad that directs to there product page to buy - so it should actually be fine). Or do i HAVE TO give content on my ad's destination page? Lots of physical product ads don't give content, just a drill to buy for example.

There is no requirement on content length, nor on content format: video, images text, it is all good. As long as it is clear what is being offered and all other AdWords policies are met you can be as short and sweet as you want to be. For example a product name. a picture, and a price with an obvious buy now button is all your really need for ecommerce website.

Just bear in mind that the video content and image content must all meet the same editorial guidelines and policies of written text. All videos will be reviewed by human reviewers that will check the video content for policy compliance.

HTH,

Don Burk

Thanks

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* Don Burk Advertising & Marketing - www.donburk.com

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LucidWebMarketing

7 years ago

#1 You simply use the link given to you which has your unique info and put it in the final URL part of your ad. That's what you do on your page, now you just bypass going to your page directly to the affiliate from your ad.

#2 Exactly.

#3 Yes. So what's your point? They don't care.

Thanks
1 reply

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Leontyping

7 years ago

Originally Posted by LucidWebMarketing

#1 You simply use the link given to you which has your unique info and put it in the final URL part of your ad. That's what you do on your page, now you just bypass going to your page directly to the affiliate from your ad.

#2 Exactly.

#3 Yes. So what's your point? They don't care.

Would #1. still work if the destination page is a sales video with a buy button?
Would this not be a page with no unique content (one of the rules)?

Thanks

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LucidWebMarketing

7 years ago

Just a video and button may be considered thin content. As long as all other rules are followed, there should be no problem.

Thanks

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