Google have shifted the goalposts...again.

4 replies
  • SEO
  • |
Google recently advised me that all my landing pages that my adwords ads directed too were considered bridge pages and I was slapped - every last page...

There response was that they did not want pages that were merely a 'bridge' from the ad to the merchants sales page.

My question to all affilate marketers that use adwords is "how will you overcome this"? If you advertise a clickbank product and have a pre-sell page with a click here to continue button on it...then it would seem Google are coming after you.

Apart from direct linking (which they advised was ok) how are you going to get traffic from your adwords ad to the merchants page?

I even asked if I could link directly to the merchants sales page...I would have a full blown sales page and the merchant I am with allows this but Google advised that this still violated the TOS.

As I understand it from my chats with G - either you have unique content and only the merchant can have that or you direct link or the other thing that they advised that surprised me was you could have a review page - providing your page linked to 3 - 4 different products.

I am not complaining because I believe this will strengthen my business...but it will be a problem for some.
#goalpostsagain #google #shifted
  • Profile picture of the author Steven Heron
    I think you answered your own question snapper. You can overcome this by setting up a review page, providing unique content about the product, or, as you said, direct linking.

    From my experience with PPC, setting up a review page with 3 or 4 different products leads to higher conversions anyway, so I don't really see this as being much of a problem.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[909584].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author DaveDunn
      So let me get this right...

      I can't clone a products sales pages and put it on my server and place the order button with my affiliate id?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[909627].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author snapper
        It was explained to me that you cannot have a 'middle' page unless it has unique content or it is a review page that links to 3 - 4 different sites.

        You can clone the sales page until they 'slap' you...my pages had been up for approx 12 months, but eventually they will find it I suppose.

        It has happened to a few in my niche, so I would assume that they target a particular niche if they see it happening a lot.

        What they are trying to eliminate is 10 adwords ads all leading eventually to the same sales page. The earth4energy thingy springs to mind as something that they are trying to stop as most of the adwords ads lead to 1 or 2 sites in that particular niche...at least they did when I looked at it a few months ago.

        I hear what you are saying Steven about review sites, but I don't like the concept of review sites...to me they seem unethical because I suspect that the majority of reviews are done without the reviewer actually seeing the product. That doesn't sit right with me but maybe I am just an ol fuddy duddy.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[910119].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DaveDunn
    I see what you are saying snapper

    I agree about the review sites thing, the same way I can't write or spin articles about things i have no interest in
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[910139].message }}

Trending Topics