Google hates Affiliate sites?

by stepiw
61 replies
So I had a store that was selling actual products directly. I ranked it in top 3 super easy within 2 weeks. Then I decided to make that site an affliate site. I left everything intact, except I put "Buy on Amazon" affiliate buttons instead of "Add to cart" buttons. And what do you know, in 4 or 5 days I got an email from Google Webmaster Tools saying that my site doesn't meet Google guidelines.

"Specifically, we detected low-quality pages on your site which do not provide substantially unique content or added value. Examples could include thin affiliate pages, doorway pages, automatically generated content, or copied content."

After that my site moved from top 3 results to the 3rd page and I can't rank it higher no matter how much SEO I do.

My site does indeed use copy pasted descriptions from Amazon, but as I said it was doing just great when it was selling actual products and didn't touch affiliate programs.

I know there's a lot of smart experienced people here. What do I do now? If I rewrite product descriptions, will that be enough?
#affiliate #google #hates #sites
  • Profile picture of the author larryboy03
    It mainly comes down to content, it doesn't matter if you have amazon products or links on the site. I made a niche site a week ago and put 3 unique quality articles on the site then put a privacy and contact page. I then put amazon affiliate links around the pages and my site was indexed on page 4 now its on page 1 ranking at position 7, moving up slowly.

    You probably didnt have enough unique content and you should NEVER copy anything, keep everything unique. It will have been your content that has let you down.

    Regards
    Larry
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    • Profile picture of the author BackLinkiT
      Originally Posted by larryboy03 View Post

      I made a niche site a week ago and put 3 unique quality articles on the site then put a privacy and contact page. I then put amazon affiliate links around the pages and my site was indexed on page 4 now its on page 1 ranking at position 7, moving up slowly.
      Enjoy it while it lasts, matey! I think Google will catch up with you in 5 to 6 weeks at most...
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      • Profile picture of the author Chiayee
        Originally Posted by BackLinkiT View Post

        Enjoy it while it lasts, matey! I think Google will catch up with you in 5 to 6 weeks at most...
        why did you say so?
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        Nothing to see here

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        • Profile picture of the author BackLinkiT
          Originally Posted by Chiayee View Post

          why did you say so?
          Simply because that is how long Google appears to be taking at the moment to find and whack thin affiliate sites...their honeymoon is soon over.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vanilla Gorilla
    I've noticed that a lot of pages that link to their articles.
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  • Profile picture of the author eshoppingez
    No, Google doesn't have affiliate sites. Just add more quality articles. Basically, they are saying that your site doesn't have enough content and is filled with affiliate links. Adding more content would definitely get you back up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anton543
    Its not surprising, is it? By definition, affilaite sites are in it to make money. You only need to read affiliate reviews to see this. How often do yous see an affilaite talking down a review. If they do, they won't make sales. Google cannot consider that good content. Google likes sites that are good quality, and impartial. Having a review here and there on an otherwise impartial site won't hurt, but if its an affiliate site, you are probably better off looking at other methods of promotion.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Fool
    You're surprised by this?

    If you have a business that solely relies on Google for traffic/income...then you're in deep trouble and WILL get the hammer at some point...one way or another.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
    First off I always advise my students that ORIGINAL UNIQUE CONTENT IS KING and if you dont write it yourself or cant then pay to have reviews and articles written for you.

    You can get a good review article written for just $5 and if your not prepared to invest in your business to grow it then you cannot expect to grow.

    Secondly I NEVER use Google anlytics , why would I give google free access to my site to slap me if I am doing something wrong, you are basically giving them every bit of info about your site and full access to it.

    Always shorten and cloak your long Amazon links (i use pretty link free) make sure it is no follow link (can be done in Pretty link) this stops the spiders from following any link to see where it goes.

    I say that but if all you are using is scraped content and nothing original Google has every right to slap you because you are not providing anything NEW of value.

    Automated scrapers have a use but your site must have the majority of content that is unique and original and then supplement it with a few posts sporadically with automated scrapers so your site is seen as adding regular content on a regular basis.

    The days of gaming google with poor quality sites are coming to en end so why not just give them what they want IT JUST MAKES SENSE.

    Kickin it on Amazon

    Gaz Cooper
    Amz Training Academy
    Signature

    Beginners Guide to getting started in CRYPTO, FREE Ebook on a Massive Opportunity as the World shifts to Digital payment http://amzauthorityzone.com

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    • Profile picture of the author MrMonetize
      Originally Posted by Gaz Cooper View Post

      Secondly I NEVER use Google anlytics , why would I give google free access to my site to slap me if I am doing something wrong, you are basically giving them every bit of info about your site and full access to it.

      Always shorten and cloak your long Amazon links (i use pretty link free) make sure it is no follow link (can be done in Pretty link) this stops the spiders from following any link to see where it goes.
      Two solid bits of advice I adhere to as well. Im a massive fan of Piwik Analytics which I recommend. And I also use Pretty Links in WP, and straight forward PHP redirects for YouTube and other stuff.
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    • Profile picture of the author onSubie
      Originally Posted by Gaz Cooper View Post

      Always shorten and cloak your long Amazon links (i use pretty link free) make sure it is no follow link (can be done in Pretty link) this stops the spiders from following any link to see where it goes.
      Any link 'cloaking ' like this doesn't work to hide affiliate links from Google. The spiders still follow and check the destination URL and see it is an affiliate link.

      And adding "no follow" just means they don't pass PR, it doesn't mean spiders (and Google) don't look at the destination URL.

      These methods of cloaking are mostly for human viewers so they don't see a long scammy looking URL.

      To hide from spiders, you need a cloaking tool that actually removes the links from the HTML code so the spiders can't see a link to follow but humans can still see one to click.

      There are simple tools and plugins that do this or you can do it using CSS which spiders don't read.

      Mahlon
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    • Profile picture of the author bgva
      Originally Posted by Gaz Cooper View Post

      Always shorten and cloak your long Amazon links (i use pretty link free) make sure it is no follow link (can be done in Pretty link) this stops the spiders from following any link to see where it goes.
      I believe spiders follow nofollow links, they just don't index the linked-to pages (or don't pass link juice if the pages were already indexed). One of the methods I use to hide affiliate links is to make a folder and put an .htaccess file there with redirects for all my ref links. I then disallow access to that folder in robots.txt. The spiders from all the major SEs abide by the robots.txt file and don't follow the links.
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      • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
        Originally Posted by bgva View Post

        The spiders from all the major SEs abide by the robots.txt file and don't follow the links.
        Let me correct that for you ...

        The spiders from all the major SE's ignore the robots.txt file ...

        You can look at your own web stats program. Google is a major offender.

        .
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  • Profile picture of the author SEOExpert999
    Yea you have to make the content original I got hit with the same thing years ago I was spending about 11,500 a year in adwords as well and they shut my whole account down and I was make real good money. I had to really learn SEO and making content king the hard way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    Let me tell you a short story.

    A few years ago I was looking into buying a DSLR camera and the choice came down to Nikon and Canon...

    Started to search for reviews. Now the G.guy was smart enough to offer on the first page a site that had many reviews. I mean real f*cking good, no: excellent reviews - 6-9 pages, explaining all the technical details, showing photos etc.
    They were not written by some casual affiliates who appointed themselves as "experts" overnight. No, they were written by a pro photographer.

    And at the end of the fantastic review there was a respectful request: please, consider buying it through my affiliate link(s)... with aff links to some major retailers.

    To be honest, I felt awful because being in Canada (and he was offering US sites) I couldn't buy the camera through his links. I felt bad because of it. You got it? Have a site that makes the visitor/reader feel bad if they don't buy via your link.

    Then even the big G might put you on page #1, without all the seo hocus-pocus BS :p
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    • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Let me tell you a short story.

      A few years ago I was looking into buying a DSLR camera and the choice came down to Nikon and Canon...

      Started to search for reviews. Now the G.guy was smart enough to offer on the first page a site that had many reviews. I mean real f*cking good, no: excellent reviews - 6-9 pages, explaining all the technical details, showing photos etc.
      They were not written by some casual affiliates who appointed themselves as "experts" overnight. No, they were written by a pro photographer.

      And at the end of the fantastic review there was a respectful request: please, consider buying it through my affiliate link(s)... with aff links to some major retailers.

      To be honest, I felt awful because being in Canada (and he was offering US sites) I couldn't buy the camera through his links. I felt bad because of it. You got it? Have a site that makes the visitor/reader feel bad if they don't buy via your link.

      Then even the big G might put you on page #1, without all the seo hocus-pocus BS :p
      Excellent post Istvan

      Which is exactly why I tell my students to pick something they have an honest interest in and have knowledge about because not only will you come across better, you will have a solid knowledge base and it will actually be fun to put review sites together.

      Being a Scuba Diver for nigh on 30 years when I see a site based around that niche I can instantly tell if the person is a real diver or they are just articles thrown together by someone who knows nothing about the sport and at that point I click away if I am looking for real in depth info.

      Kickin it on Amazon

      Gaz Cooper
      Amz Training Academy
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      • Profile picture of the author onSubie
        Originally Posted by Gaz Cooper View Post

        Which is exactly why I tell my students to pick something they have an honest interest in and have knowledge about because not only will you come across better, you will have a solid knowledge base and it will actually be fun to put review sites together.
        You point (earlier) about hiring a good writer if you are not knowledgeable or skilled at writing is really important. As you said, for $5 you can find pretty good review writers.

        I remember when I first got some great articles from a particularly good writer who was new and cheap. I was so excited, I couldn't wait to get them all formatted and uploaded with images.

        Receiving a really well written article sure motivates more than staring at a blank screen trying to figure out how to make lawn chair umbrellas exciting.



        Mahlon
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    • Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Let me tell you a short story.

      A few years ago I was looking into buying a DSLR camera and the choice came down to Nikon and Canon...

      Started to search for reviews. Now the G.guy was smart enough to offer on the first page a site that had many reviews. I mean real f*cking good, no: excellent reviews - 6-9 pages, explaining all the technical details, showing photos etc.
      They were not written by some casual affiliates who appointed themselves as "experts" overnight. No, they were written by a pro photographer.

      And at the end of the fantastic review there was a respectful request: please, consider buying it through my affiliate link(s)... with aff links to some major retailers.

      To be honest, I felt awful because being in Canada (and he was offering US sites) I couldn't buy the camera through his links. I felt bad because of it. You got it? Have a site that makes the visitor/reader feel bad if they don't buy via your link.

      Then even the big G might put you on page #1, without all the seo hocus-pocus BS :p
      Reviewed.com do this. Reviews written out over several pages. Infact here's an example of what the pages include for a Flat Screen TV:

      Page 1
      Design
      A semi-thin plasma TV with traditional port placement, spruced up by a newer stand design.
      Read More...
      Page 2
      Performance
      Great color integrity and a huge viewing angle are sure to please.
      Read More...
      Page 3
      3D
      Samsung's 2012 TVs are making use of crisp, crosstalk-free 3D technology.
      Read More...
      Page 4
      Software & Internet
      Samsung's 2012 menus are decent, and the all-inclusive Smart Hub is still the best smart platform available.
      Read More...
      Page 5
      Conclusion
      Read our final conclusion of the Samsung PN51E8000.
      Read More...
      Page 6
      Series Comparison
      Read about the difference between the models in the PNxxE8000 series
      Read More...
      Page 7
      Photo Gallery
      See photos of the Samsung PN51E8000
      Read More...
      Page 8
      Comments

      Which is awesome. Doesn't always have to be pages long, especially if the product doesn't have much you can speak about, however, it should always cover what the consumer needs to know to make the right choice, whether that is to buy it or walk away.
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    • Profile picture of the author Vikram73
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      To be honest, I felt awful because being in Canada (and he was offering US sites) I couldn't buy the camera through his links. I felt bad because of it. You got it? Have a site that makes the visitor/reader feel bad if they don't buy via your link.

      Then even the big G might put you on page #1, without all the seo hocus-pocus BS :p
      This is golden advice. You need to help customers so much they feel indebted to you.
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    • Profile picture of the author ashloren
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      Let me tell you a short story.

      A few years ago I was looking into buying a DSLR camera and the choice came down to Nikon and Canon...

      Started to search for reviews. Now the G.guy was smart enough to offer on the first page a site that had many reviews. I mean real f*cking good, no: excellent reviews - 6-9 pages, explaining all the technical details, showing photos etc.
      They were not written by some casual affiliates who appointed themselves as "experts" overnight. No, they were written by a pro photographer.

      And at the end of the fantastic review there was a respectful request: please, consider buying it through my affiliate link(s)... with aff links to some major retailers.

      To be honest, I felt awful because being in Canada (and he was offering US sites) I couldn't buy the camera through his links. I felt bad because of it. You got it? Have a site that makes the visitor/reader feel bad if they don't buy via your link.

      Then even the big G might put you on page #1, without all the seo hocus-pocus BS :p
      ^^^^^
      This, this and this again!

      But when you stop to think about it, how wonderful for affiliates who are the real freakin' deal that 90% of the others will never have the motivation, determination or style to put that kind of effort into ranking well...don't you think?
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  • Profile picture of the author stepiw
    Where do you find those $5 writers? I posted a job offer on Elance, bu they seem to want $25 per 1000 word product description.
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    • Profile picture of the author dash0205
      Have you tried Freelancer.com?
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      I am bent to provide more value to the marketplace. Connect with me via my Blog YOU CAN CLICK HERE
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    • Profile picture of the author MrMonetize
      Originally Posted by stepiw View Post

      Where do you find those $5 writers? I posted a job offer on Elance, bu they seem to want $25 per 1000 word product description.
      I'm going to take stab at this, Fiverr..
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    • Profile picture of the author Anton543
      Originally Posted by stepiw View Post

      Where do you find those $5 writers? I posted a job offer on Elance, bu they seem to want $25 per 1000 word product description.
      Write it yourself or pay the higher price. Do not fill the net with $5 articles. No one is going to write a high quality piece for $5.
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      • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
        Originally Posted by Anton543 View Post

        Write it yourself or pay the higher price. Do not fill the net with $5 articles. No one is going to write a high quality piece for $5.
        Your very wrong there Anton I pay $5 per article for my writer and they do an EXCELLENT job and I keep them full time churning out articles. Took me a while to find the right one but you can find them and when you do lock them in.

        Kickin it on Amazon

        Gaz Cooper
        Amz Training Academy
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        Beginners Guide to getting started in CRYPTO, FREE Ebook on a Massive Opportunity as the World shifts to Digital payment http://amzauthorityzone.com

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        • Profile picture of the author cbjack
          Originally Posted by Gaz Cooper View Post

          Your very wrong there Anton I pay $5 per article for my writer and they do an EXCELLENT job and I keep them full time churning out articles. Took me a while to find the right one but you can find them and when you do lock them in.

          Kickin it on Amazon

          Gaz Cooper
          Amz Training Academy

          Where to find a good writer? :confused:
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          • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
            Originally Posted by cbjack View Post

            Where to find a good writer? :confused:
            Odesk.com
            iwriter.com

            right here on Warrior Forum in Warriors for hire classifeds just check them out and see their examples they all show an example of their work.

            Gaz Cooper
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            Beginners Guide to getting started in CRYPTO, FREE Ebook on a Massive Opportunity as the World shifts to Digital payment http://amzauthorityzone.com

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          • Profile picture of the author Sparkreflection
            Originally Posted by cbjack View Post

            Where to find a good writer? :confused:
            I know one, I hired him and I've got very good articles for $5. Just PM me if you are interested.
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        • Profile picture of the author Anton543
          Originally Posted by Gaz Cooper View Post

          Your very wrong there Anton I pay $5 per article for my writer and they do an EXCELLENT job and I keep them full time churning out articles. Took me a while to find the right one but you can find them and when you do lock them in.

          Kickin it on Amazon

          Gaz Cooper
          Amz Training Academy
          Do you seriously think a person writing an article for $5 will put the necessary research time into the article? He/she will probably rehash it.

          Then again, you never know. If they are in a country where $5 is the equivalent to $20, I suppose they could put the time and effort in, but someone living in the West will find it very difficult to work for that.
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  • Profile picture of the author dash0205
    Content is your power, regardless! Posting high quality, relevant (to your niche) and fresh contents at least once a week is very favorable with google.. that's what I think! I have been an adsense earner since 2005! Never had a problem.. so far its been good.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tyler S
    You're content matters the most. I recommend fixing this first.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonnjon
    The best thing you can do is to keep away from affiliate sites..
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    I'm not sure what keywords you were ranking for, but I can tell you that Google is making moves to favor brand owners over affiliates and third party sites.

    Big Brands? Google Brand Promotion: New Search Engine Rankings Place Heavy Emphasis on Branding | SEO Book

    And - as much as some of you will hate me for saying it - I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. As the example in my link shows, if a user types something like "auto insurance", what do you think they were looking for, a bunch of affiliate sites trying to get you to "request a quote"? Or State Farm, Progressive, Geico, Allstate, etc...

    Google's primary job is still to try to figure out what the user means and best deliver those results. The better they get at this, the more affiliates will be impacted.
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    Ron Rule
    http://ronrule.com

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  • Profile picture of the author Nail Yener
    Originally Posted by stepiw View Post

    Google hates Affiliate sites?
    This not true.

    Google hates low quality sites?

    This definitely true.

    It maybe possible that your changing links and receiving a message from Google is just a coincidence. I mean, that message may not be a direct result of your link change.

    Ranking a website in top three within two weeks (I am assuming with self-built links) is something I am sure, based on my own experience, Google doesn't really like at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    Google hates anything that has to do with affiliates, Google wants to be the only one making money online IMO...
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    But I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried. "

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    • Profile picture of the author MrMonetize
      Originally Posted by Alex Blades View Post

      Google hates anything that has to do with affiliates, Google wants to be the only one making money online IMO...
      I disagree with the first part, Google hates affiliates who aren't working for them!

      They have created an unfair playing field, one that is slanted towards affiliates promoting products from their own affiliate network, whilst devaluing and even banning affiliates who have the audacity to promote products from a rival network. I'd love to give the CEO of Google a piece of my mind!
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    Google hates sites that scrape content from other sites and show ads next to it.

    Google hates sites that get paid to drive traffic to other sites.

    Hmm... isn't that Google's entire business model?
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  • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
    Originally Posted by stepiw View Post

    So I had a store that was selling actual products directly. I ranked it in top 3 super easy within 2 weeks. Then I decided to make that site an affliate site. I left everything intact, except I put "Buy on Amazon" affiliate buttons instead of "Add to cart" buttons. And what do you know, in 4 or 5 days I got an email from Google Webmaster Tools saying that my site doesn't meet Google guidelines.

    "Specifically, we detected low-quality pages on your site which do not provide substantially unique content or added value. Examples could include thin affiliate pages, doorway pages, automatically generated content, or copied content."

    After that my site moved from top 3 results to the 3rd page and I can't rank it higher no matter how much SEO I do.

    My site does indeed use copy pasted descriptions from Amazon, but as I said it was doing just great when it was selling actual products and didn't touch affiliate programs.

    I know there's a lot of smart experienced people here. What do I do now? If I rewrite product descriptions, will that be enough?
    Are you seriously saying that Google hates affiliates simply because you were too lazy to make a proper afffiliate site?

    Google hates one thing: sites that provide no value to their customers.

    They're not there to make you feel good, you're not their customer. They provide free tools for you to make your site better...so THEIR customers get a better service.

    Oh, and by the way, your customers also happen to be Google's. So, your simple answer is:

    Provide unique, valuable, insightful content that enriches the life of your shared customers. Then Google will love you. More importantly, your customers will.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cyber Star
    never copy a content from anything at all, it is bad for business. google will not tolerate anything that has been made before you post it in your website. Can't you just rewrite the product review yourself, or just hire someone to do it for you, there are many fiverr freelancer that will gladly do it for you. next time you should be more careful about what you put in your site.
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  • Profile picture of the author lucidbs
    Google is just a bot. I don't think it can tell whether you are an affiliate or not. As long as you provide decent unqiue content, with proper keyword research, you will get some traffic. It takes time though.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tony Marriott
      Originally Posted by lucidbs View Post

      Google is just a bot. I don't think it can tell whether you are an affiliate or not. As long as you provide decent unique content, with proper keyword research, you will get some traffic. It takes time though.
      Not entirely correct in this case. Google have already been very specific. Explaining exactly what is wrong and what needs to be done.

      "Specifically, we detected low-quality pages on your site which do not provide substantially unique content or added value. Examples could include thin affiliate pages, doorway pages, automatically generated content, or copied content."
      Note: Thin affiliate pages, copied content, provide substantially unique content or added value.

      Also note "low-quality PAGES/thin affiliate PAGES" NOT website but pages. Simply adding more wonderful articles on other pages will not improve the pages that are now effectively in penalty.

      A page that is simply a copied from a vendors page and has an affiliate link offers no added value to a searcher over the vendors page. So why would Google not just show the vendors page?

      In the OPs experience when he was the vendor he was OK. As soon as he became an affiliate he fell foul of Google webmaster guidelines. Not specifically because he was an affiliate but because affiliate pages must offer some "added value" that the vendor page does not give. In other words, would the searcher actually benefit by coming to your affiliate page before going to the vendors?
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      • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
        Originally Posted by Tony Marriott View Post

        Not entirely correct in this case. Google have already been very specific. Explaining exactly what is wrong and what needs to be done.



        Note: Thin affiliate pages, copied content, provide substantially unique content or added value.

        Also note "low-quality PAGES/thin affiliate PAGES" NOT website but pages. Simply adding more wonderful articles on other pages will not improve the pages that are now effectively in penalty.

        A page that is simply a copied from a vendors page and has an affiliate link offers no added value to a searcher over the vendors page. So why would Google not just show the vendors page?

        In the OPs experience when he was the vendor he was OK. As soon as he became an affiliate he fell foul of Google webmaster guidelines. Not specifically because he was an affiliate but because affiliate pages must offer some "added value" that the vendor page does not give. In other words, would the searcher actually benefit by coming to your affiliate page before going to the vendors?
        In my dealings with the big G, they've been quite sensible. A client got a nice message saying one of his pages had been marked down. He'd pasted the FAQ's underneath the main article, which had meant the keyword appeared way too many times on his page. So I re-wrote them and got him to put them on different pages (the FAQ made sense to have the keyword so often, as the questions were about it). Then he got re-ranked. Better than he was, mind
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    Google surely prefers authority sites, original content, and many links from related websites. This is the obvious truth. You have to look like an authority and give real information.
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  • Profile picture of the author webproishere
    You know what ?
    I think you're right !!!!

    I have domains that are:
    10 years old +
    Shortest possible
    .dot com
    Unique content
    No java/flash/console or anything that could piss of a surfer or a
    SEo
    Doesn't link to sh*t either
    Hosted outside North America
    7 sites max per IP
    Not niche related under the same ip. Doesn't look the same either (design etc..)
    Whois protected

    NAME IT DAMN IT !!!

    And sites that were on top page (even top position) disappeared !@#$%^$$%$#!@#$@%^#$%@#$$#@#$#
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  • Profile picture of the author mervp
    There's a big difference between "discovering what web searchers want" and actively steering them away from small marketers. Does Google punish a big brand site that has badly written content, the way it does for third party mini sites? Of course not. This not about thin sites, it's about thinly veiled favoritism.

    Google doesn't hate affiliate sites, what it increasingly does is love "big Inc." or big boy sites, and wants to push everybody into thinking big corporate sites are naturally more relevant to the searcher's needs (even if they are looking for small niches not catered to by the big guys). The plan is pure cartelism, or rank Walmart page 1 for "extremely specialized product" search, all the small sites page 100.
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    • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
      Google hates affiliates sites and IMHO there is no debate on the issue.

      First, Google itself has repeatedly stated affiliate links as a general rule are considered "spam" and the page is to be dropped in the search rankings regardless of how valuable the content is.

      That is not my opinion. Those are statements from Google. Do a search for the leaked Google internal website rater guidelines and read Google's statements for yourself.

      Second, I have tested this issue. Similar to what the OP has seen merely adding or removing affiliate links from a webpage will result in a corresponding change in search rankings.

      That is why I developed unique software solutions to address the issue.

      On the other hand ... I would say Google also dislikes most affiliate sites because they are crappy, merely copy content from Amazon or a merchant, and add zero value to the Internet.

      Ultimately, then, I think the problem is after seeing millions of crappy affiliate pages Google's reflexive action to seeing another page with an affiliate is to 'roll its eyes' and drop the rankings. There are, of course, numerous factors that go into search rankings so a quality page can get good rankings even if it has affiliate links on it. But it will require a lot of work and there are no guarantees your opinion of quality is the same as Google's opinion.

      In fact, based on numerous threads here on the forum where someone asks for their "quality" site to be looked at and why it was banned / having ranking problems, many are simply delusional about what a quality site involves:

      - Unique content (not spun content)

      - Lots of content

      - Reasons why visitors stay on the site, explore it, and come back

      - Not copying pictures from other sites

      - Quality backlinks

      .
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Douglas
    Just another reason why you should use your traffic to build a list and then make affiliate sales from your emails instead. Give Google what they want and use the traffic to get what you want.
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  • Profile picture of the author jgant
    I rank reviews just fine in Google. They're detailed and many reviews include a table of contents with hyperlinks to various sections of the review. When helpful, I include video(s) of the product (it's most helpful with software, but also good for PDF guides where I show the table of contents.

    Add content explaining personal use and experience. Really strive to help visitors make a buying decision, even if it's not buying the product reviewed with a section such as cons, dislikes, you should not buy if ..." with genuine dislikes. I almost always find fault with a product and that's good info to share.

    I don't follow a strict word count, but usually by the time the smoke clears and I've thoroughly said what I wanted to say, my reviews are 1,000 words and often much longer. That's the reason for a hyperlinked table of contents. I don't use multiple pages, instead prefer one page because as a consumer I prefer one long page instead of navigating several page. Just a personal preference.

    I also add many non-review posts/pages to my sites probably at a ratio of 15 or more to 1. My non-review articles link to an applicable review or reviews when relevant. And then some content is just pure content with no links. I vary it trying to publish websites that inform and provide value.
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    • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
      Originally Posted by jgant View Post

      I rank reviews just fine in Google. They're detailed and many reviews include a table of contents with hyperlinks to various sections of the review. When helpful, I include video(s) of the product (it's most helpful with software, but also good for PDF guides where I show the table of contents.

      Add content explaining personal use and experience. Really strive to help visitors make a buying decision, even if it's not buying the product reviewed with a section such as cons, dislikes, you should not buy if ..." with genuine dislikes. I almost always find fault with a product and that's good info to share.

      I don't follow a strict word count, but usually by the time the smoke clears and I've thoroughly said what I wanted to say, my reviews are 1,000 words and often much longer. That's the reason for a hyperlinked table of contents. I don't use multiple pages, instead prefer one page because as a consumer I prefer one long page instead of navigating several page. Just a personal preference.

      I also add many non-review posts/pages to my sites probably at a ratio of 15 or more to 1. My non-review articles link to an applicable review or reviews when relevant. And then some content is just pure content with no links. I vary it trying to publish websites that inform and provide value.
      I just wanted to highlight this post because it is easy to miss the gold nuggets on the fast paced forum. IMHO this is one of the best Warrior Forum posts about SEO and converting traffic to buyers.

      .
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  • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
    They don't mind you having affiliate links on your site if you give the visitor some value as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author mervp
      Originally Posted by RockingLastsForever View Post

      They don't mind you having affiliate links on your site if you give the visitor some value as well.
      But the fundamental point made in the OP was the site was having NO problems with Google about its value, up or down, until the affiliate links were added, meaning that was THE factor they cared about when de-ranking the site.

      So, the most practical way out of this problem of G favoring big boy or non-affiliate linked sites over small sites with such links, is to either 1) promote affiliate link sites without using SEO or ranking methods, 2) drop the links entirely and monetize in other ways, or 3) go the opt-in route---offer your own paid or free ebook on the site, that one can acquire through getting on your opt-in list, then promote the affiliate links though email messages to the list.
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      • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
        Originally Posted by mervp View Post

        But the fundamental point made in the OP was the site was having NO problems with Google about its value, up or down, until the affiliate links were added, meaning that was THE factor they cared about when de-ranking the site.

        So, the most practical way out of this problem of G favoring big boy or non-affiliate linked sites over small sites with such links, is to either 1) promote affiliate link sites without using SEO or ranking methods, 2) drop the links entirely and monetize in other ways, or 3) go the opt-in route---offer your own paid or free ebook on the site, that one can acquire through getting on your opt-in list, then promote the affiliate links though email messages to the list.
        You're right, he had thin content before too. But he was actively selling. So Google could well have seen those items as adding value to the customer. Now he's not selling, and continues to have thin content, he's punished.

        Google doesn't favour one thing or the other UNLESS it's for the benefit of their customers. They're not here to serve you, they're here to serve the users of their SE. So they want the best results they can get, which means that, yes, if someone searches for "coke", coca-cola will be first up...and rightly so.
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  • Profile picture of the author Intrepreneur
    It's simple..

    Build a better site.

    No shortcuts, no ifs, no buts..

    You just HAVE to build a better site.

    Think of it like this.. Would you buy from your site?

    Would YOU like to see your site on Google when you search for a product?

    Anyhow, answer is to build a better site.

    This ALL takes time.. and lots of it so focus on something worthwhile.

    Good Luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    You could get it done for $10 ... there are people in India that will do the research and write the article for $5, and then other US-based gigs with native English speakers who will take the article and proof/correct it. So you CAN get it done for $10, but I've yet to find a single Fiverr seller who can produce grammatically-correct, well-researched articles in one shot. I gave up over a year ago... started going to University Intern fairs and bringing in journalism interns instead.
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    • Profile picture of the author Anton543
      Originally Posted by ronrule View Post

      You could get it done for $10 ... there are people in India that will do the research and write the article for $5, and then other US-based gigs with native English speakers who will take the article and proof/correct it. So you CAN get it done for $10, but I've yet to find a single Fiverr seller who can produce grammatically-correct, well-researched articles in one shot. I gave up over a year ago... started going to University Intern fairs and bringing in journalism interns instead.
      There are some excellent writers on freelance sites. But you need to discriminate. You could get a writer there who writes a 1000 word article for $70 and another does it for $40 and find the quality of both very similar. So while you want to stay away from $5 article producers, you also want to make sure you don't overpay. Most importantly, you want to hire people who know the subject at least quite intimately. For example, if I hire a gadget blogger, I'd make sure that's what they mostly write about.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
    But the fundamental point made in the OP was the site was having NO problems with Google about its value, up or down, until the affiliate links were added, meaning that was THE factor they cared about when de-ranking the site.

    So, the most practical way out of this problem of G favoring big boy or non-affiliate linked sites over small sites with such links, is to either 1) promote affiliate link sites without using SEO or ranking methods, 2) drop the links entirely and monetize in other ways, or 3) go the opt-in route---offer your own paid or free ebook on the site, that one can acquire through getting on your opt-in list, then promote the affiliate links though email messages to the list.
    He can't say for sure that adding affiliate links caused the de-ranking could be coincidence.

    Someone mentioned cloaking your Amazon affiliate links...I'm pretty sure that's against Amazons t&cs and can get you banned.
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    • Profile picture of the author BudaBrit
      Originally Posted by RockingLastsForever View Post

      He can't say for sure that adding affiliate links caused the de-ranking could be coincidence.

      Someone mentioned cloaking your Amazon affiliate links...I'm pretty sure that's against Amazons t&cs and can get you banned.
      Look at it from the point of view of a person.

      You can buy things on his site that are actually his to sell. They have a good price, so you buy.

      You go to his site and are given a link to amazon. With not extra info.

      the latter is far worse than the former and it's absolutely right Google hit him.
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