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Is Google on a raid against ebooks?

by frances.suzanne
7 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Is it just me or Clickbank ebooks and classic sales letters are disappearing from AdWords?

I had my account suspended for life last week. I used to sell an ebook about how to cure yeast infections (in a foreign country), which might fall into the category of what Google classifies as "miracle cures", even though I've never made such claims, but you can't even argue with them, right?

So I started to work on getting a new account (different data, VPN access, etc.), when I searched for related keywords on Google and found out that the famous Clickbank ebooks about yeast infection cures are all gone! I then looked for other keywords in other markets, weight loss, self-help, business and noticed that all the usual suspects are not there anymore.

It seems to me that Google is trying to get rid of sites that sell ebooks, especially if they are the long sales letter type.

Has anybody noticed that?
#ebooks #google #raid
  • Profile picture of the author brandonbaker
    Well, my money site sells an eBook and it's doing just fine. If there is a raid going on, it has to be exactly what you're suspecting, thin affiliate sites that provide nothing more than a sales letter.
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  • Profile picture of the author dburk
    Hi frances.suzanne,

    Google has been cleaning up a number of things in their AdWords program including bridge pages. Many affiliate marketers have routinely used what Google classifies as a bridge page in violation of the AdWords program policies.

    When you combine the bridge page offers, fake review pages, unrealistic claims and offers that lack credibility it pretty much wipes out the bulk of the Clickbank affiliate offers.


    Here's what Google says:
    ...we do accept clickbank affiliates, but, you're right, you need to be careful that you don't violate any of our policies in the process.
    How can I marketing Clickbank affiliate products through Adwords - AdWords Help

    And Here's what Clickbank says:

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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      "how to cure yeast infections (in a foreign country)"

      Yeah boy! Maybe that just did not go over too well all the way
      around.

      Ebooks are a tough sell with adwords. Getting banned instead of
      suspended carries a different connotation. Suspended for life would
      mean banned.

      Paul
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      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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      • Profile picture of the author frances.suzanne
        Yeah, I know about the affiliate issue, but what I've been noticing is that the original sites (from the merchant, not affiliates) are not advertising anymore, when they have been there for years...

        That's what concerns me. I've never been an affiliate and don't want to be, but I really like to sell my own ebooks and it would be a bummer if Google really decides that ebooks are bad!
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Called the love affair between Google and CB over way back, would not recommend the distance of a barge pole to my worst enemy, it would be to close for comfort.

    And the CB video is nothing more than an outdated smoke screen.
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  • Profile picture of the author deertrail
    Google says right in their policy guidelines that ebook websites are difficult to advertise on their platform. The list them under "website types to advertise with caution."

    It can still be done, but you need to send your clicks to a more authoritative site with good navigation and free line content.

    Think of it as a "forced opportunity" to make pre-selling a bigger part of your marketing strategy.

    -Bryan
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  • Profile picture of the author subashchandrapoudel
    Most of the ebooks site looks like a spam site,
    with no navigation and a lot of boring description.
    So google verifies only the best ebooks sites when they verify sites manually.
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