Over the last few years, Google has made strides to consolidate the search market and more aggressively monetize search results. In the process, affiliates went from being well loved by Google to being viewed as competitive bugs in the marketplace.
Here is a break down of Google’s love/hate relationship with affiliates, and what you can do to effectively promote your business—with or without Google’s blessing.
Loving It
Affiliate marketers were some of Google’s earliest advertisers and helped build AdWords into the largest online advertising portal in the world. Google recognized this and shared the love back to affiliates by investing in VigLink; a program which monetizes web links on publishers’ sites. VigLink is also expanding its market with more code snippets to earn additional revenue for website owners.
Recommended: Google Analytics Social Engagement Reports and Why They Work
Hating It
Up to this point, affiliates have often thought only of Google for their advertising efforts and this has caused Google’s platform to become over-saturated with affiliate offers and links. To combat this, Google developed a system for recognizing and ignoring advertisements that were replicated or frequently repeated—causing many affiliate ads to become invisible.
Other Resources
While Google may have the largest audience for advertising, there are other advertising platforms much more affiliate-friendly. Facebook, Bing and Yahoo all welcome affiliate marketers for the same reasons that Google once did.
However—it’s likely that these advertising portals might become less friendly to affiliates over time for the same reasons Google has. To stay successful in your advertising efforts, use sources that haven’t been exhausted. Pay-per-view (PPV) or banner advertising is very effective, as well as email marketing. Also, check into eZine or Solo ad opportunities.
Stay on Google’s Good Side
With more and more algorithm updates being spun by Google, the big G is blatantly telling the world that sites stuffed with keywords and other spammy tactics are now falling far down its ranks—whether you are an affiliate or not. To stay on Google’s good side, make sure your website/blog is updated daily with fresh information and original, relevant content. This should sustain the love between you.
Has your site/blog experienced more love or hate from Google? Do you use Google as your primary advertising source, or have you ventured into other areas? Let us know in the comments below.