I particularly liked the update of TOS with the comment you highlighted :

Another notable addition is: “Poor comparison shopping or travel sites whose primary purpose is to send users to other shopping/travel comparison sites, rather than to provide useful content or additional search functionality”

How exactly did I generalize what an affiliate marketer is? I know what an affiliate marketer is, I am one.

Unless your comment wasn’t directed at me (in which case, that’s my fault for not having threaded comments yet)then I think you fail to grasp what my point is.

my point was that Google hates affiliates who use AdWords. This point was proved by them PUBLISHING IN THEIR OWN GUIDELINES just DAYS after this post was published exactly what I was saying.

I am NOT saying that affiliates don’t add value (although many do not).

In Google’s own words: “Website types to avoid: Affiliate sites that the primary purpose of which is to drive traffic to another site with a different domain”.

http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66238

“Affiliate sites that the primary purpose of which is to drive traffic to another site with a different domain”

Another notable addition is: “Poor comparison shopping or travel sites whose primary purpose is to send users to other shopping/travel comparison sites, rather than to provide useful content or additional search functionality”

@kieron, while I agree that Google hates BAD sites, I think there are very few affiliates using adwords who are NOT trying to send the traffic elsewhere. I may be wrong, but unless it’s a white label solution, most affiliates primary purpose is to drive traffic to another domain, even after providing the “value” in the form of a review or comparison.

When I shop online I don’t like when I waiste my time on some website to find something I need and right when I click “buy” button it brings me to completely different site where I have to start shopping process from the beginning.

But I also know of retailers, info sites, brochure sites etc than have also been kicked off, for exactly the same reasons – they have crap sites.

Affiliate sites have mainly a bad rep because of the low barrier to entry and the fact that there are a lot of get-rich quick, thin landing page sites etc. that fall into the affiliate category and that’s why they are on Google’s “watch” list.

What I STRONGLY object to is your inaccurate statement that Google hates affiliates. I will say it again, nonsense.

Myself, and many many other affiliates I know have been working closely with Google for years to ensure we stay within their guidelines and continue to use Adwords. Some of Google’s biggest advertisers are in fact affiliates. It’s really not rocket science, all Google want is advertisers to have good sites that offer value to users. Simple. It is a massive misconception that Google automatically slaps or penalises sites that have affiliate links. Google are way smarter than that.

To answer your question, if my high quality affliate sites were spat out I wouldn’t be happy. But guess what, they haven’t been spat out in ten years so I can’t see it happening.

The fact that Google doesn’t like comparison sites isn’t the point either. Personaly I like comparison sites and use them. However, Google don’t and that’s their choice.

Show me a high quality affiliate site that’s been kicked off Google and I’ll change my tune. However I doubt you can.

One last point, you shouldn’t have said “Google hates affiliates that provide little value”. You should have simply said ““Google hates sites that provide little value”. Way more accurate.

Of course there are still affiliates who still run PPC with Google, we’re one of them! The point is that the measure of value that is expected to be provided to the searcher is always on the increase. Because of this “unpublished” measurement many advertisers are being thrown out with the affiliates that provide no value.

You may have survived or adapted to the latest clear out but Kieron, I have seen sites like some of yours being flushed out with little more than an email with a link to the quality guidelines.

Account age and trust are huge factors in maintaining a good quality score and “getting away” with some smaller things but this is always being reviewed. How would you feel if your HIGH QUALITY affiliate sites were spat out in the next round? Would you change your tune? Just because it hasn’t happened to you yet, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

I’d also like to point out that I am NOT talking about affiliate sites that run the garbage ringtone/acai/rebill crap either. Have you noticed a LOT of comparison shopping sites that DID INDEED offer (a lot of IMHO) value that are no longer advertising. next on the list:

https://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?answer=66238&cbid=yoik9y35dwv1&src=cb&lev=answer

* eBook sites
* ‘Get rich quick’ sites
* Comparison shopping sites
* Travel aggregators
* Affiliates

On the other hand I know LOTS of affiliates who work very closely with Google AdWords, they have even been invited to Mountain View and have very close relationships with their account managers.

Your “Google hates affiliates” quote is misleading and sensationalist. I expected better from this blog, try doing some research before writing such ridiculous statements.

To be honest, I come from both ends of the spectrum on this issue, so it’s difficult to be black or white on the topic as you can imagine. I think my post was fair to both sides though.

I couldn’t agree more on your points. I’m a lurker on a lot of affiliate forums and some expect Google to treat them like royalty because they spend a few hundred thousand dollars with them. In fact, google makes a specific point here:

http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html

“Focus on the user and all else will follow, Google has steadfastly refused to make any change that does not offer a benefit to the users who come to the site”

“By always placing the interests of the user first, Google has built the most loyal audience on the web. And that growth has come not through TV ad campaigns, but through word of mouth from one satisfied user to another.”

They say it themselves and it’s obvious they have absolutely no loyalty to ANY advertiser that doesn’t fit with the aforementioned truths.

The point I tried to make on balance was that many advertisers who fit into their mould of an “acceptable” advertiser were thrown out with the bathwater.