CJ.com is asking for my Keyword list..

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agreed

johu said:
Who at CJ will use them? Their employees can't, and their search team is a completely separate division. CJ actually takes a lot of efforts to protect the affiliate keywords, as I'm pretty sure they have a higher margin on affiliate than search.
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I'm also an advertiser at CJ (a large, brand conscious advertiser) and while I agree with johu that:
1. CJ would NEVER give a list of keywords to the advertiser
2. they do indeed strip referring urls
3. we have to protect our SEM policy and internal/agency campaigns

I also believe that your list is your gold mine and you shouldn't have to provide a map to it. I can nail any affiliate that is bidding on brand terms because the parameters identify who they are.

With that said:
I recommend going with Demon's option #2 so that you don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself.
However, I'd also like to know why they're asking for it.

Keep in mind - advertisers also have to deal with fraudulent affiliates driving chargebacks, incentive, etc so that could be the source of their concern.

I think this is my first post btw...
 


they also have an internal search team.

As low volumes they're probably trying to ensure you're legit and the traffic is a) ppc and b) not trademark bidding.

At high volumes- that's one shady company and I wouldn't ever give them that.
 
Do not do it -- if you are doing that well with some offer - just go direct, or dump CJ and find a similiar offer in another network.

CJ has their own search -- why will they need you after they have your keywords, can track your ads, etc.
 
An Update: I've been told that driving cloaked traffic through CJ is "a violation of their PSA", which sounds like an agreement you sign when you join. I've offered to turn off cloaking, I'm awaiting a response.
 
You have 2 options as I see it:

1. Tell them to FUCK OFF and possibly not get paid (which is bullshit and I would raise hell).
2. Send them a fake list of generic bullshit keywords that wouldn't convert well as they are way too generic. If it's a payday loan offer for example then take the 20 highest volume keywords like "loan" "payday loan" etc and pass him that crap. You get paid still and don't really give them shit.
 
I believe they're trying to find your ads and make sure all is good in relation to the advertiser's keyword policy. They need to prove that you're actually using PPC in this case, and not forcing popups or using software while cloaking the source. CJ just settled a lawsuit from advertisers regarding affiliates who use software to re-write a link or re-cookie a user who was coming from another affiliate or marketing channel, so their network quality department has a more important role in making sure all the terms of that settlement are met.

Turning off cloaking will satisfy their request. As for CJ internal search, most advertisers on CJ do not use their search solution. If you let me know the advertiser, I can check and see if they are using CJ's search solution.
 
CShoemaker said:
Give it to them, they obviously need it for a reason.
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You are the kind of person that will accept government video camreras into your bedroom becaue the government needs it for a reason.
DreamMachine said:
I have half a mind to simply tell them to fuck off. I've only made a few hundred there so far and could probably just take the hit on the cash.
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Tell them to fuck off.
I did.
Thye asked me the exact same thing for the exact same reason and I told them they do not need my keword list to do any kind of 'investigation'.
LOL @ anyone who falls for that shit.

And yes, they backed off that request AND paid me and continue to do so.
Have some dignity.
 
Dignity is free, not being paid by CJ sure as hell isn't.

Give them a partial list, keep your gems to yourself. It should appease them and prevent any useful keyword theft from their end.
 
lol stop being a pussy.
They have no right to reques your keyword period.How does that help in their 'investigation?'NOTHING and still got paid.
If you want to give up your keywords to shady affilliate managers, go ahead.
Don't complain when you suddenly have competiontion out of nowhere....
 
I recommend the don't work with CJ option :)

If you want someone with feeds use ShareASale they're much better :D
 
smaxor said:
I recommend the don't work with CJ option :)

If you want someone with feeds use ShareASale they're much better :D
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ShareASale is showing severely fewer conversions than the Google pixel that I had a merchant place on his site. The undercounting is about 20%, which is much more that I've ever seen on CJ from the advertiser end (undercounting is usually due to anti-spyware programs or disabled cookies, but cookies are clearly working for the Google pixel in this case). I'm now coding my own pixel to capture the order date, time, and ID, and I'll be matching that with ShareASale.

If I would need to put up with some tighter regulations, I will. I've never cloaked on CJ campaigns, and I've never had my campaigns stolen. Most of the keywords I show up for, the merchant themselves has never shown up for - CJ managed search accounts included. If I find a product that makes money, I'll take it in CJ.

If the OP doesn't want to work with the merchant anymore and can't switch advertisers, I'd be happy to take over that search campaign.
 
Give them my high converting keyword list, lol, yeah right. I'd send them a negative roi list if anything.

You probably want to stop sending traffic to them and start sending to another network so you can still get paid.
 
johu said:
If you're just hiding your landing page, then just show them your landing page. This isn't a CPA network - You don't have account managers stealing landing pages and running their own campaigns. CJ has a term in their employment contract that does not allow their employees to be affiliates, and they have fired employees years ago for that.
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LOL

Do you know WHY they have a term in their employment contract (now?).

I for one would be in a very good position to inform you of this. However I'll let you google "triple jangro" instead and come to your own conclusions about whether everyone at a large company plays by the rules.

As an advertiser you have ZERO idea what can be seen from the CJ system inside- ZERO.

As a friend of the affiliate community (and of course nothing more...?), I would recommend to take the above posters advice of 'oh just show them the list/LP with sincere caution.


With that said -CJ --- LOL
 
Sonny Forelli said:
LOL

Do you know WHY they have a term in their employment contract (now?).

I for one would be in a very good position to inform you of this. However I'll let you google "triple jangro" instead and come to your own conclusions about whether everyone at a large company plays by the rules.
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Thanks for the condescending tone, but I'm fully aware of Scott Jangro and the exodus of employees turned affiliates after he left.

I'll just put it out there that I've never hidden/cloaked any of my affiliate activities from CJ advertisers for the past 2 years now (different niches than the advertiser I work with), and I've never seen the sort of shit that people complain about with CPA networks. Never had any of my landing pages or campaigns jacked, and advertisers have rarely even shown up on the keywords that I bid on. That's one of my keys to being profitable - finding keywords the advertiser isn't on. I'd notice if my keywords started getting stolen by the advertiser or other affiliates.
 
johu said:
Thanks for the condescending tone, but I'm fully aware of Scott Jangro and the exodus of employees turned affiliates after he left.

I'll just put it out there that I've never hidden/cloaked any of my affiliate activities from CJ advertisers for the past 2 years now (different niches than the advertiser I work with), and I've never seen the sort of shit that people complain about with CPA networks. Never had any of my landing pages or campaigns jacked, and advertisers have rarely even shown up on the keywords that I bid on. That's one of my keys to being profitable - finding keywords the advertiser isn't on. I'd notice if my keywords started getting stolen by the advertiser or other affiliates.
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scott wasnt even the tip of the iceberg you should've seen how their search team was built intelligence-wise.

cloak your links
 
Sonny Forelli said:
scott wasnt even the tip of the iceberg you should've seen how their search team was built intelligence-wise.

cloak your links
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Maybe this search team should start stealing my uncloaked keywords... But I guess I don't pop on to their radar with my low-volume account that is only in the top 3-10 publishers for the majority of programs I promote.

CJ search has what I'd consider a pathetically small share of the search accounts for CJ advertisers, and it's really easy to find out if an advertiser is using CJ search by checking out their official search campaigns. If you're worried, just don't deal with those advertisers.
 
Give them a fake list and slow down your marketing at the same time. Play it cool til you get your check, and by then you should be pushing traffic to a new network for the same campaign.
 
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