How To Promote "High Quality" Offers

[Cataclysmic]

Typical “Low Quality” Affiliate Offers (I get it)

I know that Google generally doesn’t like affiliate offers, especially offers like ringtones or acai berries that come and go often and are being promoted by 1000 different affiliates.

…but I can get my ads for those kinds of offers ranked in Google by iframing them or creating a landing page or something.

“High Quality” Affiliate Offers (I don’t get it)

But I’m having a hard time with promoting actual real valid high-PR websites like Netflix.com or eHarmony.com.

Google obviously likes these websites because they have a high PR and they rank organically on the first page for very short-tail terms like “online dating” and “rent movies online”, AND the Adwords ads that show up when I do these searches are direct linked to these websites (Google would never allow direct linking to affiliate ringtone or acai berry offers).

When I search for “acai” in Google, the ads all link to fake review landing pages.

When I search for “online dating” (or even long tail terms like “meet singles online in Orlando”) all the ads are DIRECT LINKED to eharmony.com and other “quality” dating websites. There are no review pages or other landing pages created by affiliates.

• 1) I assume that these direct-linked ads are being put up by the advertiser themselves and not an affiliate… correct?

• 2) So how the heck do you promote these kinds of high quality offers – are they simply not promotable via search engines?

• 3) …and what about the content network – if I direct link to eharmony.com on the content network am I going to get my account slapped like I did when I first tried direct linking to acai offers – or is Google ok with direct linking to these high quality offers?

 

[ImagesAndWords]

When it comes to what Google likes or not you need to keep in mind what is requested from the user by these offers.

Google generally doesn't like acai and mobile because most of these offers:
- have questionable terms of service and vague rebilling schemes.
- have a bad history with high numbers of complaints (or even lawsuits) from consumers who have been scammed. The consumers blame Google for allowing these ads, and thus Google get strict on how you can promote them

Dating and rental videos on the other hand are either free leads upfront with nothing charged to the consumer, or monthly services that people expect to pay for in the first place. People don't expect to be billed $79.99 monthly when they (in their minds) just order a "free 14 day trial" of some miracle pill.

 

[Cataclysmic]

Right - I understand why Google likes certain offers and not others.

But that doesn't answer any of my 3 questions about how to promote high quality offers.

 

[ImagesAndWords]

Right - I understand why Google likes certain offers and not others.

I answered you based on that your understanding of this wasn't exactly right. You said:

But I’m having a hard time with promoting actual real valid high-PR websites like Netflix.com or eHarmony.com.

Google obviously likes these websites because they have a high PR and they rank organically on the first page for very short-tail terms like “online dating” and “rent movies online”, AND the Adwords ads that show up when I do these searches are direct linked to these websites (Google would never allow direct linking to affiliate ringtone or acai berry offers).

meaning you assumed Google favors sites with high PR and organic rankings, which brings us to my reply: it is easier to promote dating and video rentals than it is to do acai and ringtones on Google NOT because some mainstream dating/rental sites have high PR and lots of rankings - but because those niches aren't littered with shady and scammy offers.

But that doesn't answer any of my 3 questions about how to promote high quality offers.

I am aware that I didn't.
But here ya go:

• 1) I assume that these direct-linked ads are being put up by the advertiser themselves and not an affiliate… correct?

Often times, yes. But if you're seeing 10 different direct links on the same page to the same mainstream merchant, I can assure you most of them are affiliates.

• 2) So how the heck do you promote these kinds of high quality offers – are they simply not promotable via search engines?

Yes they are. It comes down to doing some research on the niche you wanna go after. Anything is possible. Set aside time to study the competition and see what they're doing. Are they direct linking or not? What sorts of landing pages do they use? What sorts of ads do they use? When do their ads appear? On what sites do they advertise (if on content)....it goes on and on and on..

• 3) …and what about the content network – if I direct link to eharmony.com on the content network am I going to get my account slapped like I did when I first tried direct linking to acai offers – or is Google ok with direct linking to these high quality offers?

Acai is a slap-magnet on Google anyway. Other niches aren't. Then again some are. Only testing will tell.

 

[jenzkc]

some affiliates are allowed to direct link using the advertiser's url because of their volume/performance, ex. true.com/singlesnet

 

[Cataclysmic]

@ImagesAndWords:

Ok you're right, what I wrote in my original post wasn't totally correct.

Thanks for your answers to the questions.

So far, I'm not "seeing 10 different direct links on the same page to the same mainstream merchant". I'd be surprised if I did... I didn't think Google would do that.

I'll have to do more research I suppose...

@jenzkc: Thanks for the info.

 

[aim]

FTW: Firefox Headers Addon

And yes, more often than not, what seems like "direct linking" are the advertisers themselves, and for uber competitive terms like "Online Dating" you're only going to see advertisers at the top, no affiliate offers, because you can't profitably run these offers as an affiliate.

As an affiliate, all you have to work with is a payout and a conversion rate.

The advertisers get to look at a whole slew of other metrics that factor that into their marketing efforts such as target acquisition costs, attrition, lifetime revenue per member, etc.

In other words, they can afford to pay a lot more to acquire a new customer than you could hope to earn in commissions per member [in this particular example]. Thinking outside of the box is absolutely essential to any successful affiliate marketing effort.

"Why can't I bid on the keyword 'online dating' and direct link to eHarmony" is the equivalent of going an inch when you need to go a mile.

 

[Ender]

Destination URLs

There are many ways to handle such a problem - the way I solve this probelm is by working with merchants that can provide me with web site templates then all I have to do is purchse a domain name and put the template on - it's very easy - that's waht I did with www.c9network.com recently then I can promote the products and send traffic to my own landing pages - one per product.

another way, is to use dynamic destination generated by the merchant - but just to make sure - ask for it - whether it's a sub domain or URL different from the base URL

If you're a serious affiliate they'll do everything to amke you work for them

I hop that was helpfull

If anybody has other suggestions I would like to hear

cheers