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Does Google recognize affiliate links? (9)

12-08-2011 02:42 AM #1 snowverkill (Member)
Does Google recognize affiliate links?

I've been running traffic consistently on Google for a few months now, but I've always redirected all my ads through my T202 links. Now I'm setting up a campaign that I need to use an affiliate link for, and I'm wondering if Google will recognize that it's an affiliate link and put me on some sort of watch list or something.

Does anyone know anything about this? I guess since my T202 links redirect through affiliate network domains, they can probably see that I'm an affiliate anyway, but I'm just wondering if putting a naked affiliate link in my actual ad is just sending too strong a signal...

Thanks.

12-08-2011 02:34 PM #2 lixor (Member)

i don't think they have something like that, but i never use affiliate links in my pages. it looks odd for visitors when the mouse is over the link (http://jxliu.com/.... vs go.php?o="mate1" or mate1.php or go.php?o="FreeToJoinToday" or FreeToJoinToday.php...) so can influence the ctr or even cr, easy to manage, split test links and offers, can't be find on a search in google...

12-08-2011 03:14 PM #3 gts6 (Member)

of course they COULD recognize them super easy if they want to. Even most spy/tracking software can pick out the affiliate links of major aff companies, once they program in what one of their affiliate links look like. can be done in 3 seconds with a "regex" match.

BUT, i dont think they care to do that for every affiliate co, maybe just major offenders like clickbank, because i think people are confused. Its not the fact that the link is an affiliate link that pisses G off, its the type of pages that the links go to. The string of characters is not what is causing problems for people, its the content and type of pages that the links lead to.

12-08-2011 03:15 PM #4 polarbacon (Moderator)

warnings about using aff links on google....

if you don't control the page you risk getting banned if the offer ever redirects elsewhere....like to a "get it free" page which alot of networks do...also if your running aff links geo-redirects are brutal on g

again most networks have this in place so when the reviewer from IE goes and looks at your link...he is gonna see a dif url than what you have displayed....which in alot of cases is a ban....

so word to the wise when doing g....have a solid plan in place and clean up your links on old camps....even deleted ones.....or your account wont last long

12-08-2011 05:47 PM #5 snowverkill (Member)

Thanks guys, I guess I'll keep redirecting through my own domain to keep that extra level of control.

12-08-2011 08:14 PM #6 lixor (Member)

now i see you're asking about the link in your ad, i was talking about the links on lp, my bad. regarding what polarbacon said, many times you can even recover your banned account if you just change the destination page of your ad, but if you can't sign in your adwords account you can't do that

12-20-2011 01:04 AM #7 shermanchoo (Member)

google recognises affiliate links. just one person from the compliance team in india to
go through your site combing for links to FEEL that it looks like a clickbank monetised site,
doesn't seem to give a good user experience and account is banned.

might get away a week or so. but 3 weeks down the road, the account is suddenly flagged, and banned.

12-20-2011 01:09 AM #8 phoenix (Member)

@polar

how do you clean up 'deleted' campaigns ?

are you talking about going in and changing the URL in the ads once you delete them ?

I know you cant access deleted ads on FB and been yrs since on google.

thx

12-20-2011 01:22 AM #9 shermanchoo (Member)

Originally Posted by phoenix

hey. adwords doesn't allow campaigns to be deleted.
its stored in their database.

if u think a campaign is tainted, go to FTP and remove the website all together.

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