At the Online Marketing Show, I had a chat with a large paid search affiliate who spoke to one of the Google reps at length after the Google University.
We all know the love & hate relationship with Google and Affiliate Marketing.
Back in January 2005 Google announced that they will only show one ad, per URL per keyword. This forced out many arbitrage affiliates overnight and many of the remaining to diversify, however it also gave rise to desperate affiliates who would ‘hijack’ merchant URLS, or use other black hat affiliate marketing techniques to earn a quick buck.
On the positive side it actually lowered spend on adWords for content driven affiliates who add value to the mix.
As Google continues its drive for the best user experience, it was su...