Amazon associate updates £7.00 cap across all products lines

[Stavros]

Just been emailed the rates for if you are classified as paid search. Surprised actually.

Electronics and Games set at 5% with no cap! most other segments are 7%

interesting! Maybe Amazon not been that tight after all.

Yeah, it's actually relatively good news. I've attached the table below for anyone who hasn't already received the email.

As I understand it if you've selected that you're promoting via paid search then you're essentially on a THIRD fee based structure which means the old performance and flat rate 4% commission structures won't apply to you and that there's NO £7.00 CAP!

amaz.gif

Based on the commission structures above it's actually very good news for the people who are promoting big ticket items and were limited to either a £7.00 cap or 4% top tier. Electronics are up to 5% and Kitchen up to 10%!

The only ball ache I can see about this new system (which just highlights how backward and out of date Amazon's Associate system is) is that you're now limited to one account per Associate category which means we're going to have to register a bunch of different accounts for each category we promote in and change a helluva lot of coding on our pages.

Correct me if I'm wrong about any of the above but (in our case at least) these changes will actually make our campaigns even more profitable so I'm pretty chuffed this morning and it's not even 9am.

EDIT**
Scratch what I said about signing up for multiple accounts, was getting product categories confused with the category by which you send traffic to Amazon, Amazon says the following about multiple accounts:

For each Associate account, an Associate will be permitted to select only one category that describes the method by which they will send users to the Amazon Site.
You may not have multiple accounts for the same type of activity – i.e., if you are sending users to the Amazon Site through paid search placements, you must use the same single Associates account for all referral activity through paid search placements.

Right. But if we have more than one bank account ...

[Riddys]

I'm even more confused now. I've always sent my PPC traffic to a landing page as it appeared direct linking was not allowed. Now they seem to be promoting it with the new commission structure.

See part of the Amazon terms:
Per the Operating Agreement, we do not allow Associates to automatically redirect visitors to Amazon.co.uk or to cause the Amazon.co.uk site to automatically open either within a frame or in a new browser window.

[mrbishi]

I'm even more confused now. I've always sent my PPC traffic to a landing page as it appeared direct linking was not allowed. Now they seem to be promoting it with the new commission structure.

See part of the Amazon terms:
Per the Operating Agreement, we do not allow Associates to automatically redirect visitors to Amazon.co.uk or to cause the Amazon.co.uk site to automatically open either within a frame or in a new browser window.

Yeah it is about as clear as mud and even some of the Amazon customer services don't know what's going on as in the past they have said that direct ppc from google is not allowed.

However after emailing them a couple of times I did find out that yes it is allowed (obvious now with this new fee structure) and that the automatic redirection refers to not misleading people by telling them they are going to your site only to automatically redirect them to amazon, or have amazon in a frame therefore getting around the only one url from any site in the ppc listings.

[hairycornflakes]

aw thats amazing news, i take back everythign iv said about amazon int he last 24 hours lol.

5% on electronics, I can see my audi s3 in the not so distant future now

hc

[Stavros]

aw thats amazing news, i take back everythign iv said about amazon int he last 24 hours lol.

5% on electronics, I can see my audi s3 in the not so distant future now

hc

like it

[paulb567]

Sorry to sound like a dunce...

Does 'promoting via paid search' mean a direct to merchant PPC campaign?

Or does it also cover a PPC campaign sending traffic to your own site with a link to Amazon on it?

[hairycornflakes]

Sorry to sound like a dunce...

Does 'promoting via paid search' mean a direct to merchant PPC campaign?

Or does it also cover a PPC campaign sending traffic to your own site with a link to Amazon on it?

im pretty sure it it just means direct to merchant ppc!

the reason I think this is... if you have a site that gets ppc and organic traffic how can amazon differentiate between which provided with the click through that made the sale? hence why i think its just d2m.

its pretty hard to find products that havent already got an ad on them, so im not sure it will be relevant for most affiliates!

iv started putting ads up for products that arent even out yet, so that when they do come out, iv got the ad for amazon sneaky, but fun!

hc

[Elaine]

im pretty sure it it just means direct to merchant ppc!

I don't do much PPC but don't Google put a limit of only 1 ad direct to the merchant and doesn't Amazon have most of their products already covered?

[hairycornflakes]

I don't do much PPC but don't Google put a limit of only 1 ad direct to the merchant and doesn't Amazon have most of their products already covered?

yeah thats my last post was trying to say lol

most products are covered, however... who says its actually amazon posting the links and not simply an affiliate

hc

[Vialli]

yeah thats my last post was trying to say lol

most products are covered, however... who says its actually amazon posting the links and not simply an affiliate

hc

What happens if Amazon decide they want to run their own PPC campaign for a product you have 'reserved' and Amazon URL Ad for?

[hairycornflakes]

What happens if Amazon decide they want to run their own PPC campaign for a product you have 'reserved' and Amazon URL Ad for?

I'd assume they'd ask me nicely. They might be happy for me to psy for there advertising though, no risk to them ;-)

hc
Posted via my Mobile Device

[Darren M]

Yeah, it's actually relatively good news. I've attached the table below for anyone who hasn't already received the email.

As I understand it if you've selected that you're promoting via paid search then you're essentially on a THIRD fee based structure which means the old performance and flat rate 4% commission structures won't apply to you and that there's NO £7.00 CAP!

Based on the commission structures above it's actually very good news for the people who are promoting big ticket items and were limited to either a £7.00 cap or 4% top tier. Electronics are up to 5% and Kitchen up to 10%!

The only ball ache I can see about this new system (which just highlights how backward and out of date Amazon's Associate system is) is that you're now limited to one account per Associate category which means we're going to have to register a bunch of different accounts for each category we promote in and change a helluva lot of coding on our pages.

Correct me if I'm wrong about any of the above but (in our case at least) these changes will actually make our campaigns even more profitable so I'm pretty chuffed this morning and it's not even 9am.

EDIT**
Scratch what I said about signing up for multiple accounts, was getting product categories confused with the category by which you send traffic to Amazon, Amazon says the following about multiple accounts:

For each Associate account, an Associate will be permitted to select only one category that describes the method by which they will send users to the Amazon Site.
You may not have multiple accounts for the same type of activity – i.e., if you are sending users to the Amazon Site through paid search placements, you must use the same single Associates account for all referral activity through paid search placements.

Right. But if we have more than one bank account ...

This is a bit of a shocker! So direct PPC affiliates are going to be better off than content affiliates?!

I always assumed that Amazon hated PPC affiliates, just look at their tracking ID system. It's in no way scaleable for any good sized PPC campaign. It would be very simple to fix this, yet they spend all their time writing fancy product widgets for content affiliates.

[mrbishi]

its pretty hard to find products that havent already got an ad on them, so im not sure it will be relevant for most affiliates!

iv started putting ads up for products that arent even out yet, so that when they do come out, iv got the ad for amazon sneaky, but fun!

hc

I didn't think you could reserve a ppc slot for amazon products, my understanding was that even though only one url per search is allowed it is the case of the one bidding highest (with other google quality score factors taken into account) that gets the spot.

Ive done this several times where there's already been someone using an amazon url and my ad has been shown instead of theirs.

[crazihos]

I didn't think you could reserve a ppc slot for amazon products, my understanding was that even though only one url per search is allowed it is the case of the one bidding highest (with other google quality score factors taken into account) that gets the spot.

Ive done this several times where there's already been someone using an amazon url and my ad has been shown instead of theirs.

I assume its easier if your in first though as google only shows new adds with the same display url a few times every 100 impressions so building up your CTR to knock off established adds is often a bit of a pain.

Amazon must have gathered every keyword ever used by an affilate and if an affiliate is using it must be profitable so in their case it would be dead easy to bin PPC affiliates and do it all themselves.

Is this increase a way to gather more ppc info in prep for the cull?

[Kevin-ProperPrice]

ah its just for the performance plan, thank goodness!

I missed this bit in the new operating agreement, and just in case any one else missed it too..

I've just opened a new account, and the 'Classic' plan no longer exists as an option (it is no longer available for new accounts). I then logged into my old Classic account and it had automatically been converted to a Performance account (I am awaiting a support response).

Reading the small print:

Once you choose to participate in the Performance Fee Structure, the Classic Fee Structure will no longer be available to you. You may choose the Performance Fee Structure at any time during the applicable calendar month...

The Classic Fee Structure is not available to new Associates.

So if you already have a Classic account, think hard before changing it as you can't change it back (and you are only allowed to have one account per segment).