Google landing page policy

[KanyeWest]

Just spotted this in my adwords account:

Important Change to URL Policy Enforcement
Starting in April, display URLs for new ads will be required to match their destination / landing page URLs, without exception. Please adjust your URLs accordingly when creating new ads.

Doesn't the above effectively kill direct to merchant PPC?

Will the big G be smart enough to differentiate the eventual landing page from the affiliate network link?

As most merchants PPC policies forbid you to use their domain as the display URL, this also creates problems.

Are many people even working in this form of PPC nowdays?

[Shane]

Originally Posted by KanyeWest Just spotted this in my adwords account: Important Change to URL Policy Enforcement Starting in April, display URLs for new ads will be required to match their destination / landing page URLs, without exception. Please adjust your URLs accordingly when creating new ads. Doesn't the above effectively kill direct to merchant PPC?

umm they effectively killed direct to merchant, cept for one url, ages ago, this update is more of a notice to enforce T&C's that affs have been flouting since the last update

Originally Posted by KanyeWest Will the big G be smart enough to differentiate the eventual landing page from the affiliate network link?

Big G don't care what happens inbetween display URL and landing page Domain URL (except for pop ups etc..) .. as long as display matches the actual final destination domain where users land then that's ok

Originally Posted by KanyeWest As most merchants PPC policies forbid you to use their domain as the display URL, this also creates problems.

Yup.. and so this is what started loads of affiliates building flimsy landing page sites.. who then got spanked in the quality score updates

Originally Posted by KanyeWest Are many people even working in this form of PPC nowdays?

Not as many as were doing it.. Google has made it harder for affiliates all round but at the same time it's a more varied place on adwords as a result and now to be an affiliate takes more than creating an ad, slapping in a direct url and setting the adgroup live.