Google Affiliate Network

[Shane]

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Google just launched their, long expected, google affiliate network today

The network :Affiliate Network - Google

I put the full email up here : RevenueAddict.com Google Affiliate Network

Don't panic too much just yet as there's a publisher offering so it's not cutting affiliates out of loop but merely (so far) starting a network for affiliates rather than replacing them.

publisher info :Affiliate Network - Google

[km5]

Oh well I'll fall for it meantime just to see what's on offer. Will try anything once ;O)

[Gavinio]

From Inside AdWords: We are retiring the pay-per-action beta

As part of Google's integration of DoubleClick, the DoubleClick Performics Affiliate network is now part of Google. To consolidate our offerings, we will be phasing out the AdWords pay-per-action beta in the last week of August 2008. As an alternative to pay-per-action advertising, Google offers two products that allow you to manage your advertising on a CPA (cost-per-acquisition) basis: the Conversion Optimizer and the Google Affiliate Network.

The Conversion Optimizer is an AdWords bidding feature that lets you specify a maximum CPA goal for ads on the Google search and content networks. It uses historical information about your campaign to automatically adjust your CPC bid for each auction to help you meet your CPA goal. In addition, the Conversion Optimizer is now supported in both the AdWords Editor and the AdWords API. You can learn more on the Conversion Optimizer homepage.

The Google Affiliate Network, previously known as DoubleClick Performics Affiliate, has been in operation since 1998. Through the network, advertisers can open their ads to all publishers in the network, or select specific publishers that match their criteria. You can set a CPA for your entire campaign or establish custom payment schedules for specific publishers -- such as a higher CPA for a particularly optimal placement. The Google Affiliate Network is currently a separate product from AdWords and AdSense. As with AdSense, publishers must apply and be accepted into the network.

If you're interested in learning more about the Google Affiliate Network, please visit our website.

Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew

Well, nothing we've not expected for a while, lets see how it plans out, eh? If anyone signs up to the network, let us know what it's like will you? What advertisers are they pushing etc? Any UK ones?

[Barry]

I found my mind filling with dread this morning when I got the email.

I can't help thinking the worst when 'google', 'is' and 'affiliate' are in the same sentence.

If I could write, I would make a really good sci-fi film about the rise of 'googleator' and their gradual takeover of the world, I can visualise it now.


Anyway, for now this great 'system'(!) still exists for me to scratch a living from it, so I am off to see what merchants they have. (god every day is just a predicament)

Ta

Baz

[KGP]

from what i read does this mean that its going to be easier for merchants?
so merchants dont need to pay any fee apart from the CPA costs and probably the override?

[hmc]

evil is coming

[gunneradt]

doubleclick - more spyware

[Vrindavan]

So Google Affiliate network is mainly a US network ?

[Paul Wright]

It's been coming and i guess it's finally here. Initial things floating around in my mind at the mo...

I wonder if they plan to dedupe cpa's on the content network with cpc on the search network?

No brand bidding you say? I'm sure google could monitor that one, surely?

Knock on effect on "traditional network" overrides to compete with CPA rates achievable with Google?

Publisher / Advertise Service levels available via Google affiliate Network (GAN?) - same generic auto responders ala adwords?

Keyword tracking available to publishers?

hmm...

[Tel]

Afternoon,

As affiliate marketing continues to grow in popularity as a must have on your marketing schedule, it continues to be a must for all types and sizes of businesses. It's my opinion that there are a massive amounts of smaller, more niche businesses who really want to enter affiliate marketing and are looking for a branded access point.

And here it is. Combine your adwords account with an affiliate programme and you've ticked that box and you've got an affiliate network! So a winner for the SME market and for affiliates wanting this type of programme (time to find a niche...)

Not sure how many of the medium to big merchants and programmes will go live (at this stage.) They definitely need the agency support/contact and established networks to make a successful programme.

Col.

[experienceadvertising]

Lets hope they invest all that money and resources into helping the affiliate industry grow and prosper. I manage couple programs on Performics/Google so I'll keep everyone posted on any interesting developments if I see them...

[choc-chip]

Oh well I'll fall for it meantime just to see what's on offer. Will try anything once ;O)

Me thoughts exactly.
__________________
HDTV Prices

[aotagain]

It's my opinion that there are a massive amounts of smaller, more niche businesses who really want to enter affiliate marketing and are looking for a branded access point.

Well if it gets over the 'problem' for SME's of monthly network overhead and what they see as 'teccie' work on their sites and its also from a 'trusted' network they've heard of, I can see loads of them going for this.

I've lost count of the number of times I've quoted fixed cost advertising to SME's, only to have them reject it at the start on the basis its too expensive, when I know that we could place them somewhere that would definitely give them sales and earn us commission. On the other hand, we can't place them somewhere with no way of tracking conversions simply and reliably for both parties.

Problem is, they've no way of becoming a merchant without significant upfront investment and advice. If Google can change that, then it could open up a huge tranch of opportunity for niche content sites.

Is this the new opportunity for content-rich sites who were worried about voucher codes ? Most of the SME's won't want the complication of running voucher codes.

[Chuck_Hamrick]

DoubleClick Performics was purchased by Google earlier this year. They are split between search and affiliate. The search division will be sold off and whoever buys it will be the largest search agency around. They have had joint client summits split between search and affiliate. The summit for affiliate has been postponed until this fall. They are focusing on the search sale so affiliates will follow for any upgrades.

To my knowledge they are primarily US only for affiliates. Have 5 programs there and things have been great. Their interface needs some updating but reports are good and support the best yet.

[dh5894]

Il give it a try, to see what they are offering... :tup