Google to allow gambling PPC ads!!!

[Casino_Man]

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Yep just heard from bloke at Google. No chance of affiliates getting stuck into this..... Was just setting up a new site for Bingo as well....arse!

[purple]

, it will most certainly affect SEO affiliates who've been working hard to achieve top SERPs for selected keywords, as PPC ads will automatically top theirs.

When you say PPC ads will top SEO positions, I guess you mean the usual PPC listing on top of serps and on the right margin, You are not implying that PPC listing will appear in main serps?

So bascially same set up for every other verticial where SEO affiliates compete with PPC listings.

[prk]

Yes, we can expect set up to be be the same as for non gaming industries (or pre-2004 Google PPC gambling ads), i.e. paid ads showing as highlighted top 2 or 3 results and in right hand side ad column.

[titanicbar]

Has anyone actually had an approved ad words account yet ?

[matthewk]

Casino_Man

I have contacted google also but they didnt have an answer for me. It seems they've missed out affiliates with this new policy change. I've also asked the Gambling Commission and they said I don't need a license to advertise bingo sites. It seems to be a grey area.

It's all very confusing. I'm very worried that the CPC is now going to sky rocket like people have suggested here.

I'm not sure I see this as good news!

I'd like to hear other peoples thoughts.

[Casino_Man]

Actually I think you can for bingo as if you search 'play bingo' or 'bingo offers' it churns up loads of paid ads. So for affiliates there is no change at all in how things are done unless Google relaxes the rules further.

As I understand it merchants can use the PPC but there will be restrictions on keywords etc.

[titanicbar]

The ads on there at the moment are a work around of the google system so they may or may not be under threat when the new policy is adopted.

[FireflySEO]

Okay Guys,

Not very pleased about this at all. It is going to screw a lot of us. I have made an appeal to the media / Google via FireflySEO blog. Please get involved we need to get Google to include affiliates in this deal!!

Thanks,

Allan

[lauriebred]

Totally unethical, which means that it will fit well with the rest of the Internet. This is still the Wild West after all. And do you really think that Google (and anyone else for that matter) gives a proverbial about affiliates when there are dollars to be made? This is the world as it is, not as we would want it to be, so live with it guys.

[Aspirin]

Im sure even the merchants would like the affiliates to be included in this, not to compete with positions, but affiliates as a rule are the PPC experts and will drive them the traffic from them long tail keywords and secret search phrases we have

[John Jupp]

oddly timed to coincide with the Queen's visit to their offices today.

They already have their "Permission to Advertise Gambling Site in the UK" form up:

Contacting Support - AdWords Help Center

Maybe that's cos they heard Her Maj likes a flutter.

[gaving]

i think over time that the need to have a license will be removed....googles "do no evil" policy means that their first foray will be to try and associate themselves with companies that have some form of responsibility to promote gaming responsibly, hence the licensing....gamcare / protecting minors etc

in my opinion very few brands will perform long tail ppc and brand bidding strategy as well as affs can and that google will want extra revenue...it's just baby steps for now....I heard that some lads left google started up another search engine (kuhl, Cuhl, coul...something like that) and have three times as many records as google...as a search engine they harm themselves by trying to control traffic and affect some form of censorship....they will change but they won't bend over on the first day....

[gaving]

I don't know if that should be affect or effect....but I don't know the difference between implying and inferring either....if anyone can clarify that would be great....

[Qui Gon Jinn]

I think this is purely a reflex action by Google to whip up cash because the share price is falling.

Bingo ! They drop their ethos to to earn extra rev when times get tough, rather than reduce bids across advertisers during the credit crunch. It should be a cash cow for them. However is it seperate accounts that need to be authorised or the merchant you are linking to? If the latter then if that site gets approved via another account or the merchant themselves, then there might be a work around via direct linking. There still might be a work around of additional revenue stream too.

[retrolink]

I can't see too many gambling links up yet, for the very few terms I searched for, but I am sure they will come soon...