With the number of PPC affiliates falling off a cliff, it might be tempting to assume that their day is over. But that would be a mistake.
Despite the restrictions that Google has placed on Affiliate websites – take a close look at the Panda Update and you will see the carnage it has caused – it is not difficult to try and see what the world’s biggest search engine is seeking.
It sees the internet as a truly informative database where facts and figures can be easily gained, and ecommerce can be carried out to the benefit of the user.
And in putting the user first, it believes that webmasters and website owners have to be, above all else, transparent and relevant. Anyone trying to be something they are not, are akin to modern day shysters in Google’s eyes and the punishment will be swift and hard.
So the message is simple and pretty clear. Design your website and conduct your PPC campaigns with the user in mind. In the Google inspired internet, the user (or customer if you like) is King and if you confuse them, or mislead them in anyway, then the Guardians and Gate Keepers will be onto you in a flash.
But that shouldn’t worry PPC affiliates. The playing field may have changed, but the rules are now crystal clear. And they should be able to work within the new environment, taking their lead from the search engine’s aspirations.
It’s all a question of common sense and application.