The Little Geeni

Not really, but it could make the job of an online affiliate marketer a total nightmare in the coming months… selling affiliate products on the web has just gotten much, much tougher.

Why?

Mainly because Google has taken Froogle, which it created in 2002 and re-named/re-branded it into Google Product Search. Now when anyone searches for a product on the web – Google Product Search will list the products and the stores selling them on the web.

Now it should be noted, Google doesn’t charge any fees for these listings and accepts no payment for products that show up first; nor does Google make any commissions on sales. Google makes its revenue by selling advertising via Adwords on the Product Search results pages. Any company can submit products thru Google Base to be included in Google Product Search.

What’s the problem?

Actually, there is no problem for the consumer who wants to find the cheapest price for a product. Google offers this great service which will help you find your product. It just cuts out the affiliate marketer who makes a living by promoting products on the web and receiving a small commission in return for their work.

But there are some very fundamental issues here that also cuts at the very heart of the Internet as we know it. Is Google changing the rules of how it does business by more aggressively targeting not only specific product keywords but much more broader keyword phrases in their organic search results with programs like Google Product Search? And they’re listing their links first in the organic search results or what everyone has come to believe are organic results. This argument is not new, Google has been taking those top spots for years albeit directing buyers to other companies with the best prices and offers.

However, is Google now not just targeting a product name or product – but targeting and listing in the #1 spot all the broader keyword phrases which have until recently been dominated by the ordinary website owner? And even in your own iGoogle personal search, you can NOT place your choice ABOVE this Google Product Link.

The real tricky question here: isn’t Google going from a search engine to a website creator and operator in this process? Is Google now not only providing the results; but is it now creating web pages to match those results? There’s nothing wrong with that, Google can do what it wants, but for the small affiliate marketer it means competition. Big competition. In other words, every website on the net now has Google as a potential competitor in organic search.

Of course, how far Google goes with this broader keyword targeting has yet to be seen. Only time will tell if Google does indeed have affiliate links and affiliate sites in its cross-hairs. Many affiliate marketers on the web will be waiting nervously for the answer to that question.

Again, most people would agree with what Google is doing, since most affiliate marketers only hype the products they’re selling and getting those affiliate based sites out of their search results and off the web may not be a bad move on Google’s part and for the web as a whole.

However, are consumers now getting the real information on products they’re buying? One of the great things about the Internet is that it has always offered various types of information and viewpoints on any subject matter – including the products that we buy on the web. By placing itself first in organic search results, Google is saying its information and listed products are the ones you should be getting.

Many affiliate marketers have spent years researching and studying a particular product niche and they offer valuable in-depth information on their sites about a particular product or service. They also offer comprehensive general knowledge about products, services and subjects that many searchers genuinely want to find when they search the web for information. It doesn’t always mean going directly to the merchant to buy a product, many shoppers want information first, then make their decision.

While others will argue what’s the big deal, isn’t Google also giving other search results besides the top spot? Yes, but as any marketer who has had a # 1 ranking in Google or any search engine for that matter, will know the top spot gets the majority of the traffic. So Google, by reserving the top spot for itself, will now receive the majority of the traffic, which it can exploit with its advertising.

Google is smart. Google has smart people. And smart people know the longer you have a web surfer on your site and not on someone else’s site, the more money you will make on advertising. By taking the top spot in organic search for every profitable keyword that’s searched, and keeping those searchers on web pages derived from those results, Google can create more business for itself. The poor affiliate marketer and every other website owner will just have to settle for second place.

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I’m not a gamer. However, when my son was younger, he and I tackled a computer strategy game together. In the game, the player became the main character wandering through a strange land seeking a great reward. Along the way, he encountered both helpers and hinderers. Through these encounters, our hero found opportunities to increase his strength and cunning. That describes affiliate marketing – a feat of strategy that can offer great rewards to those who acquire strength and cunning.

Life Force

It’s Game Over when your character runs out of life force. In our game, life force is measured by the number of visitors to your website. Of primary importance to an affiliate marketer is creating ways to attract visitors. Internet users are seeking information and entertainment. Build a site that offers one or both of these along with an element of uniqueness and you will have the potential for an abundance of life force.

Strength

There’s strength in numbers is certainly true in internet marketing. Find ways to place your link on other sites. Look for sites that are relevant to your own content. Those fellow website owners who will exchange links or write features about your site are important helpers in gaining strength.

Forums are a place where you can personally interact with other internet users. These interactions can result in drawing more visitors to your site. Many forums allow you to post your link along with your signature. Networking through forums can help build links and service exchanges as well. Reading posts from other users can often uncover a lotus blossom of knowledge.

Article databases create more opportunities for visitors to become aware of you and the information or entertainment that you have to offer. Allow these minions to do your bidding and bring traffic to your site.

Cunning

Never stop learning. Subscribe to two or three affiliate marketing newsletters. You have mentors with lessons to teach, open your mind and receive.

Search engines can seem both friend and foe. It takes a lot of work to master the search engine. Words are the key. You must diligently seek out the words that bring you the most visitors and include them in the content of your site. The tricky part is, however, that the perfect combination of words is constantly shifting as if you are building your structure on a sand dune. As the terrain changes, so must your site.

There are seers who can help you master the magic of the words – search suggestion tools. With these tools, you can assign value to the words that your site contains. Choose high-ranking key words that are related to the message of your page and gracefully weave them into your content.

Rewards

Join an affiliate program to find advertisers. Select your ads carefully to cater toward your targeted audience. Some sites do well with flashing banner ads, while others find text links to be more lucrative. Apply your cunning and study your ad campaigns continuously.

Pay per click programs are also available. The commissions are smaller than affiliate advertisers pay, but since visitors will click much more often than they will purchase, the small amounts add up quickly. Apply the key-word strategies and your pages will not only display ads that pay higher rewards for each click, but also ads that are of keen interest to your visitors.

Joint ventures are a combination link exchange/affiliate relationship, a way to share traffic to the mutual benefit of both parties. Look for joint venture opportunities from sites that have parallel interests to your own site. Inviting another person into your boat adds more rowing power and speeds you along your journey.

It’s a game! Enjoy each moment as you gain the next level. Remember that strength and cunning take time and determination to develop. But, as they grow so will your chests of treasure.

 

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