Deciphering the Latest Google Slap…
March 17th, 2008 by 
Amit
A number of my readers have asked me to blog about the recent Google Slap.
For a lot of affiliates it was more like a Google Knockout Punch. A few of my friends had their campaigns, their life and blood, wiped out overnight. 
I was unscathed, and I’m still trying to fully understand why.
Based on talking to some reliable sources here’s what I can glean:
- A lot of affiliates doing dynamic keyword insertion, direct linking, or sending all their traffic to one page got slapped.
- A number of affiliate lost nearly all of their content network traffic. It seems as if Google is looking for increased relevancy between the keyword theme (of your content adgroup), your ad, and your landing page.
- Google is tightening the noose on what it considers a “quality” affiliate site.
One of my very small niches (where I was spending $90 bucks a day) got hit hard, my other niches were overall unaffected - some keywords got deactivated but my overall traffic levels are unchanged.
My slapped site was just a few landing pages with 20 or so articles thrown in to make Google happy, while my sites that were unaffected by the Google Slap were REAL sites.
What do I mean by real sites?
My unaffected sites share the following qualities :
- The sites were structured as real sites. They didn’t look like sites that was designed for ppc with a bunch of articles thrown in to make Google happy.
- The sites all have unique content added to them on a regular basis (in some cases an actively updated blog).
- The sites are actively being promoted in ways other than ppc…through article & direction submissions, press releases, etc, etc.
In other words, my sites that were unaffected do NOT resemble thin affiliate ppc sites who’s only purpose is to redirect the visitor (from Adwords) to the merchant site. I suspect Google can now smell out if you’re just adding articles to your site to make them happy.
Final Thoughts :
Focus on making real sites that add substantial value, rather than making an affiliate site that’s just crammed with content for the sole purpose of getting a good landing page quality score.
Forget automated programs that make bogus promises of protecting you against Google Slaps.
Just take the time to do it right, it will save you a lot of time, money, and stress in the long run.
PS Also check out these related posts by Adwords Experts (and Good Friends) Josh and Geordie.
google slap landing page quality score
Posted in Google™ AdWords, Super Affiliate Mindset | 
It goes to show how important building a real business is and not to try and turn affiliate marketing into a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Quality work always takes longer, sometimes it’s even harder but the results last longer.
Thanks Amit for the info.
Andrew
from the horse’s mouth:
“one thing I did learn is that there are a number of super affiliates who are making a KILLING with direct linking, contrary to what some of the ill informed comments and feedback I got from my “How to Get Started as an Affiliate” post would suggest”
care to comment? in fact, would ANYONE care to comment on that…
Hi Amit. What do you mean “sending all their traffic to one page got slapped.”? Do you mean it was a site with only one page (hardly any outgoing links?) Or do you mean it was a site with several pages, but they were sending the traffic to just one page of site with several pages? Thanks much.
Hi Al,
Yes I’ll comment on that. Direct linking does work, and YES many super affiliates make large amounts of money from direct linking.
It comes down to the quality score of the merchant site that your promoting AND how you direct link. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.
If you still don’t believe me, then good, less competition for me (yes, I have direct linking campaigns as well)
Hi Joe,
I mean sending traffic to one page of a site that has many pages.
A - Thanks for responding. I got you.
Amit, are you sure that content now have minimum bids? I think the mininimum bids you see on adwords editor is min bids for search network. That is what a Google rep just told me. Also on google help it is stated that there are no minimum bids for content: http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=50686&ctx=sibling
Amit,
Can you explain the differant ways to direct link?
Are you referring to the use of redirects?
Hi Karolis,
Thanks for clarifying this!
I’ve updated the blog post.
Sincerely,
Amit
Hi Amit,
Can you give some more insight into why direct linking campaigns may be slapped?
Are they getting slapped just because they are not splitting their campaigns into closely related keywords, adgroups, landing pages and ads but sending most traffic straight to a main page?
Are fake display URLs involved?
Thanks
Amit,
Ditto REC and John. What IS the right and wrong way to do direct linking?
Thanks,
Fred
Amit,
It was only a matter of time. Over a year ago, Google told the world that they were on the lookout for Thin Affiliate Sites. They added their definition of a Thin Affiliate Site to their Webmaster Guidelines here (http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769).
Excerpt:
“If your site participates in an affiliate program, make sure that your site adds value. Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit your site first.”
Takeaway:
Eventually your thin affiliate site(s) will be removed from Google’s index. So, if you enjoy the revenues that your thin sites are generating you should take some measures to ensure that you are integrating some sort of value-add.
- Eric
“Less Work, Less pay”
Now it’s the time for us to create some quality websites for PPC campaigns. I have already written a article about this Google Slap in my blog.
Hey Amit,
If google slaps you it’for a reason, I don’t try to fight google, I just give them what they Want. I don’t waste my precious energy fighting the top dog, I have to many other things to do. But what concerns me is, the lack of sales.
I promote some of the top (or so they say) selling ebooks related to the pet industry, think fish. Their sales page in my estimation is really good. I usually set my keywords into tight groups and can get the clicks. Great quality score, low minimum bids, no direct linking. Purchase domains just to promote their product the whole nine yards. Not many sales. It seems that a lot of people just want free information, and at my cost. It’s hard selling information on via click bank, talk about frustration !
I know it can be done, and I will never give up. I’ll just keep plugging away, persist and prevail, if anyone has any suggestion, I would surely appreciated it.
To your success,
Cheers,
Jim Novak
@ Jim
You are definitely not the only person who has trouble selling ebooks. That niche is extremely saturated. And I bet you’re probably spending quite a bit per click? Try using negatives and long-tail keyword phrases to better qualify your traffic.
Having said this, I don’t think you should put all of your eggs into the PPC Basket. Have you tried writing articles on the subject(s) people are looking for? Articles will allow you to add a mention of a product(s) or service(s) you believe will fit the readers’ needs, which links them off to the merchant’s sales page you like so much. Not forgetting to mention, if you host articles on your website, there’s a good chance that they’ll end up being indexed by the SEs, which could lead to high rankings, and ultimately free traffic. Just make sure you SEO them correctly, and start driving some traffic to them.
Good luck!
- Eric
Amit,
Thanks for the insights. Google has been clear in the past that they want content, not spammy, thin sites, and it’s good to know they are remaining consistent. Whenever there is an algorithm change there will be some winners and some losers, whether fair or not. The losers will whine, the winners will quietly count their blessings.
…Walter
I work for a 500 employee financial services firm and we just took a HUGE hit in Google organically. We went from page 1/2 for our primary keywords down to page 8 overnight. Hopefully we can rebound as we’ve been very consistent in building links, creating unique content and keeping in line with Google’s good ole guidelines!
The reason why most of us got into PPC is because we don’t have the ability or time to create a full site with good quality content and continuously feed it. If we are able to do so, we’ll sell ads on our own. The beauty of PPC was so we can pre-sale other peoples products with a landing page or direct link to them with PPC but now that is no longer an option, what is a small fish like myself to do to try to make a living?
In December 17, 2007. I published a case study on how to create quality landing page and it focuss on Blogs. I predicted that in the future google will be slap those sites that are “Fake Real Sites” and that’s why if you want a long-term business with ppc you should create “real sites” like I did on my case study with Blogs:
http://www.googlelady.com/423/ultimate-google-adwords-landing-pages-guide/
I really recommend to read my e-book on Adwords Quality Guide e-book is for free:
http://www.googlelady.com/614/adwords-quality-guide-free-ebook/
Vivian Rollins speaks the truth. last year I made thousands a month on thin ppc travel commissions. But the ppc competition is growing and the costs are increasing. Affiliate programs are cracking down on PPC direct linking. Let’s face it, while we can exist in the cracks for probably 2 more years what is a truly sustainable strategy? are you building real websites? This is scary stuff…
Hello everyone,
In response to post # 15 above.
Eric thanks for the tip.
Let me say you are correct in your assumption. Lots of clicks not many sales, yes all of my eggs are not in one basket so to speak, I have a site Wireless-home-computer.com that I have been building for a long time, this is my flag ship site.
Now people say I’m crazy, too much competition, Wow - are they correct, absolutely.
But this is my passion, this is what I do in the real world (JOB) In yahoo I have first page ranking for my domain term, even though not many people search for the term, out of 333,000,000 number 7, last check. Right under the king about.com
PPC is another train I ride, reach “100 + million people searching for stuff” If these words don’t get your attention, nothing will my friend.
If I can give some advice to all here is, don’t quit STAY FOCUSED, you will get there.
To your success,
Jim Novak
Wireless-home-computer.com