affiliatemillions.com Blog

Must I list google.com?

[Edited: the quoted text below is not in font page but in Affiliate Network page. Sorry for confusion.]

In your front page [no, not front page but in Affiliate Network page] it says that “Search Marketers signing up for any of these networks should list a search engine URL (such as www.google.com) in the website URL field, and explain in the description that you will run your ads on search and content networks like Google’s.”

I had setup a Commission Junction account using my own website name URL. Although cj.com allows me to add more websites and I can certainly list google.com as one of the websites associated with my account, is it necessary to do that?

Display URL in Search Marketing Text Ads

I am new to Search Marketing, and my question is in regards to the Display URL’s. One of the Affiliate Programs I joined prohibits the use of their Website URL as a Display URL in Search Marketing Text Ads. Would I use the Destination URL as the Display URL also? I don’t want to be penalized so I’m posting this question.

Search Engines

I am a newbie to the concept of Affiliate Marketing, I know for a fact it is somthing I think i will begin taking part in in the near future, I am going to start with a website instead of search marketing because I feel there is not as big of a risk with the affiliate websites but I will begin search marketing in the future when I am comfortable with the process.

so my question is, when i register my domain name, select a web host, create a website, how do I get my website to appear on search engines? will it show automaticly? will there be a fee charged to register my website for a search engine? thanks

Display url

Hi Tony,

just finished reading your book,great read,and i’m exploring Direct Search Marketing but can’t help but notice there are a lot of restrictions. I’ve found lots of programs that don’t allow search marketing or don’t let you use their urls in your ads making it very difficult to get ads placed. Is search marketing now a thing of the past or can you still make serious money with it? I think i just need some reassurance before i dedicate my time to this project

dan

Casino Idea

Hi, I am willing to try out your idea regarding the websites with traffic, etc.  Can you give a bit more details as to how to set this up?  I see on Sedo.co.uk that they actively sell sites with current traffic levels, but once I buy the URL, how do I maintain the traffic and then addon the Casino affiliate programs?

Technical Difficulties

Some of you may have noticed we had some technical difficulties on the site recently that affected your ability to view and browse the site.  We’ve fixed the problem, and it shouldn’t happen again.

 Thank you,

 Anthony Borelli

May Newsletter – Affiliate Millions

Hi Everybody,  So do you want the good news first, or the bad news?

The Bad News
 Let’s just go ahead and get the bad news out of the way.  As of May 1^st, Amazon.com no longer allows direct search marketing.  They were the last really big affiliate program to still allow affiliates to place their ads directly on search and content networks, and their decision to disallow direct search puts the exclamation point on the writing that was already on the wall…  Direct search marketing of affiliate programs is no longer the path of least resistance for reaching financial independence.  This doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a lot of money to be made in affiliate marketing, but it does mean we have to look at some different approaches.

The Good News
 The good news is, there is still a LOT of money to be made in affiliate marketing using other techniques.  The even better news is one of these techniques in particular is even easier, and cheaper than direct search was.  Let’s get right to our new options;

The Easy Money – Redirecting existing traffic to Casino Programs
 I’ve been searching for something as profitable and as easy as Direct Search was – before most companies stopped allowing it – and I’ve even resorted to doing a little hard work, buying domain names, setting up landing pages and advertising those.  And although I have had a little modest success there, I don’t appear to have the same knack for web design that I have for ad writing.  

HOWEVER… as I have shut down sites that weren’t profitable, I decided to redirect the traffic to online casinos, simply because it wouldn’t cost me any more money, and they were the only programs that would pay commissions on redirected traffic.  Most of these domains generated only few clicks a day, so I stopped even looking at them for several months.  Last month, I took a closer look and realized, although almost none of this traffic converted, the small number that did convert made multiple online gaming visits and blew an average of more than $4,000.00, and those figures are climbing.  With lifetime commissions of 36%, I suddenly realized that I might be able to make some real money with even less effort than my last gig.

I suggest you try what I am now doing, which is this…  buy cheap (under $100) existing domain names with at least a trickle of existing traffic (make these European domains like co.uk and .fr, etc. because US law now prevents these affiliate programs from paying you for US traffic), then simply redirect these domains to a casino affiliate program.  It may be months before you see your first commission, but as you add more and more domains, these commissions will come quicker and quicker.  All you care about is that the domains have some existing daily traffic, but if the domain happens to be gambling specific, that’ll obviously work a little better.

Your only cost is the purchase price of the domains (and you can always sell these sites later, so even that money is recoverable) and the hosting costs, though many sites will do the redirect for free.

Search for and buy the domains at a site like GoDaddy.com.  And sign up for the lifetime commission program at Casino Blasters.   Take your affiliate link codes you get from casino blasters, and tell GoDaddy to redirect your domains there.  Low cost.  Low risk.  Minimal effort.  That simple.  

Old School Affiliate Marketing – Using Landing pages
 Many affiliate marketers are switching back to the old model of using landing pages to market affiliate programs.  If you decide to go this route (and it certainly opens up many avenues for marketing many different products), we have many resources available to you at www.AffiliateMillions.com/web-design.html.  You can find affordable and professional web-design assistance and we even offer free website templates.  You can view a working example of one of our templates at www.Great-Colleges.com.One thing to keep in mind when you are promoting a website of your own is that your Google pagerank will directly impact the cost and placement of your ads, so be sure to focus some of your efforts on optimizing your site for search engines.  If you can successfully climb near to the top of a few key searches, you will begin getting the best kind of traffic…  FREE!  Add to that the relevancy of the traffic you get from appearing at or near the top of a few relevant search phrases, and you will likely have established a significant revenue stream.

A great book about promoting your own website that I read in preparation for launching the Affiliate Millions website is Insider Seo & Ppc: Get Your Website to the Top of the Search Engines, available now on Amazon.

That’s all for today.

Good Luck, Affiliate Millionaires in training!

The Next Big Affiliate Goldmine

I’ve been trying to find something as profitable and as easy as Direct Search was – before most companies stopped allowing it – and I’ve even resorted to doing a little hard work, buying domain names, setting up landing pages and advertising those.  And although I have had a little modest success there, I don’t appear to have the same knack for web design that I have for ad writing.  

As I have shut down certain web sites that weren’t making money, I started redirecting the traffic to online casinos, simply because it wouldn’t cost me any more money, and they were the only programs that would accept redirected traffic and still pay commissions.  I hadn’t hope to make much, and I confess I went almost a year without even checking on how they were doing.

Well guess what…  I think I’ve stumbled ass-backwards into a big pile of easy money!  Although almost no-one that was unexpectedly dumped off at the casino actually gambled, the average player that DID gamble spent (over several gambling sessions) over $4000.  With 36% LIFETIME commissions, I’m doing okay even if just a tiny fraction of the redirected traffic ever actually signs up.

American traffic is not eligible for commissions (thank our congress), so this works best with foreign domains like co.uk, but even my .com domains earn commissions sometimes, as they do get some foreign traffic.

Casino Blasters has the best program (36% to 50% LIFETIME commisions) and even if your domain just gets a few clicks a day, you’ll probably get a sign up or two a year off of each domain.  Doesn’t sound like much, I know, but with my average real gambler spending over $4000 (usually a few hundred at a time, but with multiple visits).  That’s over $1000 in commissions… if you choose the percentage program.  DO NOT CHOOSE the CPA program.  You can make WAY more on the percentage, because it is for the lifetime of the customers gambling. 

I’ve begun buying foreign domains with existing traffic and not even bothering to develop web pages any more.  I just automatically redirect them to one of Casino Blasters programs.  I’ll check back in with you all in a few months and let you know how its going. 

In the meantime, all those domain names you haven’t been able to make $$ with, redirect them to a casino and see if they can’t make you money after all.  It doesn’t cost a penny to try, and its as easy as pie, so what have you got to lose?

Good Luck,

Tony

Hubpages?

Would having a Hub on Hubpages.com be considered a website?

My experience so far..

Hi,  Thank you so much for Affiliate Millions.  I have signed up for Commission Junction and have started running some campaigns on MSN and Google.   I clearly state in my CJ profile that I am a search marketer and will be promoting them through those means and also have a website but find that I am being rejected more often than not.  Is this because they simply don’t like search marketers?  I am wondering if I could be doing something wrong.

One other thing, although I have been accepted to some programs and have started promoting them  – as well as getting clicks – I have only made .97 cents so far!  I know I am new and will not give up but I was wondering if you have any words of wisdom?  (besides the ones found in your book)

Thank you so much.

Tara (dacktyl)

Amazon Rejects DTM PPC

Hi Tony,

I have recently read your book after being recommended it, I found it very interesting and have started to dable in affiliate marketing on the side. On your suggestion I have started on amazon.co.uk as I live in the UK.

 I was wondering if the recent announcment by Amazon to stop DTM PPC on amazon.com, amazon.ca will also apply to amazon.co.uk? Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Nick 

Coaching

Tony, as I continue my education in Adwords I ran across your book searching for something else – I bought it and I am half-way through – good read – I currently have a 2 different Google campaigns built for my wife’s real estate business and we are doing pretty well at this point.  My interest is high in terms of shifting my knowledge towards affiliate marketing and wanted to know if you conduct 1-on-1 coaching?

S

Amazon no longer Allowing Direct Search

As of May 1, 2009 Amazon.com and Endless.com no longer allow Direct Search Marketing.

This continues a trend begun by eBay two years ago when they also dissallowed direct search.  Both companies still maintain affiliate marketing programs, and are both still excellent producers, although you must now create landing pages to place their ads, and run your search marketing campaigns for your own landing pages.

You can find help designing webpages, and free landing page templates, at http://www.affiliatemillions.com/web-design.html.

-T

I was rejected too from Azoogle

I was rejected too from Azoogle in Sep 08.
First of all let me say that I loved the book…it was so easy to read…this was my 5th book about Internet Marketing.

Second a bit of  of myself. I know how to do web design, seo & I run 2 Adwords campaigns for my web design company.

It seems to me all these Affiliates reject you if …You sound like if you are new to Internet Marketing & if you don’t have a way to bring traffic.

In my own opinion for all those people who gets rejected is to create your own Blog (As I am doing) fill it with content updated frequently and then few months later buy traffic that goes to your site…some people charge you as little as $ 25 for 1000 visitors.

Then it’s time to register to an Affiliate, wait for their call and sound like you are pro. Even if you are not they will accept you and then you have your chance.

Let me know what you guys think.

Sincerely,
SpeedyJ

Budget Question

Hey Tony,

Loved your book. Unlike many other online money making opprotunities the search marketing idea really makes sense to me. I’m glad I’ve read your book and become atleast somewhat knowledgable. Just a quick question for you: I don’t have a lot of money and I only want to join one affilate network and run one affiliate program for now until I see some return (or loss as the case may be) so I know that I am capable of competing in this growing trend. So my question is if I only run one AD on Google Adwords what should my budget be? Of course considering I have a wife, two kids, and a day job that barely makes us ends-meat. I’m all for budgeting this out over 60 days so I’m sure I don’t run out of money or am unable to run my ad for only a few days. I’m just wondering if say a $300 a month budget would be safe for now until I get the results? Any help would be great. Your book was great, a must-read for everyone!!! TY -William Robinson