[Google Affiliate Network] Google Affiliate Network Publisher Terms and Polic...

[Kristin Hall]

In August, Google Affiliate Network updated the terms and policies for new-to-network publishers to better reflect our integration with AdSense. We also recently released the updated terms and policies to all publishers who joined Google Affiliate Network before August 12, 2009. These new terms and policies help streamline and consolidate a number of issues that are now shared between Google Affiliate Network and AdSense. Since our affiliate terms and policies are largely based around existing AdSense terms and policies, we are making it easier for the one million+ AdSense publishers -- largely content websites and blogs -- to participate in affiliate marketing for the first time.

However, while we believe there is an opportunity to expand the affiliate opportunity to traditional AdSense publishers, affiliate ads and AdSense ads are different. The updated Google Affiliate Network terms and policies explicitly address the important differences between cost-per-click and cost-per-action advertising. For example, publishers running AdSense ads may not click on their own AdSense ads (or encourage users to click on their ads.) In the affiliate channel publishers may encourage users to convert through their specific Google Affiliate ads (and this is what many affiliates do best!)

Another change to highlight is our Google Affiliate Network software applications policy, which clarifies some of the previous rules around software applications and toolbars while focusing on increased transparency and choice. This new software policy is heavily oriented around protecting end users from unwanted, deceptive, or malicious software. Publishers who use, distribute, or generate traffic from applications that do not meet this policy may have their accounts immediately disabled.

We encourage all affiliate publishers to review these new terms and policies closely to understand how they may impact you. If you happen to be one of the many Google Affiliate network publishers who has experience with AdSense ads, these affiliate network terms and policies should be quite familiar. If you are a Google Affiliate Network publisher who is new to AdSense and who chooses not to run AdSense ads, that's okay too (you are under no obligation to do so). But it is important that your AdSense account remains in good standing.

Publishers will be prompted to review and accept the terms and policies upon signing into the Google Affiliate Network platform.

We thank you for all of your patience through this period of transition and wish you a happy (and productive) Q4!


Posted by: Your Google Affiliate Network Team

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Posted By Kristin Hall to Google Affiliate Network at 11/23/2009 01:15:00 PM