Starting new campaigns

Post affiliate policy

[hdpt00]

Before this affiliate policy I would go PPC->merchant, since the policy I created one new landing page, got booted out of the program I was in for bidding on their name and have since been concentrating on some of my AdSense sites.

So what I am asking, with this new policy, how has your routine changed pre-policy. Do you use data feeds now and how much do you usually spend on PPC before shutting it down if it doesn't work.

I'm looking to start creating a few more landing pages and see how they do in some already proven markets. I've never sued data feeds but I could use webmerge or something like that I suppose. Or outsource a little PHP/MySQL development.

So basically what I am asking is for those who went PPC->merchant what have you changed in your routine of setting up new campaigns.

Thanks!

P.S. If anyone knows any pay per lead loan, finance, etc. program that let you make your own form then submit the information you collect please sticky me.

[skibum]

Still do PPC straight to merchant, haven't changed a thing, though the PPC bill is a lot less now than it was before. Sales and revenue are by far at all time highs in January. Just be creative and no, ya don't have to misspell the display URL to continue to rock with this stuff, so you can stay well within the new G guidelines and make a mint.

Merchants are almost always a step (or many) behind the curve. The window is closing slowly and more and more merchants will eventually figure out PPC but if you are hungry enough, you'll figure out a way to hurdle the obstacles and not have to create a million landing pages, though eventually that might be necessary. :)

[ska_demon]

Sorry! Am I being retarded?
This makes no sense to me at all.

Before this affiliate policy I would go PPC->merchant, since the policy I created one new landing page, got booted out of the program I was in for bidding on their name and have since been concentrating on some of my AdSense sites

Before what affiliate policy?
Is there something I don't know about ppc->merchant?

I feel quite stupid that I can't fathom what this is about. Could someone explain please.

BTW I am currently running a few "succesful" ppc->merchant adwords campaigns. I'm worried I missed something important here.

[hdpt00]

Well they only allow 1 domain for PPC->merchant and almost every market I was in the merchant was in as well. They have higher margins and can outbid me anyday so their ad for that domain shows up, not my ad.

[hannamyluv]

I am currently running a few "succesful" ppc->merchant adwords campaigns. I'm worried I missed something important here.

Yep, you did, but if you run a tight PPC campaign, you probably didn't notice. ;)

I'm still doing quite a bit of direct. I had already been working on landing pages long before this whole thing was even thought of. When I heard about the change, I figured it would all go belly up, the direct stuff. But the more I heard, the more I realized that it probably wouldn't affect me as much.

The balance has changed in where I make money direct but I still make about the same amount, maybe a bit more. Fortunatly, the high commission ads stayed active (and paying more), so I am making lots of money from them and paying a lot less. I lost most of my low paying commission ads. Which, is what I thought would happen. I've always tracked how much I could pay per click. It just stands to reason, that the ads that I could afford to pay more on survived.

Now the max bid thing is the tricky part. Before, I set the max bid to what I could pay and left it at that. Now I have to monitor how much I actually pay and I keep my max bid well above that, in order to be sure that I don't get pushed out.

[ska_demon]

hannamyluv would you mind telling me what I have missed. I still feel a bit in the dark here.
And there I was thinking I was pretty much up to date.

I can't really afford to lose any of these programs thru my own negligence or whatever.

Ta

Ska

[ska_demon]

Aaaah! The mist clears!

I went and read the january updates to adwords.

DOH!

Hannamyluv you are right. It doesn't affect me, although my ad served rate has dropped to 50% without me even noticing. In fact I have not noticed any sort of change with my commissions. Not up nor down.

Cheers

Ska