Forum Moderators: martinibuster
The Google referral program (beta) is for businesses whose customers and visitors include small to medium-sized businesses, and who want to help those companies become more successful by running Google AdWords, or serving ads with Google AdSense.
[google.com...]
Notice they ask for a bank account?
Gah. US Website only :(
Can a website outside the United States join?For now, we're only accepting sites from within the U.S., and we're only paying referral fees with checks in U.S. dollars.
[edited by: eaden at 11:52 pm (utc) on Feb. 2, 2005]
Heh, they allow self referals.
Thought it might be some new, weird phishing scam.
I found a story about it on ZDNet though:
[news.zdnet.com...]
After reporting record advertising sales, Google is pushing to recruit more marketers to the fold with the help of its Internet friends. The search engine recently introduced an affiliate program that pays $20 to any Web site for referring a new advertiser or publishing partner. Google is likely the last search engine to introduce such a program. Rival Overture Services runs an affiliate program, which was popularized by e-commerce giants Amazon.com and eBay.com.
While we'd very much like to expand the AdSense/AdWords referral program to make it available to anyone who's interested, currently this is by invitation only. However, if you'd like to be considered, you can fill out the application available at [google.com...] If we decide to expand, we'll invite those who submitted an application.
ASA
Hmm...interesting that they are being driven to seek more outlets for their supply of advertisers
Interesting phrasing there, "they are being driven to seek more outlets..."
The referral program seems to be to get more publishers *and* more advertisers.
Sounds like a business trying to grow. Amazon did it, eBay did it, Overture does it...doesn't sound like anybody is driving them to it.
I have a .com at a web host whose owners seem to be in Bulgaria but the content is targeted at USAns and the IP block resolves to Los Angeles. I live in Australia. Is mine a US site?
AdSense can deal with foreign publishers, so why won't this new referral program? And why not link it to AdSense (for "US sites" for now) so we don't need to supply payment details twice and get two cheques?
Unbelievable
EVO
Bearing in mind that you can be kicked out of adsense becuase you have a "related account"
Unless of course they don't define an affiliate referral as a "related account". Why would they?
- Nick
I can see quite some difficulties for an AdSense site trying to tell visitors how great AdSense is without mentioning any details...
$20 is peanuts for referring someone who could spend thousands.
Exactly. Like I said in the other thread about this, how about a revenue-sharing program like in other affiliate networks where if you refer someone and they make a buck, you make a % of that buck forever. Then, instead of being afraid of your friends' websites siphoning off your clicks, you would be more inclined to refer someone to adsense because then you would get paid if they make money using Adsense...
doesn't sound like anybody is driving them to it.
I guess you've never heard of shareholders. They're constanly asking, "What are you doing to increase the value of my stock?" Execs have to do something to answer that question (whereas before, they answered only to themselves).
Adsense makes great sense for my market. The vendors need to realize just how easy it is for them to advertise on many of the sites in the field without having to deal with each site individually.
Sure the $20.00 is not much, but add it up, along with bringing more adwords competition to the table, which may well increase a publishers gross, and it could be a winner for at least some publishers.
I guess you've never heard of shareholders.
Sure I have, but I don't see any evidence of shareholders "driving" Google to do this.
The program has been around for a while, just invite only.
Almost all major dot coms have some type of affiliate/referral program, so it seems like a natural business decision (to me), not necessarily the result of shareholders or anybody "driving" them to create new advertising areas.
The referral program is also looking for advertisers, so it doesn't seem to fit the original post of someone driving google to find more advertising space.
I agree with ken_b
Being able to put advertise here, with a Google button, and me earning $20 is a win/win situation.
I get the adverisers with no hassle for my Adsense ads and also get $20. :)
dregs33
I won't go into the exact numbers, but I have over 50 ad blocks on my site in high traffic areas, up to 5 ads per block, up to $50/month per advertiser.
Why on earth would I want to refer them to Google?
AdSense is just icing on the cake, but I wouldn't want to give my cake away for a paltry $20.
incrediBILL I was not describing an instance where I wanted to sell the advertising space directely.
If I was running Adsense on a site, having the button to say advertise here, would to me be a win/win situation.
I have seen europeforvistors use this, so now he can earn money from it. Different situations call for different approaches. None of us are wrong. :)
dregs
I haven't looked at EFVs site, but so far this program is an "invitation" only deal. Googles gotta invite publishers.
But nothing would stop publishers from making their own "Advertise Here" Buttons and send the prospect to Adwords.
I didn't mean europeforvistors was actually using the affilate program, when you went to his site it said to advertise here use Google Adwords.
Now he could monetise this.
Sorry for any confusion.
dregs33
