Amazon No Longer Allowing Associates to use Paid Search to Drive Traffic
Wow I just got this e-mail from Amazon and its pretty big news IMHO. I used to bid on keywords and send them directly to affiliate web sites and Amazon’s Associate program was great for this. In fact, LOTS of people still do this and it generates good money for those that do it successfully. These people are going to be mad!
Amazon used to have a pretty open policy of letting associates bid on keywords and send the traffic directly to Amazon.com, but I guess they finally figured out that this is costing them lots of money… so as of 5/1/2009 you can no longer do this. If you do, you simply won’t get paid. I wonder how the publishers will respond to this..
Here’s what the e-mail said: (more info here)
Dear Amazon Associate:
We’re writing to let you know about a change to the Amazon Associates Program. After careful review of how we are investing our advertising resources, we have made the decision to no longer pay referral fees to Associates who send users to www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, or www.endless.com through keyword bidding and other paid search on Google, Yahoo, MSN, and other search engines, and their extended search networks. If you’re not sure if this change affects you, please visit this page for FAQs.
As of May 1, 2009, Associates will not be paid referral fees for paid search traffic. Also, in connection with this change, as of May 1, 2009, Amazon will no longer make data feeds available to Associates for the purpose of sending users to the Amazon websites in the US or Canada via paid search.
This change applies only to the Associates programs in North America. If you are conducting paid search activities in connection with one of Amazon’s Associates Programs outside of the US and Canada, please refer to the applicable country’s Associates Program Operating Agreement for relevant terms and conditions.
We appreciate your continued support and participation in this advertising Program. If you have questions or concerns, please write to us by using the Contact Us form available on Associates Central.