say I have an affiliate site about certain niche and it's main purpose is to drive traffic through a landing page to a merchant. How does google look at bidding on brand names and actual product names or model numbers? What is your experience here guys?
What exactly you want to know? it is a usual keyword like others from Google point of view. Google only disapprove brand name keyword in rare situations.
Like I keep hearing "you have to actually sell the product on the website itself". So, I'm just wondering if I create an affiliate landing page(s) for sole purpose of directing traffic to a merchant, will google disaprove my ads/keywords if I bid on brand names/product names?
AFAIK ... - You can have an affiliate URL as your landing page. - It is contrary to Google Adwords T&C to bid on TRADEMARK brand names. - It may be against the seller's affiliate's T&C to bid on brand names, but not usually H
Am in agreement w/fastimprovement. Some people obviously get away with it, but I've had no luck w/bidding on trademarked brand names on Google, even when the affiliate allowed it. I never get past the initial ad setup w/o the thing refusing my ad.
If a trademark holder has objected to using their mark, then google will disallow the ad. If you have permission from the trademark owner, then you should file an exception with google and supply the authorization. Some trademark owners don't allow any use, some allow "authorized dealers" or only certain "dealers". It is really up to the trademark owner to decide who gets to use their mark and who doesn't.
Google take trademark issues very serious but is not contrary to its T&C to bid on Trademark brand names. About 30~40% of the advertisers affiliates allow bidding on its brand names - you need to read its terms to know if it allows or not. This is true, but I think that he is talking about bidding on trademark term that is allowed by Google, not using it on the ad. This Googles decision caused problems and in certain cases cases when sued like the GEICO case. Due even trademark terms like 'GEICO' were not allowed in ad, you are allowed to bid these keywords - you just create a dynamic ad and let the {KeyWord:} parameter do the job for you replacing the default for the trademark term on your ad - this trick only works if the user searches for the trademark term.
Lets say you are promoting an insurance company - so you create the following ad: Get Geico Insurance! The Fast Route to Insurance Quote The Lowest Insurance Rates. www.MyInsurance.com So your ad are disaproved due you used the 'Geico' Trademark Term. Now if you replace it to the following ad: Get {KeyWord:Insurance}! The Fast Route to Insurance Quote The Lowest Insurance Rates. www.MyInsurance.com Your ad will not be disapproved anymore and you can add any of the following trademark terms to your adgroup: Geiko, Lloyds, 21 Century, ScreenTrade, etc if someone type 'Geiko Insurance' in Google and you have this keyword, he will see your ad like that: Get Geiko Insurance! The Fast Route to Insurance Quote The Lowest Insurance Rates. www.MyInsurance.com if he types 'Lloyds Insurance' he will see your ad like that: Get Lloyds Insurance! The Fast Route to Insurance Quote The Lowest Insurance Rates. www.MyInsurance.com You are free to ad any of these trademark terms on your campaign even, but if you try to create an ad with any of these terms your ad are disapproved. This is why Geiko sued Google, due they alleged that these sponsored links in this way caused confusion to its costumers.
I'm on Orkut, is it open or do I need an invite? Thanks so very much for that info. I always wondered how people did that
I'm a registered member of Orkut (thanks for the invite tho). I'm a social networking writer. I will go join your group right now tho. Sounds like I'll learn alot.
Ok, so as far as I understand I can BID on those keywords, but not always can use trademarked term in the ad itself?
Yes you understood it correctly. Detailed: you are free to try to use brand terms on your ads pretending that you don't know. But as soon Google disapprove your ad is a good idea to do not insist in resend the same trademark term again on your ad or they will contact you. Regarding bidding the trademark term is not a problem from Google point of view but you need to double check from the advertiser side if you are part of a affiliate program - also is a good idea to review the affiliation T&C frequently of this affiliate as they use to change their rules without notice.