Got this sent to me half an hour ago: 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 our FAQs page. 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. Sincerely, The Amazon Associates Program
Sounds like they only want organic traffic. Presumably the paid click traffic doesn't perform very well.
Where did amazon say they will not pay you if you use adwords? You need to read the email again. They said: ie ...only if you use adwords and other paid searchs with your affiliate link in the adwords! .... ie direct traffic Amazon have absolutely know way of knowing if you use adwords to bring visitors to YOUR site and then the click on your affiliate link
Just noticed that there are 4 threads started on this, Guess the mods will be handing out some infractions!
Are you sure about that? They can still find out by checking out by following your ad on google then look at your affiliate id embedded in your link?
According to Yahoo finance news, Amazon sale were up last year 2008, so I don't think it is the economic problem. They may want to do PPC by themselves. I hope sending PPC to own website them link to Amazon is still ok.
No direct links only. If you use paid search to drive to your landing pages, squeeze pages, etc. you're OK.
Additional note: eBay Partner Network made the same move last year. Still works, just no quick Google Cash without a web site.
This is a big win/lost for Amazon. Win - got higher sales while pay less with PPC. Loss - Their brands for marketer has marked as "No Ethic" and will be harder for them to convince any marketer working with them in the future. They do not allowed any PPC for their associates and they are the only one who can bid anything under Amazon with much cheaper price since no competitors chased on their own ID (might be googhydr-20). They can do this after use googhydr-20 to collect keywords from associates and then grab all themselves. This is not an ethical but "Business" usually doesn't comes along with an ethic of course. The associates are only used to promote and built up Amazon brand in US, CA then got eliminated after they are no use for Amazon. I bet Amazon will still permit associates to use PPC built up Amazon empire in Europe, Japan and more but not a long time. They will do the same after their brand strong in others region market. Thumbs down for Amazon. There are many ways but not this suck big time. I am currently not using PPC to drive traffic nor promote Amazon seriously neither. However, I see a big mess for anyone who affiliated with them and rely only with PPC to driving traffics. Wait and see if "googhydr-20" still in PPC with bidding on Amazon products or not.
From the FAQ https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/promo/paidsearch So you can advertise your website with Amazon links on it through paid search.
if they are paying commission for sales only then why they are doing this??? this is not amazon's problem that where from traffic is coming. because they are not paying for impressions or clicks. amazing