Last year we asked you for your feedback on referrals, and one of the issues we heard quite frequently was that it was too difficult to generate revenue with AdSense and AdWords referrals. To address this, we've just introduced a new pricing structure for both programs, which will be as follows: AdSense Referrals: * When a publisher who signed up for Google AdSense through your referral earns their first $5 within 180 days of sign-up, you will be credited with $5. * When that same publisher earns $100 within 180 days of sign-up and is eligible for payment, you will be credited with an additional $250. * If, in any 180-day period, you refer 25 publishers who each earn more than $100 within 180 days of their respective sign-ups and are all eligible for payout, you will be awarded a $2,000 bonus (bonus payouts are limited to 1 per year). AdWords Referrals: * When an advertiser you refer spends $5 within 90 days of sign-up (in addition to the $5 sign-up fee) you will be credited with $5. * When that same advertiser spends $100 within 90 days of sign-up, you will be credited with an additional $40. * If, in any 180 day period, you refer 20 advertisers who each spend more than $100 within 90 days of their respective sign-ups, you will be awarded a $600 bonus (bonus payments are limited to 1 per year). These rules will also apply to users that you have already referred but who have not yet reached one of the new earning/spend thresholds. For example, if you referred an AdSense publisher who has currently earned $2.00, you will be paid $5.00 if that publisher reaches the $5.00 mark. But, if you have referred an AdSense publisher who has already earned $10.00, you will not be paid $5.00 retroactively for that referral reaching the $5.00 mark. However, should that publisher eventually reach the $100.00 earnings mark within 180 days, you will be paid $250.00. Finally, please keep in mind that publishers may not click on their own referral ads and will not be paid for referring themselves for any product. Source - Adsense Blog Now this sounds quite cool but a real tough task
I'm glad they are finally addressing this. Most people who sign up with AdSense do not make that much money initially. The $5 is much more likely than $100.
I cannot remember ever having had a single cent on any G referrals in the past - hence I have removed almost all referrals on my site and I have even removed partially the G search box on top of pages - they brought up to a few $ a day for G search - to replace the top placements with ATF rectangles http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=231312 that bings me many more $ a day than G search with the revised referral policy - may be I give it another try one day
this news was on jensense - and she gets all the inside scoops on adsense. So yes, it's real alright. For those wondering whether to put these referalls back up: only do it if you have related content, or a demographic that might actually be interested. I mean: it makes sense to use these buttons if you have a site catered to webmasters. It does not make sense if you have a website about spirituality (I have both )