Should Affiliate Marketers still consider PPC as viable
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Internet Business -> subcategory Affiliate Programs.
Is PPC Still Viable for Affiliate Marketers?
Introduction
Is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising still a viable strategy for affiliate marketers? Google's recent changes to its AdWords program have made it more challenging to profit using PPC as a primary traffic source. However, there are alternatives worth exploring.
Background
I began my journey in affiliate marketing with the Google Cash system sold on Clickbank. At that time, making money solely through Google AdWords was feasible. You could buy valuable keywords for as little as $0.05 per click. Spending $1,000 a day at these rates could easily double your investment. Others likely experienced even greater success.
Current Challenges
However, times have undoubtedly changed. Google's AdWords bidding system has become complex and less profit-friendly. Why am I forced to bid $1.00, $5.00, or more for keywords that show no competitive ads? Despite using relevant keywords, my ads don't appear until much higher bids are placed.
Google attributes bid prices to factors like competition and relevance, but these explanations are often vague, leaving marketers guessing. At $0.05 or $0.10 per click, profits were attainable. Now, with increased costs, margins are shrinking, making it difficult to remain profitable.
Exploring Alternatives
Given these challenges, I’ve decided to explore other PPC providers. So, is PPC still a viable affiliate marketing strategy? I believe the answer is yes, though not with the ease we once experienced with Google.
The two major alternatives are Yahoo (Overture) and MSN AdCenter, both of which show promise.
MSN AdCenter
I have been experimenting with MSN AdCenter and found it to be quite effective. Its user interface is simple, and it offers accurate estimates for ad positions and click volumes at different bid levels. Unlike Google's unreliable estimates, MSN makes choosing bid prices straightforward.
However, there are drawbacks. Initial ads took over 24 hours to go live, which could improve, but it's inconvenient for now. Additionally, AdCenter only operates on Internet Explorer due to ActiveX requirements, which is cumbersome for those who prefer Firefox.
Yahoo/Overture
I previously found Overture hard to work with due to its slow speed and challenging keyword addition. However, Yahoo is revamping Overture, likely drawing from Google's successful strategies. The new version should be much improved, and participating in any beta testing could be advantageous.
Conclusion
Given the challenges with Google AdWords, I'm shifting my focus to Overture and MSN AdCenter. Despite the hurdles, PPC remains a worthwhile strategy, but only if we can reliably gauge traffic costs and test campaigns efficiently. Delays in testing can complicate the process, but with careful management, success is achievable.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Should Affiliate Marketers still consider PPC as viable .
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