You may be aware of the latest problems some Internet Marketers have been having due to the most recent Google Slap.

This is the latest instalment in what is an ongoing issue between Google and  Internet Marketers.

If you advertise other people’s products online, or hope to, read on...

Over the past few months a number of Internet Marketers have received ‘final’ warnings from Google AdWords telling them to alter the way they advertise or face having their accounts closed.

A few people have even had their accounts closed without having even received a final warning.

Google is not being particularly helpful in explaining what sites Internet Marketers should avoid promoting.

What we do know is that there are sites Google considers to be low quality that it doesn’t want anyone to promote on AdWords.

How do I avoid the "Slap"?

The $64,000 question is what are these sites and how can we avoid receiving ‘final’ warnings? (they should really be called ‘first and final warnings’ as you only get one chance before they close your account)

Internet Marketers often promote “get rich quick” sites as these can be a good source of income. Also interesting for Internet Marketers are sites that appear to solve a common problem with relative ease – think: “lose 15ibs in 3 days”.

Well , these are at least some of the types of sites Google appears to be targeting.

There are other obvious categories that Google doesn’t want you to promote, like prescription drugs and gambling but these have been off limits for some time.

What is more concerning from the Internet Marketer’s point of view is that sites which may have previously been considered high quality sites by Google are suddenly considered the exact opposite.

So for months or even years you may have been successfully promoting ‘Product X’ that promises to help the buyer solve a particular problem (make money, lose weight etc.) and all of a sudden this same site could suddenly get a 1/10 Quality Score.

Google's Quality Score

If you’re not familiar with Google’s Quality Score, it is quite a complex subject and Google doesn’t like to give the whole story away regarding how it ‘grades’ a site.

Basically, Quality Score effects how much it costs Internet Marketers to promote a site on Google Adwords.

A high Quality Score for a site means Google likes it and as a result they will usually charge you less per click to advertise than if the site had a low Quality Score.

If a site has a very low Quality Score this can effectively stop anyone from advertising it. Google quite simply blocks any adverts linking to the site from showing.

(There are of course some products that Google loves you to promote. to find out more about these visit the Google Wealth Magnet page)

So what do you do if a site you’re promoting suddenly gets a 1/10 Quality Score?

My advice is: delete the Ad Group, and quick.

Yes, it may mean a loss of earnings for you, but losing your AdWords account will surely have a more profound effect on your income.

It may also be time for you to look carefully at the kind of products you promote. Do they make unrealistic claims? Do they fall into the category of “get rich quick”?

The Google Slap seems to be effecting a wide range of products. Things like registry cleaners, make money guides, resolving health issues and many one page sites with little or no navigation that are designed to do one thing: sell a product in a hyped up manner.

'Safe' affiliate commissions

Obviously there is an element of interpretation and guesswork as to which sites Internet Marketers can safely promote and which are to be avoided.

This is inevitable as Google itself isn’t too specific as to what kind of sites it no longer wants people to promote.

In my humble opinion, I think it makes sense to play it a bit safe until things hopefully become a bit clearer.

If you’re not sure if a site you want to promote will be considered a ‘quality’ site by Google, ask yourself if it’s making a realistic claim or if it uses very hyped-up language.

If the answer’s yes, avoid it and find something safer to promote.

It seems wise to look for established merchants who (appear to) have a good reputation.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which merchants and products to promote.

The information in this article is based on my interpretation of the recent events, as well as my own experiences, those of well known Internet Marketers I communicate with and Adwords customer comments I’ve read in various forums.

I felt I had to share this information with you as I know how difficult it can be to get started in Internet Marketing without a bit of guidance.

Hopefully you will be able to make some good decisions about what to promote and will start or continue to make good profits from your online ventures.

The advice I offer is just that, advice. I cannot be expected to know Google’s policies intimately as they are, in part, a closely guarded secret.

My new guide Google Wealth Magnet is designed to help Internet Marketers continue to profit in 2010 and help them avoid the dreaded ‘Google Slap’.

Wishing you continued success.

Mike Auton

Comments (16)

Greg said:

Great advice Mike. I just got slapped yesterday and my account 'banned' for life' for having some mini-sites. I don't really know what went wrong as they had a QS score of 10 at one time and slapped the next. So, what you say is very true and those who are on the edge should take heed of your warning. I think your GWM guide is a good reference and a great way to avoid the dreaded and fatal slap. Thanks for writing it. Greg

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December 03, 2009
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autonmike said:

	Hi Greg Really sorry that you've become a victim of the dreaded Google Slap. Hope the advice in Google Wealth Magnet continues to serve you well. Mike
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December 03, 2009
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Bob Sandford said:

	Well done Mike for this valuable advise.. It seems unfair that our friends in Google will not divulge what they want and leave the guesswork to all of us.. Loved the GWM. tuition and the best if seen in 12 months since I started..
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December 04, 2009
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Chad said:

	I agree 100%. I too felt the fatal "slap" just recently. I was promoting a high-quality marketing school that always earned a QS of 8 or higher. Then SLAP!! Good advice. Keep it up. I guess we will just have to evolve our techniques. Thanks again. Chad
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December 04, 2009
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Fitz said:

	Is there a database of safe good affiliate programs that we could explore. I'm a little weary of clickbank products. Thanks again Mike for your great work in GWM. Getting ratings of these other affiliates would be nice, but not a must. :) Fitz
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December 04, 2009
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Malcolm said:

	Hi Mike, Thanks for enlightening me about this. I have had the GWM program for about 10 days or so now. As a Newbie I'm slowly starting to understand the materials. Great videos and lots of helpful Pdf's. If we follow the method you outline in the course,will I be OK? Yours Malc
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December 04, 2009
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autonmike said:

It is frustrating Google isn't clearer on what it considers to be 'good' products to promote. For that reason I think it is hard for anyone to be absolutely sure if it is safe to promote a particular site from AdWords. Fortunately there is life outside of AdWords for info products. Bing (MSN) and Yahoo can be used without fear of the 'Slap' and email promotions are unaffected. Google Wealth Magnet shows you how to uncover profitable affiliate programs. Just make sure their sales page isn't over hyped or make any hard to prove claims and you should be fine...ordinarily! "Adapt and overcome" Mike

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December 04, 2009
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David Rothwell said:

Good post Mike. Google publish guidance on what they don't like here -- adwords.blogspot.com/2007/09/websites-that-may-merit-low-landing.html You can read more about the problem on my blog here (and how a suspended account was rescued) -- adwordsanswers.com/2009/11/17/adwords-100-ctr-guaranteed/ And the effect is at the domain level - your entire website is tarnished with this. If your AdWords account only promoted this domain - it's history.

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December 04, 2009
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autonmike said:

	It's always good to see people enjoying and profiting from the guide :) As with any guide the results depend largely on your ability to follow the directions. If you want to avoid the Google Slap, be careful what you choose to promote and think hard about whether it is a reputable looking site or product. Wishing you success Mike
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December 04, 2009
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VMoney said:

	Isn't Google risking its business by doing these things? Bing seems to be a formidable and growing competitor, and I haven't heard of anything like a "Bing Slap". Isn't Google risking a potential class action lawsuit, or lawsuits with its indiscriminate "slaps"?
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December 04, 2009
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autonmike said:

	Google is about as big as it gets and really doesn't seem worried about annoying its advertisers. I guess that's what happens when you are the clear winner and everyone wants to do business with you (for now). Nothing is forever, though. They may change their philosophy in the coming years (or sooner) if Bing or someone else ups their game. Watch this space...
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December 04, 2009
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Rod Beckwith said:

Google is an indiscriminate heartless affiliate business wrecking ball that forgot how it got so big. On the backs of small affiliates is how they did it and now they are biting the millions of hands that feed it up to the elbow with their wicked ways. The market will correct their hypocrisy eventually, but for now we either play their "My way or the highway" game or simply go elsewhere. I think that going elsewhere with our credit cards would be the best thing. It is just plain silly. Can you imagine placing an ad in the telephone book, magazine, newspaper, TV, Radio or you name it and they were to tell you that they think your business sucks and they don't want your money.....hahaha. Google has it so wrong, they should taken out behind the woodshed and beaten with a reality stick. Needless to say I have been slapped with my own sites more times than I would like to remember, so I have to keep making adjustments each time then erase the line in the sand and draw a new one. Right or wrong, simply stay away from Google when it comes to advertising because they can take away your hard work and years of business with a simple keystroke! The worse part is there is no recourse and they could care less as there is virtually no appeal process. Thanks for listening, Rod PS - Mike, I like your stuff

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December 04, 2009
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autonmike said:

I think the important lesson to take out of this is to not rely on one source of income EVER. If your business model is purely AdWords based then you need to change it, quick! Markets change and you need to be prepared for the worst by creating several income streams that are separate from each other and not all dependent on any one factor. AdWords is a great place to start and learn the ropes, but it should not be the only source of income for you if you want to avoid sleepless nights!

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December 05, 2009
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krys said:

	Hi Mike, I am a total newbie and I joined Adwords after reading and watching the materials in GWM. I must say I totally enjoyed your product because it was so clear and straight forward that I felt enough confident of having a go at it over the weekend. Thanks.
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December 07, 2009
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Warren Scott said:

	I want to ask a couple of questions. 1. How do you direct link on AdWords and get your ads approved? 2. How do you avoid getting Google slapped silly for direct linking? Thanks, Scott
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December 25, 2009
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autonmike said:

While it's true that Google is getting stricter about the kind of ads it allows, it is still relatively straightforward to promote most kinds of 'respectable' sites and products. Google is pretty secretive about what it will and won't allow but I know a lot people profiting nicely from direct linking right now and they are getting their ads approved without any problems. If you're advertising a reputable company or a 'no-hype' website, you are generally on safe ground.

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December 26, 2009
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