Using Brandwords in SEO & building ones pages

[newbie]

Originally Posted by fintan

Totally agree, affiliate marketing, seo and ppc can be very confusing for merchants who have never had to deal with online marketing before. The other problem is there are so many self-proclaimed "experts" that getting sound and accurate advice can be difficult.

Totally agree with what?

Do you mean this? "Merchants who join a network have to opt out of things they don't want (which requires prior knowledge of all the different things that affiliates do) rather than traditional advertising where they opt in to the places they want to be seen."?

What do they have to opt out of? What choices are they not offered? Have you seen Working With PPC Affiliates and Using Google Adwords with clixGalore and Incentive Traffic - clixGalore's Policies and so on ad infinitum?


It might be better to reserve your judgement until you get here, Fintan. I have looked at your history and you know your onions but perhaps you will adopt a different perspective on Australia once you have been able to talk to some merchants and affiliates here on the ground.

Affiliate marketing in Australia has never approached an optimal level, mainly because of the misinformation sprayed about by a self-interested coven of harridans.

I will be very interested to hear your opinion once you have had a chance to talk to people here and make up your own mind.

[fintan]

I had a big reply written, but decided to delete it as you've actually back up my point, you claim affiliate marketing in Australia is being held up by "misinformation sprayed about by a self-interested coven of harridans".

Which was my point, for people new to online marketing there are so many people with an opnion it can be difficult for them to see the woods from the trees.

I'm glad you've thoroughly checked me out and your 100% correct I do know my onions

Cheers
Fintan

[Shopping King]

Originally Posted by bcl

Just to add - if our listing on google had words like coupon, discount, specials, save money with coupons etc, in the title and/or meta tags and/or description then I would agree that it was out of order and the merchant should object.

Does that make it clearer?

BCL – thanks for taking the time to write your posts and explain this to me as you have - it was very much appreciated. I understand where you are coming from with your links and if used this way, I do not see any issues.

Can I just confirm with you though from your above comment that if affiliates are using trademarks in their meta tags that this is crossing the line and that affiliate networks should move to stop these offenders.

Fintan – thanks for your opinion – I agree with you. It is up to the networks to educate all their new merchants and to steer them in the right direction.

[bcl]

Originally Posted by Shopping King

Can I just confirm with you though from your above comment that if affiliates are using trademarks in their meta tags that this is crossing the line and that affiliate networks should move to stop these offenders.

It's a matter of degree - they could have a meta description "review of shop x" which is fine, but those who are heavily into targetting a particular brand, without regard for the merchant, are likely to use their meta description to push the "discount codes here" message into google - with the aim that the customer is pulled down past the merchant's natural listing. They might also put in their meta keywords "shopname, discount, coupon, voucher, bargain, cheap, etc"

Originally Posted by Shopping King

Fintan – thanks for your opinion – I agree with you. It is up to the networks to educate all their new merchants and to steer them in the right direction.

How far do you think that education should go?
Newbie pointed to some articles - is that enough?

[bcl]

Originally Posted by newbie

Affiliate marketing in Australia has never approached an optimal level, mainly because of the misinformation sprayed about by a self-interested coven of harridans.

Talking about yourself there, Jim?

It's certainly in my interests for merchants to be aware of brandbidders, etc
and I would have thought it was in yours too. And it's in the merchants interests.

So, what exactly is the motivation behind your campaign to justify brand-bidding?