Just a brief post before bed time!

This is just a reminder that from today 1/5/09 Amazon will not be paying out any commission on sales generated from Adwords campaigns that use direct linking to the Amazon site. Any Adwords campaigns that first go to your own landing pages and then link to Amazon are fine.

It should be noted that at this time this is only for Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. As far as I can tell Amazon.co.uk and the other Amazon sites are spared! But that could change.

So don’t forget to pause those Adwords if they link direct or it will be money down the drain! Not sure how they will know but I’m sure they will have figured someway to monitor it all.

I have copied the email below that I originally received for my Amazon.com affiliate.

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 this page for FAQs.

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