Changes to the SearchTraffic affiliate program. - geek/talk: Signature-free discourse for serious web publishers

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 01:12 PM

The following mail is going out to all SearchTraffic (and MojoSearch) affiliates today.

Basically we are moving the program to a 2nd page payout, but lowering the unique count to 1 hour.

-If you have good traffic, you will make more money.
-If you have poor traffic, you will make less money.

The realities of the market place are dictaing that good perfomace should be rewarded and we have to go with that flow.

I'll be online to answer your questions. Please post them here or on the SI forum where there is sure to be a LIVELY discussion. http://geekvillage.com/ubb/smile.gif

Robert

>>>>>>>>>
Dear SearchTraffic Affiliates,

Over the last 2 weeks our staff has been busy analyzing and scoring the profitability of the searches sent from each SearchTraffic affiliate.

We took into account many factors, including, but not limited to, click through rate, average revenue per search, and additional searches per click. We also accounted for the extra revenue that your searches generate on the ads displayed on TurboFind.com.

At this time we will be maintaining our high pay rate of $0.05 (five cents) per search, but we will be paying once the surfer clicks through on a bidded term. Additionally, instead of counting each unique search in a 12 hour period, we will begin to count each unique visitor in a 1 hour period.

The bottom line is that affiliates with average and above average traffic will make more money.

This rate will be effective immediately. We hope that you continue to use the SearchTraffic program and find it profitable. We certainly respect your decision if you choose not to continue.

As you know, SearchTraffic is the original, and only remaining search program that pays on each search no matter the bidded amount. Keep in mind that in order to earn your current $0.05 rate with a "revenue-share" search program your searches would need to produce an average bidded result of $0.10 while generating a 100% click-through rate.

We do not take this action lightly, but the entire online advertising market is moving toward pay-for performance as is rightly so. With this change affiliates with good traffic will be rewarded, as should be the case.

Sincerely,
The Team at SearchTraffic.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>>>

TheWebHead · 03-06-2001, 01:40 PM

Since your performanced based I assume you'll now allow text links?

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 01:42 PM

I believe we will, but we are woring with 3 new search engines and I'll have to clear everything with them.

The program is not exactly performance based. If the bidded term is for .02 the affiliate still gets paid .05.

consent · 03-06-2001, 03:04 PM

Do one or more of a search term's results still have to be at a minimum .10 bid? I thought that was the minimum bid you wanted. Could they be as low as .01 a bid? (Although now it looks like they'd be at a minimum .05, once GoTo and others raise the threshold.)

Saver1 · 03-06-2001, 03:27 PM

So this means we only get $0.05 if a surfer clicks on a link on goto.com right?

Can we put anything in the search box now if it has a bid of $0.10 or more SI doesn't have to pay us if the surfer doesn't click on a link that's listed on goto now so it can't be a worthless search can it?

A worthless search to me was when a surfer clicks on search and we get $0.05 and then they didn't click on a goto link and SI doesn't gain anything unless they clicked on a link listed on goto but with the new rules how can there be any worthless searches we only get paid now if SI does http://geekvillage.com/ubb/confused.gif

[This message has been edited by Saver1 (edited 03-06-2001).]

WildComputer · 03-06-2001, 03:38 PM

Robert have you give any thought to offering more of the "banner style" search boxes, same themes, different colors, and sizes (including bigger).

I could be wrong, but I think there could be interest in a search box which could be integrated into a site's template without messing up the overall design, sorta as a horizontal or vertical strip, if that makes sense

------------------[*]Over 208,000 Killer Domain Names available for the price of registration!
February only - get a 40% discount if you order 50 or more domain years![*]Create Your Own High Profit E-Books[*]Drive thousands of visitors to your web site cheap'n'easy[*]Affiliate Programs reviewed

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 04:14 PM

WC, yes we have. You'll see them shortly.

Consent, we are no longer sending traffic thru goto. If you wish to use pre-entered terms you will need to check them thru sprinks.com. Your best bet is to not use pre-entered terms and let the surfer decide what he wants to search on. You'll get a higher CTR that way.

Saver1, You get paid as long as a bidded term is clicked on.
-If the term is worth .10 you get .05.
-If the term is worth .05 you get .05.
-If the term is worth .01 you get .05.
-If the term is unbidded, you get zero.
If you want to pre-enter terms they must be above.10 on sprinks.com

Lil_Red · 03-06-2001, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Robert from SI:
WC, yes we have. You'll see them shortly.

Consent, we are no longer sending traffic thru goto. If you wish to use pre-entered terms you will need to check them thru sprinks.com. Your best bet is to not use pre-entered terms and let the surfer decide what he wants to search on. You'll get a higher CTR that way.

Saver1, You get paid as long as a bidded term is clicked on.
-If the term is worth .10 you get .05.
-If the term is worth .05 you get .05.
-If the term is worth .01 you get .05.
-If the term is unbidded, you get zero.
If you want to pre-enter terms they must be above.10 on sprinks.com

Let see if I understand this - if you don't bid on anything then any banners that are clicked on via your site will not be paid.

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 04:22 PM

That is correct.

And if they click on a .01 bid we pay you .05.

Lil_Red · 03-06-2001, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Robert from SI:
That is correct.

And if they click on a .01 bid we pay you .05.

Thank you for clarifying that. As a result of this unfortunate change, I have removed Searchtraffic banners from our site. From what I can see the change actually benefits you rather than the publishers. Basically the $.05 a click is actually less once you deduct whatever amount is bid for a term.

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 04:40 PM

Lil_Red,

We don't deduct anything for a click.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean.

Saver1 · 03-06-2001, 04:41 PM

Britney Spears is only worth 2 cents on sprinks.com http://geekvillage.com/ubb/frown.gif we can't use that anymore then right? That had a high bid on goto. Hardly anything on sprinks has a bid of 10 cent so i assume you want use to leave the box blank......

[This message has been edited by Saver1 (edited 03-06-2001).]

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 04:49 PM

Yup. I'm afraid so.

We've been tracking the performace of all our affiliates individually. One thing we saw, almost across the board, was that affiliates who used pre-entered terms had a much lower CTR. They were generating clicks on the "submit" button, but not on any results.

On a "making lemons out of lemonade" angle, there are some excellent terms available on sprinks at excellent bids. Check out some of the travel terms available for .02. And they accept bids down to .01.

a1022 · 03-06-2001, 04:54 PM

Hi Robert,

I did not get that mass e-mail you sent out. Is there something wrong with my account?

Robert from SI · 03-06-2001, 04:59 PM

I just got my mail for a personal account a few minutes ago. It takes a while...lotsa mail.

03-06-2001, 01:12 PM	#1
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	Changes to the SearchTraffic affiliate program. The following mail is going out to all SearchTraffic (and MojoSearch) affiliates today. Basically we are moving the program to a 2nd page payout, but lowering the unique count to 1 hour. -If you have good traffic, you will make more money. -If you have poor traffic, you will make less money. The realities of the market place are dictaing that good perfomace should be rewarded and we have to go with that flow. I'll be online to answer your questions. Please post them here or on the SI forum where there is sure to be a LIVELY discussion. http://geekvillage.com/ubb/smile.gif Robert >>>>>>>>> Dear SearchTraffic Affiliates, Over the last 2 weeks our staff has been busy analyzing and scoring the profitability of the searches sent from each SearchTraffic affiliate. We took into account many factors, including, but not limited to, click through rate, average revenue per search, and additional searches per click. We also accounted for the extra revenue that your searches generate on the ads displayed on TurboFind.com. At this time we will be maintaining our high pay rate of $0.05 (five cents) per search, but we will be paying once the surfer clicks through on a bidded term. Additionally, instead of counting each unique search in a 12 hour period, we will begin to count each unique visitor in a 1 hour period. The bottom line is that affiliates with average and above average traffic will make more money. This rate will be effective immediately. We hope that you continue to use the SearchTraffic program and find it profitable. We certainly respect your decision if you choose not to continue. As you know, SearchTraffic is the original, and only remaining search program that pays on each search no matter the bidded amount. Keep in mind that in order to earn your current $0.05 rate with a "revenue-share" search program your searches would need to produce an average bidded result of $0.10 while generating a 100% click-through rate. We do not take this action lightly, but the entire online advertising market is moving toward pay-for performance as is rightly so. With this change affiliates with good traffic will be rewarded, as should be the case. Sincerely, The Team at SearchTraffic.com >>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>>>

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03-06-2001, 01:40 PM	#2
TheWebHead Member. Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 148	Since your performanced based I assume you'll now allow text links?

03-06-2001, 01:42 PM	#3
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	I believe we will, but we are woring with 3 new search engines and I'll have to clear everything with them. The program is not exactly performance based. If the bidded term is for .02 the affiliate still gets paid .05.

03-06-2001, 03:04 PM	#4
consent Join Date: Nov 1999 Posts: 249	Do one or more of a search term's results still have to be at a minimum .10 bid? I thought that was the minimum bid you wanted. Could they be as low as .01 a bid? (Although now it looks like they'd be at a minimum .05, once GoTo and others raise the threshold.)

03-06-2001, 03:27 PM	#5
Saver1 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 16	So this means we only get $0.05 if a surfer clicks on a link on goto.com right? Can we put anything in the search box now if it has a bid of $0.10 or more SI doesn't have to pay us if the surfer doesn't click on a link that's listed on goto now so it can't be a worthless search can it? A worthless search to me was when a surfer clicks on search and we get $0.05 and then they didn't click on a goto link and SI doesn't gain anything unless they clicked on a link listed on goto but with the new rules how can there be any worthless searches we only get paid now if SI does http://geekvillage.com/ubb/confused.gif [This message has been edited by Saver1 (edited 03-06-2001).]

03-06-2001, 03:38 PM	#6
WildComputer Registered User Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: See Answers 2000 Limited Posts: 2,618	Robert have you give any thought to offering more of the "banner style" search boxes, same themes, different colors, and sizes (including bigger). I could be wrong, but I think there could be interest in a search box which could be integrated into a site's template without messing up the overall design, sorta as a horizontal or vertical strip, if that makes sense ------------------[]Over 208,000* Killer Domain Names available for the price of registration! February only - get a 40% discount if you order 50 or more domain years![]Create Your Own High Profit E-Books[]Drive thousands of visitors to your web site cheap'n'easy[*]Affiliate Programs reviewed

03-06-2001, 04:14 PM	#7
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	WC, yes we have. You'll see them shortly. Consent, we are no longer sending traffic thru goto. If you wish to use pre-entered terms you will need to check them thru sprinks.com. Your best bet is to not use pre-entered terms and let the surfer decide what he wants to search on. You'll get a higher CTR that way. Saver1, You get paid as long as a bidded term is clicked on. -If the term is worth .10 you get .05. -If the term is worth .05 you get .05. -If the term is worth .01 you get .05. -If the term is unbidded, you get zero. If you want to pre-enter terms they must be above.10 on sprinks.com

03-06-2001, 04:22 PM	#9
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	That is correct. And if they click on a .01 bid we pay you .05.

03-06-2001, 04:40 PM	#11
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	Lil_Red, We don't deduct anything for a click. I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean.

03-06-2001, 04:41 PM	#12
Saver1 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 16	Britney Spears is only worth 2 cents on sprinks.com http://geekvillage.com/ubb/frown.gif we can't use that anymore then right? That had a high bid on goto. Hardly anything on sprinks has a bid of 10 cent so i assume you want use to leave the box blank...... [This message has been edited by Saver1 (edited 03-06-2001).]

03-06-2001, 04:49 PM	#13
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	Yup. I'm afraid so. We've been tracking the performace of all our affiliates individually. One thing we saw, almost across the board, was that affiliates who used pre-entered terms had a much lower CTR. They were generating clicks on the "submit" button, but not on any results. On a "making lemons out of lemonade" angle, there are some excellent terms available on sprinks at excellent bids. Check out some of the travel terms available for .02. And they accept bids down to .01.

03-06-2001, 04:54 PM	#14
a1022 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 273	Hi Robert, I did not get that mass e-mail you sent out. Is there something wrong with my account?

03-06-2001, 04:59 PM	#15
Robert from SI Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marlton, NJ USA Posts: 1,126	I just got my mail for a personal account a few minutes ago. It takes a while...lotsa mail.