What is a PPC Policy?
A PPC Policy is something that will be discussed during the integration of a new program onto the Webgains network, and added as part of the program description and T&Cs.
What is a PPC Policy?
SEM (search engine marketing) publishers are able to send targeted traffic to your site via all the major search engines by buying traffic on your behalf using their own funds. These publishers have many years of experience in search engine marketing and have very probably promoted similar brands to you, and are therefore able to use their experience and send quality traffic to your site very quickly. They also have significant budgets which they invest on brands, undertaking all the risk of a pay per click campaign while only getting paid for conversions. If you are already undertaking in paid search activity, then it is best to speak to your network to discuss how these publishers can best promote you to maximise the traffic to your site.
A keyword Policy enables you to allow, restrict or prohibit altogether publishers generating sales on their program via pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on search engines. There are 3 kinds of policies to undertake.
OPEN Keyword Policy
Publishers are allowed to bid on the brand name and any misspellings in order to rank on search engines, it is completely unrestricted.
RESTRICTED Keyword Policy
A restricted PPC policy is set when a brand would like to restrict specific keywords from being used in PPC campaigns by publishers, whether by direct or indirect linking. This is usually the brand name or any brand specific keywords or terms. A list of all restricted keywords (which usually includes brand name, misspellings and brand + generic terms) is needed.
For example, if Webgains were a clothing brand running an affiliate programme, then this would be a restricted keyword policy for them:
http://webgains.com/, webgains codes, voucher codes, webgains, webgains promo code, webgains, web gains, webgains voucher, webgains.com
CLOSED Keyword Policy
A closed policy prohibits PPC activity on a program altogether.
A closed PPC policy is usually chosen when a brand manages their own PPC activity and doesn’t want publishers sending PPC traffic at all. When a brand selects this, it is still necessary to create an example list of restricted keywords (brand name + generic terms) for publishers.
If you are not managing your PPC activity and you will like your publishers to bid on your brand name and any misspellings in order to rank higher on search engines, open PPC policy will be suitable for you and will help to increase your sales significantly.
The advantages for having an open PPC Policy and letting the publishers do the PPC for you is that these publishers are specialized PPC publishers so they have extensive knowledge about doing PPC.
The most important advantage however, is that when you are doing your own PPC you have to pay per click but if you would choose for an publisher partner to do your PPC for you, you would only pay them commission when there is a sale so it will be cost effective.