The Dutch affiliate market has been shaken up considerably in the past year. The past Google Core updates have had a strong influence on the organic positions of many Dutch affiliate sites. As a result of these so-called Helpful Content updates, many affiliates are experiencing a sharp decline in organic traffic to their own affiliate website. The sharp decline in organic search traffic has led to major problems for many affiliates. For many affiliates, organic search traffic was the largest and sometimes even the only major source of website traffic. The income from promoting the various affiliate campaigns has therefore almost come to a standstill for these affiliates. Affiliates for whom affiliate marketing was a nice additional income until recently have seen this additional income largely, or sometimes even completely, evaporate as a result of the so-called Helpful Content updates from Google.
The so-called Helpful Content Updates from Google are primarily intended to improve the quality of search results in order to provide Google users with relevant and valuable content. Google has indicated that they want users to quickly find the right information they are looking for. With these updates, Google's intention is to reward websites that create really useful content that answers the questions people ask. Content written for real people, instead of content written to rank as high as possible in search engines. That users can quickly find the information they are looking for without having to wrestle through all kinds of information first. For many affiliates, these Helpful Content updates mean that a radical change of direction is necessary to prevent their own affiliate sites from going under as a result of the absence of commissions.
This shake-up of the affiliate market also has major consequences for advertisers. Many of the affiliates that previously contributed to sales results - “superficial” content or not - have come to a complete standstill. As a result, the group of affiliates that is able to make a significant contribution is becoming smaller and smaller. Google's Helpful Content Updates therefore not only affect affiliates, but certainly also advertisers, indirectly or not.
To prevent the added value of the affiliate channel - together with the affiliates - from going down, it is therefore very important to also act on this from an advertiser perspective. So this raises the fair question of how advertisers can fulfil this role?
In order to give a thorough answer to this question, it is important to first list the exact consequences of Google's Helpful Content Updates:
One of the most important changes for affiliates is the need to focus on creating high-quality, in-depth content. It is no longer enough to simply produce large amounts of superficial articles that are full of keywords. Instead, affiliates should focus on creating content that is truly valuable to their target audience.
Now more than ever, Google rewards content written by experts in their field. For affiliates, this means specializing in specific niches and deepening their knowledge. Showing real expertise and offering unique insights will help you rank better in search results.
The updates also place more emphasis on the overall user experience. Affiliates should not only focus on the content of their articles, but also on how they are presented. A well-structured website with clear navigation and fast loading times has become essential.
Affiliates who previously relied heavily on search traffic may find that their rankings and traffic fluctuate. It is therefore wise to diversify sources of income. This may mean that affiliates should focus on building an email list, strengthening their social media presence, or exploring other marketing channels.
Google values transparency and authenticity. Affiliates must be open about their affiliate links and relationships with brands. Building trust with the audience is not only good for relationships with readers, but also for rankings.
Based on the above points, it is clear that the challenge for certain affiliates is greater than for other affiliates. For example, affiliates who read content and products directly from the product feeds provided by advertisers will have to quickly provide unique, value-added content. After all, what is unique about texts that are copied directly from a product feed and can thus be found on other websites?
These developments also require a different strategy from the advertiser. After all, by only making generic content available to affiliates, this makes it difficult (more) for them to promote the advertiser's brand in a qualitative way. In order to support the affiliates as much as possible in creating good, high-quality content, there is therefore an important responsibility with the advertisers.
Actually, this issue starts with a question for advertisers, namely to what extent they take the affiliate channel seriously. As described earlier, many advertisers still regard the affiliate channel as a “Plug and Play” channel, which requires no further attention after the initial start-up phase. This piece of attention is exactly where the challenge lies for advertisers. Indeed, the developments resulting from the Helpful Content Updates make it more important than ever that advertisers provide their affiliates with as much relevant information as possible.
The times when affiliate programs run successfully based on a concise, general product feed, a small general banner set in the most common formats, and a few text links are really over. Such a limited range of tools for affiliates provides very general, superficial forms of promotion. The same superficiality that has been severely punished by Google with its Helpful Content Updates. To make an affiliate campaign a success today, much more than the basic requirements for offering promotional material from the network is needed. These requirements can be summarized in the following sections:
One of the main requirements of affiliates to be able to carry out the highest quality promotion possible is full transparency and detailed product information from the advertiser. Many advertisers already offer a product feed containing important information about their own product offerings. These product feeds are usually basic and contain only superficial information such as the product name, a thousand in a dozen description, a standard product photo, a landing page and the price. In order to actually enable affiliates to share in-depth information about the products with the public, a lot more is needed. Think of multiple product images, dimensions, the material the product is made of and other technical specifications and extensive (er) product descriptions. Other valuable additions may include user experiences, scores and testimonials, product pros and cons, comparisons with similar products in the advertiser's range, links to product videos, and in-depth categorization.
In addition, it is interesting to provide multiple product feeds. In addition to a general product feed containing all products, think of an action feed containing all products with an off-price, a gift feed containing products that are suitable for giving as gifts for the holidays, a feed with new items in the range or a feed with sale items. When it comes to sharing detailed product information, the more the better!
Google's Helpful Content Updates emphasize original and engaging content. It is therefore very important for advertisers to provide their affiliates with the Unique Selling Points and the stories behind the products. This could include sharing the history of a particular product brand, or highlighting the product's unique features or innovations. You can also consider sharing relevant case studies or success stories. Another great example of storytelling can be to provide insight into the production process or the company's underlying philosophy. Nothing is too crazy. For some affiliates, information that may even seem unnecessary to share may contain just the missing piece of information they need to create a good, original, and compelling promotion.
Just offering generic promotional material is not enough. In a world where visual content is becoming increasingly important, affiliates need high-quality footage. Quality visual material is a perfect match for Google's focus on Helpful Content. This goes beyond offering a nice banner set in the most used sizes. This includes offering professional product photos taken from different angles. Infographics that show the benefits of a product, or how a product works, can also definitely be of added value. Videos that show the product in action can mean just the difference between buying or not making a purchase. Last but not least, consider offering 360-degree images or augmented reality options. The possibilities are endless.
Unfortunately, it appears that many networks currently only allow advertisers to offer “basic” promotional material using the upload function in their interface. It is therefore advisable to offer affiliates access to a hosted image bank, where they can get all the necessary information and images.
Google values current and relevant content. To help affiliates get started, it is therefore important to provide regular updates so that the affiliates can keep the promotional content as up to date as possible. This goes beyond just sharing new promotions and offers. Examples include new product launches, trending topics related to the industry, or changes in prices or availability. By sharing this information in a timely manner, affiliates can respond to current trends and seasons, increasing the relevance and value of their content.
In-depth, expert content is something that Google's helpful content update certainly appreciates. Advertisers can support affiliates in this by:
These resources enable affiliates to position themselves as thought leaders in their niche, increasing the credibility and value of their content.
An even further way of supporting them is to directly support affiliates in creating content. This can be done in various ways, for example by offering content templates or guidelines, sharing best practices for SEO or content marketing, providing feedback on concepts or ideas, or by facilitating a platform where affiliates can exchange content and experiences.
Sharing specific data and insights can help affiliates fine-tune their strategies. Examples include sharing conversion data and customer behavior, providing insights into search trends and popular keywords, or sharing analyses of successful campaigns or content. A specific example of this is to include the name of the campsite booked via the affiliate in the tracking data of, for example, a campsite provider. This offers the affiliate insight into what form of content pays off well for him or her, after which they can continue to build on it.
Working with a last click commission model is now an outdated, outdated option. To boost the quality of the affiliate channel, it is necessary for advertisers to offer a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to compensation models. It is important that, in addition to reimbursing based on the conclusion of transactions, long-term strategies such as content marketing and branding also pay off. Think about rewarding engagement, not just based on conversions. An example of achieving this could be to reward affiliates based on a position in a conversion path (regardless of whether the actual conversion can be assigned to the respective publisher). Another option is to reward per funnel entry, regardless of whether this funnel entry results in an actual transaction. Both reward models make it easier for affiliates to earn commissions based on the content they create. In addition, the affiliates no longer have to focus solely on getting the conversion, which significantly improves the quality of the promotion provided.
The consequences of Google's recent Helpful Content Updates clearly show the need for change within the affiliate channel. Offering a standard banner set, a few text links and a superficial product feed does not help average upper-funnel affiliates in setting up actual qualitative forms of promotion. The Helpful Content Updates highlight the need for valuable, user-focused content that actually helps solve problems or content that answers the searching consumer's questions. Affiliates can play a crucial role here, because they are often close to the target group.
By properly supporting affiliates - and not leaving them to fend for themselves by viewing the affiliate channel as a “Plug and Play” channel - advertisers can benefit from their unique insights and expertise. This leads to improved visibility and ranking in Google's search results and therefore ensures that the searching consumer gets to the advertiser's offers more quickly.
Advertisers who actively support their affiliates in organizing the promotion as qualitatively as possible will find that they not only help their partners, but also strengthen their own brand at the same time. By working together to create valuable, informative and engaging content, both affiliates and advertisers can jointly overcome the challenges of the Helpful Content Updates. The ultimate goal remains the same: bringing products and services to the right people, in a way that is both informative and valuable to consumers.
In an era where authenticity and expertise are becoming increasingly important, optimal cooperation between affiliates and advertisers is more crucial than ever.
