The question that seems more relevant to me is this: What is better for the client's overall strategy? Well, if you search for a client's brand name or some variation, does the client's organic search result show up?

If the answer is 'no', then the client would probably benefit from the increased exposure that an affiliate could provide. The cost to consider would be the commission that the client pays the affiliate for that incremental traffic.

If the answer is 'yes', then the client would be better off having that brand search-traffic click the organic search link, rather than lose traffic to affiliates, whose sales are discounted (by commission). If a Google-search on a client's brand name yields the client's organic search result, consumers will undoubtedly find the client without the presence of an affiliate site.

If the client is looking to appeal to the coupon/deal-searching-consumer-behavior, why not offer a coupon via their own site instead of giving the coupon offer to affiliates? What are the pros and cons?

Secondly, have you seen how much love Google is giving coupon sites? We launched a new client, one with a very strong brand and organic search position, and he was “appalled” that within days of launching his affiliate program, seeing a strong pickup by high quality coupon affiliates, EVEN THOUGH HE WASN’T OFFERING A COUPON, that they were showing up in positions 4-20 in natural search results. Is this the affiliates fault?

So we have a storm of changing consumer behavior and Google love giving coupon affiliates a strong position in the marketplace. This too will change and to penalize affiliates who offer good value propositions for most, if not all of our clients, doesn’t seem the best way to go.

CSN Stores is a merchant that comes to mind who did a very critical analysis of the role of coupon affiliates within their own business and made changes in their affiliate program to reflect that role.

I think the biggest issue that coupon affiliates need to address as far as their value to the merchant is that of consumers seeking coupons once in the shopping cart. A tough one to find a solution for, but tough or not it shouldn’t be ignored.

For example, if I am buying traffic, then the keywords that I’m buying and succeeding with would be interesting to the paid-search team at the merchant site. This is performance marketing, and profitable keywords are hard-earned.

Or if I’m doing well in natural search, then my successes are extremely interesting to the SEO’s in the merchant organization. As an SEO myself, I know that my sites are studied closely by the merchants that I promote.

I think the questions that George raises are valid. But just because an affiliate won’t disclose their IP doesn’t make them illegitimate. Find another way to measure.

So the reasons are obvious why no illegitimate affiliate will take George up on this challenge–an illegitimate affiliate who reveals his click traffic sources would be fired by the merchant.

But for what reasons would any legitimate affiliate advertiser refuse to take George up on this challenge? Isn’t this just an issue of transparency?

That’s the debate at present, also data is allegedly saying this is not the case and I will be honest I have not run enough tests to know what the facts are so, can’t give a concrete answer on that one.

Clarke