Google has made many algorithm changes over the years. It recently announced that it makes 500 to 600 algorithm changes a year. Some have had devastating effects on the income of affiliate marketers. Some have been just mediocre.
An algorithm is a set of precise rules that a computer (in this case) must follow to reach a desired goal. Google aims to better serve the needs of users. If Google meets the needs of users, the number of users using the Google search engine will increase, and they will be able to earn more money from their advertisers.
But what is the best way for Google to meet users’ needs? What factors are most important to consumers? Which are still important but perhaps less so? The rules and criteria Google uses to rank affiliate marketers’ sites vary over time. They are also different because marketers have tried to take advantage of different aspects of the ranking algorithm.
Algorithm changes often seem like a cat-and-mouse game in computer security. Unintended openings are exploited for the marketer’s personal gain but undermine Google’s goal of serving consumers’ needs. Google makes changes to an algorithm that changes the computer-generated rules it uses to rank affiliate marketers’ (and others’) sites.
All affiliate marketers who have designed their promotional efforts to take advantage of this unintended opening drop as their sites fall down the list. Affiliate marketers can best achieve long-term and lasting success if they help Google reach its goal of satisfying consumer needs.
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