[oscar]

I just saw this when I logged in to CJ...

http:// cju.cj.com /publishers/lmipub_en.html#3leg

I'm not exactly thrilled...may mean a lot of work...

Oscar

[pstation]

good bye CJ, it's been fun

[Superstar]

>>2. If you are doing search marketing, you will now only be able to get links for use in search marketing from the Keyword Link area in the CJ Account Manager™ (Get Links >> View Links >> Keyword Link), and only if you have designated search engine marketing as your promotional method.
If you have been creating your own keyword links from other links, you will no longer be able to.
If you are joined to an advertiser who has not provided a Keyword link, you will not be able to do search marketing for them. However, Commission Junction is embarking on a campaign to make sure advertisers are up to date on their search and keyword preferences. <<

If you have been creating your own keyword links from other links, you will no longer be able to.

Sounds like that kills search marketing unless you buy traffic and send it only to the homepage if that is the only link in there.

[Nature Boy]

How about this one?

The option to view and use Legacy links will only be available for publishers with relationships that were formed PRIOR to June 23, 2006. Any publisher-advertiser relationships formed after this date will only provide JavaScript links.

And this one...

Since we are breaking this initiative into phases, additional elements will be available on a rolling basis. Phase II will be released in late July 2006 and will include changes to Product Catalog links. Additional phases are currently being scheduled.

I'm not so sure I like them screwing with datafeed links. I don't want to jump the gun here, but I'm not so sure I like what I'm reading so far.

[KevinT]

Well, looks like many summer vacation plans are trashed. They legacy links will be supported for some time but it is not specified. I'm sure CJ will give a week notice when they make up their mind.

The key benefits that stick out in the FAQ;

# Are dynamic, so for example, if an advertiser makes a change to a text link, it will be dynamically updated on your site without any effort on your part.
# Offer new defense against ad blocking software, so links won't get blocked.

>How are JavaScript links different than the current (Legacy) link format?
>The links themselves cannot be changed or tampered with.

Is the tamper comment realistic?

Superstar the changes affecting search marketing will allow CJ to distinguish what sales are coming from websites vs search marketing ("cookie cannons"). Currently the CJ link generating tool is one for all and CJ stupidly realized they could not tell the merchants with any degree of accuracy which sales came from which.

[Trust]

And this:

"If you are joined to an advertiser who has not provided a Keyword link, you will not be able to do search marketing for them. However, Commission Junction is embarking on a campaign to make sure advertisers are up to date on their search and keyword preferences."

What? It's good that merchants have a keyword link but if they don't, it's their perogative and CJ shouldn't get in the way of affiliates doing search marketing for that merchant.

And this:
"If you are doing search marketing, you will now only be able to get keyword links from the Keyword Link area in the CJ Account Manager™ (Get Links >> View Links >> Keyword Link), and only if you have designated your promotional method as doing search engine marketing (SEM). "

That's just one method I use.

And then this part:
"What are limitations with JavaScript?

Excessive use of JavaScript on a Web page may cause page loading to slow. We will be offering some benchmarking information on this at launch. "

Will have to wait and see on all of this.

[KGP]

and how about subid tracking? what is going to happen to sites like coupons that want to track their links?

[chetf]

Ugh.

As I discovered while researching LinkConnector™, there are many people who block javascript.

As for the no keyword link bs, this will just further hampen out ability to promote a merchant who just doesn't get it. But I can understand why they do this, if less affiliates market on search engines, more natural traffic can be converted by ebates.

Chet

[KGP]

just received the email...

to be honest i cant understand whats the fuss about (for cj) to change so dramatically the type of links publishers use.

some european networks give you the option to use javascript or plain links...

would it be so difficult for them to give a choice????

[La_Valette]

Madness... an all-out assault on search marketing. CJ must be tired of success.

[redsand]

Does that mean ALL old links have to be replaced ?

[La_Valette]

Originally Posted by redsand

Does that mean ALL old links have to be replaced ?

Good question. In one part of the CJU page it says yes, at some point to be announced. In another part it seems to say no, if you signed up with the merchant before June 23.

I don't even want to think about the work involved in switching out thousands of legacy links across all our websites.

[simcat]

Javascript Links: "Offer new defense against ad blocking software, so links won't get blocked."

I thought Norton (for example) was already able to block Adsense Ads (Javascript).

[Trust]

I think LS and CJ have some sort of weird competition going on with who can **** their own network better. I really don't want to put a bunch of javascript all over my site. If they want that, make it an option, not the only way to make links. Email your best merchants, get them on over to SAS.

[AffiliateFriendly]

You can still use search marketing to your own site and landing pages. I am thinking it is in response to clueless merchants who have no idea the keyword link page is there, yet complain to CJ about affiliates using PPC.

[Trust]

Only if the merchant has a keyword link.

"If you are joined to an advertiser who has not provided a Keyword link, you will not be able to do search marketing for them."

Maybe they should all just make one and say use the keywords you think would work best and leave it at that, for those that don't want to get a list together. I like making my own lists. To me it's just more Network getting in the way of merchants and affiliates. If a merchant doesn't want to use a keyword link and still let their affiliates do PPC, that's up to the merchant. I like keyword links but I don't think it should be a requirement. And when I get new links, I want the option of getting the old fashioned ones not just javascript. I don't want anything to slow the loading of my pages and this is just another thing to throw on the heap for them to handle. They have enough.

[UncleScooter]

Where do datafeeds play in to all of this?

[Superstar]

If you're going to succeed in PPC to the merchant you [b]have[b] to come up with your own links. Once they post keywords in there, they are useless.

Making links so they can't be modified makes it much more difficult to weave them into content, which is a great way to get better click throughs and sales.

All the networks need to do to find out what trafic is coming from search is to look at the referral logs.

>>> I think LS and CJ have some sort of weird competition going on with who can **** their own network better.<<<

Once this is up, it might be time to start fighting with the LinkShare interface some more or LinkConnector if the CJ merchants would open up programs up there and make feeds available. If they can keep ramping up, improving the interface and getting more merchants, I'd switch everything over to them.

[Trust]

Are the product links going to be in javascript too? So no SE food?

[Superstar]

You lose the benefit of link text for products if they do that and other keywords if the engines can't see any of the links and the engines don't penalize at all for affiliate links as far as I can tell.

[Trust]

I don't use many product links but when I do they come with all kinds of spider food, with the new links nothing. So with the new links there is nothing for the SE's to grab.

But I read this:

"Who gets Legacy links?
The option to view and use Legacy links will only be available for publishers with relationships that were formed PRIOR to June 23, 2006. Any publisher-advertiser relationships formed after this date will only provide JavaScript links."

So if I'm reading that right, we can continue to use the current links with any merchants we are signed up with before June 23.

[simcat]

"They eliminate the limitations of affiliate links in the legacy format – specifically search engine ranking degradation."

What does this mean?
Are they saying that SE's won't be able to recognize these as affiliate links?

Google may not be able to follow Javascript now, but in the future they will.
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum12/2089.htm

Or they can look in the page source and figure it out.

[UncleScooter]

So anchor text is no longer important. What a bonehead move by CJ.

[UncleScooter]

Originally Posted by TrustNo1

So if I'm reading that right, we can continue to use the current links with any merchants we are signed up with before June 23.

So what will happen is everyone will join every program before June 23, then concentrate on other networks after that.

I would hate to be a merchant who signed up with CJ after June 23.

What a hugely idiotic move this is. CJ must fear success. Did Linkshare buy them and I missed it?

[Trust]

"I would hate to be a merchant who signed up with CJ after June 23."

Yeah, it would suck for them. Give their affiliates a bunch of invisible links (product links) lol. Just go to SAS.

"The Link Management Initiative (LMI) was conceived in response to requests from our employees, advertisers and publishers for: "

Really, who cares what the employees think? I don't.