Is "bit slinging" still profitable

[promise keeper]

Admittedly, I have been trying to absorb as much as possible from posts and my own research to come up to warp speed on this whole PPC thing. I recently listend to some MP3's From Perry Marshall, Jim Edwards, etc....

These were delivered probably this time a year ago, immediatly following the changes/announcement made by Google in adwords where they wouldn't allow more than one affiliate to promote the same product.

In fact, the analogy they used was the Goolgle cash model which was basically like a "traffic broker" or "bit slingers" as they called them. There opinion was that this would not continue, and that you would now need a webpage/website, perhaps a "minisite".

I am curious to get your feedback, one year later, on what has actually happened since Google made this change.

Is it still possible to be in their words a "bit slinger" or traffic cop?

Or, do you need a landing page/ minisite to generate revenue now?

Thank you in advance for any help provided.

[Travis24]

Here's my take...

I am making a killing as an affiliate...80% of my advertising is on PPC...if I invest $100...on average I get $300 back!...in a day!

But this shit ain't easy brother...and that is the rub...it is a lot harder now...

Which IMO is a good thing...

Nobody wants to get hosting, build landing pages or squeeze pages...or work as a general rule...so most of the lazy guys are out of biz...

IMO your biggest problem once you get the hang of it...and are doing the work...is finding enough markets to invest your money in at 3:1...and structuring your taxes so your not giving 35-50% to Uncle Sam!

There are a few markets where you can just "sling" up an affiliate ad direct linking to the merchant...but you had better start building a page ..if it is profitable...because somebody will outbid you and your ad will stop showing before long...

Hope this Helps,
Travis

[Miles Baker]

Yes, it's very possible.

But like Travis24 said...

But this shit ain't easy brother...and that is the rub...it is a lot harder now...

I would have to agree.

[BoogalooDude]

There are a few markets where you can just "sling" up an affiliate ad direct linking to the merchant...but you had better start building a page ..if it is profitable...because somebody will outbid you and your ad will stop showing before long...


If your ad isn't showing, how are you getting the traffic to the page you made? Are you using SEO to do this?

[Travis24]

No...what I'm sayin' is ... if you put up an affiliate ad with a direct link to merchant...and you see it is going to be profitable...there is going to be someone right behind you...that outbids you....with the same link to the merchant.

In which case Google looks at both ads and only displays the one with the highest quality score.

So...You have to build a landing page...so your url is different...to stay in the ball game long term....follow?

Now if you are Machiavellian...you can use this to your advantage (sometimes)...if I see a guy with a direct link ad...and I built a landing page for the term...and I want to get rid of that competition...I may outbid him (or maybe my quality score is high enough) that I will direct link for awhile...my lazy competition gets frustrated and decides to go play somewhere else...cuz' he doesn't want to build a landing page. :punish:

Truly,
Travis