This guide outlines what affiliates must follow on Commission Factory to ensure that their Paid Search promotional activity is compliant.
The below outlines the rules that affiliates promoting via Paid Search must adhere to in order to stay compliant with Commission Factory. Any breaches of compliance may result in the suspension or removal of an affiliate account from our network.
Unless an Advertiser has provided permission or notated in their program Ts&Cs that they allow TM and/or TM+ search activity, you cannot be using their trademarked terms in your PPC activity and should have their brand terms negative matched if you are broad matching as part of your Paid Search strategy.
Paid Search Advertising Compliance
Paid Search activity can only be conducted if the advertiser allows Paid Search as a listed promotional method in their program details. Please visit this Help Centre guide for more information on how to check if an advertiser allows Paid Search activity on their platform.
Any Paid Search activity an affiliate does without permission from the advertiser is deemed as a breach of compliance and may result in your removal from the program and/or network, as well as transactions being voided by the advertiser.
Brand Bidding on Advertiser Search Terms
Brand Bidding is the act of targeting paid search advertisements to branded keywords (searches that include a brand name, or some variation). Typically, these ads will then direct the traffic to their own site before then redirecting or incentivizing that traffic to click out to an advertiser’s website via their affiliate link.
Unauthorized Brand Bidding is a breach of compliance and can result in the suspension of your account on our network.
Broad Matching Search Terms
Broad matching search terms relate to unintentional Pay-Per-Click infringements from affiliates who conduct large-scale paid search campaigns. From time to time, affiliates who bid on ‘Term +’ keywords can appear on an advertiser's paid search terms.
If an affiliate is found broad matching search terms that result in an ad appearing on an advertiser's search terms, the publisher may be asked to discontinue.
Ad Hijacking
Ad Hijacks are instances where an affiliate impersonates an advertiser by placing an ad and URL link that appear to be just a paid ad from the advertiser themselves. This will directly link to the advertiser’s website via their affiliate redirect, which then drops an affiliate cookie without the user even knowing. Ad Hijacking is classified as a serious compliance violation and can result in the removal of your account from our network.
For more information on where to find an advertiser's terms and conditions, please visit another one of our Help Centre articles here.