Google Goes Cheap with AdSense Affiliate Program

I just got an email from Google concerning changes to their AdSense affiliate program. The program pays you to refer other publishers to Google AdSense. The current pay structure is:

  • $5 when the referred publisher makes $5
  • $250 when the referred publishers make $100
  • $2,000 bonus for referring 25 publishers earning $100 or more in any 180 day period

Google is doing away with the above setup and will be paying just $100 when a referred publisher brings in $100.

We are writing to share some important information with you about referrals to the AdSense product. As part of ongoing efforts to optimize revenue opportunities for our publishers, we are constantly experimenting with new revenue-enhancing features as well as tweaking those products already available to our publishers.

In this spirit, we will be making some significant changes to referrals for the AdSense program in the coming weeks.

As some of you may remember, in February 2007, as an experiment, we raised the bounty paid (from $100 to $250) when a publisher you refer brings in $100. We have decided to conclude this experiment and return to the original paid bounty amount of $100. In addition, we will no longer be offering the $5 bounty for the first $5 that a referred publisher brings in or the $2,000 bonus for referring 25 publishers earning $100 or more in any 180 day period. $100 will be the only bounty paid for referrals to the AdSense program.

If you’re currently displaying referral units on your site directing users to sign up for AdSense, read on below for details about what to expect in the coming weeks.

In early January, your AdSense account will be updated to only note the $100 payment for referring users to AdSense. You will continue to be paid under the current bounty structure ($5, $250, $2,000) until late January, after which you will receive $100 once a referred publisher brings in $100 within 180 days.

Thank you for referring users to AdSense in the past. We apologize for any inconvenience this news may cause.

I never made much with the Google AdSense affiliate program. I expect to make even less now. If anyone signed up to the AdSense program through me, please try to make your $100 before this month is up. 😐