AdWords

Definition

AdWords was the former name of Google Ads, Google’s advertising platform for running paid search, display, shopping, YouTube, and retargeting campaigns.

What AdWords means today

Although Google officially renamed AdWords to Google Ads in 2018, many marketers still use “AdWords” when referring to Google paid search campaigns. In affiliate marketing, AdWords often comes up when discussing whether affiliates are allowed to promote a brand using paid search.

Why it matters in affiliate marketing

AdWords can help affiliates drive targeted traffic quickly, but it also creates compliance risks. Merchants often set rules around whether affiliates can bid on branded keywords, competitor keywords, or direct-link ads.

Example

An affiliate runs a Google search ad for “best fitness supplements” and sends traffic through their affiliate link to a merchant’s landing page.

Common rules merchants may set

• Affiliates may not bid on the brand name.
• Affiliates may not use the merchant’s domain in ad copy.
• Affiliates may only bid on non-branded keywords.
• Affiliates must send traffic to their own review or content page first.