Is this the real reason why Google dislikes Clickbank affiliates? It has now launched its own eBook store, which could compete directly with ClickBank.com, the most popular outlet for commercial ebooks.
So far the Google ebook store has only been launched in the USA, but it is planning to roll out to the rest of the World next year, which is just weeks away.
Google eBooks Will Support Many Devices
Rather than download the books, it seems that ebooks will be streamed via the Internet to a device. I am sure that there will be a download option, as most people do not stay within a wireless connection at all times. In fact, when you lose your Internet connection an eBook can be very useful. Amazon’s Kindle will not be supported, sorry Kindle fans.
Whereas companies such as Clickbank offer specialised commercial ebooks Google will be offering a wide range of already published paper based books in an electonic format. It is affiliated with many publishers and will receive a commission for sales. Google is officially now an affiliate.
Here is a list of all the devices supported by Google eBooks: blogs.adobe.com/digitalpublishing/supported-devices
Google the Thin Affiliate?
An interesting question – if the Google ebook store is just selling ebooks with a commission for Google, then surely it will be a thin affiliate? Maybe as the books are hosted by Google they get around that problem, which then poses the question, if as an ebook affiliate you host and sell ebooks yourself, then pay a commission payment to the supplier, will that guarantee that you will not be classed as a “thin affiliate”?
What is a Thin Affiliate?
Google classes a thin affiliate as a website that promotes products and receives a commission on sales. Thin affiliates do not add any value to the product and often use affiliate material to market the goods. Google does not like these sites, and if a site is classed as a thin affiliate Google pushes the site out of its search index.
Many web businesses are harmed each year for aggressive action on websites that sell affiliate products, even when they are just advertising the products. It seems that where the ebook is hosted before being downloaded must play a role in whether a site is considered an affiliate or a merchant.
The Google eBook Store
Here is the store: http://books.google.com/ebooks
Looks pretty nice really. Enjoy!
