BCL Performance Marketing: Ethical Affiliate Marketing Australia: Regular Checks on the Search Engine Results

Whenever you have a free spare minutes at the computer - when you're on hold on the telephone or waiting for someone - search for yoursitename and see what comes up.

Look at the ppc advertisements. There may be some competitors around. Is that a problem? Some people think it is, but if someone has typed in yoursitename, they are looking for you, not your competitors. They'll click on the first link that looks like it goes to your site. That should be your site in the organic (free) results but there may be a paid link from a brand-bidding affiliate displaying your URL above the natural results.

Then look at the search results. As well as your site, you'll see some affiliate sites. Are those sites working for you or against you? Are they accurate? Are they claiming to have coupons that are out of date, are unauthorised, or that simply don't exist?

It's up to you to monitor your affiliates, work with those who help your business, and stop those who harm your branding or use unethical methods to claim commission for sales you would have got anyway.