Will Google Product Search Kill Internet Affiliate Marketing?

admin    Google     Affiliate, Google, internet, Kill, Marketing, Product, Search

Not really, but it could make the job of an online affiliate marketer a total nightmare in the coming months… selling affiliate products on the web has just gotten much, much tougher.

Why?

Mainly because Google has taken Froogle, which it created in 2002 and re-named/re-branded it into Google Product Search. Now when anyone searches for a product on the web – Google Product Search will list the products and the stores selling them on the web.

Now it should be noted, Google doesn’t charge any fees for these listings and accepts no payment for products that show up first; nor does Google make any commissions on sales. Google makes its revenue by selling advertising via Adwords on the Product Search results pages. Any company can submit products thru Google Base to be included in Google Product Search.

What’s the problem?

Actually, there is no problem for the consumer who wants to find the cheapest price for a product. Google offers this great service which will help you find your product. It just cuts out the affiliate marketer who makes a living by promoting products on the web and receiving a small commission in return for their work.

But there are some very fundamental issues here that also cuts at the very heart of the Internet as we know it. Is Google changing the rules of how it does business by more aggressively targeting not only specific product keywords but much more broader keyword phrases in their organic search results with programs like Google Product Search? And they’re listing their links first in the organic search results or what everyone has come to believe are organic results. This argument is not new, Google has been taking those top spots for years albeit directing buyers to other companies with the best prices and offers.

However, is Google now not just targeting a product name or product – but targeting and listing in the #1 spot all the broader keyword phrases which have until recently been dominated by the ordinary website owner? And even in your own iGoogle personal search, you can NOT place your choice ABOVE this Google Product Link.

The real tricky question here: isn’t Google going from a search engine to a website creator and operator in this process? Is Google now not only providing the results; but is it now creating web pages to match those results? There’s nothing wrong with that, Google can do what it wants, but for the small affiliate marketer it means competition. Big competition. In other words, every website on the net now has Google as a potential competitor in organic search.

Of course, how far Google goes with this broader keyword targeting has yet to be seen. Only time will tell if Google does indeed have affiliate links and affiliate sites in its cross-hairs. Many affiliate marketers on the web will be waiting nervously for the answer to that question.

Again, most people would agree with what Google is doing, since most affiliate marketers only hype the products they’re selling and getting those affiliate based sites out of their search results and off the web may not be a bad move on Google’s part and for the web as a whole.

However, are consumers now getting the real information on products they’re buying? One of the great things about the Internet is that it has always offered various types of information and viewpoints on any subject matter – including the products that we buy on the web. By placing itself first in organic search results, Google is saying its information and listed products are the ones you should be getting.

Many affiliate marketers have spent years researching and studying a particular product niche and they offer valuable in-depth information on their sites about a particular product or service. They also offer comprehensive general knowledge about products, services and subjects that many searchers genuinely want to find when they search the web for information. It doesn’t always mean going directly to the merchant to buy a product, many shoppers want information first, then make their decision.

While others will argue what’s the big deal, isn’t Google also giving other search results besides the top spot? Yes, but as any marketer who has had a # 1 ranking in Google or any search engine for that matter, will know the top spot gets the majority of the traffic. So Google, by reserving the top spot for itself, will now receive the majority of the traffic, which it can exploit with its advertising.

Google is smart. Google has smart people. And smart people know the longer you have a web surfer on your site and not on someone else’s site, the more money you will make on advertising. By taking the top spot in organic search for every profitable keyword that’s searched, and keeping those searchers on web pages derived from those results, Google can create more business for itself. The poor affiliate marketer and every other website owner will just have to settle for second place.

How To Kill Nexus-Prince Shaffar – Last Boss in Mana Tombs – World of Warcraft

admin    Google's Nexus One     Boss, Kill, Last, Mana, NexusPrince, Shaffar, Tombs, Warcraft, World

Nexus-Prince Shaffar is the final boss in the Mana Tombs instance. This essay will discuss the proper method to defeat Prince Shaffar.

You will find Mana Tombs in Auchindoun, which is located in the center of the Bone Wastes zone. To reach Mana Tombs from Shattrath city, you will need to travel east out of town until you reach the first road. Follow that road south until you enter the Bone Wastes, and then keep heading south. You will eventually enter an area of structural ruins called Auchindoun. Work your way to the interior of Auchindoun and you will find the Summoning Stone for the Auchindoun instances. From the Summoning Stone, head directly north and you will find the entrance to Mana Tombs. (Tip: Mana Tombs has many Consortium NPCs outside of the instance-entrance. If you don’t see these NPCs, you may be at the wrong entrance!)

Before your party engages Prince Shaffar, every player should be well aware of the following:

Ethereal Beacons – These are what kill you and will no doubt wipe your party repeatedly until everyone figures out that they must die first. The Prince will have three of these floating near him at the start of the fight. The Ethereal Beacons will transform into casters if your party does not destroy them fast enough. If the Beacons are allowed to transform into casters, they will proceed to blast your party to pieces. It is important to focus on the Ethereal Beacons at the start of the fight, and then DPS the Prince once the Beacons are dead. Additionally, party members should immediately switch their targeting to any Ethereal Beacon should one spawn and destroy it before continuing to DPS the Prince.

The basic strategy for Nexus-Prince Shaffar:

1. Only your tank should engage the Prince at the start. Everyone else should pre-target each of the three Ethereal Beacons before your tank pulls Prince Shaffar. Assign targets to party members to ensure everyone knows which Ethereal Beacon they are killing. (TIP: There is always one Ethereal Beacon located directly behind the Prince. The easiest way to target that Beacon is to click directly above the Prince’s head.)

2. When you tank pulls, all other party members must focus their attention on the three Beacons and destroy them as fast as possible. Killing the Beacons first is critical to winning this fight. When the Beacons are destroyed, party members may begin to DPS the Prince.

3. Occasionally, the Prince will Blink and teleport a short distance away. Normally this does not reset the aggro list. Your tank should be able to immediately move to the Prince after every Blink. Also, your healers must be prepared to move in case there are line-of-sight issues for healing the tank.

4. Approximately every ten seconds, Prince Shaffar will spawn another Ethereal Beacon somewhere nearby. All party members (except your tank and healer) should immediately focus their DPS onto the new Ethereal Beacon until it is destroyed. Do not let the Beacon transform into a caster! Once the Beacon is dead, resume DPS on Prince Shaffar.

5. If you’ve reached this stage, then you’ve got the Ethereal Beacons under control. Now you should DPS the Prince as you would any other boss, and then divvy up the loot.

Nexus-Prince Shaffar does not hit very hard (melee-wise), so your tank should not be taking considerable physical-damage throughout the fight. However, the Prince does cast magic damage, specifically: frost, shadow, fire, and arcane damage. If you have any auras or resistance-spells that can be cast, they will be helpful. It is not necessary to switch to resistance gear for this fight; DPS gear is far more important than any kind of resistance gear that you might have.

If you’re the leader of the party, it is imperative that you stress to your fellow party-members to kill the Ethereal Beacons immediately. The Beacons are the critical element to this fight. Control them and you will defeat Nexus-Prince Shaffar without difficulty.

Good luck!