In an email I got today, it seems that Google will stop paying for your Google Adsense referrals. They are also going to remove all Adsense referral units from the program by end of January. They didn’t quite explain why, as per the email below:
Hello,
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’re constantly experimenting with new revenue-enhancing features as well as tweaking those products already available to our publishers. This is the case for referral units directing visitors to sign up for AdSense. After experimenting with this program over the past year, we’ve concluded that there are other products that are of higher value than this program to publishers in your region. As a result, referral units for the AdSense program will be retired in the coming weeks. Referrals to other products and services remain unaffected.
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, the option to add referral units directing users to the AdSense product will no longer appear in your account. You will continue to accrue earnings for all existing referrals yet to generate $100 until late January, at which point the program will be fully retired. Existing referral units will continue to appear on your pages.
By the end of January, you should remove all referral units directing users to AdSense from your pages. Referral units that you do not remove will continue to be displayed on your pages as normal, but conversions will no longer be recorded. We suggest you replace the AdSense referrals with referrals to another product or service or an additional ad unit.
Thank you for referring users to AdSense in the past. We apologize for any inconvenience this news may cause.
Sincerely,
The Google AdSense Team
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
The Adsense referral unit wasn’t a very good way to make money anyway, so you may as well remove it and replace it with a better affiliate program.
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Thanks for the heads up on the referral units. Since I haven’t made any profits from them, I won’t be affected. Have a great day.
I was really outraged when this happened. But then, Google must be having their reasons.