Like the rest of the web, Google’s marketing strategies and tools are constantly evolving. Does this mean the death of affiliate marketing on Google (as in the screen shot), or, as some have speculated, the death of “thin affiliates” on Google? Thin affiliates are sites that build a site or platform around affiliate programs. For example, a thin affiliate might find an affiliate program for teeth whitening kits and then build a site about cosmetic dentistry around it, hoping to drive traffic to the affiliate site in order to get commissions.

Actually, the death of thin affiliates has been declared multiple times, and perhaps there’s something to it, but like the “corpse” in Monty Python’s “Bring Out Your Dead” sketch, thin affiliates say they’re doing fine, thanks.

However, in early January 2010 Google slashed the number of advertisers in some categories by 90%, clearing the way for those who create original products and original content. And that’s what it eventually comes down to, even for thin affiliates that make quick fortunes slinging affiliate sites all over the place: if you don’t have unique content, you’ll be roadkill on the information superhighway eventually.

The way to long term marketing success with Google has always theoretically been high quality original content, it’s just that now they’re backing up their words with some slash and burn tactics that make thin affiliates a shorter term proposition for most.

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