Amazon launched a contextual advertising service called Omakase, designed to compete with Google’s AdSense program.
Google’s AdSense appears on many commercial Web pages, and its small text ads correlate to the content of the Web page. But Amazon’s program leapfrogs Google’s a bit — Omakase is more personalized because it’s based not only on the content of the site, but on each visitor’s Amazon purchasing and browsing history. In other words, the Amazon ads you see here are based not only on the words you’re reading now, but on the books you’ve bought or viewed on Amazon. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work, Omakase is still in beta testing.
Trivia point: Amazon’s name for the program, Omakase, is Japanese for “Leave it up to us.” It’s a term used in Japanese restaurants, where the chef improvises a meal based on his knowledge of the diner’s preferences. Cute.
This could become an important program for online booksellers who operate their own Web site — and for those bloggers who are getting only chump change from Google for uncompetitive keywords. The compensation plan for Omakase is the same as for Amazon’s regular Associates program — most participants will get a 6.5 percent commission for book sales resulting from clicks to Amazon. I’ve reprinted a chart of Amazon’s “performance” commission structure at the bottom of this post.
I’ve posted a banner Omakase ad above the masthead on this blog and another on the right sidebar. If you’re an Amazon Associate, you can display these ads on your site too. Here’s more background from computer guru Dave Taylor, and here’s a link to Omakase for Amazon affiliates. If you don’t have an Amazon Associates password yet, here’s the cream from the FAQ:
What are Omakase Links?
With Omakase Links, Associates can now automatically display the products and content that visitors to the page are most likely to buy. Adding Omakase Links to your pages is easy. Use the Build Links tool to select the appearance and behavior of the ad, and then simply cut-and-paste the code into your template or Web page. Your page will now display Omakase Links and after a short learning period, the ads will be optimized based on what the Associate has been successful with in the past; what that user has been interested in; and what the site is about.Because Omakase Links optimize on more than just the page itself, Associates may see a range of different products in their links but they will also see that the links learn what their visitors want. In fact, because Omakase Links aim to show the right product to the right person, each person visiting their site may see different products.
Can I use Omakase Links with other ads on my site?
Amazon.com does not require exclusivity for the use of Omakase Links. That means, Amazon.com does not prevent associates from using other companies advertising schemes (such as Google AdSense) in conjunction with Omakase Links. If you have questions as to whether another provider of advertising permits the use of its advertising on the same page as Omakase Links, please contact that provider. Amazon.com does not require of its associates that they use the Amazon.com advertising exclusively.
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2 Comments
The big question for most people is can you run Adsense on the same page. I haven’t seen it asked/answered yet.
Of course, Amazon’s 1-day cookie duration still blows. I’m surpised anyone promotes them at all.
Hi Mark,
Actually there’s been a bit of controversy about that (running Adsense and Amazon context ads on the same page).
Some of the people who’ve written to Google asking the same question have gotten the following reply, which seems to be contradictory:
Thanks for your email. According to our program policies, Amazon’s Omakase may be displayed on the same page as Google ads on your site.
In general, AdSense program policy does not permit Google ads to be published on the same page as other contextually-targeted ads. You can review this, and all Google AdSense program policies, at https://www.google.com/adsense/policies …
Amazon’s Omakase ads are going to be a no-brainer for sites (like mine) whose content is consistently about books.
I was already pulling in twice as much in commissions from my Amazon affiliate links compared to Adsense on this blog. (I recently pulled my Adsense skycrapers because I was getting very little return — even though my site was one of the few suggested by Adwords for site-targeted campaigns for books-related keywords).
So it will be interesting to see how much Omakase bumps up commissions for people like me. It’s not going to hurt, that’s for sure!