Affiliate Program Rules - Am I Getting This Right?

blog cover image
9
18
669 followers

Hi, I have a question about the rules of one of my affiliate programs, posting this as a post as I cannot share a screenshot in "questions".

I am confused and think I have done some things really wrong, but I want to make sure my understanding is correct.

Can you help me in understanding the below rules of one of the affiliate programs I am working with (this is via Rakuten Advertising):

In my understanding, this means:

I am not allowed to use the brand name in any keyword, post title, or URL at all.

Is this correct?

What does "bidding" mean in this context?

The policy related to "paid search"; the definition given is:

"Paid Search: relating to the publisher's use of various practices in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to promote an advertiser's products."

What type of advertising does PPC include?

Does this also relate to publishing an article on my site, driving organic traffic WITHOUT using paid advertising?

This really confuses me now and would also mean that I would have to either delete or re-write 3-4 posts that I have published already.

Your help in understanding the policy will be highly appreciated.

Thank you,

Drea

9
18

Join FREE & Launch Your Business!

Exclusive Bonus - Offer Ends at Midnight Today

00

Hours

:

00

Minutes

:

00

Seconds

2,000 AI Credits Worth $10 USD

Build a Logo + Website That Attracts Customers

400 Credits

Discover Hot Niches with AI Market Research

100 Credits

Create SEO Content That Ranks & Converts

800 Credits

Find Affiliate Offers Up to $500/Sale

10 Credits

Access a Community of 2.9M+ Members

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
No credit card required

Recent Comments

18

Hello All, thank you so much for your quick replies. I am so relieved, thank you! I am not paying for advertising only doing organic and social shares. I will just double- check their policy again as it did say something about ‘forbidden keywords’ but I think this was also in the paid search section. Thanks again for your help! You guys are simply AWESOME 👏

5

You are not allowed to bid on certain keywords listed by the affiliate program if you want to advertise their products. Nor for PPC ,meaning Pay pêr click.
But since you don't use paid traffic you can ignore this ,like others already said.

5

Thank you 🙏

3

I second the thanks, really helpful Luc, learnt something new.

If you are not paying for ads it doesn't affect you.

6

Thanks Lisa, so relieved 😅

4

Hi - these rules all relate to their Paid Search Policy. In other words, Google Ads etc, where you bid on certain keywords. If you are not using any form of paid search, but relying solely on organic traffic, then these rules don't apply.

7

Thank you, Diane. You have been very helpful and I am so relieved 😌

4

unless you are using google ads - fb ads or other paid advertising to promote your links you are fine....
these are all to do with paid advertising..like google ads where you are not allowed to put hte brand name in there...so must use what the product is or why the person would buy it....
so no you don't need ot rewrite any posts
but bear it in mind when you progress ot paid advertising....
have fun
phil

5

Thanks so much, Phil! I so relieved!

4

See more comments

Join FREE & Launch Your Business!

Exclusive Bonus - Offer Ends at Midnight Today

00

Hours

:

00

Minutes

:

00

Seconds

2,000 AI Credits Worth $10 USD

Build a Logo + Website That Attracts Customers

400 Credits

Discover Hot Niches with AI Market Research

100 Credits

Create SEO Content That Ranks & Converts

800 Credits

Find Affiliate Offers Up to $500/Sale

10 Credits

Access a Community of 2.9M+ Members

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
No credit card required

2.9M+

Members

190+

Countries Served

20+

Years Online

50K+

Success Stories

The world's most successful affiliate marketing training platform. Join 2.9M+ entrepreneurs building their online business with expert training, tools, and support.

© 2005-2025 Wealthy Affiliate
All rights reserved worldwide.

🔒 Trusted by Millions Worldwide

Since 2005, Wealthy Affiliate has been the go-to platform for entrepreneurs looking to build successful online businesses. With industry-leading security, 99.9% uptime, and a proven track record of success, you're in safe hands.