What the Google Affiliate Network Closure Means for Merchants

The immediate implication was clear: thousands of merchants whose affiliate programs were on Google Affiliate Network would be displaced when the network shut down. Merchants would need to consider options and find new homes for their affiliate programs. Among the considerations they faced:

• Where would they go?
• How would they maintain existing affiliate relationships?
• What would happen to historical data?
• When would they need to have another option(s) in place?

Affiliates who had focused their efforts on GAN-managed advertisers also faced some tough decisions:

• Will I be able to maintain relationships with the advertisers I promote?
• How will I maintain the revenue stream I've created?
• What do I do to keep customers satisfied if I lose some brands or products?

The answer to the biggest question — where do I go now — was available from the start. There are many affiliate networks that are able to help advertisers who must migrate their affiliate programs off of Google Affiliate Network, which officially shuts down July 31.